by Garth Meyer
A group of teachers crowded into the Redondo Unified School District board chambers Sept. 30 to call attention to labor negotiations, which began Tuesday. Three teachers spoke, including Keith Ellison, RUHS Head Football Coach, also an 11-year teacher at Adams Middle School, following five years with the Buffalo Bills linebacking corps.
The October negotiations are for a “one-year re-opener” on the existing three-year contract.
“I have yet to receive a cost of living raise that generally reflects the year-to-year increase in expenses,” Ellison said of his time with the district. “The value of my work has grown over that time, yet the real purchasing power of my salary has systematically shrunk.”
Items up for discussion in the talks are: work hours, class size, salary, benefits, evaluations and leave.
“My story is not unique,” Ellison said, citing all of the teachers he works with. “I knew and they knew that this profession wouldn’t be lucrative, but we didn’t expect to struggle every single year. The time for platitudes is over. Value is shown through action. Not just through words, and in particular, through monetary compensation.”
A married father of two young kids, Ellison emphasized rising out-of-pocket costs for health insurance.
“Without a fair increase, we will be taking a pay cut,” said Jennell Tanaka, Redondo Beach Teachers Association president (RBTA).
“Passion alone cannot sustain this effort,” said Jackie Nichols, a 26-year RBSUD teacher. “We’re asking for recognition in the spirit of partnership, so that we can continue to do the good work that our students deserve.”
Previously, local teachers’ contract negotiations were held during the summer, but this year, the RBTA elected to move it to later, “to ensure we had the most accurate financial picture possible (related to enrollment numbers),” Tanaka said. “This was also done to ensure our member voices could be heard before and during the bargaining process.”
RBUSD receives between $10,800–$13,200 from the state per student each year. RBUSD’s current enrollment is 9,418 students, down from a peak of 10,127 in 2019.
“We have been predicting a half-percent decrease in enrollment per year and we’ve been very close to that,” said Dan Elder, RBUSD board president.
The student population has been bolstered in the last three years by the phased addition of transitional kindergarten for all 4-year-olds – essentially another class level, which is now fully in place.
“This year it is maxed out,” Elder said. “There is no more growth there to be had.”
Overall, as district Assistant Superintendent – Human Resources Nick Stephany’s team and the teachers’ team meet, Elder believes it’s a tough environment.
“The challenge is, I don’t think anyone’s paid what they’re worth, there’s just not enough funding for public education to do all that we want to do,” he said.
He called for more advocacy for funding, in a high-cost-of-living state that ranks 34th in spending on public education, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, after accounting for labor cost differences.
Veteran teacher Nichols questioned the status of the RBUSD budget in her comments to the board.
“Yet, new district administrative positions seem to appear yearly,” she said. “Three new ones just announced this school year.”
“We’re still trying to figure out exactly which positions she was referring to,” Stephany told Easy Reader.
What might be the timeline for a new agreement?
“It’s hard to put an estimated time on these,” Stephany said. “We work very well together, it’s a very collaborative process. I’m optimistic.”
“RBTA’s membership is invested and engaged to ensure we get the best contract possible,” Tanaka told Easy Reader. “With the rising cost of living, especially healthcare costs, it’s crucial our members receive an on-schedule salary increase that reflects our work, value and needs.”
Overall, RBUSD enrollment numbers largely reflect state trends.
“While we are in a declining enrollment environment, the rate of the decline has slowed in the past couple of years,” said Annette Alpern, deputy superintendent – administrative services. “These overall changes are fairly representative of the projected and actual decline in the number of school-aged children in L.A. County and the State of California.” ER
I support the teachers, as one who struggled to keep my family going during my husband’s lifetime career in public education. He held as many as four part time jobs at once, beside his teaching, until I was able to help.
Ask why he didn’t get out?
Because his championship football teams were his heart, and he was theirs.
Teachings was his gift.
Our teachers deserve so much better!