Student: Teachers Sticking up for Themselves

For students at , there is both ambivalence toward the negotiations process and a feeling that the teachers are just sticking up for their rights.

The and the board of education have been embroiled in since their contract expired in June. After three mediation sessions, both entities are preparing to start the fact finding process.

Senior Jonathan Lu said he has noticed that students are not really paying attention to the negotiation process because they are too busy focusing on their own work.

“I have heard very little about this, and at this time of year, students are heavily preoccupied with college decisions,” he said.

Lu said he remembers hearing some kind of discussion about negotiations between teachers in the hallway, but didn’t think twice about their remarks.

“At the time, I had no idea what they were discussing,” he said.

But freshman Natasha Mascarenhas said she has noticed that the teachers wear black on Friday in solidarity, and she is in full support of whatever the teachers choose to do.

“Right now I’m on the teachers’ side,” she said. “I love how they all wear black every Friday.”

And, Mascarenhas said, she believes seeing the teachers standing together is actually a positive for the students themselves.

“I think it is so great that teachers are working together to show their voice,” she said. “It gives a message to the students to not go unheard of, and to stand up for what you believe in, in a very mature manner.”

“It’s scary for the future of the school if we are unable to resolve a simple problem with negotiations,” she added.

Bridgewater-Raritan students, what do you think of the current negotiations process?