The
evening could not have been nicer for Alpine School District teachers
and their families gathered at the Scera Park Main Pavilion in Orem. The
Alpine Education Association (AEA) hosted a
dinner event, which included a catered barbecue, music, prizes, and
comments from UEA Vice President Tom Nedreberg.
In
responding to a question about working with the Utah legislature,
Nedreberg said, “We all went into teaching because we care about the
kids. We didn’t realize when we started that politics plays such a big
role in everything we do.” He encouraged teachers to become politically
active if they want to make a difference in their classrooms.
AEA President Mike Gowans thanked teachers for their efforts and shared insight into Alpine teacher contracts. “Right now, Alpine has probably a better relationship between our teachers and administration than any other district in the state,” he said. “While budget cuts have made (contract negotiations) difficult, we have been able to negotiate a better contract than pretty much any place else.”