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The Collaborative Relationship between SDFA and the District:
A History
Lately, “collaboration” has been one of those words that seems to have lost its meaning. Collaboration requires a shared vision, a shared understanding of the complexity involved in the work, and the trust in everyone’s integrity and competence along the way. For decades, SDUHSD and SDFA have enjoyed a strong collaborative relationship – working together to build the highest quality educational environment for our community.
One example of that effective collaboration is the history of salary negotiations over the years. While it’s often easier to see “sides” or opposing groups, the reality is that District Administration and SDFA share a common understanding: good teachers are attracted and retained by, and indeed deserve, a competitive salary, and that a fiscally-sound district is vital to a robust program and a stable institution. So, yes, in this award-winning district, teachers have enjoyed competitive salaries pursuant to those high standards but never endangering the fiscal health of the district.
Short memories and lack of context feed the misleading “sides” narrative that emerges, particularly during salary negotiations.
The anti-union narrative chooses only to recall 2015 when teachers negotiated, and the district agreed to a 12.5% raise over two years. But collaboration can only be understood if one remembers the seven years prior, starting with the Great Recession of 2008, when teachers, in partnership with the district, agreed to forgo any raise at all in order to preserve our fiscally sound, stable institution. The District and SDFA were not “sides” at all during this time. Instead, teachers understood that amid a recession, the district needed to build up the reserve for the benefit of all. Teachers honored their commitment each year, which directly helped create a healthy reserve as 2015 approached. The district then honored their commitment to their teachers with their long-awaited raise.
Shared vision. Partnership. Collaboration.
One example of that effective collaboration is the history of salary negotiations over the years. While it’s often easier to see “sides” or opposing groups, the reality is that District Administration and SDFA share a common understanding: good teachers are attracted and retained by, and indeed deserve, a competitive salary, and that a fiscally-sound district is vital to a robust program and a stable institution. So, yes, in this award-winning district, teachers have enjoyed competitive salaries pursuant to those high standards but never endangering the fiscal health of the district.
Short memories and lack of context feed the misleading “sides” narrative that emerges, particularly during salary negotiations.
The anti-union narrative chooses only to recall 2015 when teachers negotiated, and the district agreed to a 12.5% raise over two years. But collaboration can only be understood if one remembers the seven years prior, starting with the Great Recession of 2008, when teachers, in partnership with the district, agreed to forgo any raise at all in order to preserve our fiscally sound, stable institution. The District and SDFA were not “sides” at all during this time. Instead, teachers understood that amid a recession, the district needed to build up the reserve for the benefit of all. Teachers honored their commitment each year, which directly helped create a healthy reserve as 2015 approached. The district then honored their commitment to their teachers with their long-awaited raise.
Shared vision. Partnership. Collaboration.
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Additionally, the anti-union narrative chooses only to spotlight our single district, effectively blinding the casual observer to the broader context. However, one can only understand collaboration within the context of other San Diego County school districts during and after the recession. Over the same 10-year period, 32 school districts in San Diego County had similar raises. All five of our feeder elementary school districts awarded their teachers raises ranging from 14.21% to 18%. Neighboring San Marcos: 12.89%; Carlsbad: 16.18%; San Diego Unified: 16%. The San Diego County average for raises during this ten-year period was 12.89%. Our district’s 12.5% was on par with the county averages when taken into context.
Shared vision. Partnership. Collaboration. The partnership between the District and SDFA has always been based on mutual respect. Education is a people business. We educate students. We provide students with opportunities and experiences that help form who they are and who they become. That takes many people -- highly-qualified and highly-educated people, people with years of experience, people with heart. Investing in the people who serve our students has resulted in the highest quality of instruction. This investment should be paramount in the management of our public institution. Respect. Partnership. Collaboration. |