We are preparing for the commencement of Distance Learning classes on September 3.

On Thursday, we had two meetings with the District. In the morning, we convened our Special Education Work Group to discuss the challenges in Special Education, especially the additional paper work that has piled up since the spring. We had a good discussion with the District, but recognized that a lot more conversation is necessary.

Later in the afternoon, our full bargaining team met with the District. We presented our proposals for student-focused Distance Learning daily class schedules that meet the Ed Code instructional minute requirements, while providing our ideas for creating the best learning environment for students and teachers.

You can view our proposals here:

We also gave the District our SmartStart proposal for a modified schedule for the first six days of class, September 3 through September 11. Our proposal calls for extensive professional development including implicit bias training and more to combat institutional racism. Our proposal also provides for some transition time for students, parents and staff before the daily schedules we proposed would be fully implemented beginning on September 14.

You can view our SmartStart proposal by clicking here.

Prior to bargaining yesterday, the District sent us a counterproposal in response to the proposal we gave the District last week.

You can view our proposal by clicking here.

We quickly reviewed the document and expressed our disappointment to the District that it contained very little movement from the District's previous proposal, especially following all the constructive feedback provided in the work group meetings. You can view the District's proposal here.

To continue to move the process forward, we chose to focus on our proposal, which we think provides a significant step towards reaching an agreement, and requested that the District reconsider its proposal in light of our new schedules and SmartStart proposals.

Earlier today, SCTA President wrote Superintendent Aguilar with a proposal (which you can view here) to clear the decks for Distance Learning negotiations, and to move forward on a number of issues. The District and SCTA are scheduled to spend an entire week later this month tied up in trials at the California Public Employment Relations Board. Beyond this, the necessary hearing preparation will tie up District and SCTA representatives for at least an additional week. All of this time preparing for and conducting hearings is time that cannot be spent on negotiations. For this reason, and in light of the many pressing challenges that confront us, we proposed that the Parties drop these cases against each other and instead focus their time, energy and—in the case of the District—its financial resources on negotiations. As we also made clear, our proposal is an expression of good faith and in the interest of improving the Parties’ relationship, SCTA is also prepared to drop additional pending unfair practice charges against the District.

Specifically, SCTA proposed that the District dismiss SA-CO-635-E (regarding successor contract negotiations), and that SCTA drop SA-CE-3002-E (regarding the Spring 2020 distance learning negotiations), SA-CE-2778-E (regarding nursing services), and SA-CE-2961-E and SA-CE-2965-E (regarding information requests). Dropping these five cases will free up considerable time for focused negotiations and will also save the District considerable attorneys’ fees.

We hope that the District will accept our good faith proposal so that we can stay focused on working through our issues on Distance Learning.