Strike goes on at three schools

CAMDEN — As teachers continue striking at three Catholic high schools in South Jersey, it's still unclear how their absence will affect students' course work, grades and schedules.

Teachers at Camden Catholic in Cherry Hill, Paul VI in Haddon Township, and Holy Spirit in Absecon began the strike on Monday after negotiations over salary increases and employee contributions for health care coverage came to an impasse.

All but 10 of 168 teachers at the three schools had refused to work as of Tuesday, according to Bill Blumenstein, president of the Audubon-based Catholic Teachers Union. About 40 juniors and seniors from Camden Catholic and 50 seniors from Paul VI joined the striking teachers on the picket line Tuesday, according to a press release by Blumenstein.

Negotiators from both sides are expected to meet on Thursday morning. In the meantime, the schools continue to operate on a modified schedule, with only two grades in session each day. Administrators and temporary staff are leading seminars and activities while those at home have online assignments, said Andrew Walton, spokesman for the Diocese of Camden.
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"The schools are doing what they can to minimize the disruption to students," Walton said.

Walton said students are expected to complete their work as usual and attendance policies will continue to be enforced for those who participate in extracurricular activities and sports.

But parents wondered how their children could be expected to be productive with substitutes who don't know the curriculum.

"We don't know what kind of teachers are in there, we don't know if they're qualified teachers or administrators or substitute teachers," said Beth Quinn, who has a senior at Camden Catholic.

Quinn said her son chose to stay home Monday but he's still not sure what will happen to his attendance record or grades if he continues to miss class. Earlier this week, striking teachers called out to students encouraging them not to do any work because they wouldn't grade it. The opposite message came from school administrators.