LITTLE ROCK, AR -- What a difference a week makes!
"We're all looking for a resolution and to me we're on our way to getting there," said Marty Nix, president of the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers.
There seems to be progress after mediators stepped in to calm things down between the unions and the Pulaski County Special School District. Last week, union reps declared an impasse over contract negotiators with the district.
"We're continuing to talk. We shared some issues today and we will process what we talked about today and come back together," said Dr. Jerry Guess, superintendent of the district.
District leaders want to negotiate contracts in order to find seven million dollars in cuts to get out of the red and out of fiscal distress. While union leaders only wanted to discuss salaries and insurance benefits at the last meeting, mediators have encouraged them to put everything on the negotiating table.
"At the end of the day it's all about the kids and that's where all parties can agree definitely," Nix said.
An agreement district leaders say will flow straight into the classroom.
"I've maintained all along that 2012-13 will be a good year. I think that's going to be true," said Guess.
