We respectfully demand that SCCS immediately use the windfall taxes, as promised, to provide teachers and staff with a much-needed, well-deserved cost-of-living pay increase (their first in five years).
Why is this important?
Our hard-working teachers and staff have gone 5 years without cost-of-living pay increases while our county suffered economic hardship. Now that we have windfall taxes, Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Education and Superintendant Bloom need to honor the agreement made last spring with Santa Cruz teachers, to fairly share the tax windfall with them, and provide them with an adequate cost-of-living pay increase, their first in 5 years.
In protest, teachers have implemented a "work-to-rule" action - - in short, they are working only the hours they are paid to work, with no additional time spent on tutoring, chaperoning, or supervising extracurricular activities.
This action hurts students countywide. Club meetings are not taking place, as no teachers are available to supervise, seniors want for college recommendations, and the list goes on and on.
We stand by our community, our kids, and our teachers. And we ask Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Education & Superintendant Gary Bloom to stand by them too.
Do what is right for the Santa Cruz City Schools, the community, and the teachers. Settle a fair contract with the teachers now, providing them with the much-needed and well-deserved cost-of-living pay raise that truly reflects our tax windfall.
