 |
|
|
|
|
Los Gatos teachers will finally get their raise
By Leigh Ann Maze
The Los Gatos Union School District teachers and administration negotiated arduously during this year's round of teachers' salary negotiations, which came to an end on May 9, after more than six months.
The LGUSD board of trustees passed an agreement to give LGUSD teachers a 3.43 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 1999, and 45 extra minutes per week of preparation time for fourth- and fifth-grade teachers.
Three board members voted for the agreement, with board member Steve Glickman abstaining because he felt the agreement was not in the best interest of everyone in the district. Board member Dorothy Rouse was absent.
The Los Gatos Elementary Teachers Association passed the agreement at its May 3 meeting with 100 teachers voting for and 18 against the agreement.
Last year the LGUSD teachers received a base salary raise of six percent, which was much higher than other districts gave, according to LGUSD superintendent Mary Ann Park.
This year's negotiations started in November when teachers asked for a 4.5 percent raise and the district offered one percent if the average daily attendance could be increased from 97 to 98 percent. "That was upsetting," said Joe Bolin, a teacher at Blossom Hill and LGETA president. "To base it on something teachers can't control, like a child's illness or a family taking a vacation."
The district then re-offered the one percent raise with no strings attached, and from there the two parties slugged it out up to 3.4 percent, which is within the figures of raises given by other county districts, Park said.
"Eventually the district did come up to where we thought they could have been. And the frustrating thing is that they couldn't get there faster," Bolin said.
According to Park, the district hesitated to set the raise at 3.4 from the beginning because they did not yet have clear budget information from the State of California. "We do the best we can to see that our teachers are adequately paid within the budget allotted from the state," Park said. "The long-term negotiations worked to the teachers' advantage as we received clearer budget information."
Park added that next year they hope to start negotiations after state budget information is clear. According to Park, the LGUSD teachers' salary schedule compares favorably to similar districts.
Glickman abstained from voting because, although he agrees the LGUSD teachers deserve more, he feels a 3.43 percent raise will come with a price. "I want our teachers to be happy and feel valued and supported but we have to strike a balance. I think we went a little further in one direction than we should have," he said.
Glickman said that according to the district's best estimated projections, the LGUSD will have to make a 20 percent across-the-board cut on programs in order to afford the raises. The new salary agreement could also require the LGUSD to cut six to eight teachers in the next three to four years, he said. It would in turn increase the average class size in the district from 26 to 27 students.
"I respect Steve's opinion and hear him say, 'How will we pay for it?' and that is a very good question," said board member Tom O'Donnell. "But I want teachers to understand that a majority of the board will endorse what you've asked for."
Board president Steve Parsons agreed it is difficult in the budget process to balance different needs, but voted in favor of the raise.
While the LGUSD board can only afford to change teachers' salaries by a few percentage points, working within the budget the state gives them, the larger changes in salaries and school funding need to come from the state.
On May 8, six LGUSD teachers including Bolin, assistant superintendent Suzanne Sanders, Blossom Hill Principal Wendy Wardlow and two parents went to the State Capitol. They joined thousands of others to rally for an increase in the money given to California Public Schools. State school spending currently languishes at 41st in the nation.
|
|
|
|
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
