SACO, Maine — For the fourth day in a row, teachers at Thornton Academy in Saco gathered outside of the school's main building Thursday morning. Nearly all wearing black, a group of about 50 teachers shouted "unity" before walking into the building.
"Everybody will notice that the teachers are united and it's not just a single voice that's asking for a change," Thornton Academy English teacher David Arenstam said.
This week marks one year since members of the Thornton Academy Teachers Association began negotiating with the school's Board of Trustees on a new contract. Teachers and the board say they still have not reached an agreement.
"For teachers at Thornton Academy, the starting salary is lower than the starting salary for teachers in the city of Saco," Arenstam said. "So we really just wanted and asked from day one for a contract that fairly compensated us, and was close to what our other colleagues were getting in surrounding communities."
Thornton Academy Board of Trustees Chair Eric Purvis wrote the following in a statement:
"Everyone involved has worked thoughtfully and diligently toward settling a new contract. We are very close to an agreement. The Board of Trustees has offered a benefits and compensation package that, by our estimate, would make our teachers among the highest compensated in southern Maine. Earlier today, we agreed to go to mediation and feel confident that we will have a resolution soon."
According to teachers and the board, discussions with a mediator are expected to begin early next week.
In 2019, the Legislature passed a law that would gradually raise the starting salary for Maine teachers to $40,000 by 2022.
Ken Janson is an alum of Thornton Academy and served as the school's alumni association president as well as on the Board of Trustees. He hopes an agreement can be reached soon.
"It's sending the wrong message to the community and the students," Janson said. "To go a year or more without a contract, it's simply wrong. And at some point, you have to sit down and negotiate."
Teachers said they're hopeful that working with a mediator can lead to progress in contract negotiations, so they can focus solely on teaching and making an impact on the students.
"We've said all along we'd like nothing than this to go away and have a new contract. So we are happy to meet with the trustees at any time and fairly negotiate a new contract," Arenstam said.