Posted on Feb 09, 2010

More than 1,000  teachers, nurses, counselors, librarians, support professionals, parents and community leaders braved the rain and rallied together at the Education Center on Tuesday, Feb. 9 to urge the SDUSD School Board to settle a fair contract with San Diego’s educators.

Even while SDUSD teacher pay ranks among the lowest in San Diego County (33rd of 43 County districts, according to the Sacramento Bee), the San Diego Education Association has proposed a pay cut in order to preserve class sizes and protect programs and services in our neighborhood schools. Teachers are sending a clear message to our community: Public education is the cornerstone of San Diego’s future, and teachers will continue to do our part to protect our students.

But the District’s history of wasteful spending, combined with the current economic crisis, puts the future of our students and our city at risk. In our Feb. 4 bargaining proposal to SDUSD, SDEA members call on the District to make an equal commitment to protecting our students by:

  • Keeping class sizes low by not laying off teachers,
  • Preserving core student programs and services like nursing and counseling, and
  • Bringing San Diego teacher pay up from among the lowest in the County once the current economic crisis has passed.

Patrick Henry High School English teacher Mark Frerichs spoke at the rally, demanding that the School Board accept SDEA’s fair and reasonable proposal so educators and students District-wide can get back to the critical work of teaching and learning. “After years of overwork for underpay, in massive numbers and with a unified voice on behalf of our kids, San Diego’s teachers come here to offer the District money,” Frerichs said. “Teachers call on SDUSD to embrace fiscal responsibility and accept teachers’ pay cut offer.”