Housing Justice & Stability for All
Housing isn’t just a hot topic of conversation here in San Diego. It’s an urgent public education issue! As the cost of living continues to soar, educators and the communities we serve are being priced out of San Diego. SDEA members are fighting back, not only for higher wages, but for systemic solutions that allow educators, students, and families to stay, live, and thrive in their communities.
Housing justice for educators & communities
In recent years, San Diego Unified has seen significant drops in enrollment (and corresponding funding), in part because many families can’t afford the cost of living in San Diego. Educators are struggling to stay, too. Across California, housing costs continue rising, while educator pay remains stagnant. CTA recently published educator pay reports highlighting the deep impact of chronic underfunding in public education. Turnover and long commutes undermine stable classrooms and student learning. Improving educator pay is a key pillar of our statewide fight to increase funding for public education, but it’s only one piece of a larger fight for housing justice.
Charts from this fact sheet about educator pay in California.
Common Good Bargaining: Going beyond the basics
By law, the District must negotiate with union educators over wages, benefits, and working conditions. At SDEA, we haven’t stopped at the bare minimum. SDEA has a proud history of also fighting for issues that affect our broader school communities, like housing, public health, and racial justice. Our success in “Common Good” bargaining is a sign of our collective power, and our communities need that power now more than ever.
What we've won, and what comes next
In Spring of 2024, SDEA secured a Housing Supports Agreement with the District that included:
- Workforce housing funded by Measure U, which has provided some members the chance to live near where they teach.
- Safe sleeping sites on District properties, for unhoused students and their families. The City of San Diego has stalled on its end of the agreement, but SDEA members and community partners from the Education Justice Coalition kept up the pressure. Even this bare-minimum solution (using an empty parking lot) still has not come to fruition. As of June 2025, the City has put the safe sleeping site in their modified budget and it may finally happen.
In response to ongoing advocacy, the SDUSD Board recently approved plans to build more than 1,500 affordable housing units on district-owned land. SDEA’s Housing Committee is pushing the District to go even further: Waiving application fees, prioritizing educators experiencing housing insecurity, and and providing mixed-income housing that reflects the diversity of our school communities. Without intentional efforts to address systemic inequalities, housing solutions will perpetuate housing insecurity in our communities.
Housing + Education = A statewide conversation
San Diego’s housing crisis isn’t unique. Across California, union educators are organizing around housing and finding creative solutions using District resources. Recent studies and statewide initiatives highlight the underutilized properties owned by districts across California, and more Districts could be collaborating on workforce housing. We’ll need to continue leveraging our collective power at the bargaining table and through pressure on elected officials at every level, to ensure that every available resource is used to meet our shared needs. We Can’t Wait!
Paloma Aguirre for Supervisor!
San Diego County Needs Labor-Friendly Leadership!
The special election for San Diego County Supervisor, District 1, is upon us, and the stakes couldn’t be higher! SDEA has proudly endorsed Paloma Aguirre, a proven advocate for working families, public education, and community justice. This election will fill the seat formerly held by Nora Vargas and will significantly impact the balance of power on the Board, so whether or not you’ll be voting in this election, you can play a part in building collective power at the county level.
Will you vote? Or get out the vote?
- Everyone: Join a United Union Walk on an upcoming weekend, at locations throughout the county!
- Live in District 1? Ballots were mailed earlier in June, and early voting starts on June 21. Vote by July 1!
Need more detailed election information? Go to SDVote.com!
Why Paloma Aguirre?
We need leaders who show up for our communities, take on the tough fights, and deliver real results. Paloma Aguirre is that kind of leader. She’s tackled the issues others avoid, and she’s made change happen:
- Addressing the sewage crisis
- Standing up to rent gouging
- Fighting crime in our neighborhoods
- Holding utility companies accountable
Paloma doesn’t just talk: She gets things done!
Learn more: www.paloma-aguirre.com
What Does a County Supervisor Do?
The role of a County Supervisor is one of the most powerful and wide-reaching in local government. In San Diego County, supervisors:
- Set policy and pass laws, especially in unincorporated areas
- Oversee an $8.5 billion county budget
- Administer critical programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and foster care
- Ensure public health and safety, including emergency services and inspections
- Serve as liaisons for community concerns and county services
This position directly impacts how resources are distributed, how services are delivered, and how responsive the government is to working people.
Who else has endorsed Paloma?
Along with an endorsement by SDEA, Paloma’s campaign is backed by a broad coalition of labor, environmental, civil rights, and political organizations, including:
- San Diego County Democratic Party
- California Democratic Party
- San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council
- SEIU Local 221
- IBEW Local 569
- Equality California
- LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
- Sierra Club
- San Diego Union-Tribune
- & more!
SDEA 2025 Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to all the recipients of SDEA’s 2025 scholarships!
