Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1518807
S A N TA B A R B A R A : Educators organize as bargaining heads to mediation Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA) members have been building power as their negotiations with Santa Barbara Unified have dragged on. The two sides were certified for mediation in January but the district delayed that process as well, highlighting the difficulties SBTA has had in getting district admin to take the bargain seriously. "We could have had a settlement by now, putting Santa Barbara in the best position possible to compete for new employees for next year," SBTA President Hozby Galindo said. " They have been dragging this out as they fail to bring proposals that will attract and retain the educators Santa Barbara students deserve." Follow SBTA on Instagram at @SBTAunite to learn more and sup- port their struggle. C H I N O VA L L E Y: Teachers rally, march as talks hit impasse Associated Chino Teachers (ACT ) formally declared impasse last month as educators continue the fight for a fair contract settlement. Mediation is scheduled for mid-April. ACT members rallied and marched to show they are united in their fight for resources to recruit and retain educators and more support for special education students. "ACT members are standing up for themselves, for their students, and for the community," said ACT President Brenda Walker. " The school board should join us in finding ways to retain quality teachers in our schools, and to support special education students, rather than driving educators away and ignoring the needs of students who often need the most help. We urge them to enter mediation with the right priorities, and help Chino Valley avoid a strike that no one wants." Follow ACT on Facebook at @chinotchrs to learn more. C O N T R A C O S TA C O U N T Y: Educators picket for better With negotiations ongoing, Contra Costa County educators are rallying and picketing to tell Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) to put students first. Members of Contra Costa County Schools Education Association (CCCSEA) are calling for a pay increase that keeps up with inflation to help recruit and retain quality educators. CCCSEA also wants more input in the district's intake process to create better outcomes for new students. "Our students have high needs and educators want to ensure that they are served by the best educators possible," said CCCSEA Bargaining Chair Jill Stein-Wirth. "We must stand up for student success and push the superintendent to stand with us so that our CCCOE students receive a quality education. Hoarding money is not the way to serve our students," said CCCSEA President Soula Nikolakopoulos. P E R R I S : Teachers win after united fight for students After six months of negotiations, Perris Elementary Teachers Association (PETA) members won an agreement that will help recruit and retain the educators Perris students deserve. Disappointed that school district administrators continued to devalue Perris students who are among Riverside County 's most economically disadvantaged, PETA members rallied outside a February fact-finding hearing to show the district they were united. PETA members also worked to rule to show how much unpaid work teachers do outside their normal teaching day to provide the experience students deserve, according to PETA President Socorro Gonzalez. "Working to rule shows how much unpaid work teachers do outside their teaching day to give Perris students a great elementary school experience," she said. Continued on Page 45 43 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 24