I was saying that parents have known about this problem for quite some time and know that the teachers are doing this. If they don't like it..don't go. Or just ignore it. The topic wasn't brought up in the individual conferences. So yes I did mean it. If you don't like something, be the bigger person and walk away.

DiamondQueen32 - You posted to Hockeyjockey
"If you do not want to be confronted by the harmless yellow shirts and brochures, do not go to the conferences." I surely hope you were not serious. The emphasis of Parent Teacher conferences SHOULD be about the student NOT on the grievances between the union and the Milton School District.

HockeyJockey...Mike Sheridan wouldn't have done that but GM was a union and when their contract didn't work out they striked. Their last strike was my senior year and I am now a sophomore in college, my father was a part of it. The teachers are doing everything they possibly can in a lawful and ethical way. If you do not want to be confronted by the harmless yellow shirts and brochures, do not go to the conferences. You have a choice just like the teachers do. Do the conferences over the phone or through email.

Let's consider why the teachers would choose to pass out information at conferences. Could it be, perhaps, because the teachers don't have bi-weekly meetings covered by the press to spread their take on the situation? Clearly the Milton School Board has been effective in getting their message out. Why don't you want to hear the other side?

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It is in the nature of a teacher to teach, and that is what it appears to me they were trying to do with the brochure. I, for one, would love to see one so I can have both sides of the story. (I've talked to a Milton teacher, but have not seen the brochure.)

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As for the wearing of a certain color shirt at work or a conference - my question would be this: Did anyone attending conferences have any discussions with teachers about the contract situation - or did they actually act professionally and have normal conferences? From what I've heard, it was the latter.

thepeckingorder....inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery)....that's the definition of corruption. The teachers are not taking or offering bribes and not doing anything unlawful. When the teachers hand out brochures it is no different than the little kiosk things in the mall that try to get you to buy their products or hand out brochures about their products.

Its even more absurd that year after year after year, teachers don't settle their contracts till way after the current one has expired. Look at Janesville, they aren't even planning on negotiating till after the first of the year! It appears that the school boards have too much control of the teachers "union" as most oftentimes they settle their contracts for meager pay raises.

It was absurd when the union showed-up at the parent-teacher conferences. It shows that corruption will stop at nothing to get its' way - but we already knew that.

SwissChick....summer school, invitationals and such held by the school during the summer, tutoring, and the summer makeover the schools get every year that can't be done while the students are in session

I love the school district in Milton and I have never had a complaint about my child's teachers...except about this issue. The first time I went to a parent-teacher conference and was greeted with union T-shirts and buttons, I was ticked off. I don't care if the union goes to every school board meeting and makes its voice heard, but don't force it on the parents at a wildly inappropriate time like a teacher conference. It's just wrong. I'm so glad I didn't get handed a brochure the other night; I would have exercised MY right of free speech.
I also find it childish that the union boycotted the staff picnic early this year. Mike Sheridan wouldn't have done that to Gary Malcus at GM.

DiamondQueen32 - Just curious, . . where at?

Why do people always say that "teachers get the summer off". Yes they get the summers off but they don't get paid for it. They only get paid for the number of days in the school year! Many teachers get summer jobs to supplement their incomes which for a lot of them are pretty meager.

maybe the teachers should look at the rest of the community right now. Many, many people are out of jobs and taking cuts to keep jobs. My husband would have happily taken almost any cut to keep his job, just for the benefits alone. It's hard times we all have to do our part!

quit hating...pretty sure none you were students there while this has been going on..i was..never bothered the students and the teachers there are wonderful. During the school day they are doing their jobs, teaching.
Marienburg1274, unless you're a teacher and know how it works, don't judge. I'm pretty sure the teachers I had during my years at MHS worked during the summer.

The only reason teachers are working without a contract is because it's illegal for them to strike.

There are no bigger whiners than public school teachers. Overworked, underpaid, blah blah blah. Get off your high horse and welcome to the real world of work where one can be fired without cause and little notice, promotions are based on merit and performance, and you don't get summer off.

gpaw cat they don't have a choice, they can not legally strike.

Why is it that my taxes went up the maximum amount allowed by law and yet the school board is still asking the teachers to accept lower benefits. When my taxes go up the maximum I expect the contract issues to be resolved, maybe I am expecting too much from our elected school board, is it too difficult to balance your books when you increase taxes the maximum allowed by law? This is pathetic; the school board needs to fix this. Administrators got a raise this year yet you need to take things away from the teachers.

I say give the Teachers what they want, and when Money runs out for other programs and it will, cut those programs and let the Teachers and there Union answer to that when it happens.

I think the teachers should be commended for working without a contract. That shows me dedication.

Read the previous article regarding this. Plenty of teacher bashing going on in those blogs. Mostly ignorant people who don't have the facts or any common sense before they post.

Correct, they did put that administration received a raise of 4%. So why are teachers getting bashed for wanting the same thing?

Actually the story did explain that the raises are the same the that teachers got the previous year. The teachers want to "retain" the best but they never seem to want to get rid of the incompetents. Maybe the raises should have a merit component?

Interesting how the story left out that administration received a 4% increase this year...

Wow, no bashing of teachers. If this was about Janesville teachers, you have 50 posts bashing them.

Way to lead by example administrators! Perhaps you could take a pay cut and give some to the teachers. Pretty easy to take a pay freeze when you make $90,000 plus.