SDEA offers scholarship opportunities for members and members' dependents each year. You can read more about the process the SDEA Scholarship Committee uses to award scholarships in the April 2025 issue of The Advocate. Learn more about how to contribute on the SDEA Scholarships page.
Your Voice Matters! Join an NEA DRI Discussion and receive $75!
Sent on behalf of CTA's San Diego Service Center Council - Human Rights Committee:
If you have participated in a DRI activity this year or identify as disabled, sign up for a group meetup on Wednesday, June 18th at 3:30 PM (PST) or Monday, July 7th at 3:30 PM (PST) via this Calendly Link and receive a $75 gift card!
If you have already joined a focus group and received the $75 gift card, please share your individual story at the NEA DRI Survey or via a self-directed interview. Self-directed interviews submitted in writing or recording will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 or $75 gift card. Email hallo@asevaluation.com to sign up.
Click the image to access the flyer:
Interested in adding a free Special Education credential?
As part of our agreement with the District on a Supplemental Early Retirement Plan (SERP) in 2024-25, the District has agreed to pay for SDEA members to add a Special Education credential in exchange for working in a Special Education vacancy. For those who have already enrolled in a program or who are interested in participating, make sure to fill out the SDUSD SpEd Staffing Opportunity – Interest Form by June 30, 2025 to reserve your spot. (Note: You will need to be logged into your District email)
See more information & an updated FAQ on our information hub:
https://www.sdea.net/spedpath25/
Advocating for TK
Advocating for TK: Time to take it up the ladder!
San Diego Unified isn’t doing the right thing when it comes to our youngest learners or the educators who serve them. We’re taking it up the ladder by inviting Supt. Fabiola Bagula to meet with delegations of TK teachers and supporters!
We’ll invite Supt. Bagula to meet with SDEA members who will explain that we need SDUSD to:
- Agree to SDEA members’ bargaining proposal for a toileting policy that doesn’t force TK teachers to stop instruction to change soiled diapers or deal with accidents, and
- Agree to SDEA members’ bargaining proposal to continue the ECE Teacher stipend indefinitely, instead of cutting the pay of some of our lowest-paid educators.
Do you teach TK or are you an ally of TK teachers? Are you interested in joining the delegation to advocate for commonsense solutions on TK toileting policy and ECE Teacher pay? Tell us you’re interested so we can be in touch over the summer!
More assessments required = More time needed
Toileting policies aren’t the only changes impacting educators. With the rollout of Universal Pre-Kindergarten in California, expanding public education access means expanding educator responsibilities. Assessments like the DRDP are important tools, but they are time consuming. SDEA members have requested to bargain over the impact on educators administering this test, have proposed related protections for our next contract. (For example, proposed changes to Article 8.) With no response yet from the District, it’s crucial to stay connected with colleagues and site reps about how changes affect your time and your students.
Retroactive raise ratified! What’s next?
Votes are in: Our 1.5% retroactive raise for 2024-25 has been ratified!
SDEA members voted this week to ratify the tentative agreement reached in our last bargaining session. This means that the District can move forward with paying educators their retroactive raises. Our agreement says that all retroactive payments and salary schedule adjustments shall be paid and implemented no later than December 31, 2025.
- See certified election results here.
- Read the full agreement here.
- Read answers to Frequently Asked Questions about this tentative agreement. This is a living document that will continue to be updated.
- Click here to make a copy of a spreadsheet you can use to calculate your retroactive pay.
Our ongoing fight for pay, staffing, and stability
This 1.5% raise is a result of our direct pressure, and we will need to keep up the pressure when negotiations resume after summer. We’re still waiting on responses to several key proposals which directly impact staffing for hard-to fill-positions, like Special Education and Early Childhood. We know that our demands are not isolated - pay, staffing, and stability for school communities is all connected. Especially when limited budgets are being stretched impossibly thin, it’s easy to get distracted by fighting over crumbs. We need more than crumbs.
The bigger picture: What’s at stake
Despite our statewide mobilization last weekend and national pressure from educators and others concerned about the impact to healthcare, immigrant communities, and more, the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” has passed the House and is on the way to the Senate. Read more from the NEA about what this means, and make sure your California Senators know how this would impact your students. CTA has a calculator to see exactly how much San Diego Unified stands to lose in cuts to school meals, Special Education funding, and supports for lower-income families.
Our school communities already lack resources even without these looming cuts. We’ll need to keep fighting:
- Locally, to make sure the District invests every dollar available in what our schools need most
- With educators across the state, to make sure California increases the funding available
- With educators nationwide, to protect public education itself
Two invites for BIPOC educators!
CTA's San Diego Service Center Council's REAC (Racial and Ethnic Affairs Committee) is composed of educators from African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, El Sol (Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x) and Asian and Pacific Islander communities. They are hosting two upcoming events:
Brunch & Belonging
ℹ️ A welcoming space for BIPOC educators to network, share stories, and build solidarity
🗓️ Saturday, May 24, 2025
🕒 9:30 - 11:30 AM
Juneteenth Freedom Day Brunch
ℹ️ A celebration of resilience and excellence for all San Diego County Black educators
🗓️ Thursday, June 19, 2025
🕒 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Flyer - Please RSVP by June 10th!
