By Garth Meyer
The Redondo Beach Unified School District has reached a tentative agreement with its teachers’ union, announced Oct. 17.
The deal includes salary increases for the next two years, added contributions to medical benefits, and modest stipend increases for combination class, shared-classroom teachers, after-school program leaders and club advisors.
All teachers will receive a 2.5% salary increase for 2025-26 and a 2.0% increase for 2026-27. For medical benefits, the district will add $1,500 per year for single coverage, $1,000 for employee-plus-one-person, and $750 for family coverage.
The tentative package was reached after teachers crowded into three district board meetings this fall to support their cause.
“I admire and respect all the 10 speakers and over 175 members who came out to advocate for themselves for a fair on-schedule raise. It was a great showing at all three board meetings,” said Jennell Tanaka, Redondo Beach Teachers Association president. “We now will be taking this to a vote.”
Nick Stephany, RBUSD assistant superintendent, human resources, said he expects the ratified agreement to go before the school board for approval Nov. 18. The deal was forged during three, day-long meetings between school administrators and teacher representatives.
“It was a very collaborative process, everyone came to the table with a can-do (attitude). It was very positive,” said Annette Alpern, deputy superintendent, administrative services. “The district was willing to put money on the table, to commit to that when we don’t know next year’s enrollment.”
The deal was finalized after a crowd of teachers packed the Redondo Unified School District meeting to call for a better pay package.
Gretchen Bisub, a Lincoln Elementary teacher in her 24th year with the district, and a mother of two, said it is “very expensive to live here,” naming gas, groceries and healthcare. She called for the district to “please consider a fair increase (in pay).”
Arden Hadley, in her 12th year teaching at Parras Middle School, called for “fair pay, real support and lasting respect… I love my job, I love this district, but love doesn’t pay the mortgage.”
Tracy Proudfoot, a 13-year RBUSD teacher said, “We need your support through fair and meaningful compensation… This is not just about salaries (but) about sustainability and respect. Let’s make Redondo Beach a place where teachers can afford to teach.”
Casey Waddell, an RUHS math teacher in her 13th year in the district, asked the administration to adjust salary and the cost of health insurance benefits. Levi Stauffer, an alumni, parent of kids in the district, and now husband of an RBUSD teacher talked of “countless unpaid hours” by teachers.
“Sometimes at the cost of their health, which makes this current negotiation over their healthcare expenses quite ironic.”
Sue Carlton, Redondo Beach Teachers Association vice president, read a statement from RBTA President Tanaka. “This always stuck with me: ‘let us not become weary in doing good. For, at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’”
Later, school board member Hanh Archer said, “We are in negotiations. Thank you. We do understand, it’s been very collaborative. That’s where we get good results.”
The rare October negotiations were for a “one-year re-opener” of the existing three-year contract.
Keith Ellison, RUHS football coach and Adams Middle School teacher, spoke at the previous board meeting.
Items up for discussion in the talks were: work hours, class size, salary, benefits, evaluations and leave.
Previously, 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 told Easy Reader before. “This was also done while school was in session to ensure our member voices could be heard before and during the bargaining process.” ER
I would be interested to hear how they did on their other 2 issues; class size and work hours.