Unit 5 approves contract with teacher’s aides, administrative assistants

Posted on October 28, 2015
Unit 5 board of education
The contract will be in place for one year. (Adam Studzinski/WJBC)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – Unit 5 has approved a new contract with its teacher’s aides and administrative assistant’s union.

District Attorney Curt Richardson said it is just a one year contract, which is partially due to uncertainties with state funding.

“Kind of wanting to wait and see what we have to offer,” said Richardson. “It’s a little uncertain. (We) don’t want to commit to things beyond one year.”

Richardson explained there is a two-percent pay increase included.

“I don’t work a lot with the para-professionals, but I’ve had the opportunity to go and observe what they do for our students each and every day,” said Richardson. “But I can speak about administrative assistants and we would not be in the place that we are and not achieve the things that we do as a school district without them.”

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…