Federation of Educators seeks action on contracts

PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6, started off with a public comment by Scott Dell’Amore, a science teacher at Stissing Mountain Middle School, who read a prepared statement on behalf of the Pine Plains Federation of Educators (PPFE).“Members of the Pine Plains Federation of Educators representing the Stissing Mountain Middle School are here tonight to remind the Board of Education that PPFE has been without a contract since June 2011 and that the School Related Professionals [SRPs] have been without a contract since 2009,” he said.Members of the PPFE have been in attendance at numerous meetings since the beginning of the 2012-13 school year to consistently speak on their lack of contracts.“In December, PPFE took the initiative to push the negotiation process forward by meeting directly with the superintendent without our legal teams present in order to facilitate a forum that has been more constructive and positive,” he said.Dell’Amore went on to state that despite efforts to negotiate collectively, PPFE still does not have a contract.“We continue to work hard for the Pine Plains Central School District, its students and its taxpayers in the classroom, as advisors and coaches, as counselors and as professionals. We also continue to provide countless hours of formal and informal extra help to our students and volunteerism to the district,” he said.Dell’Amore urged the board to take action. “PPFE urges the Pine Plains Board of Education to help us negotiate a fair contract settlement for both PPFE and the SRPs as doing so is in the best interest of the Pine Plains Central School District and its students,” he said.Board President Brian Croghan thanked Dell’Amore for his comment, but did not comment further on the issue.