Mediator to Assist with District 109 Contract Negotiations

District 109 teachers will resume contract negotiations Sept. 26 with the help of a mediator.

The Deerfield Education Association, Illinois Education Association and representatives of the District 109 Board of Education have been in talks since April, but were unable to settle on contracts before the start of the school year.

One major source of conflict is special education services, which were reported to be an area of concern for both District 109 parents and teachers in a report by The Consortium for Education Change. The same study reported that teacher morale was low, though not so bad as to adversely affect the learning environment.

A mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will be present for all future bargaining sessions.