PLEASE URGE THE DISTRICT TO SETTLE NOW TO AVOID A YEAR OF CONFLICT AND DISRUPTION Dear Parents and Guardians, On Friday, Aug. 8, the District and the teachers association met in a marathon mediation session. At the end, it was determined that it would be worth it to schedule one more mediation session for Monday, Aug 18, in an effort to reach a settlement agreement. Teachers want to avoid a year of conflict and disruption. Many teachers across the District are already starting to withdraw voluntary services such as sports and other after-school programs run by volunteer teachers. Teachers are prepared to strike if necessary as they feel their concerns and employment demands are the last priority of the District. We need your help to urge the District to settle now by meeting the teachers demands. Here is what you can do: 1. Read below to become familiar with why teachers demands are reasonable. 2. Write to the Superintendent and Board Members of the CVESD to express that you believe the teachers demands are reasonable and the District should settle now. (sample letter below). 3. Attend a rally this Friday, Aug. 15, at 4:00 at the the District Office (84 E J Street) to urge the District to settle. THE MAJOR ISSUES Class Size The District puts out press releases touting how proud they are of CVESDs low teacher to student ratio, yet they refuse to put it in writing and refuse to entertain any language that would set a maximum limit for Special Education classrooms which have the neediest students. We continue to fight for these students and their parents with proposals to limit class sizes. Salary and Health Care To attract and retain the best and brightest educators for the students in this community (a goal the District themselves set), the district needs a competitive salary and benefits package. San Diego Unified School District is a big competitor for talented teachers. That district continues to support families by providing health care for families (2 or more dependents) at $0 cost. By comparison, such families in our district for a similar health care plan must pay nearly $10,000 out-of-pocket. This is the 2nd worst health care benefit in the county. How is that competitive? We are also not competitive in salary. San Diego Unified provides their top salary by year 17 at over $87,000. Our District only provides teachers at the highest classification around $80,000 in year 17. While our District has a higher top salary of $89,000, it takes 30 years to get there (so in a career you might not actually ever get there). In the mean time, the teacher in San Diego Unified will have made tens of thousands more. The career payout for a top teacher in San Diego Unified is much greater than in our district. We are not competitive to attract the best teachers in the county. A teacher in her 17th year would be making about $7,000 more in San Diego Unified. If she had two dependents on our health care, she would be making another $10,000 less for a total difference of about $17,000. This is a 21% difference. In other words, even if our proposals of a 10% increase in salary and a $2500 increase to the health care cap were met, we still would be behind our main competitor. And they are not standing still. San Diego Unified teachers are out of contract requesting a salary increase this year as well. The Superintendent has received a 7% salary increase in just the last two years. This is an average increase of 3.5% per year. He is up to $228,800 with a total compensation of $266,716 compared to the Governor of California at $173,000 (2012). This is during a time when teachers received nothing. If teachers were to get 3.5% per year for the last 7 years it would be 24.5%. Inflation has increased about 12% over the last 7 years. A 10% salary increase is very reasonable and still is not enough to make the District fully competitive. WRITE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS Here is a sample letter: Dear Superintendent and Board Members, I am a Parent/Guardian of a student in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. I have made myself aware of the teacher demands of current negotiations and find them to be reasonable (class size limits in writing, 10% salary increase, and $2500 increase in health care). Indeed, I believe that even if CVESD meets these reasonable demands that CVESD will still not be competitive to attract the best teachers in the county. The career payout for the most educated teachers in the San Diego Unified School District is tens of thousands higher than ours. Teachers with families in that district pay $0 while our teachers pay nearly $10,000 and still would pay nearly $7,500 if the health care demand was made. Why would the best teachers choose CVESD with this compensation package? I am disappointed that you have not maintained a competitive package to attract the best teachers for my child. I find it particularly disturbing that the top management like the Superintendent would take a 7% increase in salary over the last 2 years while teachers have received nothing. This is not leadership that inspires teachers to give more to their students. I ask you to meet the teachers reasonable demands now to show teachers that they are appreciated and the District is committed to attracting the top teaching talent in the county. Sincerely, Name Here is who to write to: lecunningham@gmail (Larry Cunningham) [email protected] (Glendora Tremper) marissabejarano@gmail (Marissa Bejarano) dougluff@gmail (Douglas Luffborough) [email protected] (Pamela Smith) [email protected] (Superintendent) PLEASE ATTEND OUR RALLY When you come out to the District to show your support, the District takes notice that you are serious. Please plan on attending our rally this Friday, Aug. 15, at 4:00 p.m. at the District Office (84 E J Street). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT It is largely through your efforts that we even have a chance to reach an early settlement. Teachers are resolved because they know their demands are reasonable. Please continue your support by following the three steps above (inform yourself, write a supportive email, and come out to the rally). Please encourage your friends with children in the District to do the same. With your help we can steer this District in a positive direction that ultimately will support your child better. Thank you. Sincerely, Manuel Yvellez CVE President Let Teachers Teach
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:23:08 +0000
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