The package is pending approval by a vote of the teachers group.

 

I trust I am not being too presumptive in expecting the package agreement to be ratified.

But I want to weigh in on teacher-board negotiations and the difficulty that persists with this every-other-year event.

 

Representing the teachers and the board of education has to be the hardest job of all in our entire community.

 

There are long hours of research into initial offers, then long hours negotiating and posturing to achieve their goals:

 

For the teachers, a worthy salary and benefit package;

 

For the district, a salary and benefit package that won’t break their (our) “bank.”

 

On paper, the two sides’ positions are the same. Teachers need to establish financial security while maintaining their pledge to educate our young ones as best they can.

 

The board needs to maintain financial security, while supporting the education of our young ones as best they can.

 

Dividing what’s in the pot is what it’s all about.

 

Tensions can run high - and the hope is that, as acrimony can seep into the equation, it is kept to a minimum so when an agreement is reached, it can be lived with.

 

Without acrimony.

 

Then teaching and preparing our district’s young people for lives outside of Becker Schools can continue.

 

And that is the most important equation of all.

 

We trust both sides will see this agreement as fair.

 

And it comes at the right time.

 

School is beginning in just two weeks.

 

Congratulations, BLIA

 

The Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District this week announced the Briggs Lake Improvement Association as the winner of its annual stewardship award, for all the hard work they have done in fostering good projects for the lakes system.

 

It is hard work getting all your neighbors to stand up and help protect those resources that many just take for granted.

 

It will be harder work for them to ensure future financial integrity of their projects with a special taxation system.

 

But these lakes are not ours. They didn’t belong to our parents, nor do they belong to us.

They belong to our children and those who follow them.

 

The Briggs Lake people have that in mind and are very worthy of this citation.

 

Congratulations.