Maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but it sure looks like the honeymoon is over for the new and reelected members of the San Diego Unified school board and their teachers union, which decried their actions as the “same old tactics” in their newest newsletter.
Its cover features the faces of Richard Barrera, John Lee Evans and Shelia Jackson, who enjoyed the support of the union during their successful campaigns last November, with a title reading, “We stood up for them in November. Will they stand up for us today?”
What does standing up for the union mean? I’m pretty sure this has something to do with the threat of laying off probationary teachers, counselors and nurses this week. Probationary teachers are in their first two years at San Diego Unified and must be warned of potential layoffs by this Wednesday. The board is slated to consider a motion Tuesday to warn educators in more than 275 positions that their jobs could be cut.
The union has protested many of the decisions made by the new board, including a tentative budget plan that included a Plan A that had to be negotiated with unions and a Plan B that proved wildly unpopular with parents. “
In doing so they are attempting to pit the interests of parents against employees and our families,” an article inside the newsletter reads. (There is no byline on the article.) It concluded, “Bottom line: The Board has promised change, but no significant change has resulted from the new majority.”