By Dan Sokil
Staff writer

Ever since teachers in the Souderton Area School District returned to their classrooms in September after walking the picket lines, they've been working under the terms of their previous contract, which expired June 30.
But how much beyond that contract should the teachers be doing? The answer to that question depends on whom you ask.
"We have determined that, depending upon where or what building you are in in the district, that certain activities are not being performed by professional employees in the district," said school district solicitor Jeffrey Sultanik.
Sultanik, also the school board's negotiator in contract talks with the union, said that the high school's student council, literary magazine, photography club, school play and yearbook are among the activities that are not being done by teachers at the high school level.
"At this point I'd say there's a pretty good chance we will not have a homecoming parade, because that requires a lot of advance work by student clubs," said district Superintendent Charles Amuso.
But in order to still be able to offer other activities to students, district administrators and community members are pitching in to help instead, said Amuso.
"We're working to review where we need volunteers from the community," Amuso said, "and we have people, parents and community members, who are stepping forward to offer to help out where we need help."
At Indian Crest Junior High School, Sultanik said it looks like the school play will not go on as scheduled, and Math Counts and yearbook programs have been disrupted.
"At the elementary schools, we've seen different responses, though some teachers have made it known that they will only work their regular contracted work day, and will not work beyond that point," said Sultanik.
And that point, the regular contracted work day is exactly what the Souderton Area Education Association would like defined, said SAEA head Bill Lukridge.
"We're working according to what's in the contract itself, but not doing anything extra. Things like supplemental contracts, or things teachers had just been doing out of the goodness of their hearts, teachers have decided that they don't want to do," he said.
The teachers are no longer striking, but a new contract has not yet been hammered out. Both sides have presented "last best offers."
The SAEA's offer, released to the public last Tuesday, contains an entire page of specifications attempting to spell out additional teacher responsibilities outside the classroom.
"The professional employee shall have the option to work beyond the work day for additional compensation. At no time will an employee be coerced, intimidated or otherwise feel threatened to work outside the normal work day," reads the offer.
The school board's offer states that employees be given two days' notice before scheduled meetings or activities, except in emergency or crisis cases.
"Time to be spent before and after regular school days may include, but not be limited to, faculty meetings, team meetings, department meetings (subject area/grade level), student conferences, parent conferences, 'back to school nights,' meetings focused on curriculum and instructional issues, district curriculum-related activities, meetings to accomplish special tasks or projects, committee meetings, faculty meetings, meetings to deal with emergencies or deal with crises, IEP meetings and team meetings," reads the school board's offer.
"I don't know anybody who has not done an IEP (individualized educational program) meeting, I don't know anybody that has not gone to a faculty meeting," said Lukridge. "We're working exactly according to the job description; things that need to be done are being done."
Sultanik said the district's position is that some of the things not being done by teachers, like missed IEP, committee and faculty meetings, are in fact required job functions.
By not performing those duties, union members may be close to actions that define an illegal strike.
"We believe that those are mandatory obligations of employment," Sultanik said. "We are at the present time considering a number of different options, not the least of which is considering whether employees will be disciplined as a result of not doing their full, faithful and proper performance of their duties of employment."
Is this an attempt to pressure the school board to make a new contract offer? Sultanik thinks so, and Lukridge doesn't deny it.
"We would like to influence the board, and the administrators, to seriously think about concluding with us a contract," Lukridge said.
"We've made an attempt to bargain in good faith since the very beginning, and that's what we'll continue to do," he said.
Some may be delayed, and some activities only offered later in the year look more likely than others, but nevertheless Souderton Area's kids will miss out on some fun activities, like the first ever "Design an Advertisement" contest sponsored by The Reporter.
"I didn't even get a call from the district itself, just from an art teacher who said from her standpoint, the district is not going to be participating," said Advertising Director Shannon Cressman.
Contest entrants from grades 5 through 12 would be eligible to win gift cards worth up to $150, and part of the proceeds from sponsors of the program would benefit The Reporter's Newspapers in Education program, which helps get newspapers into classrooms around the area.
"Teachers don't even have to do anything; I sent packets that all they'd have to do is give to their students," Cressman said.
But in the meantime, Amuso said that even though some district events have already been downsized, others like the Oct. 17 Friday night homecoming bonfire and the next day's Saturday full of homecoming activities have found helpers.
"The bonfire is still on, and all day Saturday, Oct. 18, we'll have our athletic events. All of those are on schedule and will continue," said Amuso.
"There are other additional pay jobs that the teachers have declined to do, and it's certainly their right to do that, but I'm disappointed that it has happened that way, and we're working through it right now," he said.