Promises linked to changes in diocesan schools go unfulfilled
The following letter to the editor of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader appeared May 4, 2008:
Promises linked to changes in diocesan schools go unfulfilled
When school closings were announced for the Diocese of Scranton, parents were told that there would be a two-way advantage. Because staff and operating expenses would be cut, they were told that they could expect tuition to remain stable and, in some cases, even go down.
Parents were asked to submit applications, along with non-refundable registration fees, so that the diocese could measure expected class size to further implement the restructuring plan.
When the consolidation was complete, parents were confronted with increased tuition but were told that fees for such things as extracurricular activities and lab use would be waived to soften the blow. In the third quarter of the school year, parents received an additional bill for lab fees, sports participation. Also, every high school student is now required to purchase a year book.
This is not optional, and was unexpected, in light of previous assurances.
In spite of the fact that the June 7, 2007, issue of The Catholic Light appeared to promise a secret ballot for teachers to choose whether they wanted a union and which union they would choose to represent them, the bishop decided that a union would threaten the ability of the diocese to keep tuition affordable.
Recently, in spite of the fact that there is no legitimate union representing the teachers of the Catholic school system, parents were notified that tuition will be higher for the 2008-2009 school year. How can that be, when the bishop has campaigned against the union as a means of keeping tuition down?
So, the diocese was able to dismiss some staff without severance or compensation for unused sick and vacation leave. The diocese was able to close more than a few school buildings. The diocese seems to have found a way to divest itself of SDACT, a union that has operated in the shadows for 30 years, to the point that most of the public thinks it is a new idea. I see the advantages on the side of the diocese.
I would appreciate seeing what the advantage is for the parents. In many cases the children face long bus rides. Many former students, because of regulations governing busing, have been denied the opportunity for a Catholic education. Participation in extracurricular activities requires parents to drive farther distances. Tuition went up and is going up again. Promised benefits, like the waiving of fees, disappeared. Our beloved, proven and dedicated teachers are left to swing in the wind, completely subject to the arbitrary and capricious whims of the bishop.
Anna Jesse
Nanticoke
Promises linked to changes in diocesan schools go unfulfilled
When school closings were announced for the Diocese of Scranton, parents were told that there would be a two-way advantage. Because staff and operating expenses would be cut, they were told that they could expect tuition to remain stable and, in some cases, even go down.
Parents were asked to submit applications, along with non-refundable registration fees, so that the diocese could measure expected class size to further implement the restructuring plan.
When the consolidation was complete, parents were confronted with increased tuition but were told that fees for such things as extracurricular activities and lab use would be waived to soften the blow. In the third quarter of the school year, parents received an additional bill for lab fees, sports participation. Also, every high school student is now required to purchase a year book.
This is not optional, and was unexpected, in light of previous assurances.
In spite of the fact that the June 7, 2007, issue of The Catholic Light appeared to promise a secret ballot for teachers to choose whether they wanted a union and which union they would choose to represent them, the bishop decided that a union would threaten the ability of the diocese to keep tuition affordable.
Recently, in spite of the fact that there is no legitimate union representing the teachers of the Catholic school system, parents were notified that tuition will be higher for the 2008-2009 school year. How can that be, when the bishop has campaigned against the union as a means of keeping tuition down?
So, the diocese was able to dismiss some staff without severance or compensation for unused sick and vacation leave. The diocese was able to close more than a few school buildings. The diocese seems to have found a way to divest itself of SDACT, a union that has operated in the shadows for 30 years, to the point that most of the public thinks it is a new idea. I see the advantages on the side of the diocese.
I would appreciate seeing what the advantage is for the parents. In many cases the children face long bus rides. Many former students, because of regulations governing busing, have been denied the opportunity for a Catholic education. Participation in extracurricular activities requires parents to drive farther distances. Tuition went up and is going up again. Promised benefits, like the waiving of fees, disappeared. Our beloved, proven and dedicated teachers are left to swing in the wind, completely subject to the arbitrary and capricious whims of the bishop.
Anna Jesse
Nanticoke
posted by SDACT at
3:08 AM
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