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(FOX40.COM) — Teachers at St. Hope Public Schools hit the picket line Thursday, saying they’ve gone eight years without a contract and accusing the district of “bad-faith bargaining.
Union members from Sacramento City Teachers Association say teachers at St. Hope work about 500 more hours than peers in nearby districts, with pay tied to subjective evaluations. They also raised concerns about high health care costs and staff turnover.
“We just want a fair shake. We’re on the front lines, and we’re putting in the work, and we just want to be recognized for that,” teacher Shad Selby said.
Union leaders say turnover is above 70% because of lower pay and benefits. But St. Hope officials dispute those claims, saying they have proposed significant financial investments in staff, including cost-of-living adjustments, tuition support and higher pay than Sacramento City Unified.
The district says it currently covers 85% of employee health care costs and reported an 85% teacher retention rate this year. Officials also defended longer school days and years as a way to help students catch up academically.
St. Hope Public Schools responded to today’s picket with the following statement:
“St. Hope Public Schools believes great teachers are the foundation of a great school and we have proposed making significant financial investments in our teachers, both now and for the future. While both SHPS and SCTA agree that it is in the best interest of our students to attract and retain great teachers, unfortunately much of the information that the SCTA is sharing about SHPS’ proposals is incorrect or incomplete.” -Elisha Ferguson Parsons, Interim Superintendent, St. Hope Public Schools“
Some parents voiced frustration with the picket. “I think this is just a disruption for the union to try to get money from,” said parent Patricia Burks.
Negotiations between the Sacramento City Teachers Association and St. Hope Public Schools remain ongoing.
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Cedric Hood
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