Hundreds of Naperville teachers, community members, and families rallied at Naperville Central High School on Monday evening, calling for the Naperville 203 Board of Education to reach a fair contract agreement with the Naperville Unit Education Association.
“We absolutely don’t want to go on a strike. However, we would never take away that leverage from our bargaining unit,” said Ross Berkley, president of the NUEA. “We want to be in front of our kids, our kids are most important to us, and we want to have a fair contract.”
Supporters speak up at the board meeting
The group, wearing red for education, walked east from the high school on Aurora Avenue toward S. Washington Street, then south to Hillside Road. From there, they walked west toward the administrative center for the school board meeting.
Supporters filled the seats in the board meeting room, with six speaking up during public comment.
“Morale is continuing to crumble as the district fails to make progress in agreeing to a fair contract for NUEA,” said Erin Meehan-Browning, fifth-grade teacher at Elmwood Elementary School.
Issues stalling a contract agreement
Salary is one of the issues stalling an agreement, according to the NUEA.
“One of the ways that you value teachers, especially the teachers that are producing students that have the highest test scores of any unit school district in the state of Illinois, is making sure that they’re compensated fairly, and it’s commensurate with their experience and what they bring to the table. We have some of the best educators in the state of Illinois, I’m convinced of that, and the district needs to recognize that,” said Berkley.
In a letter sent out by Superintendent Dan Bridges on July 24, he wrote,
“We are also committed to maintaining competitive compensation for our outstanding teachers while ensuring the district’s long-term financial stability and fulfilling our obligation to District taxpayers. We are deeply grateful for the dedication and exceptional work of our teachers, and we recognize the vital role they play in the success and well-being of our students.”
Another issue stalling an agreement is the board’s proposed Innovative School Experience plan. The plan could result in new start and end times across all grade levels and provide changes within the course of the school day to meet students’ diverse needs.
It was tabled at the April 21 board meeting, with the board and administrators indicating that the start of the 2026-27 school year would be the earliest any changes would take place.
“Do you know what creates unnecessary anxiety and stress for me? Not knowing what my salary will be. Not knowing if a year from now, I am going to be planning for a drastically different type of school day. The fact that the innovative school experience remains part of current negotiations, despite publicly tabling the issue on April 21, is unfair not only to the NUEA membership, but to the community that has made clear they want more time and input,” said Amy Vogelsang, a teacher at Naperville North High School.
Talks about a contract renewal since February
Talks for a contract renewal between the school district and NUEA began in February. With no agreement reached, the NUEA’s latest contract expired on June 30.
In July, the group initiated the public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, which makes the contract offers public and is the first step toward a possible strike.
In his letter, Bridges said the posting process came at a point where it was “neither required nor necessary.”
What happens next?
The school board did not comment on the contract negotiations at Monday’s meeting.
The next bargaining sessions, with a federal mediator, will be held on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8, according to Berkley.
With the school year set to begin on Aug. 14, both groups say they hope to welcome students back without disruption.
“NUEA will continue to bargain in good faith and represent these amazing teachers that we have, and we are going to make sure that they get a fair contract,” said Berkley.
The school district echoed Berkley’s thoughts in a statement, saying, “We are working to reach a fair and sustainable agreement with the NUEA that supports students, values exceptional educators, and reflects the principles of our community. We continue to negotiate in good faith and remain optimistic about reaching an agreement before the school year begins.”
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