CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – Several teachers in the Chula Vista Elementary School District staged a walkout after school Wednesday over better pay and class size issues.
The teachers have been negotiating with the district on a new contract for nearly nine months, and the educators said they have proposed a nearly 4 percent salary hike and are pushing for no increase in class sizes.
Teachers are advocating against class size increases because they believe individual attention is what has made their students top performers in the state.
Meanwhile, the district is countering with a 2 percent pay raise, and officials said class size adjustments would be necessary to offset the cost of employee pensions and rising special education costs.
Third-grade teacher Dr. Patti Guthrie said, “We spends lots and lots of time so that our kids are successful, and our district doesn’t want to do that, doesn’t want to pay what it takes to live here and also to get the kind of teachers I have the privilege of working with.”
In a statement, Chula Vista Elementary School District officials said, in part: “We all share the responsibility of fiscal accountability … We are grateful for our bargaining groups, parents, and staff members -- each of whom will sharpen our thinking as we work through budget deliberations and employee salary negotiations …”
On Thursday, teachers and the district are expected to meet and continue negotiations.
