Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1522302
SAN DIEGO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION SDEA has been busy organizing and mobilizing to support the more than 200 educators who received layoff notices in early spring despite San Diego Unified having millions of dollars in reserves. SDEA members and supporters held a series of rallies calling on the district to rescind the misguided layoffs, packing school board meetings to support educators in peril and their students who will be adversely impacted. These actions made a difference. In mid-May, the district rescinded 96% of the layoff notices after it struck a deal with SDEA to create "student support" jobs at high-needs schools, according to SDEA President Kyle Weinberg. The agreement helps preserve staffing stability within schools and keeps current pay levels for the student support teachers, he added. The district said retirements, transfers and res- ignations also meant fewer layoffs were needed. " These incredible gains were not possible with- out our collective actions," Weinberg wrote in a message to union members. SDEA continues its fight for every impacted member, building a movement in San Diego for the learning conditions all students need and the stability all educators deserve. Stay up to date at sdea.net or on Facebook at @SanDiegoEducationAssociation. UNITED EDUCATORS OF SAN FRANCISCO UESF members are fighting back against cuts and layoffs that will hurt their students and communities, as San Francisco Unified officials try to close a financial gap at the expense of their dedi- cated certificated and classified staff. In March, 134 certificated UESF members and 102 UESF edu- cation support professional members received layoff notices. UESF members mobilized, rallying to support each other and their students — winning a recission of all certificated layoffs in mid-May. ESP layoffs were also rescinded and consolidated into open positions, pending approval from a state-appointed fiscal oversight adviser. UESF organized to fight against the layoffs, as well as against potential school closures the district floated to address their finan- cial concerns despite the impacts on students and communities. UESF leaders point to a bloated district administration that needs cutting to preserve the people and services who directly support students. Members rallied in late April in support of special educa- tion learning and working conditions. "We pressured the district and made the board of education and community aware of our concerns about starting the next school year fully staffed," says UESF President Cassondra Curiel. Curiel said there were numerous classroom teacher vacancies when school started last year, explaining that UESF expects similar vacancies to start next school year — in excess of the number of layoff notices issued. " We worked with management to create an extended voluntary reassignment process for all of the projected openings and have placed all certificated members at school sites for next school year," she says. " This effort gets us closer to fully staffed schools on the first day of school, which has been a major priority for UESF members." SDEA organized and mobilized to beat back threatened layoffs. UESF members on the line. 30 cta.org Advocacy