Schools
PVUSD Teachers Only Working When Required By Contract
Teachers want smaller classes, more prep time and higher wages.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District teachers voted Monday to stop voluntary work and only be at school when required by contract, the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers announced this week.
The teachers union, which represents certificated employees of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, objects to the lack of progress in negotiations with school district officials, according to a press release sent by Francisco Rodriguez, the PVFT president.
"Now is the time to restore lower class sizes, provide adequate preparation time for teachers and ensure that support personnel—such as nurses, psychologists, counselors and other specialists—have manageable caseloads,” Rodriguez said in the press release.
The three main issues at hand are time to prepare lessons, compensation and the number of students in all classes.
“My children benefitted from smaller class sizes years ago,” said Debra Davidson, a PVUSD parent. “Now they are in high school with over-crowed classes. Teachers are struggling to provide the attention that students need.”
PVUSD Chief Business Officer Brett McFadden told the Register Pajaronian newspaper that class size reduction has already begun. It starts with the lowest grades—this year, in the first grade—and will spread through schools as students matriculate.
The teachers union claimed that voter-approved measures, including Props 30 and 39 and Measure L, are providing large increases in education funding that should correlate to improvements in the classroom.
“The district has $40 million to solve these problems plus all these new millions that will be coming in,” said Jack Carroll, PVFT’s Chief Negotiator.
McFadden told the R-P that changes are coming over the next eight years.
We have to be prudent,” he was quoted as saying.
RELATED: Letter: Watsonville High Teacher Speaks Out About PVUSD Salaries
The teachers' current contract expired in June 2012 but remains in effect until a new three-year contract can be agreed upon. School district officials and PVFT representatives will meet again for negotiations Sept. 19.
PVUSD serves thousands of students in Watsonville, Aptos, Rio Del Mar, Corralitos and Pajaro.
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