The board's priority should be teachers. We have accumulated needs in the district that aren't acceptable.

It would be very complicated and very difficult. None of us have written an ad for a new superintendent. None of us have decided which publication to put ads in. And by doing it through a firm, it gives the applicants some sense of confidentiality.

We really need to get it right.

Teachers have spoken clearly. We will not be bullied into accepting another legislated contract that doesn't meet the needs of our students and doesn't respect our rights as workers.

You protect that because it pays folks' salaries that we're depending on -- music teachers, librarians. Yeah, there are needs at the site level. But let's not lose sight of this other thing we have going and make sure we're all in it together.

It?s just a lot of little things that have accumulated. I?m just too old for it. If you don?t have a meeting of the minds, something has to be done, and I did it.