Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1480924
a new salary schedule that increased the highest-paid educa- tor salary by more than 10 percent on-schedule, as well as a 24 percent increase in the district's health care contribution for all members. Dudley says the new contract will help keep highly qualified educators in Santa Cruz County. "It's been such a struggle to keep teachers here," she says, her voice breaking. "e children suffer and that's why we're doing this — we're fighting for every child." Mount ain f ifth-grad e t each er Emma Massi e say s sh e's hoping the new contract means she can continue to teach in her hometown. "I grew up here and this community is important to me," she says, adding that she's optimistic about the years ahead. "Better teaching conditions are better learning conditions. It makes me hopeful that there is a brighter future." SEA members continued to organize as well, rallying at school sites and at busy intersections in Soquel, with concerned parents joining educators from CTA locals across the county attending in support, as well as the Greater Santa Cruz Federa- tion of Teachers and Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers. SEA provided bargaining updates to their members after every ses- sion, lifting the curtain on negotiations to be sure all members were on the same page and soliciting feedback to ensure they were responsive to member concerns. "We were able to build confidence in our members that 'yes, we can do this,'" Wilson says. "We're going to keep standing up and advocating to create the schools our students deserve." In addition to the substantial pay raise, SEA's victory included contractually guaranteed prep time and language reducing and protecting class sizes and caseloads. e victory was massive for educators — many members reacted to the news with tears while Martin says she knows four teachers who were planning to leave the district who have now decided to stay. "at's not just a win for us, that's a win for students, admin- istration and our community," she says. Wi l s on say s it 's b e en an emotional exp eri enc e to h elp colleagues better meet their family 's basic needs in Soquel and beyond. "It has this ripple effect. I think not only about our district but how it will impact others in our county and across the state, says Wilson. According to Dudley, a cheer went up in the MTA meeting when they learned of SEA's victor y, which made her efforts all the more gratifying. • Median home cost: $1.22 million • Average monthly rent for 1-bedroom apartment: $2,385 • Cost of Living Index: 193.4 (national average is 100, California is 149.9) • Average educator salary, 2020-2021: Soquel – $67,782, Mountain – $71,625 before new contract (state average – $85,345) High Costs, Low Pay While cost-of-living and housing prices are among the highest in the nation, average salaries for Santa Cruz metropolitan- area educators have not kept pace. Sources: Ed-Data, Sperling's Best Places Kim Dudley (left) and Brenda Massie of the small but mighty Mountain Teachers Association, whose contract fight sparked a countywide educators' movement. 29 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 "We needed to transform the narrative. They were saving for the rainy day, and we needed them to understand the storm was here. Unequivocally, teachers and staff were going to leave." —Kim Dudley, Mountain Teachers Association president