#substitute-pay-increase

#substitute-pay-increase

There's a lot of evidence that indicates that teacher morale has been declining nationwide and is at, by some measures, the lowest point in recent memory. California teachers scored 16 on the Teacher Morale Index, which is based on three questions from the Education Week survey. The morale score for U.S. teachers overall was 13.

Over the past few weeks leading up to the teachers strike, Superintendent Maria Su repeatedly told the press and labor negotiators that dipping into the district's over $400 million reserves was, simply, "not an option." But projected spending shows that the district will significantly spend its reserves to pay for its labor agreements, potentially depleting its "restricted funding" by 2028.

SF teachers and the SF Unified School District failed to reach any agreement Thursday night as a strike looms on Monday. Bargaining talks will continue Friday and Saturday. [Chronicle] An employee at a Novato bank branch and two accomplices were arrested in connection with several robberies that targeted customers of the bank who had just withdrawn money. [Bay Area News Group]

Protecting students from immigration raids was a priority for state legislators this year, resulting in several new laws, including one prohibiting school staff from allowing immigration officers to enter campuses or providing student or family information. The most controversial of the new laws is one meant to target antisemitism, although amendments made during the legislative session resulted in a bill that defines discrimination more broadly.

"On Friday, we ended a two-week process where members voted to give our executive board and our president authorization to call a strike," says Olivia Udovic, who is one of 60 teachers on the Oakland Education Association's (OEA) bargaining team. "We have not decided on a strike date. We will be providing the community with 48-72 hour notice of an impending strike. It is not what we what to do."

Right now, OUSD educators are the lowest paid in the region, and as a result, the District loses nearly 400 hardworking, dedicated educators per year, costing the district $7.5 million annually, President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said in a news release. This is a waste of resources, destabilizes classrooms, and especially hurts our most vulnerable students. Oakland educators have been in this fight for the schools our students deserve for a long timeand we remain committed to stabilizing our schools.

Hundreds of teachers, students and residents descended upon the Dublin School Board meeting last week to demand the immediate firing of the district's superintendent amid districtwide budget cuts. Heather Campos, assistant superintendent of human resources, presented a proposal to potentially cut over 30 full-time positions and 12 substitute teacher jobs by March, due to what the district said is declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.

Teachers have almost no authority over student behaviors or academic grading, and are given little, if any, respect from administrators, parents or even students. Instead, students have all the authority but no responsibility for their success. Students do (or don't do) whatever they wish, while empty-handed teachers are left to take the blame. Teachers no longer have the ultimate tool of flunking students.

We won!