James Rayner Quotations

There is no pay increase between now and June 30, 2007.

The primary concern was certainly are we going to keep Norrie open. We don't want to spend money to improve a building just to turn around and close it before the ink dries on the check.

One of the things I heard when I got here was that we educate our children so well that they go someplace else to be successful. That's a challenge our whole community has to work on, to have them be successful back here.

My great curiosity is how the union will respond to this. I think the fact finder has sent a very strong message with regard to health insurance. I wonder whether the teachers will see it that way or not.

If we impose any or all of our last, best final offer it does not change the requirement to continue to negotiate. What we impose only becomes a new status quo. It is not a new contract.

If they're eligible now, they can retire now. If they're eligible to retire in '07, they can commit now and still be part of this program.

We talk about cuts here and cuts there but there's really not much that was available to kids three years ago that's not available now.

I think the point of it is it brings an outside person into the picture who doesn't know either party to collect facts and make a recommendation. It provides a basis for renewed negotiation, I would say.

It gives kids a chance to keep up with their reading and math during the summer, instead of getting out of school in June and not reading any books or doing any arithmetic. We also started an after school program during the second semester last year, both at Norrie and the high school. Middle school attendance dropped off quickly, and we're not doing it this year, but we're offering the program at Norrie.

The $25,000 is about what we save the first year.

We have some very talented people, and as we have people taking early retirements we're going to have some young people here. I think that's going to energize everybody.

We have all the teachers of each grade in the same building and usually on the same floor. It just makes for a more collaborative environment.

Those changes basically extend the agreement to the community schools teachers, who are in a separate union, and to some teachers who are eligible to retire.

We added free lunch last year. We hope to expand that next summer by promoting it more. It doesn't have to be summer school kids (who attend).

We're still using Windows 98 here. We just need some equipment.

We all remember the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise won the race, but the hare didn't keep the same schedule.

We talked about concerns that they are hearing from their people and friends and neighbors.

Special Ed teachers are not easy to come by, either. They may be experienced people. We would pay them based on their experience.

Another very significant program that was enabled by the school building changes was the fifth grade band program. All students at Norrie and at All Saints Academy take band, they have to try an instrument.

There were four people who are eligible to retire by '07 but want to wait until '08. We've agreed on a reduced incentive. They will incur a small financial penalty from the state retirement system and a slightly reduced annuity.

It's solely to hear and address citizens' concerns.

By board policy, I am the lead spokesman for the negotiating team, but the board meets every month in closed session to discuss negotiations. The negotiating team -- all four of us -- takes direction from the board.

If he does it again, he won't be subbing here anymore.

For openers, we've got to hire a counselor this year to replace an interim hire, who's retired. Then Pat Krause will be retire the next year. Counselors are normally teachers who have an extra master's degree. Those would probably not be new teachers.

The goal here is that we're going to get out of deficit, as the law requires. This has the support staff doing their part.

The final, irrevocable letter of retirement has to be done by April 1.