Originally posted February 23, 2015:

We are having trouble keeping track of all the teacher negotiations bills, but we remain convinced that the right thing to do is to pass the bill containing the agreement between the superintendents association, the school administrators association, the school boards association and the teachers union. We also continue to believe the other bills have nothing to do with “efficiency” and have everything to do with dividing the education community, squelching the teachers union and leaving teachers feeling vulnerable.

Here’s information on the latest bill out of the House Commerce Committee. Rep. Kleeb is quoted supporting the bill, saying it will help teachers. We fail to see how teachers will effectively negotiate with boards who can tell them to take it or leave it. We’ve also heard from school board members who say they like having a single negotiation and don’t want to try to negotiate separate contracts.

“Kansas school boards would have the power to tell teachers who are not members of unions to ‘take it or leave it’ in salary negotiations under a bill endorsed by a state House panel Friday.

“The bill would allow individual teachers who are not members of the associations in the normal collective bargaining structure to negotiate for themselves, but school boards would be able to refuse any counter-offers from nonmembers and would not be required to include them in deals bargained with the unions.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article10768145.html