South Bend teachers continue to protest extra work, no pay

SOUTH BEND Ind. - South Bend Schools teachers are up in arms again after administrators ask them for an extended work week without pay.

A lot of teachers are frustrated that the district is asking for a week's work of extra work without pay and they've come sporting red shirts and signs to make sure the board understands their frustrations.

South Bend School administrators are asking for 40 extra minutes a day without compensation. The meeting will also cover pandemic hazard pay and changing bus times—as well as the school resource officer debate currently swirling the district.

Teachers telling the district they are already underpaid and now they feel undervalued.

“80 minutes a week over the course of 35 weeks is a full extra week of work without pay," Beckie Hernandez, one John Adam’s teacher and parent said. "And asking us to do that on top of already not being fairly compensated as a veteran teacher with a masters degree I could be earning a whole lot more in another district but I choose to stay here many of us choose to stay here because we love these kids and we know that we’re the best option for them.”

There is also a petition circulating that is almost at its goal of 1500 signatures, right now it has just over 1000.

This all to protest the same proposal, the extra time would be used for collaboration. Some teachers saying they don't need it, others saying there are other ways to go about it.

"There are systems in place already for us to do some collaborative work I think there are some teachers who would appreciate more collaborative time and there are districts in neighboring districts other districts in the state that have early release or a late start to allow their teachers to work together as a department," Hernandez said. “I really hope that they take a second look at this says they realize that there are other ways to do collaborative planning we know as teachers we know the collaborative planning is important we want it for our own kids we wanna teachers to be able to work together but it only in an environment where they get paid what they’re due for the amount of work that they would have to do with this.”

The board meeting started at 5:30. The full story will be on NightTeam at 10 and 11 and on abc57.com later tonight.