18 Months of Negotiations. Never Again.

Contract negotiations for educators in Grand Rapids Public Schools took over 18 months.

Families were left guessing.
Educators were left with uncertainty.
The community had no way to know:

• What was being offered

• What was being rejected

• Why were decisions being made
  
  

We won a good contract. But the broken process that made it so long and so painful is still in place.

Many educators, families, and community members do not want to go through another long and unclear negotiation process like the one we just experienced.

And it will happen again unless we change it now.

This petition is about fixing the system.

Transparency builds trust. Closed processes erode it.

What Went Wrong– and Why It Matters

Under current Board Policy 6100
Click to view Board Policy 6100

GRPS can hire an outside law firm to lead contract negotiations on behalf of the district.

That means:

• Negotiations are led by an outside lawyer, not an educator, and not someone who works in our schools

• Board members are not at the table, even though the contract is ultimately with the Board

• District staff may be present, but they often have limited ability to speak or make decisions

• Proposals go back and forth between negotiators and decision-makers in what many educators describe as a “game of telephone.”

While GRPS employees may be in the room, the process is still largely controlled by an outside law firm.

That means educators are negotiating with someone who:

• Has never run a school

• Does not know our students or community

• Is accountable to a contract and billing rate, not to our families

That is not how decisions about our schools should be made.

What We Are Asking For

We are asking the GRPS Board of Education to revise Board Policy 6100 so that:

1. District employees lead negotiations
   The Board shall appoint a lead negotiator who is a district employee with knowledge of district operations and educational priorities.

2. Outside legal counsel serves only as an advisor
   Lawyers may provide support if needed, but should not lead negotiations.

3. Board representation is present at the table.
   Because contracts are with the Board, Board members should be directly involved in negotiations.

4. Creating practices that provide transparency, and a commitment to transparent bargaining
   The community deserves to understand how decisions are being made.

A Better Way Already Exists

We are not asking GRPS to invent something new.

Some Michigan school districts are already using more transparent and collaborative approaches to bargaining, including:

• Negotiations led by district employees who know the community

• Board representatives present at the table

• District leadership is participating directly

• Opportunities for public observation when possible

• Regular updates are shared with the community

If other districts can do it, Grand Rapids can too.

Take Action Now

Help make this campaign count:

• Sign and share this petition with colleagues, parents, and community members

• Contact the GRPS Board of Education members directly and ask them to revise Policy 6100

• board@grps.org

• Attend a Board meeting and speak during public comment

• Like, share, or engage with GREA updates, follow us on Facebook
  https://www.facebook.com/GrandRapidsEducationAssociation

• Talk to your building rep or union leader and ask them to bring this to their next meeting.

Why This Matters

Our community deserves negotiations that are:

• Transparent

• Accountable

• Connected to the people who serve our students every day

Transparency builds trust.