Time to Ratify: Our 1.5% Pay Increase
Last week members on the SDEA Bargaining Team provided a full bargaining update after our May 8 bargaining session, when we reached a tentative agreement on wages for the 2024-25 school year.
SDEA members still need to vote to ratify this tentative agreement.
All active SDEA members will get an electronic ballot from Simply Voting on Monday, May 19 at 6:00 AM, sent to your District email. Voting will be open until Thursday, May 22 at 5:00 PM.
If you do not get a ballot on Monday...
- Try searching your email and spam folder for "vote@simplyvoting.com"
- If you still do not find it, reach out to the elections committee via email (sdeaelections@sdea.net) or call the SDEA office (619-283-4411).
Additional resources:
Need help understanding the details of this tentative agreement and its impact on you?
- Read answers to Frequently Asked Questions about this tentative agreement. This is a living document that will continue to be updated.
- Click here to make a copy of a spreadsheet you can use to calculate your retroactive pay
- Read the full tentative agreement here
- See all bargaining information here, including a proposal tracker
Fighting for Pay: This is only the beginning
Our fight is far from over. Along with initially proposing 2% for 2024-25 wages, SDEA members on the bargaining team proposed an additional 8% over the next two school years. Winning 1.5% for 2024-25 (more than the state COLA) is directly tied to our collective actions across the district. However, we know that 1.5% is not enough. San Diego’s cost of living continues to rise and educator wages continue lagging. When we return from summer break, we’ll need to keep up the pressure for improved pay, and also for the staffing and stability our students deserve. This means our fight is bigger than just local negotiations. We need to demand investment in public schools in California, and we need to defend our students from the promised federal cuts to public education.
SDEA members from Field Elementary picketing two weeks ago. We need school funding to increase as quickly as gas prices, among other things!
Fighting for Schools: This Saturday!
We know that our local fight is connected to a bigger fight for public education itself. Right now San Diego schools are facing significant cuts to programs like school meals, Special Education, and supports for low income students and families, and educators are fighting back! Join educators and community allies in a statewide day of action:
Fight For Schools: San Diego
📅 Saturday, May 17 @ 11am
📍 Meet at Roosevelt Middle School & march together!
👟 Bring your walking shoes, union shirt, noisemakers, & signs!
🔗 More details here!
Letters in Solidarity: We Won a Pay Increase to Fully Staff Our Schools
Big news - we finally have a tentative agreement with the district on our pay for this school year! This came about after months of escalating collective actions by SDEA union educators in our contract campaign, most recently pickets at 125 schools. If SDEA members vote to ratify this agreement next week, we’ll all benefit from a much-needed salary increase of 0.5% retroactive to July 1, 2024, and an additional 1% increase retroactive to January 1, 2025, resulting in an total wage increase of 1.5% as we begin next school year.
This raise comes at a critical time as the impact of special education vacancies at the majority of schools are acutely felt by educators and students. In addition, 23 new TK classrooms are slated to open next school year and will need Early Childhood Educator co-teachers that the district has historically struggled to staff. While we have made progress on improving our pay and can enjoy a well-earned break this summer, we have to be ready to return in the fall ready to continue our fight for fully staffed, stable and inclusive schools. That starts with bargaining for our salaries moving forward and the district still has not responded to our proposal for an overall 8% increase over the 25-26 and 26-27 school years.
Improving our wages is the district’s most powerful tool to fully staff our schools, considering that San Diego has the fastest cost of living rise in the country and homeownership is out of reach for many educators who would need a family income of over $258,000 to afford the mortgage payment on the average home for sale in our region. More and more of us are unable to live anywhere near the schools where we teach and that is driving some educators to seriously consider leaving our district or the profession entirely.
It shouldn’t have to be this way in a state with the fourth largest economy in the world that nevertheless funds schools at less than the national average with our inequitable tax system that insulates billionaires and corporations from paying their fair share to fund the public good. That’s why we’re joining other education unions across California within the We Can’t Wait campaign to generate the collective power we need to take on the statewide school funding problem that we cannot fix alone in our districts.
The victory on our wage increase for this school year is the product of our organizing at schools throughout the district from the pickets to rallies at walk-ins in February, passing out thousands of flyers to families in January to share our demands for the schools our students deserve, ratifying our We Can’t Wait contract priorities at union meetings in November and developing our campaign platform at Bargaining Input Sessions at our schools as we began this school year. Let’s keep this momentum going with our Fight for Schools action on May 17 at 11 am at Roosevelt Middle School to protect federal funding for our schools and our students’ civil rights. See you there!
