NEA sues over school district's extra pay

CREIGHTON, Mo. -- A small school district's solution to teacher shortages earned an "A" for creativity from two state associations, but the local chapter of the National Education Association gives it an "F" for legality.

The teacher's union is also unhappy with how the district put its plan -- to pay up to $2,000 extra to teachers in fields in which the shortage is most acute -- into action.

The Sherwood NEA is suing the Sherwood Cass school district over the extra payments, in a case that has drawn statewide attention.

The association and three teachers sued the 950-student district earlier this year in Cass County Circuit Court. The district, based in the Cass County community of Creighton, serves students in Cass, Henry and Johnson counties.

"The problem is that a handful of teachers were hired behind closed doors, and the superintendent offered them individual deals," said Tim Barchak, UniServ director in charge of advocacy issues at the Kansas City NEA.

School district attorney Thomas Mickes argued, however, that without the special agreements, some students would have been left without teachers.

"This is really about whether there is a need for the children to have teachers in their classrooms versus teachers making more money," Mickes said. "We think that the interest of the children is more important, particularly when there are limited funds to spend. In this case, we should spend the limited money to have teachers teach the children."

'We're for that'

The Missouri State Teachers Association and the Missouri School Boards' Association support the district.

"We're in favor of doing what's best for kids, and if giving teachers incentives is one way, we're for that," said Todd Fuller, spokesman for the Missouri State Teachers Association in Jefferson City.

Fuller did not think the commitment fee agreement was discriminatory.

"School districts will have to look for effective means of recruiting quality teachers, and it is important to reward teachers," he said.

"It is very difficult to find teachers."

Brent Ghan, spokesman for the Columbia-based Missouri School Boards' Association, agreed.

"We certainly support the concept that school boards ought to be able to reward teachers to attract teachers in high-need areas, but we advise them to be careful to do it in a legal way," Ghan said.

One way to justify the extra pay, Ghan said, is to require those teachers to perform extra duties or to spend extra time teaching students in their specialty areas.

The Kansas City NEA and the Kansas City Federation of Teachers say the case is the first of its kind in Missouri, and its outcome could affect school districts throughout the state.