Originally published in the Tinley Junction
Teachers are the heart of our community, helping to educate the next generation of those that will lead.
But as more than a month of the school year has passed without a contract in place, teachers in Bremen High School District 228 are left feeling undervalued, so they decided to take to their community with their voices.
As you drove down Central Avenue near Oak Forest High School on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 16, both sides of the street were lined with people in support of D228 teachers. Many of those on the street were D228 teachers themselves, distinguishing themselves in red t-shirts. However, many of those were people from the community: students and parents, former teachers and students, and even some passing by opted to park and join in.
The rally was put together by the Joint Faculty Association, an organization comprised of D228 of teachers, counselors, librarians, social workers, psychologists, speech pathologists and nurses that aims to advance education while promoting the welfare of the active welfare. As of last week, the organization has 353 members.
Negotiations over contracts started last October, and when the contract expired in July with no compromise in sight, teachers understood that this could be a long negotiation process. At that point, the JFA was founded, gaining traction through social media channels.
Gregory Fitch, a Hillcrest teacher and the president of the JFA said that more than anything, the association’s goal for the rally was to communicate their commitment to their students.
“We as educators, we’re dedicated to our students, and we’re dedicated to their education,” Fitch said. “Even though the school board has not yet come up with a contract that is fair and is equitable, we’re going to keep working, and we’re here to celebrate the great work that we do.”
For Tinley Park High School special education teacher Michelle Beary, Tinley Park not only has a place in her heart, but it’s also in her blood. The TPHS alum has lived here her entire life, which is why fighting for a fair contract is so important to her.
“This is where I’m from. I graduated from [TPHS,] my sister graduated from [TPHS,] and my mom even went there, too,” Beary said. “We’re fighting for a fair contract because we want to do the best for our students that we can, and I want to keep Tinley in my blood as long as I can.”
Lori Vitt, a business and special education teacher at TPHS, also elaborated on how TPHS is close to the heart.
“Working at Tinley Park High School is like family. We’re all great friends, we all enjoy each other’s company and we couldn’t ask for better kids,” Vitt said.
“We’re fighting for a fair contract so that we can keep and retain good teachers and keep doing great things for these students,” she explained.
One of the things that TPHS counselor Dory Neven was most excited about was the amount of faculty that attended the rally.
“It impacts us all as educators,” Neven explained. “We all have something to gain by being out here. It really shows so much support to all of us that we’re showing this unified front.”
Contract negotiations are ongoing.
Follow the Joint Faculty Association at @D228Educators on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.