Published: 2 years 53 days ago
Sacramento Bee: School districts, like other areas of the public sector, are feeling the pinch of declining tax revenues. There is no sugarcoating this harsh reality. Yet the Sacramento City Unified teachers union, alone among large school districts in our region, is acting as if business as usual should reign. The leadership believes that the union should not sit down and negotiate with the district until the summer of 2011, when the current teacher contract expires.
In taking this stance, the Sacramento teachers union seems to be following the advice in a January 2009 memo from the negotiations committee of the California Teachers Association: "Maintaining salary and benefits at current levels is a priority; keeping the status quo is a constructive victory" and "Do not agree to re-open a closed contract. If the contract remains closed, the district cannot impose cutbacks. It is OK to just say no!"
Every person in this community should know just exactly what this "protect the status quo, just say no" stance means: It means throwing young teachers under the bus. It means increasing class sizes for kids. It means cutting back on art and music programs, books, labs, computers, academic programs.
Just who does such a decision benefit? It benefits veteran teachers.
People of goodwill in this community need to stand up and say loudly: Forcing arbitrary teacher layoffs, based almost exclusively on seniority, is harmful to schools.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/30/2642331/concessions-could-save-young-teachers.html
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