JEA, school board disagree over closed meetings
Podcast Episode
As negotiating teams from the Janesville Education Association and Janesville School Board prepare for their next contract bargaining session, the two parties disagree about one basic ground rule: whether the meetings should be open or closed.
JEA lead negotiator Jim Reif says his team wants open meetings to allow teachers and taxpayers to learn more about the process. He says it will also provide an unfiltered perspective for the media. Reif says one of the school district's own Studer Group Principles is that transparency builds trust.
Director of Human Services Steve Salerno says closed meetings can still build trust. He says it is standard practice to hold bargaining sessions in closed session. He says that way, either side isn't playing to an audience. However, the school board hasn't ruled out the possibility of holding negotiations in open session.
Reif says the JEA doesn't want to "get into a big fight" over the status of the meetings, because it is the school district's right to request the sessions be closed.
The next bargaining session is Wednesday.
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Feb 7, 2011 at 10:40 a.m.
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Why's the Board afraid of open meetings? Good job, JEA!
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