Several students and community members voiced their concerns and opinions regarding the club issues and the lack of a contract for teachers at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday.

Senior Efrain Aguilar, who is a mentor for ROAR, was one of the seven students who spoke.

“I came to high school, not expecting much. I felt very small. But, they came out with this thing called ‘ROAR’ and I thought, ‘why not?’” Aguilar said.

Aguilar was in disbelief when he found out ROAR and many other teacher volunteer-led clubs were suspended by the West Chicago High School Teachers’ Association on Sept. 5.

“These programs contain topics that are normally suppressed and ROAR gave me the ability to express myself. At these programs, I can be myself and enjoy myself. I believe that’s what the school needs and the student body needs,” he said.

Senior Megan Appleton spoke on behalf of Compass, another club that has been suspended.

“Compass is a place where any student can come and feel loved and accepted regardless of who they are. That would not be possible without the support from the teacher who sponsors our club,” she said. “A lot of what we do with clubs would not be possible without the teachers who are willing to do that out of their own good will and hearts. I ask that you (the Board of Education) do all in your power to make sure teachers do get compensated fairly for all that they do.”

Senior Yesenia Munoz, also a member of Compass, spoke regarding the contract issues.

“If it wasn’t for the teachers I’ve had these past four years, I wouldn’t be here right now. These teachers do so much more for us. But how can they continue to do so when they’re not getting paid?” she said. “We need our teachers to be paid fairly for what they do and they deserve so much more than what they’re getting.”

Senior Joseph Tate spoke on behalf of Anime Club, another suspended club.

“I can’t say it’s fair that they’re (the teachers) being treated this way. They do so much to help out students with clubs. It’s very detrimental to them,” he said. “You (the Board of Education) need to try to compensate their needs.”

A 1995 alumni and parent also was concerned about the contract issues.

“You’re not taking care of the individuals who are mentoring and teaching our children. The fact that the communication between the school board and the teachers union has disintegrated to a point where our children are now involved is disgraceful,” she said.

The parent talked about how teachers have helped her son without obligation to do so.

“You (Board of Education) should be proud of your teachers, but don’t take advantage (of them),” she said.

Association president Brad Larson read a statement regarding the Association’s decision to suspend volunteer clubs.

“We want a fair and reasonable contract that lays the foundation for the district to attract high-quality teachers. We want to make sure the students receive the education they deserve,” Larson said.

He explained that some of the statements made by Board of Education president Gary Saake are true, including that the Board of Education is conscientious and responsible with the school finances and that the Board of Education is in a good faith negotiation with the Association.

But Larson explained that the Board has rejected the Association’s contract offers, suggestions, and proposals.  

He also explained that the proposals offered by the Board of Education did not meet the wishes of the Association.

“They are so repugnant that they can only be understood as an attack on the people who work here,” Larson said. “The most important thing to understand about this is that an attack on the people who teach your sons and daughters is an attack on your sons and daughters.”

Regarding the club issues, Principal Moses Cheng reported to the Board of Education about the meetings activities director Marc Wolfe created to offer students with alternatives and solutions to sponsor-held meetings.

“Mr. Wolfe sent out emails to the students that he had who were involved in clubs to help them process what’s going on and throw out a couple of options. In all, about 20 students attended the meetings,” Cheng said.

Saake read a statement regarding contract negotiations.

Referencing the open letter to the community from the Association, Saake listed several school achievements and said the school was not in crisis.

“If we’re going to list all of the state and nation-wide awards and recognitions received by staff and students, we’d be here all night long. So I ask you, does that sound like a school in crisis to you?” Saake said.

Saake also compared what the Board of Education’s demands are for the contract versus the demands of the Association.

Saake does not believe the community can support the financial demands of the Association.

He also explained that the lack of a contract is not uncommon.

“The prior contract expired on August 13, just about a month ago. Under federal law, they (the teachers) continue to work under the terms of the prior contract. This is not unusual, in this district or others, for contracts to expire during negotiations,” he said.

Saake ended his statement by telling the audience that the negotiation team will do their best to negotiate with the Association.

Teachers have been working without a contract since Aug. 13. However, they have been negotiating with the Board of Education since May 2016 after agreeing to a one-year contract extension.