Teton Education Association (TEA), which serves as the Teton Valley’s local teacher’s union is still hashing out issues with the local school district regarding the new master contract. With no end in sight to the dispute, the union is seeking federal mediation. The most recent meeting, held June 11, the TEA president declared there is no way the debate is going to be solved without mediation regarding pay raises and the salary schedule for teachers.

Representatives for the district were hoping they could tie the salary schedule to the state’s career ladder. This is a list of how much the state gives the district for teacher’s salaries and the president of the Board of Trustees believes the schedule not being tied to the ladder causes the district to put money toward salaries that would otherwise be spent on student.

TEA’s negotiation team complained that the district used attorneys as negotiators, at least one of whom upset the teachers. The district pointed out that the teacher’s union could have brought in attorneys free of charge to negotiate on their behalf but chose not to do so.

One of the attorneys for the district believes teachers should not be able to conduct union business during the “contract school day,” when they are supposed to be working with children. TEA feels that is unreasonable and that the attorneys for the district are being too harsh.

If no resolution is reached by July, the parties will honor last year’s contract until an agreement is reached.