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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; Dallas School District issued an automated phone call to families of students to inform them of possible child care needs and holiday event scheduling if the Nov. 23 teachers&#8217; strike date is held.</p><p>The call from Superintendent Thomas Duffy was sent out about 10:20 a.m. Thursday to the district&#8217;s One Call Now subscribers, announcing an updated online letter posted on the district&#8217;s website.</p><p>The proactive step was spurred by various holiday events slated for the coming weeks, Duffy said.</p><p>&#8220;It made sense to be a little more specific,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Obviously, we are predicting what the Pennsylvania Department of Education will say if the teachers strike.&#8221;</p><p>Duffy would not comment on whether or not the strike will be held.</p><p>The Dallas Education Association set an initial strike date of Sept. 28, but, as progress was made on some contractual issues, the date was postponed to Oct. 25 and moved again to Nov. 23.</p><p>&#8220;There are two more (negotiation) meetings planned between now and Nov. 23,&#8221; Duffy said.</p><p>Paul Shemansky, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which represents the Dallas Education Association teachers&#8217; union, felt the online notification is the district&#8217;s way to keep families updated on all possible situations.</p><p>The online letter, signed by Duffy, stated, if the strike occurs, one scenario will result in the school being closed from Nov. 23 and re-opening no later than Dec. 13.</p><p>&#8220;All holiday concerts and related after-school events would be canceled,&#8221; the letter said.</p><p>The second possibility would close school from Nov. 23 until Dec. 20.</p><p>School make-up days could start as soon as Dec. 26 and use many days previously marked as vacation days until the end of the school year.</p><p>&#8220;School would continue until June 15, with snow days being added after June 15,&#8221; Duffy said in the letter. &#8220;Our goal will be to keep graduation scheduled for June 9 using special arrangements for our seniors per the Pennsylvania Department of Education approval.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The Pennsylvania Department of Education will ultimately determine the length of the potential strike as well as the strike make-up days.&#8221;</p><p>If a strike occurs, coaches and advisors will be allowed to continue in those roles, according to the letter.</p><p>So far, the wrestling and swimming coaches will proceed with their planned schedule, Duffy stated in the correspondence.</p><p>The Dallas School District teachers have worked without a contract since the end of August 2015. Negotiations between the Dallas Education Association and the Dallas School Board of Education began Aug. 28 and continued into September, October and November.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Duffy </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_DallasSchoolBoard_1-cmyk-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Duffy </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Teachers union has Nov. 23 strike date set</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dallas School District issues information on potential teachers’ strike