To paraphrase master Dickens, it’s both the best of times in the Ramapo Central School District and the worst of times. We have everything before us, student achievement in the classroom and beyond, dedicated teachers, residents with a vested interest in the district’s success. Hopefully, it won’t be a winter of despair.

One issue front and center is the matter of the expired Ramapo Teachers Association contract, with district talks possibly continuing November 24. According to district numbers, “staff salaries and benefits total $93 million, or 71 percent of total spending”.

The district’s some 400 teachers have been working in good faith without a contract since June 2015.

But beyond the teacher/district stalled contract talks, there appears to be increasing divisions on the Board of Education itself. The sudden departure of Assistant Superintendent of Business Kelly Seibert, who is leaving Ramapo Central for the smaller Ardsley Union Free School District, raises a flag. Though his leaving may just be a personal/professional move.

Seibert has been the district’s meticulous data geek and reflection of Superintendent Doug Adams’ devotion to numbers crunching, producing all sorts of useful budget tables, graphs and indexes — the better to resolve fiscal gaps.

The recent BOE communication to the RTA citing district policy #3240 was also curious. In summary, it cited policy to sort of dissuade residents who are also district teachers from speaking during public comments at board meetings. Then there was the fiery November 3 BOE meeting infused with board/administration conflict with a display of very visible board fault lines.

There’s also been a recent noticeable uptick in district social media activity.

Alex Taylor covered this past Tuesday’s BOE meeting, where teachers wearing blue shirts stood together in support — both in response to the unresolved contract negotiations but also in response to the board’s policy #3240 missive.

Seen through one lens, the conflict might be one of temperament, where the actions of the wonkish Superintendent’s office are sometimes miscommunicated to the district’s other stakeholders. Seen through another perspective, the Ramapo Central administration is playing hardball, both with board factions and the RTA, in an effort to redefine district employment terms, conditions and costs.

Being silenced by their own school board! What ever happened to free speech? #iampubliced @nysut @RamapoTA @uft pic.twitter.com/H2fXoklZ4v — Amy Bernstein (@harrysmom9198) November 18, 2015

The district letter citing policy #3240 was an especially touchy point, leading Sloatsburg resident Brian Nugent, a lawyer and judge, to respond via a Facebook post shared by the RTA:

The Ramapo Central School Board recently sent letters to the Teachers Association citing policy #3240 in attempt to dissuade residents (who are also teachers in the District) from speaking at public meetings. Of course, trying to assert a policy to thwart a person (including employees) from speaking on matters of public concern is unconstitutional.

Follow policy as a guide, but don’t try to use it as a sword.

We have a great district with the highest caliber of teaching, interested and knowledgeable residents, and students that are moving on to greatness as a result. Let’s not jeopardize that. It’s time for problem solving, not policy pushing.

Taylor’s LoHud article also generated a number of comments specific to the district and possible consequences from not working together for the benefit of students and other stakeholders.

Sloatsburger Phil Tisis wrote: Needless to say, negative media reports about schools greatly impacts property values….Positive labor/management relations has always been the conduit to success in Ramapo Central…for the sake of the students and taxpayers I hope that this still exists.
I am saying that in any school district where there is acrimony between the Key stakeholders … trouble follows.