Lawrence teachers near contract resolution after 13-year standoff

Teachers in the Lawrence school district may be able to breathe a sigh of relief after 13 years without a new contract: There is a proposed agreement on the table.

The tentative deal was announced on Sept. 24, and the details were shared with teachers the following day, but neither district nor union officials have made them public.

The Lawrence Teachers Association, which has nearly 280 members, including librarians, speech therapists and social workers, had until 3 p.m. on Monday to vote on the proposal. As of press time on Tuesday, the results had yet to be announced.

“This achievement underscores our long-standing commitment to collaboration and partnership within our school community,” Lawrence district officials said in a statement released on Sept. 24.

Educators have not received raises since the last contract expired on June 30, 2011, making this the longest contract standoff in any school district in New York state, surpassing a 12-year impasse in Buffalo that ended in 2016.

“Throughout this process, both the District and our teachers union have worked diligently together to ensure that the needs of our students, educators, and families remain at the forefront of our discussions,” Lawrence officials said in the statement. “This contract represents an important step forward in our shared mission of providing the best possible education for our students.”

Both LTA President Rachel Kreiss and her predecessor, Lori Skonberg, declined to answer questions about the specifics of the contract until it is ratified.

New York State United Teachers also would not comment, union officials said, until an agreement is official and the decision is announced.

The contentious battle included multiple hearing with the state’s Public Employment Relations Board, rounds of mediation and an 18-page report, released in 2018, that cited comparable raises given to three other unions — the Association of Lawrence Administrators, the Lawrence Facilities Management Association and the Lawrence Public Schools Association of Counselors — to urge the district to come to terms with the LTA.

“The District remains committed to fostering a supportive and enriching environment for both students and staff,” Lawrence officials said in the statement. “We are excited about the positive impact this agreement will have on our educational community.”

In April 2023, LTA members, along with teachers from across Long Island, New York City and upstate, gathered in the Cedarhurst Long Island Rail Road station parking lot and marched along Central Avenue, calling for a resolution of the negotiation stalemate. They waved signs that read “Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions,” “Class size matters” and “We support Lawrence teachers.”

Class size was a focus of the LTA. At the rally, Kreiss said, “We are an extension of their home,” referring to district students. “Teachers are not only educators, but we are also their motivator, and sometimes a parental figure. If we have to have larger class sizes, the students are going to be the ones who are hurt by that.”