James Rayner Quotes (14 Quotes)

By board policy, I am the lead spokesman for the negotiating team, but the board meets every month in closed session to discuss negotiations. The negotiating team -- all four of us -- takes direction from the board.

We talked about concerns that they are hearing from their people and friends and neighbors.

There were four people who are eligible to retire by '07 but want to wait until '08. We've agreed on a reduced incentive. They will incur a small financial penalty from the state retirement system and a slightly reduced annuity.

If we impose any or all of our last, best final offer it does not change the requirement to continue to negotiate. What we impose only becomes a new status quo. It is not a new contract.

The primary concern was certainly are we going to keep Norrie open. We don't want to spend money to improve a building just to turn around and close it before the ink dries on the check.

One of the things I heard when I got here was that we educate our children so well that they go someplace else to be successful. That's a challenge our whole community has to work on, to have them be successful back here.

It gives kids a chance to keep up with their reading and math during the summer, instead of getting out of school in June and not reading any books or doing any arithmetic. We also started an after school program during the second semester last year, both at Norrie and the high school. Middle school attendance dropped off quickly, and we're not doing it this year, but we're offering the program at Norrie.

We talk about cuts here and cuts there but there's really not much that was available to kids three years ago that's not available now.

My great curiosity is how the union will respond to this. I think the fact finder has sent a very strong message with regard to health insurance. I wonder whether the teachers will see it that way or not.

It's none of our damn business.

We added free lunch last year. We hope to expand that next summer by promoting it more. It doesn't have to be summer school kids (who attend).

I think the point of it is it brings an outside person into the picture who doesn't know either party to collect facts and make a recommendation. It provides a basis for renewed negotiation, I would say.

Those changes basically extend the agreement to the community schools teachers, who are in a separate union, and to some teachers who are eligible to retire.

The final, irrevocable letter of retirement has to be done by April 1.