Sacramento City Teachers Plan 1 Day Strike.

April 11, 2019.

From the Sacramento Bee. 

The teachers union at Sacramento City Unified School District announced Tuesday its intention to strike April 11. The strike will last one day, according to union leaders, and is in response to failed mediation attempts between the district and the Sacramento City Teachers Association last Thursday.

The union met Tuesday evening, and ended with their announcement to go on strike to protest unfair labor practices, according to SCTA President David Fisher.

“We want them to honor the promises they made to students by honoring our contract, meet with us and the fiscal adviser, and obey the law,” Fisher said.

“This strike is unnecessary and will only hurt students, families and employees by putting the district on the fast track to a state takeover,” said district officials. “A state takeover will result in less money for our students and do serious harm to our city’s public schools for many years to come. Our students do not deserve to be put through the hardships that will be caused by this strike.”

Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article228751559.html#storylink=cpy

The district recognizes the consequences of not reaching an agreement.

From the district superintendent’s letter to the union. 

A state takeover will be devastating to our students and community and we must do everything to avoid it. The consequences of a state takeover include: 

·       · Paying interest on a state loan(s) for decades. For example, Oakland Unified School District has already lost over $53 million in principal and interest payments through July 2013 and is expected to fully pay back a $100 million loan until 2024; the loan was issued in 2003; 

·       · Local control would be lost as the District would have to turn over all its authority to an outside administrator appointed by the Sacramento County Office of Education, not the State Superintendent of Public Instruction;

·       · Student programs that are not required by law are likely to be significantly reduced if the District receives a state loan because the unrestricted dollars that flow into the District will be re-directed to pay off the state loan and interest.