Kendra Trail has been dealing with a series of demands from local teachers to sign a new contract for some time now. In February 5th the Greencastle-Antrim School District announced their intention to go on a strike as a way of protest and to make the government official comply with their demands if they aren’t met before April 4th. The G.A Superintendent has declared that her department has a plan in place to deal with the contingency, but she’s hoping to reach a solution that works for the parties in conflict. The time since the announcement was made has allowed Mrs. Trail to be prepared just in case.

A Planned Strategy to Reduce the Impact of the Strike

The Superintendent has been elusive on purpose when it comes to sharing her strategy to deal with the conflict, maybe to avoid being sabotaged. She has stated however that she involves parents associations to help her reach a solution as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She has yet to clarify if schools will be in session if the strike actually happens. The final decision about that will be up to her board of directors which whom she keeps a steady flow of communication and knows how most of them are leaning on this issue. She insists that all information regarding the stages of the conflict will be released directly to parent groups and faculties when the time is right.

The Origin of the Conflict

All the problems started when 181 teachers employed by the district demanded a contract after working non-stop for 7 months without having signed one. These same teachers had a representative in talks with the district for over a year with no results. The main issue preventing the signature according to them is the low salary offered to them. The planned strike will affect classes in the regular period and all extracurricular activities. Superintendent Trail has a clear idea of the consequences she’s facing because of the strike, she has stated that she’s very much aware of what it could happen if the protest carries on as planned, but she’s also confident that the conflict can be avoided by reaching and understanding.

The end of the Conflict looms in the Horizon

When pressed for further answers about the conflict and the demands made by the teachers and how they are planning to fulfill them. Mrs. Trail response was cryptic at best: “A series of decisions have already been made and the district is going to handle matters on their own terms, but the information about how we plan to do so is being handled in a need-to-know basis yet”. Still, time is passing and zero-hour is reaching for the Pennsylvania district. This past Monday the government department announced that they are taking into consideration a new proposal made by the teacher’s association. If the discussions come forward and an agreement is reached, it will be business as usual for the students.