Part 1 of 2 "Refused to negotiate face-to-face with union officials for the last three sessions, forcing the mediator to bounce ¬between each party's room" therein lies the problem, and pretty much says it all. What Dr. Johnson and her administration fail to understand is, that when you disrespect Union Leadership, you disrespect Boston Teachers. Boston Teachers and staff VOTE for our union leadership. We didn't vote for trash, and when Dr. Johnson took off to do a meet and greet at Target, she was being disrespectful to every Boston teacher and staff member in the City of Boston who has waited two years for a contract resolution! It's bad enough Dr. Johnson has been a virtual no-show at negotiations for the last two years, but it has gone to mediation now! She needs to be present, and everyone needs to be in the same room. This is a MUTUAL contract between the BPS and the BTU! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now I love to shop, and I appreciate that Red Sox player, Adrian Gonzalez, and his wife are stepping up to buy supplies, that's less supplies that teachers have to buy, but Matt Wilder can make the Target appearances! That's why the City of Boston is paying him! "What's best for kids" would be to put the money, they pay Matt Wilder, toward teaching positions to reduce class size, or to provide after schools time or use that money to provide glasses for students that stay in school so they can read and see the board! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The "bad teacher argument" is a myth! As a Boston Teacher I am insulted! Michael Casserly, the Executive Director of Great City Schools, just appeared in the Boston Globe and said that Boston Public Schools are the BEST urban schools in the Nation! An urban school system with mediocre "second rate" teachers could not have accomplished that! Hard working Boston Teachers, not Court Street administration, accomplished that! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Matt Wilder said, "We need to be very clear: We are where we are today because the Boston Teachers Union thinks that a teacher who receives an unsatisfactory job performance should be able to sit in a classroom for an ¬entire school year before any changes are made" _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now let me be clear: The current BPS Administration has set up an adversarial system of manipulation, usury and frankly, disrespect that demonizes teachers, especially older teachers and makes a hard job even more difficult for many teachers. It is just ugly. Dr. Johnson has appointed administrators, many young, many from out of state, who come into the system with preconceived notions that are just not true. They do not come with the breath of knowledge that experien

Part 2 of 2 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ They do not come with the breath of knowledge that experience brings, and believe that nothing has changed since busing in 1974, and treat teachers accordingly. They have limited classroom experience, limited administrative experience, and, truthfully, target and bully older teachers! I have never seen anything like this in Boston Public Schools! How can you be a "Golden/Crystal Apple Teacher" one day, and a "does not meet expectations teacher" the next day! Look at mess Sito Narcisse made of English High, and does anyone need a Peterson reminder! These are the people who will be "evaluating" teachers who have devoted their lives to educating Boston's children! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ There is a difference between "expert" and "novice" skill sets. Effective teachers don't become suddenly ineffective once they reached a certain age or have a certain number of years in the profession. Some of the best educators are seasoned educators who maintained their excellent teaching skills year after year. These fine veteran teachers need the protection afforded them clear language in the contract that protects them from abuse, so they can do their jobs without worrying whether they are the administrators' pets or that the Boston Public Schools can hire a younger teacher cheaper, because that's what this is really about. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ I support Richard Stutman 100%, I support the other members of the Boston Teachers Union Nego¬tiating Team 100%. Boston Teachers expect to be evaluated, but given the threats Mayor Menino made in the Boston Globe and media, and the teacher demonization in the press for the past two years by Dr. Johnson and her administration, our Union is trying to make sure evaluations are done fairly and on a level playing field! I trust them to negotiate a contract that is good for students, the City of Boston, and fair to Boston teachers.

We are where we are today because appointed School Committee thinks that a Superintend who receives an unsatisfactory job performance should be able to sit in her chair till 2015 before any changes are made. Join 200+ families and community members demanding an immediate change in Boston Public School and sign our petition https://www.change.org/petitions/superintendent-johnson-has-lost-the-public-s-trust-and-must-resign-or-be-fired-immediately

The current contract under which the BPS system is operating was negotiated between representatives of the BTU and Michael Contompasis who was the interim superintendent after the retirement of Dr. Payzant. Mr. Contompasis was present at most, if not all, of the negotiating sessions. He had been a teacher and an administrator in the BPS. He was a tough negotiator but he had knowledge of the needs of the school system. The taxpayers have been poorly served by Dr. Johnson and her administrators. The fact that they will no longer meet face to face with the union representatives, many who are volunteering their time, speaks volumes to their maturity and professionalism. Mayor Menino may be frustrated but he created the mess by hiring someone who is incompetent, at best, if not outright derelict in her duty to the taxpayers.

How do you refuse to sit in the same room with the other side? How childish.