Teachers to appeal
concerns with scales
PHILIPSBURG--A number of teachers of several schools who are in disagreement with their placement in the new salary scales will be appealing the decision.
It could not be ascertained exactly how many teachers had concerns, but Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) President Claire Elshot said she had received reports that St. Maarten Academy, Catholic school and public school teachers would be sending appeals to their respective boards.
Most teachers are not in agreement with the scales in which they have been placed. For example, some teachers who have more than five years’ teaching experience were placed in a category that was designed for teachers with less than five years’ teaching experience.
“These teachers were unjustifiably placed in this category,” Elshot said Thursday. Another concern is that teachers’ aides were making more than teachers in the category in question.
She noted that other teachers had different concerns that she would address in the salary scales committee because of the “technical” nature of their complaints.
The union said that apart from its Vice President receiving a letter from the St. Maarten Academy school board, WITU hadn’t received reports that any more of its members had received letters from their school boards regarding the strike action in February. The strike was to demand respect from government and payment of the promised retroactive pay attached to their new salary scales.
