In Minnesota, less than half of the school districts have successfully hammered out the next round of teacher contracts. In the case of the St. Michael-Albertville school district, the contract negotiations have entered mediation services. At stake is the entire compensation package—salaries, insurance benefits and a laundry list of other conditions.

The Composition of the Mediation Teams

On behalf of the teachers, there is one teacher from each of the eight campuses in the district. Spearheading this team is Matt Rooker, a teacher from St. Michael-Albertville High School. On the side of the district is Dr. James Behle, the Superintendent plus three members of the school board and several administrators.

So far, the negotiations have been in good faith—amicable and productive. Both sides share the same interests—attracting and keeping top quality instructors without breaking the bank or unduly sacrificing other priorities, such as staff development, class size and technology. The matter of debate is precisely how they are going to balance all of these factors.

Contract Mediation Under Budget Cuts

The difficulties of working out a livable income for teachers versus an ever-tightening budget is not limited to this school district, or even the state of Minnesota. For that matter, every state agency is facing smaller budgets versus rising expenses of living. With the approach of good faith on both sides—a willingness to compromise, civil mediation services are an increasingly useful way to resolve problems versus fighting it out in litigation.