The winds of change

are here.

There are many changes coming our way for LKSD employees. We got a new superintendent yesterday. His name is Gary Baldwin and he has worked for the district for some crazy number of year. I want to say 17, but it may be more than that even. He is the one that interviewed me when I went to the job fair in Minneapolis last spring. He is a nice, friendly guy and, in my limited experience, seems to be good at his job and has the best interests of LKSD in mind. There were three candidates in the final running and the other two did not have a good track record at all. I'm very happy that we didnt get stuck with either of the other two, but even more happy that Gary got the job. I think he will do a great job running the school district. LKSD has not had a new superintendent for a LONG time(11 or 12 years, i think), so I know that there will be change on the horizon and I do believe it will be good change.

This year is a negotiations year for certified staff. Our union, LKNEA, is working hard to make sure that our new contract fits our needs and so we dont get screwed by the district. There are several items in the proposals that could make or break LKSD's ability to hire and retain good teachers. I hope it all works out. I dont want to post any of the bargaining specifics here, but if any other LKSD teachers are reading this and want to know what's going on with negotiations, just comment or email, and I'll get back to you. We must stay involved in the negotiations in order to ensure that our next contract can see us through these next three years. Support the union and encourage the union reps...they are working hard for you right now. If you are not a union member, consider joining.

And, for those of you who are curious, I DID sign my contract for next year and will be staying another year in Bethel.