![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
While leaving campus and driving on Clarkson Road on Tuesday, Feb. 25, Parker Goltzman, sophomore, saw teachers standing on both sides of the road with signs advocating for higher teacher pay.
The demonstration caught his attention, and Goltzman said he thinks it did the same for other students.
“I’m assuming most of the attention they got was from students, and that would definitely travel up to parents which might reach [the district],” Goltzman said.
About 25 teachers held signs with sayings such as “Top Results, Bottom Pay” as they stood by the building’s main entrance that Tuesday as well as before contract hours on Friday, Feb. 21.
Called Coffee at the Curbside, the event focused on advocating for increased teacher salaries and has taken place at eight other Rockwood schools, as educators hope to raise awareness about district and Rockwood National Education Association (RNEA) contract negotiations.
Every three years, Rockwood and RNEA complete a bargaining process for teacher contracts.
Though this year’s negotiations began in September, they are still ongoing as both the district and RNEA are at a standstill on the issues of teacher salary and family and medical leave (FML). Both parties have agreed to come back to the table to negotiate, but no new agreements have been reached as of Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The RNEA is pushing for increased conversations surrounding FML and a higher salary increase than the 12% over three years proposed by the district. The 12% salary increase over three years would be split into a 5.25% increase in year one, a 3.25% increase in year two and 3.5% increase in year three.
“Rockwood pays their teachers next to nothing, even though we’re a really good school,” Goltzman said.
A Rockwood teacher with a bachelor’s degree in their seventh year of teaching is paid less than a teacher with the same degree and years of experience in Parkway and other neighboring districts, according to data compiled by the RNEA based on public records.
Julie Bayha, former MHS Spanish teacher, said she has seen how discouraging it is for teachers to not be compensated similarly to surrounding districts.
“They don’t feel appreciated or valued, and then you consider the fact that they could do the same work somewhere else and get paid more, I know teachers are very frustrated,” Bayha said.
Bayha now works in the Affton School District, as Affton was willing to honor all of Bayha’s previous teaching experiences, while Rockwood only honored 10 of her 14 total years of teaching when she was first hired in 2020.
Bayha said when she left, Rockwood was offering incoming teachers 15 years of experience but wouldn’t bring up teachers who were already employed by the district.
As prices in everyday items continue to rise, Bayha said it’s necessary for teachers to get paid more to be able to keep up with these costs.
“It’s more important than ever that teachers feel supported and valued within the district where they work,” Bayha said.
With fewer people graduating college with education degrees or using the education degree they may have, Tom Cook, RNEA president, said it’s important to offer competitive compensation to recruit and retain teachers.
“Ultimately, when educators are valued and successful, then the community thrives,” Cook said.
The district’s proposed 12% increase for salary is not weighted equally for all teachers, Cook said. For example, percent increases are not as high for veteran teachers for a first-year teacher.
Cook said the RNEA also wants improved FML for educators.
Rockwood currently follows federal FML law, which states that employees working for at least 12 months or more than 1,250 hours qualify for up to 12 weeks of FML while maintaining job security, Cook said. However, FML may be paid or unpaid depending on the circumstances.
“There’s a priority of the district to have the staff here that they need in order to provide students their services, and we understand that priority, but then there’s also time where an educator, for personal reasons, might need to step away from the classroom for a little while to take care of personal needs,” Cook said.
Cook said Rockwood teachers can use their 10 sick days toward paid FML. Additionally, educators can borrow up to 30 days of their future sick days to use for paid FML. Unused sick days at the end of each year go back to paying those borrowed days back.
“It can be really hard on the individual and on their family if they have to take unpaid family medical leave,” Cook said.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Kim Cohen, district negotiation chair, said ideally, negotiations should have been done and ratified by Sunday, Dec. 5, but they are still ongoing. Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain sent a message to the community on Wednesday, Feb. 25, explaining the district’s position on negotiations.
In previous years, contracts have gone to the BOE on March 13 for approval, but Dr. Cohen said the district is willing to push back the date to Thursday, March 27, to ensure teachers will receive their contracts by Thursday, May 15.
“Either the contracts will go forward with the proposed increases or they will go forward with frozen salaries,” Dr. Cohen said.
Cook and Lisa Ali, UniServ Director for the Missouri National Education Association, met again with the district in February and proposed a one-year contract offer, but was countered with a two-year contract offer or a three-year agreement, Dr. Cohen said.
Dr. Cohen said that under a three-year agreement, educator salaries will have a guaranteed 8.5% increase over two years with the third year subject to negotiation. This increase will be split into 5.25% the first year and 3.25% in the second year.
“Our staff members would have a better picture of financial resources within the district at the time,” Dr. Cohen said.
RNEA initially requested a 30% salary increase over three years and later revised it to 18%, Dr. Cohen said.
“If we gave that offer then in three years we would be cutting teachers, or cutting programs, such as fine arts programs and sports programs,” Dr. Cohen said.
Dr. Cohen said the district is not willing to change its 12% offer but is willing to alter the makeup of it, such as implementing a 4% increase every year for three years.
“We need to make progress within the fiscal restraints we have, making sure that we’re maintaining that financial sustainability,” Dr. Cohen said. “Throughout the process, we’ve presented our best offer in the spirit of transparency and honesty.”
This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on February 26, 2025.