Dear Co-Alumni and other friends, I am writing to encourage you to support our Akiba-Barrack teachers as they negotiate with the School Board for a fair compensation and benefits agreement. As you may or may not be aware, the amazing teachers that we have had over the years make far less than industry average for teachers of their education and tenure. As I am sure that you do know, they do so because they love the students and they believe in the top-notch education provided by the school. The collective bargaining negotiations undertaken recently between the teachers and the board have not been met with agreement. I have set up an online petition which I ask that you sign, in support of the teachers and their commitment to resume teaching as quickly as possible. I myself was not eager when my parents told me that I would be attending high school at Akiba. I had attended a public junior high school and had already built my network of friends there; at the age of 13, I recall that this seemed the most important consideration. Looking back, however, I certainly realize how lucky I was to have this first class education. I experienced memorable bible stories brought alive by Rabbi Steve Stroiman, developed my passion for math in Mrs. Shrager and Mrs. Perez's classes, and was pushed to produce the best writing that I could in Mrs. Schuman's class. Many other teachers at Akiba-Barrack contributed greatly to my education and many others contribute with the same enthusiasm to the education of today's students. In retrospect, the education that I received at Akiba was an integral force in making me who I am today, building to my confidence and professionalism. I am working towards my Executive MBA, and have a successful career as Product Marketing Manager for a leading stock option software and administration company in Calgary, Alberta; I believe that Akiba's teachers played a huge role in my success. Since moving on from my own education at Akiba, I have come across many people in my experiences - but I can honestly say that I have not seen many more dedicated and passionate people than the teachers at Akiba. My mother has been a teacher at Akiba-Barrack for almost 20 years; she is always telling me of the exciting new tools that she is using in the classroom, the new course outline she has planned for the coming semester, the classes she herself is taking to ensure she is up-to-date on all the latest to share with her students. She is not required to do all of these things, but wants to out of her desire to make the classes she teaches the best they possibly can be. All of this hard work and commitment should be fairly recognized. With the teacher's union now on strike, I am learning that some things are not, in fact, quite as fair as they should be. I think most would agree that though the old Akiba building may be extremely nostalgic to many of us, it is great that the students of today have a new and upgraded building to enjoy their education. Yes, it is great to have a new structure and facility and to have a hard-working administrative staff, but if this comes at the expense of the teachers' benefits, it may not be the best for the school and its current student body. As many of us are removed from the intricacies of a teacher's world, I will outline some facts which I have recently learned: -The teachers are not paid while on strike -The current proposal is for no salary increases in the first of a three year contract, even though the teachers are now contributing more of the health insurance premiums - meaning they would take home less net pay -The main sticking point is the reduced pension contributions proposed by the board - to you and I pensions are not likely a norm, but in a private school where the salaries are 15% lower than they should be, this is a major benefit which they rely upon to secure their retirement - this is what helps to keep great teachers at Akiba-Barrack -A teacher at Akiba with a PhD makes barely $60,000, while some administrators working at the same school with a much lower education make easily twice that amount -Another underlying issue behind these negotiations is the sense that the school board is trying to break up the teachers union - the union is in place to protect the teachers' benefits and some may consider teaching elsewhere if the union is not there to represent their interests The quality of the education afforded by Akiba-Barrack is at stake and I strongly urge you to join me in supporting the teachers that have given their time and their hearts to developing us as successful young adults. Yours sincerely, Neta Rosenkrantz-Pyasi

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