Last night, Supt. Susan Lusi released a note from the Portsmouth School Committee on the district listserv outlining the current status of contract negotiations and inviting parents to attend a forum on Monday, April 11 at 7pm in the Portsmouth High School auditorium.

Here's how the Portsmouth School Committee described the situation:

"As you may know, the Portsmouth School Committee has been engaged in contract negotiations with our teachers, represented by NEA Portsmouth (NEA P), since July of 2010. Both the School Committee at that time and the current School Committee have negotiated in good faith for many months. Unfortunately, negotiations have not progressed during this time; and we, the members of the Portsmouth School Committee, believe that it is important to explain the status of negotiations to our employees and our community at this time. A written explanation is below, followed by a shorter “At a Glance” summary. Further, we invite you to attend a public forum for further explanation and discussion of these matters on Monday, April 11, at 7:00 PM, at the Portsmouth High School auditorium."

Read the attachments here:
Portsmouth School Committee Letter on Teacher Negotiations
Teacher Negotiations at a glance

Editorial note: I'm running this because it is news, but I would caution readers to note that this information was released by the School Committee, in the middle of negotiations. As a journalist, that certainly inclines me to read it in context. Last summer, there were howls from the PCC and their fellow travelers when Dr. Lusi used the listserv to distribute information on the budget. Where's the outrage now? Qui tacit consentire.

You can bet I'll be there on Monday night, and if you care about the quality of our schools, I hope you'll be there too.