Local
La Crosse teachers’ union president Schams on cellphones, contracts, getting to summer
La Crosse Education Association president Jill Schams joined to talk about getting through one more week before summer, contract negotiations with the district and how the union feels about cellphones in schools.
La Crosse Talk airs weekdays at 6-8 a.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
Schams, a music teacher at Southern Bluffs Elementary, gave some details how the union works with the district on contract issues, because the state only allows them to negotiate pay.
She also discussed how teachers might like to see the district handle a cellphone policy. Right now, school boards have that control, though the state legislature has discussed having a sweeping policy across the state.
Dylan
June 2, 2025 at 9:42 am
Cell phones, a proxy for social media, are ruining current and future generations of kids. They should be banned in classrooms!
On a separate note, I know someone who just started teaching high school at West Salem. Starting salary – 35k a year which is abysmal. Say what you want about the current education landscape, paying new college grads 35k a year is a joke.
Bill
June 2, 2025 at 3:02 pm
I’d say that’s a fair amount agreed to by consenting adults. What is interesting is when starting teachers, like your acquaintance, accept the terms of employment, then immediately begin complaining to everyone about how little they make.
Teachers are well aware of the earnings potential of that career when they begin college, or a year or two later when they switch majors and decide to become a teacher after their original career goal sours for one reason or another.
What’s of more concern to me is the end product that these same teachers are turning out in the student body. Ask a cross section of employers what they think.
Bill
June 2, 2025 at 10:39 am
Solem is the only guy in town who gets lonely if he doesn’t talk to the teacher’s union regularly.
Please give them and us the summer off.