Last year, Davis teachers were given a 6.5% pay increase that many felt was long overdue. To the school district, this increase was supposed to cover both years of the new contract. However, the decision to give the full 6.5% percent in the first year and leave the second year undetermined may end up triggering a bitter and protracted contract dispute.
For their part, teachers will suggest that the 6.5% closed the gap on where their wages should be, but more pointedly they site figures suggesting that the school district spends more on consultants and legal counsel than they do on health benefits for the teachers.
Twice now at recent school board meetings, teachers have protested the contract offer of a one percent pay raise.
Wearing green T-shirts with the emblem, "2+2" on their chests to refer to their contract demands of a 2 percent salary increase and 2 percent toward improved health benefits.
From the standpoint of the school district, they just do not have the money.
School board President Jim Provenza in September:
The school district is facing declining enrollment that could lead to the districting losing around $600,000 in ADA next year. According to Mr. Colby, a one percent pay increase would cost the district $368,000 per year, while a 2 percent increase would be double that amount, or $736,000.
The question for teachers however; is, what is the best expenditure of money by the school district? They cite statistics that show that the pay for administrators has gone up much faster than that for teachers. They cite that the pay for the new superintendent was increased far more than that for teachers, and while the amount given to the superintendent may be a drop in the bucket compared to the teacher's salaries, it is emblematic of where the priorities of the district lie.
On the one hand, you are paying your top executive, the new superintendent nearly $200,000 per year in salary alone.
One the other hand, DTA President Tim Paulson argues:
The Teachers have a delicate path to walk at this point with the upcoming Measure Q vote. From the teacher's perspective - - over whom 98% voted to recommend endorsement of Measure Q - - is absolutely essential as it provides the district with around 16% of its funding. Without the passage of Measure Q, we will see deep cutbacks in programs and that would mean equally deep cutbacks in the number of teachers and possibly their salaries.
However, the teachers also have to recognize that the district needs and desires that money just as badly as they do, and they hope that that will give them a bit of leverage.
The school district felt that they had a good round of negotiations with the teachers last week, and at one point it felt like this would defuse the current situation.
Keven French at the school board meeting said as much:
We shall continue to monitor this situation here on the Vanguard.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
For their part, teachers will suggest that the 6.5% closed the gap on where their wages should be, but more pointedly they site figures suggesting that the school district spends more on consultants and legal counsel than they do on health benefits for the teachers.
Twice now at recent school board meetings, teachers have protested the contract offer of a one percent pay raise.
Wearing green T-shirts with the emblem, "2+2" on their chests to refer to their contract demands of a 2 percent salary increase and 2 percent toward improved health benefits.
From the standpoint of the school district, they just do not have the money.
School board President Jim Provenza in September:
"The state does not give us a 4.5 percent COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) just for a salary increase — I wish they did. They give us 4.5 percent for all cost increases, whether it's utilities, building costs or books. ... Everything that increases in cost has to be covered by that. (And) it also has to cover what we lose from declining enrollment... We were happy to provide a 6.5 percent (salary) increase last year; we knew that would put us in a deficit this year."Bruce Colby is the associate superintendent for business services.
The school district is facing declining enrollment that could lead to the districting losing around $600,000 in ADA next year. According to Mr. Colby, a one percent pay increase would cost the district $368,000 per year, while a 2 percent increase would be double that amount, or $736,000.
The question for teachers however; is, what is the best expenditure of money by the school district? They cite statistics that show that the pay for administrators has gone up much faster than that for teachers. They cite that the pay for the new superintendent was increased far more than that for teachers, and while the amount given to the superintendent may be a drop in the bucket compared to the teacher's salaries, it is emblematic of where the priorities of the district lie.
On the one hand, you are paying your top executive, the new superintendent nearly $200,000 per year in salary alone.
One the other hand, DTA President Tim Paulson argues:
"We have 125 members paying over $900 a month [toward health coverage]. Many are single parents, and 25 percent of their salary goes to health benefits. That is ridiculous."That kind of disparity in a public institution is bound to create resentments come contract time.
The Teachers have a delicate path to walk at this point with the upcoming Measure Q vote. From the teacher's perspective - - over whom 98% voted to recommend endorsement of Measure Q - - is absolutely essential as it provides the district with around 16% of its funding. Without the passage of Measure Q, we will see deep cutbacks in programs and that would mean equally deep cutbacks in the number of teachers and possibly their salaries.
However, the teachers also have to recognize that the district needs and desires that money just as badly as they do, and they hope that that will give them a bit of leverage.
The school district felt that they had a good round of negotiations with the teachers last week, and at one point it felt like this would defuse the current situation.
Keven French at the school board meeting said as much:
"We did have a positive meeting (with the DTA) one week ago."He claimed that they made a new offer which included a cost-of-living increase and upgrades to the current health benefits package, but it appears from the response by teachers at the school board meeting that this was not enough.
We shall continue to monitor this situation here on the Vanguard.
---Doug Paul Davis reporting
