It is galling that 50 teachers in Jefferson County purportedly staged a “sick-out” that forced the district to close two high schools on Friday.
The union said it had nothing to do with the sudden mass absenteeism, while saying it understands the frustration of the teachers who have had clashes with the school board over changes to the compensation model.
Under the new pay plan, Jeffco’s highest-paid teachers would earn a base salary of about $81,000 with stipends going to “highly effective” and “effective teachers.”
Additionally, teachers rated as ineffective or partially effective would receive only a 1 percent raise or possibly no raise, which also makes sense.
Earlier this month, teachers issued a vote of no confidence in school board president Ken Witt, which is an acceptable protest.
But this sick-out at Standley Lake and Conifer high schools was a surefire way of drawing attention but also losing support.
The action forced parents into frustrating and unanticipated inconvenience early Friday, likely resulting in potential loss of work hours. It was a childish way for adults to make a statement.
