Leechburg Area to look at whether teacher contract should be amended because of pandemic

Leechburg Area School Board plans to enter into discussions with the teachers union to determine how much additional work the pandemic has created for teachers and whether they deserve more pay.

The board unanimously approved an agreement this week that clears the way for those discussions to begin with the Leechburg Area Education Association. The union asked for the discussions.

“It’s the start of a conversation about the work that will be needed for virtual instruction,” Superintendent Tiffany Nix explained.

Nix said the discussions will look at how much more work is involved for the teachers and how, and if, they should be compensated for it. She said that probably will involve the same negotiating teams for the teachers and the school board who forged the current contract.

The board decided in July to return students to the classroom five days a week this year, eliminating “virtual Wednesdays” instituted last October when all students stayed home on that day to allow the schools to be cleaned and sanitized.

Virtual learning by computer at home remains an option for students and parents. Nix said five students in the district are opting for remote instruction.

Remote instruction will be different from what it was last year.

“It’s (instruction) all live now,” Nix said. “Before, the teachers would film it and download it to their Google Classroom.”

She said students then could log in whenever they wanted to receive the course instruction.

Nix said that proved to be ineffective as some students wouldn’t log in as they were supposed to, and they were just not learning. The situation also created more work for the teachers.

“It’s a requirement that our students log-in live now,” she said, meaning that students at home must log in at the same time a class is being conducted in the schools. Attendance will be taken.

Nix said the combination of live in-person and online instruction raises the prospect of creating additional work for the teachers. For that reason, she said the union requested discussions about that and the possibility of reopening the five-year contract to adjust compensation for it.

Ashley Mondale, president of the Leechburg Area Education Association, said the situation generates a lot of stress for teachers as they try to prepare lesson plans that balance instruction for in-person and online students. She said that can temper the use of hands-on learning by teachers since they don’t necessarily know whether there is an adult at home with the online student to provide assistance if needed.

“I think a lot of the prep work last year was done with a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” Mondale said. “The cyber thing added a whole new dimension that nobody could foresee. It’s quite overwhelming most of the time.”

She said some students definitely did not take full advantage of the opportunities given to them last year.

Now the log-in live approach should change that, she added.

“Hopefully that gives them more accountability on their end to show up every day,” Mondale said.