DeLand, FL – On a night where hundreds of Volusia public school teachers held a protest over pay and benefits, the Volusia County School Board decides to move forward with a plan to make students wear uniforms starting next school year.
Other than District 3’s Linda Cuthbert, every other VCSB member voted for the first reading of a uniform policy during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting in DeLand.
The details of the policy will need to be refined and brought back for final approval at a future meeting. Those details include if all schools will be required to have students wear uniforms, what kinds of clothing will be allowed and what exceptions – if any – will be allowed.
Many VCSB members were in favor of making the policy apply across the board while others wanted to allow individual schools to make the final call, especially at the high school level.
That vote was taken after many opponents took the microphone during public comments, complaining that the uniform plan was unnecessary, wouldn’t help students succeed in school and would take individuality and personality away from students.
Some VCSB members argued afterward that they heard from many parents over the past few months in support of school uniforms, especially since the topic started coming up at meetings.
Many of those who spoke during public comments also urged the VCSB to increase pay and benefits in order to stop the flow of teachers and administrators leaving the school district and decrease the number of tests students receive.
Volusia Teachers Organization President Andrew Spar says around 500 people participated in the “See The Light” march prior to the School Board meeting, many carrying battery-operated candles along with signs.
Over 93% of teachers and support staff participating at a telephone town hall meeting last week agreed to a “Work To The Contract” move starting January 4th unless a new contract is hashed out between the teachers’ union and Volusia County Schools by the end of the year.
A “Work to the Contract” is when teachers and support staff refuse to work beyond their contracted hours for any reason, including to complete paperwork, tutor students or sponsor clubs.
This is the 2nd straight year VTO members have voted to do this during its ongoing and often contentious negotiation with the school district.
Spar says over 60% of employees participated in last year’s protests and he expects that number to go even higher this year because many employees feel conditions have gotten worse over the past year instead of better.
VTO and VCS remain deadlocked over several issues – including teacher pay increases and how to pay for health care benefits – after taking nearly a year to agree to the current contract.
Spar says there’s still cleanliness issues on many campuses and the VCSB isn’t doing anything about the over-testing of students, increasing class sizes and getting the proper materials needed to teach students to the new educational standards.
Photos of the protest above and below are courtesy of VTO.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.