By: Dan Sokil

SOUDERTON — As an arbitration panel continues working on the contract dispute between the Souderton Area School District and the teachers union, there's talk of people having lost their faith in the system.

Whether it's the administration or the teachers leading some people to profess a crisis of confidence depends on which side of the system they stand.

Such a divide was made clear Thursday at a meeting of the Souderton Area School Board.

During public comment, Ken Hamilton, a high school science teacher, said that he's lost faith in the administration's "commitment to our real clients, our students."

"I have invested my time in this community, while you the taxpayer have invested in me," Hamilton said. The district, he added, appears willing to let he and his fellow teachers "join that revolving door and move away."

"Is that what you want from your investment in me?" he said.

The next speaker, Souderton resident Charl Wellener, offered a reply to Hamilton's rhetorical question.

"If you're unhappy leave, and take all the unhappy teachers with you and find another district," Wellener said.

"I have lost faith in a lot of the teachers in this district," she continued. "I see teachers not negotiating in fairness, I see them negotiating out of greed."

Janet Smith, a teacher at Salford Hills Elementary School, said she wanted to dispel the idea that it would be easy to replace so many teachers.

"We are not a dime a dozen," Smith said. "We are your neighbors. We have a vested interest that our schools be filled with quality professionals."

Smith said she received a master's degree as a reading specialist not to earn a higher salary, but to better help her students.

"We care about this school district; we care about these students," she said.

Heather Williams, who also teaches at Salford Hill, said "a fair and comparable contract" would keep high quality teachers from leaving Souderton to go work for higher pay in other school districts.

Bernard Currie, school board president, said the administration and the teachers union are waiting to hear back from their respective arbitrators who will make recommendations to both parties after a period of fact finding.