Barrera Minute 11 - We Can’t Wait!
Members of the California Teachers Association rally for higher pay, better benefits and adequate staffing.
As we start the new year, at least fifteen school districts are on the brink of an educators’ strike. That’s thousands of teachers and classified staff facing the possible loss of their paycheck and even more students losing critical classroom time. These educators are seeking pay and benefits that allow them to keep up with California’s high cost of living, along with safer schools and adequate staffing. Meanwhile, out of touch Sacramento politicians put local school board members between a rock and a hard place, as they needlessly withhold critical funding that board members could use to meet the demands of educators. Currently, the state owes local districts $2 billion that must legally go to schools.
This situation is entirely avoidable, as my experiences in San Diego and recently Richmond demonstrate. School board members in both districts have stood up to reckless, austerity minded budget decisions in Sacramento, and courageously prioritized meeting the needs of their educators and students. Two factors have been key to this success.
First was CTA’s “We Can’t Wait” campaign, which unites teachers across the state in supporting common goals in their contract negotiations.
The second key element was the refusal to postpone critical investments in education based on the erroneous assessment that we cannot afford them. Because the truth is, we cannot afford not to re-examine our fiscal priorities. Too much is at stake.
At San Diego Unified, where I am now serving my eighteenth year on the Board of Trustees and recently began my fifth term as Board President, we have directed our superintendent and financial officers to prioritize our educators by
➢ Reducing out-sized reserves;
➢ Cutting central administration;
➢ Insourcing core services, rather than using outside contractors; and
➢ Counting on state government to meet its financial obligations.
Despite the handwringing by austerity hawks, San Diego Unified balances its budget every year, has the highest credit rating available to a school district, and has the highest student outcomes of any large, urban school district in the nation.
CTA considers San Diego the model for how school boards and teachers can work together. That’s why, when teachers in Richmond prepared to strike, their union asked me to help the local Board see a pathway to choose investment over austerity. I am proud of these trustees for joining us in San Diego on the investment pathway , and for demonstrating the leadership for which they were elected. The strike ended after four days.
“Richard Barrera’s support and experience were essential to changing the district’s austerity mindset and bringing our strike to a successful conclusion.”
Here I am speaking to teachers in Richmond. At their invitation, I was able to help teachers and school board members discover options that led to a positive outcome for all sides
As State Superintendent of Public Instruction I will continue to support teachers and school boards in finding positive solutions by sharing successful strategies, and by fighting back against austerity budgeting in Sacramento. If you agree that we can’t wait, please support my campaign by donating or getting involved at https://www.barreraforedu.com.
