Thursday May 8

District, teachers at odds over raise

Ravenswood union seeking 3.3 percent salary increase

By Banks Albach / Daily News Staff Writer

The Ravenswood City School District and its teachers union have reached a stalemate over $72,000, or what amounts to a 0.54 percent salary increase.

Union president Aaron Williamson said he hopes to bring about 100 of the district's 210 teachers to the district board meeting tonight to press for the small, but necessary, raise. Otherwise, a state negotiator may need to take the reins, he said. Including benefits, the district is offering a total increase of 2.7 percent, while the union wants 3.3 percent.

Williamson said that because district voters recently renewed the Measure M parcel tax, which brings in about $600,000 for teacher salaries and support staff, the board should act. The $98 property tax was approved by 78 percent of voters, Williamson said.

"We're just asking the board to follow what the community wants ... and that's to pay teachers what they deserve," Williamson said.

The raise would specifically go toward increasing the pay scale of senior teachers. Currently, pay scale rates increase by about 2.5 percent per year for the first 15 years and about 1.5 percent after that. The raise would make the rates equal, Williamson said.

Since Measure M first passed in 2003, Ravenswood teachers have received two separate raises, totaling about 7 percent. Starting teachers begin at around $41,000 and max out at $73,000.

But with the state facing what could now be a $20 billion budget deficit, cuts for Ravenswood - a revenue limit school that receives funds based on student enrollment and attendance - are almost certain. Superintendent Maria De La Vega said earlier this year the district could lose $680,000 over the next year alone. Several factors have led to the state's spiraling deficit, including rapidly shrinking property tax revenue coupled with increased state spending.

And an intervention team has also started analyzing Ravenswood's academic performance because students have done poorly based on standards mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The San Mateo County District Assistance Intervention Team has almost completed its first round of administrative interviews and is working on a two-year timeline for raising Ravenswood's English and math scores, Assistant Superintendent Adam Escoto said. The county is funding the team in anticipation of a state reimbursement.

So while the raise may seem small, the district is facing several challenges, trustee Larry Moody said. But the most important thing is to show outside agencies and district parents that Ravenswood is united, he said.

"Given that we're experiencing all types of cutbacks, I think we've demonstrated that we're very supportive of our unions," Moody said. "Everyone has to really commit to supporting the district and not creating divisions."

The Ravenswood City School District Board will meet tonight at 7:30 in the Board Meeting Room, 2120 Euclid Ave., East Palo Alto.



E-mail Banks Albach at balbach@dailynewsgroup.com.