Hopefully when Middle-town school parents woke up this morning, they were greeted by news of a settlement between the Middletown Township Education Association and the Middletown Board of Education.
While some may have joked about it, maybe to relieve the stress, no parents want the uncertainty of not knowing whether their child will have school the first day of the new school year.
It’s even more difficult for parents of young children and first-time students to try to explain why their schools might not open.
On Tuesday, the state mediator who is working with both sides to reach a settlement took a wise step in ordering both sides not to discuss the substance of the negotiations or where last night’s mediation meeting was to be held.
Also taking precautions, knowing that if schools did not open today, they would have to open as soon as possible, the school board handed returning teachers and secretaries an injunction prohibiting them from striking. The order was made permanent last year after loose ends regarding the 1998 MTEA strike were resolved.
With 1998 a fresh memory to many, it’s unfortunate the district had to start another school year with a strike threat looming.
The Matawan-Aberdeen and Hazlet school districts have also been negotiating, but quietly, with both sides keeping a tight lid on the discussions. Those two districts appeared close to settlement earlier this week.
Maybe next time, the Middletown district will learn to follow their example.