News

NTA Bargaining Update – July 12, 2018

Your NTA bargaining team and the district presented their proposals to the fact-finding panel on June 25th. The fact finder was unable to mediate a settlement on that day, therefore we have received a fact finder’s report (please see your home emails for the report). It is a guide for reaching a settlement agreement with the district. It’s not everything we wanted or deserve, it positions us for engaging in problem solving around servicing special ed students. It is a one year proposal for settlement.
The association looks to meet with the district to craft language in accordance with the fact-finders report. Should we reach an agreement, a ratification vote will take place at the start of the work year.
Though we do not have an agreed upon calendar, the association encourages members to report to work on August 6th. Please save the date for a General Membership meeting for Thursday, August 9th at CTA.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: Kristen Rocha at krochanta@gmail.com, Kenya Spearman at kspearman@cta.org, Brenda Borge at bborgeca@gmail.com.

Come Out Monday Morning! pdf (1)

Negotiations for the 2018-19 contract are still left undone.  June 25th is the day of the fact finding hearing.  The District called for a mediation session that took place yesterday, June 19th.  The mediation session lasted from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Little movement was made by the District.  We continue to fight for a fair settlement on behalf of students and teachers in Natomas. While we are insisting upon the District recognizing and addressing the needs of students and teachers, the District is insisting upon a two year agreement without addressing the working conditions impacting students and teachers.

Show that you stand with students and teachers in Natomas by supporting the bargaining team.  Show up at the District office, 1901 Arena Blvd., this Monday, June 25th at 8:30 a.m. to rally on behalf of safe schools, resources for all students, and a fair contract for educators in Natomas.  All are welcome – teachers, counselors, psychologists, speech teachers, nurses, students, parents, and all interested members of the community.

The NUSD district management declared impasse while NTA and NUSD were in the middle of contract negotiations for 2018-2019.  What follows impasse is a fact-finding hearing, which has been scheduled for Monday, June 25th.

There will be a rally to support our negotiation team on that day in front of the district office – open to all teachers, students, parents and community members.  We will be there all day for as long as it takes to complete the collective bargaining process.

Please plan to attend the rally to show your support for a fair contract for our wonderful teachers, counselors, psychologists, speech teachers, and nurses.  Thank you.

 

Time to Teach Campaign Natomas Teachers’ Association

Do you think your child’s needs are being met at school?

Academic?      Social-Emotional?      Safety? Special Education?

 

Students are the center of everything we do. As NTA members, we are committed to the success and well-being of every student.

 

Opportunity All students deserve access to the teacher support, tools, and environment they need to be successful.

Student Success Quality education and a safe, positive school culture inspires students’ desire to learn.

Quality Ensure every student has a caring, highly qualified, committed teacher.

 

We are currently in negotiations with the District and need your help to ensure that our goals for our students are met.

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?   HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS?    HOW CAN WE CREATE STUDENT SUCCESS?

 

 

• Complete the survey to share what you think will help students succeed in Natomas.  Here is the Natomas Teachers’ Association survey link:  https://s.surveyplanet.com/B1SKLgX5G

 

2. Attend a school board meeting: upcoming meeting dates:

Wed. Apr. 25 (Two Rivers Elementary) Wed. May 9 Wed. June 6.

3. Watch a school board meeting live-streamed.
4. Visit the NTA Facebook Page: Natomas Teachers Association and website: www.natomasteachers.org
5. Email school board members to show your support for the teachers and students, “A Time to Teach Campaign.”

 

Scott Dosick, President, sdosick@natomasunified.org	Susan Heredia, sheredia@natomasunified.org
Teri Burns, tburns@natomasunified.org	Lisa Kaplan, lisakaplan@natomasunified.org
Micah Grant, mgrant@natomasunified.org

Open letter to the Natomas Community

 

Dear Parents and Community members,

 

The Natomas Teachers’ Association (NTA) would like to thank you for your  continued support. We sincerely appreciate the trust you have placed in us to educate the youth of Natomas. We are reaching out to you now because you deserve to know that the District is not being accurate about what the teachers are advocating for during our negotiations.  

 

Teachers are leaving our District at an unprecedented rate due to  its failure to provide adequate resources to serve students’ needs, its inability to compete for teachers, and its inability to hire enough teacher replacements.  The District’s failure has resulted in students being taught by long-term substitute teachers for the whole school year. Research shows that experienced credentialed  teachers, who know the community, help increase learning and student achievement. Through our Time To Teach campaign, we are working to retain our quality educators and create conditions that allow us to become a destination district for teachers and students.

 

Additionally, the District is promoting an inclusion model for our special education programs.  While an inclusion program can be effective,  it is an expensive endeavor and requires additional  resources, collaboration and planning than the previous pull-out model.  Our teachers are fighting to get the support and resources that would allow us to serve the full array of our students’ needs. This impacts EVERY student in our  District.

 

For the educators of NTA, students are the center of everything we do.  We are committed to the success and well-being of every student. Teachers know what students need.  Teachers’ professional input should be valued and incorporated when making decisions This is essential to recruitment and retention of caring, highly qualified  educators that Natomas students deserve.

 

We need your help  to reach these goals for our students. Please take our survey, speak at a board meeting,  email the school board members to show your support.

 

Again, thank you for your support.  Together we can meet the needs of the students in Natomas.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Natomas Teachers’ Association

 

 

 

We have been asked to provide clarity on some recent confusion with the bargaining updates that the district has been sending out to you.  Don’t be deceived.

• Part of the confusion comes from the title they use – the district lists NTA in their title, as well as listing our NTA team – which makes it appear as if it is somehow a joint communication.  It is not.  
• Their update is the perspective of the district team only – you cannot even assume that there are facts contained therein.  For example, the update is created to purposefully mislead. Listing the highest possible salaries of all employee groups, no matter if there are any actual employees at that salary is intended to communicate falsely that our employees are paid at a higher rate than they actually are. For example, there are no speech teachers at the salary they listed, only one counselor.  Remember, 40% of our 580 employees are probationary, hired between 2015-2017, so many are at a beginning salary, and teacher turnover is at an all time high.  Listing the potential maximum lifetime pay is disingenuous and purposefully misleading. Perhaps it is an attempt to distract you from the district management’s many high salaries?  If you recall, the Sacramento Bee pointed out Natomas as the highest paid admin in the Sacramento area – a shocking 83% increase. Our superintendent is paid higher than the governor, and many district level management, including members of the school board, have secured lifetime benefits.  The district is reaching hard to deceive you.
• Our NTA updates look like this one – only our name at the top and only our team listed at the bottom.
• What are the next steps?  What can you do? How can you get involved now that the district has once again declared impasse?  You have been sent a comprehensive list of actions to your personal email. If you did not receive it, forward me your personal email at bborgeca@gmail.com

 

In the meantime, have a great spring break!    

 

NTA NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE – March 29, 2018

Please forward feedback to your negotiations team.	Kristen Rocha, Chair krochanta@gmail.com	Justin Vorhauer ntajmv@gmail.com
Lydiana Alfaro lydiana.alfaro@gmail.com	Sarah Shaw sshawsome@gmail.com	Emilio Moran emoran1972@gmail.com