SBUnified
This is Santa Barbara Unified School District’s (SBUSD) fourth Negotiations Update for successor contract negotiations between the District and the California School Employee Association (CSEA). The District will distribute the Negotiations Update after meetings with CSEA to inform our community on the progress of negotiations.
SBUSD Countered with Clarifying Contract Language Around the Transfer Process
SBUSD and CSEA exchanged proposals regarding the transfer process. SB Unified offered a counterproposal aimed at defining transfers in a manner more similar with the SBTA contract. The priorities are based on the district, special qualifications or circumstances, and seniority.
SBUSD Offered Counterproposal to Report and Track Compensatory Time
Both CSEA and SBUSD have shown interest in improving the process for tracking compensatory time accrual. The District’s counterproposal suggests incorporating language on the subject and forming a committee with CSEA to design the process collaboratively.
SBUSD Counters CSEA’s Progressive Discipline Language
SB Unified is reviewing a CSEA proposal aimed at ensuring employees receive written notification following verbal warnings, along with guaranteeing their right to union representation in disciplinary communications. SBUSD also rejected a CSEA proposal to make Hearing Officers’ decisions binding in appeal hearings. The District aims to maintain the current language to uphold the Board of Education’s authority in making employment decisions.
Next Steps:
The next negotiation sessions are on April 3, April 12, and April 26.
Dr. John Becchio, Assistant Superintendent Human Resources
Kim Hernandez, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services
ShaKenya Edison, Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Services
Tara Wise, Classified Personnel Manager
Ed Gomez, Santa Barbara High School Assistant Principal
Looks like the district is doing a great job of running down the clock.. like the Lakers do when they have the ball and don’t want anyone else to get possession and then shot it at the last second so no one else
can score. Why do we need 3 more mediation sessions. The district delays create chaos and have a profoundly negative effect on school climate.
All students, teachers, para educators and classified want is a raise in pay to keep up with inflation and be competitive to neighboring districts like Oxnard and Goleta.
In one of the first LCAP meeting instead of letting the community and teachers share their view, the district dominated talks with their “already nearly formed” LCAP that had minimal community imput . The district is proposing again to use LCAP for teachers salaries district wide which goes against the California ed code that states it must be used in “the most effective manner” to those who generate the funds namely english language learners, students with socioeconomic hardship and foster and unhoused youth and not be used district wide.
We all need to see the budget and unpack it with the business office in a town hall style community meeting. Without this type of transparency there will be no accountability for LCAP. Personally obfuscation of the budget appears to be quite intentional. The Superintendent was at the first meeting and argued with me about using LCAP for staffing district wide and class size reductions which ought to be coming out of general fund. This LCAP and the last one both gave monies to special ed which technically also must come out of the general fund. The Superintendent is protecting the general fund in a self serving manner at the cost of our vulnerable students again. No wonder they make so little measurable progress.
I do not think it is appropriate for the Superintendent to be sitting in on LCAP meetings. Her demeanor is at times intimidating particularly when asked a question that puts doubt on the districts process. At two LCAP meetings I attended the Superintendent argued with me when I voiced sound objections to her and Mr Venz’s predesigned LCAP. As a community member I am not intimidated but some of the teachers are afraid to be candid about what is not working and why in her presence. Participation again is performative which goes against everything Gov. Brown set out to do when he changed things to the LCFF formula.
So sad to see the district drag this out and devalue our teachers and hurt our vulnerable students, many of whom have significantly less opportunities because of our misuse of LCAP, and Superintendents self serving views and overall inaction to give teachers and para educators what they need and deserve.