Analysis of DeForest School Board Compensation Decisions in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary of Board Actions

On Monday, the DeForest School Board ratified multiple staff compensation agreements. A key component of these approvals was a proposal concerning the 2025-26 collective bargaining agreement with the DeForest Area Education Association. This proposal establishes a 0.0% increase in total base wages for the members of the bargaining unit, a decision with significant implications for local progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Implications for SDG 4: Quality Education

The board’s decision has a direct and complex relationship with the achievement of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. The impacts can be viewed through two primary lenses:

• Resource Management and Sustainability: The 0.0% wage increase can be interpreted as a measure of fiscal prudence aimed at ensuring the long-term financial stability of the school district. By managing costs, the institution may be better positioned to allocate resources to other essential educational needs, thereby sustaining the quality of education over time.
• Educator Welfare and Retention: Conversely, stagnant wages may negatively affect educator morale, recruitment, and retention. A failure to provide competitive compensation can undermine the district’s ability to attract and keep high-quality teaching professionals, which is a critical component for delivering quality education and achieving SDG 4 targets.

Assessment Against SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The compensation agreement directly intersects with the principles of SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

1. Principle of Fair Remuneration: A core target of SDG 8 is to achieve decent work, which includes fair wages that provide a decent living for workers and their families.
2. Impact of Wage Stagnation: A 0.0% increase in base wages, particularly in the context of inflation, amounts to a decrease in real income for educators. This challenges the principle of fair remuneration and the economic well-being of the teaching staff.
3. Conclusion on Decent Work: The decision presents a potential conflict with the local fulfillment of SDG 8, as it does not advance the economic security of a vital segment of the public sector workforce.

Broader Institutional and Social Considerations

The board’s actions also relate to wider sustainable development themes, including those outlined in SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

• SDG 16: Strong Institutions: The School Board, as a local governing body, is a key institution. Its decision-making process, including collective bargaining, reflects its governance priorities. This action highlights the challenge faced by public institutions in balancing fiscal responsibility with their role as fair employers.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Ensuring fair compensation for public educators is a mechanism for reducing economic inequality. Wage freezes can potentially exacerbate income disparities and undermine the financial stability of middle-income households, running counter to the spirit of SDG 10.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article discusses compensation for the “DeForest Area Education Association,” which directly impacts the morale, recruitment, and retention of teachers, all of which are crucial factors for ensuring quality education.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The core topic of the article is a “collective bargaining agreement” and “base wages” for school staff. This relates directly to decent work, fair pay, and the protection of labor rights through organized negotiation.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article highlights the functioning of a local public institution, the “DeForest School Board,” and its decision-making process regarding a “collective bargaining agreement.” This pertains to the effectiveness and participatory nature of institutions.

Specific Targets Identified

1. Target 4.c: Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers.

   • This target is relevant because teacher compensation is a key factor in attracting and retaining qualified educators. The article’s mention of a “0.0% increase in total base wages” for members of the Education Association could negatively impact the district’s ability to maintain a supply of qualified teachers, thereby affecting educational quality.

2. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… and equal pay for work of equal value.

   • The article’s focus on a “0.0% increase in total base wages” directly addresses the remuneration component of “decent work.” A wage freeze impacts the financial well-being of employees and is a central point in labor negotiations concerning fair pay.

3. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.

   • The mention of a “collective bargaining agreement” signifies the practice of a fundamental labor right. This process allows workers, through their “Education Association,” to negotiate terms of employment, which is a core element of protecting labor rights.

4. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

   • The article describes a decision made by the “DeForest School Board” concerning an agreement with the “DeForest Area Education Association.” The existence of a collective bargaining process is a form of participatory decision-making, where employee representatives negotiate with the governing institution.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Implied Indicator: Teacher retention and recruitment rates.

   • Related Target: 4.c (Increase the supply of qualified teachers).
   • Explanation: While not explicitly stated, the “0.0% increase in total base wages” is a data point that directly influences teachers’ decisions to join or leave a school district. Progress towards Target 4.c in this context could be measured by tracking teacher turnover rates in the DeForest district following this agreement.

2. Implied Indicator: Growth rate of average wages.

   • Related Target: 8.5 (Decent work and equal pay).
   • Explanation: The article provides a specific value for this indicator: a “0.0% increase.” This figure is a direct measure of the change in employee wages for the bargaining unit, which is a key component for assessing progress towards decent work and fair remuneration.

3. Implied Indicator: Existence of collective bargaining mechanisms.

   • Related Target: 8.8 (Protect labour rights).
   • Explanation: The article’s reference to a “collective bargaining agreement” between the School Board and the Education Association serves as a qualitative indicator that mechanisms for protecting labor rights are in place and being utilized.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: gazettextra.com