Their contracts expired, but they are still working.
Hundreds of East Lansing teachers have been working without a contract since July 1 , the date of expiration.
On Monday evening about 100 students and parents rallied in front of MacDonald Middle School in support of the teachers serving the community.
The rally was before an East Lansing Board of Education meeting.
MacDonald Middle School parent and rally organizer Jodi Spicer said the event was made in support of the hard-working teachers that work in the East Lansing public schools.
“They are going through a really hard time because of that. I know it’s a really difficult time for everybody,” Spicer said.
East Lansing School District teacher Kim Foley said her finances have been impacted the most after being without a contract for four months.
“It has affected us because we are paying our full insurance premium right now and the district should be responsible for part of it. Until the contract is negotiated, we have to make up that difference,” Foley said.
Although the contract is still on negotiation, Foley said staying motivated at this moment has been a challenge.
“It’s kind of hard to stay motivated and to stay positive — as positive as we’d like to stay. But we do our best for the kids,” Foley said.
East Lansing Education Association President Patrick Murray said there are different perceptions of the problem teachers are going through.
“The perception of the board is that they are financially strapped — the perception of my members is that they are picking and choosing where they spent the money,” Murray said . “We think more money should be spent on folks who actually work with students.”
Murray said he is hopeful a contract will be negotiated soon.
But the teachers are not fighting for a contract alone — parents and students that attended the rally support their demands.
Although the teachers are going through a rough time, Spicer said it has not been reflected in their work in the classrooms.
“I haven’t seen in at all ... they continue to show up day after day and continue to do amazing work,” Spicer said.
MSU College of Education professor David Stroupe was one of the more than 30 people to give a speech in front of the East Lansing Board of Education in support of teachers.
In his short speech, Stroupe said that teachers need to feel supported in order to make things happen.
“Everything we want to do hinges on the teacher,” Stroupe said. “Closing the achievement gap won’t happen unless the teachers want it to happen. Making sure every student has amazing opportunities won’t happen unless teachers want it to happen.”
But health insurance and salaries are not the only things that worry some of the district’s teachers.
Class size, incremental increases in salaries and curriculums are some of the concerns teachers have.
East Lansing Public Schools Superintendent Robyne Thompson declined to comment on the contracts negotiations.
