Algoma District School Board Chair Jennifer Sarlo talks about the ratification of a three year contract between the board and its occasional teachers after Tuesday’s Committee Of The Whole meeting.

It didn’t take long on Tuesday night for Algoma District School Board trustees to ratify an agreement. The three year contract — retroactive to September 2014 — for Occasional Teachers was ratified at a special meeting that followed the Committee Of The Whole. Public school board chair Jennifer Sarlo credited the continued negotiations between the board and the teachers as key in successfully solidifying the first contract since the dispute between the province and the teachers began back in the summer…

No specific details such as salary increases or other benefits were announced. Sarlo would only say that matters like this were handled by the province. Sarlo expressed confidence that this will be the start of labour peace at the school board. She was asked about progress regarding the elementary and secondary teachers…

When asked about extra-curriculars and the cleanliness of schools returning to normal, Sarlo responded that extra-curriculars will be coming back — at least the ones that can be revived. She added that CUPE members have put a stop to their job action and that things are normal regarding removing trash from the classrooms and hallways. Sarlo was asked for her reaction on the new process involving different negotations at the local and provincial levels…

According to Sarlo, meetings between the public school board and other teacher groups are scheduled for this week and the next number of weeks after that.