"The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true."
By Dick Gale, SDEA Executive Director

These words, spoken by early 20th century Virginia author, James Branch Cabell, neatly summarize the current status of negotiations between SDEA and SDUSD. While we are very pleased to be close to a contract agreement for 2006-2007, we are frustrated that we cannot achieve a long-term agreement that prioritizes teachers as part of the District budget development process.

After 16 bargaining sessions and more than 100 hours of discussions since June, settlement for this year appears to be in sight. The District has agreed in principle to pass along the equivalent percentage of their new monies (8.38%) for 2006-2007 to improve sta. compensation. In effect, the costs of maintaining fully paid health benefits, funding step and column increases and increasing the salary schedule will equal the District's "raise" for 2006-2007.

However, when asked to make a similar commitment for each of the next two years, the District declined. Their concerns about uncertain state funding and continued declining enrollment in SDUSD have enhanced their natural tendency to be overly cautious about committing funds to on-going costs like sta. salaries and benefits.

This is understandable since certificated salaries make up such a large share of the District's budget. But, it is also true that teachers' salaries as a percentage (%) of the total SDUSD budget have been declining. According to the District Unaudited Actuals reports, bargaining unit salaries as a percentage (%) of total outgo have declined steadily, from 47.67% of the budget in 2000-2001 to 43.25% in 2005-2006.

At the same time, maintenance of fully paid health benefits for all District employees has resulted in a steadily increasing share of the District budget. According to the same budget reports, 6.70% of the District budget was spent on health benefits in 2000-2001. By 2005-2006, that percentage had risen to 11.64%.

Clearly, robbing Peter to pay Paul does nothing to fundamentally change the fact that teacher compensation in SDUSD is lower when compared with our counterparts in other California big city locals or in other districts within San Diego County. For our status to improve, more systemic changes involving staffing ratios and budget reprioritization must be explored. SDEA has told the District repeatedly that we are willing to sit down and examine these complex issues if the outcome will result in an improvement in our salaries relative to our colleagues countywide and statewide.

Our bargaining unit comparability did not decline to near the bottom overnight. Nor will it be rectified overnight. SDEA recognizes that the process will take some time. But we also believe that the time to make the commitment to improve teacher compensation is now.

We stand ready to work with the District to create working conditions that will attract and retain the highest quality professionals in our schools. If hard choices are to be made, we propose to confront the issues together so both sides can be confident that we are sharing the same information and striving to reach the same goal.

SDEA will recommend approval of any agreement that fairly shares the District's new monies with our bargaining unit members. But, at the same time, we will regret a missed opportunity to set a course for the future that makes teachers and other support professionals the top priority for District budget planners as they move the process into 2007-2008 and beyond.