Like I said, I am not a very political person, but I do support bringing resolution to our negotiations.  This school year I returned to work full time, after my maternity leave.  My husband and I had carefully calculated the cost of daycare for "baby" into our budget, but for the first week after getting paid this year, we couldn't figure out where our money was going.  At first we thought that it was a lingering cost discrepancy from taking maternity leave last year.  It took us about a week to realize that because the cost of benefits had gone up, my net pay each month was less. (This is a pretty sorry excuse.  Welcome back to the real world. My costs have gone up but I still like getting paid.  Therefore I choose not to "strike" either.)  We hadn't anticipated that. (Why not? What did you think would happen?)  Since our son is covered on my husbands (sic) insurance, not mine, we calculated our budget on my last years (sic) income, assuming it hadn't changed.  As it turned out with regular inflationary increases in benefits, and no increase in yearly income, I was making less money this year than last-- and would be each year without any wage adjustments. (Sorry honey, we all have this problem.  Most of us don't get to take a year off and then expect not see some financial consequences upon return.)  Multiply my situation by the 25 teachers at (your school), and the 24 other schools in the district, it was clear that there was a problem. (Yes, a big honking tax increase is needed to insulate teachers from the real world.) Luckily our contract was being negotiated in September, so my husband and I made, what we thought would be temporary adjustments to our budget, and continued on, "business as usual" assuming things would be reconciled later.

This is a terrible time to be negotiating a contract, with State budget cuts impacting schools all over California, (Sorry, why did you proceed "business as usual"?  Did somebody tell you the tax fairy was coming?) and it may seem like the teachers are just being unreasonable or greedy asking for adjustments in our contract, (why yes, that's exactly what it sounds like!) but in earnest, the district has already received three of the four million-dollar installments allotted for teachers Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and has been holding the money since negotiations began in September. (California's fiscal year starts in July, making it hard to believe 75% of anything was in-hand by September.)  I didn't go into teaching for the money, but it also doesn't seem reasonable to work and lose money each year.  (Sorry, teachers who don't take a year off do get pay increases each year. How is getting a raise but paying a few more dollars for health benefits "losing" money?)

Now, eight months into negotiations, things between the district and the teachers (and custodial staff) are at an impasse.  So in a gesture to hopefully move the district to some sort of motion, the teachers are adjusting their strategy and using a
labor negotiation strategy called "Work to Rule."  What Work to Rule means is that teachers in our district agree to work the paid contract day, 7.25hrs (8:00am--3:15pm) until the district takes notice.  (Go for it.)

How will this impact your student in the classroom?  It will not affect the learning that your child will be doing during the day or your child's well being. but what you may notice is a change in report card comments, an empty school after 3:15, and a lighter Friday Folder since grading can't be taken home.  On average, I grade and record papers for an hour or more each evening (a conservative analysis breaks down to 1 min per paper, multiplied by the 32 students in the class, multiplied by the major curriculum areas:  math, writing, reading, science, and social studies.  Granted, I am not grading work in each of these areas every night!)  Mrs. XXX and I have talked, and even though it means temporarily breaking Work to Rule unity, we will still volunteer our time during science camp because it is such an important and memorable event for the kids.  It would not be realistic to work an 8:00--3:15 day that week!

 

I asked YYY to send this note to all of you in hopes of gaining your support during this initiative.  One of the most effective ways to end the contract impasse is to have teachers and parents working together, urging the district to support its
teachers.  But please, I encourage you to visit the ZZZ Education Association website and the district website (URL given) and draw your own conclusions.  If you feel comfortable taking an active part in this initiative please send a note to our board members, attend a corner rally on XXX and YYY (see me for contact info and details about the rallies) (that doesn't violate your work to rule"??), or attend a school board meeting on XXX, YYY or ZZZ to show your support. 

If you have questions and would like to discuss contract negotiations further, please drop by.  I may be a little busy before and after school, trying to accomplish the daily planning, preparations, and assessments during a shorter work day (not arriving before 8:00!  Leaving at 3:15!  Not bringing work home!!!), but I am never too busy for a concerned parent or a friendly face.  (Would you dare come in and disagree?  Assuming it would have no effect on your child's education?)

Thank you for your ongoing support.  On behalf of all the (your school) teachers, we do feel valued and appreciated by our wonderful students and parents.
  
Thank you for your time,

Mrs. XXX
* * * * *

 

However, I thought our child's take on this letter was really interesting.

 

To set it up, we need to provide a little more background:  This teacher chooses not to control thirty ten-year-olds, or single out the few who decline to sit perfectly quiet during every waking moment of their school day.  Instead she invented a new tactic.  If a few kids don't keep silent, she assigns ALL of them extra homework.  Regardless of their personal behavior, they all have to write a "sorry note," apologizing to the teacher.

 

Fortunately, "work to rule" has the happy side effect of ending the busy work of "sorry notes."