Earlier this week, Amy Fontana popped the trunk of her large, red vehicle next to Huntley Middle School. She’s been collecting yard signs that read “We Support Our Teachers.” It was an effort by the DeKalb Classroom Teachers’ Association to drum up support for a new contract.
She says more than 600 went up around the city.
Negotiations wrapped up with a three year contract.
Fontana, who is a spokesperson for the DCTA, says compromises were made.
“We still feel like there were some hard feelings and that it is not easy to regain that trust. We were really happy that the community supported us and we just wish that we felt as supported by the board and the administration,” Fontana said.
In a letter to families, the superintendent says the contract compensates the teachers for the “incredible” work they do, and it allows the district to maintain a solid financial position in the face of uncertainties with funding from the state of Illinois.
But back to the signs.
“They [residents] can go ahead and leave it up. We are actually happy to have people’s support all year round, not just when we are negotiating. If they want to get rid of them, we would prefer if they didn’t throw them away,” Fontana said.
She suggests returning them to a teacher in the district or checking the DCTA Facebook page for information on pick-up times.
