TUSD completes ‘amicable, respectful’ employee negotiations,

In the sometimes dismal world of managing local schools during a pandemic, there’s a bright spot — Tehachapi Unified School District has made agreements with the unions representing its employees and extended the contract of Superintendent Stacey Larson-Everson.

The latest of a series of related actions was concluded at the Nov. 16 meeting of the district’s Board of Trustees with approval of a contract with the Tehachapi Association of Teachers, an addendum to an earlier agreement with the California School Employees Association (which represents non-certificated school employees) and action to extend similar wage and benefit increases to non-represented employees.

Board President Jeff Kermode expressed pleasure as the board prepared to approve the teachers’ contract.

“This is the first time, Trustee Wallek … since you and I have been on the board, that we’ve actually gotten an agreement within the same calendar year that we were negotiating for ... so that’s a huge accomplishment on both sides and a testament to how well everybody’s working together,” he said.

Trustee Jackie Wood is currently the longest-serving member of the board. Kermode has been on the board since 2016 and Joe Wallek since 2014. The remaining four trustees were elected in either 2018 or 2020.

Kermode’s reference to negotiations likely included the district’s contract with the TAT which was ultimately effective July 1, 2016, but wasn’t settled until late May 2017. The protracted negotiations represented a low point in relationships between the district and its teachers — with picketing of school board meetings by teachers and a vote of no confidence in the former superintendent of schools less than a year before she resigned.

The challenges of the pandemic lockdown also delayed completion of some negotiations during 2020.

‘AMICABLE, RESPECTFUL’

In contrast, at the Nov. 16 board meeting TAT President Val Bowman expressed appreciation for what she said was an amicable and respectful negotiations process.

“The agreement before you tonight was well bargained,” she said. “And I believe it is because of the months that we have spent building relationships... This is a way that negotiation should always be.”

Larson-Everson represented the board in the negotiations. She said it was amazing how well the bargaining teams worked together.

“The extent of collaboration is really indescribable,” she said. She said it was important to recognize that the TAT negotiating team was also working in classrooms throughout the process.

“Being in the classroom, in the trenches every day, with students trying to navigate the situation that we’re in,” she said, the teachers came “to the table with a great attitude, with a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, and really with our

students in mind, and we did have a very strong, common goal.”

LABOR CONTRACTS

The agreement between the district and the TAT is for the current school year. It includes a 5 percent increase to the certificated salary schedule including longevity and Master’s Stipends, effective July 1.

The salary schedule for teachers is based upon education and experience, ranging from $46,587 to $91,206 per year. Teachers may also receive various stipends and extra-duty pay. Salary, longevity and educational stipends are based on 184 workdays per school year.

The contract increases the number of workdays for the district nurse and speech pathologists from 192 days per year to 194 days. Pay for these positions ranges from a base of $52,030 per year to $96,834 per year, depending upon longevity and education.

To reach the highest level on the salary schedules, staff must work for the district 25 years and have education equivalent to a master’s degree plus 36 educational units (or a bachelor’s degree plus 72 units).

The district’s contribution toward the cost of TAT member benefits will increase by 2 percent, retroactive to Oct. 1.

The contract also makes changes in days and hours of work and addresses one of the district’s goals to update employee evaluations to better align with the district’s vision and values.

The board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the CSEA, Tehachapi Chapter #466, at its Sept. 14 meeting. The agreement runs from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024, and also included salary increases reportedly in line with the percentage received by teachers.

An addendum to this agreement was approved at the Nov. 16 meeting to provide the same 2 percent increase of district contribution toward members’ benefit and insurance packages to provide parity with the agreement just forged with teachers.

Also at the Nov. 16 meeting, the board approved extending the same increases in salary and benefits as were approved for CSEA and TAT to the district’s management and confidential staff, which includes all management except the superintendent.

And on Aug. 10, the board approved continuance of a temporary increase in the pay rate for certificated substitutes during the current school year. In order to attract a more viable substitute teacher pool the pay was increased from $105 per day to $160 per day with the $55 per day difference to be made up by funds awarded to the district as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations.

SUPERINTENDENT’S CONTRACT

Larson-Everson was hired by the board in April 2019 to begin a two-year term beginning July 1 of that year. Former Superintendent Susan Andreas-Bervel resigned in March 2018 and the board had appointed Paul Kaminski, former Jacobsen Middle School principal, as interim superintendent through June 30, 2019.

At it’s Sept. 14 meeting the board went through a process of negotiating following the Government Code before Kermode reported the closed session action that it was the consensus of the board, with all members participating, to approve a replacement employment contract with the superintendent effective July 1, 2022. The three-year agreement will run through June 30, 2025.

Kermode said the superintendent’s salary will be $155,000 per year, payable in 12 monthly installments. He said it is the same salary she is paid currently and the same she was paid when she started with the district.

A change to the existing agreement, he noted, is that the district shall compensate the superintendent for up to 10 days worked in excess of 226 per fiscal year at the daily rate existing on the date of payment. He said this is an increase from five excess workdays in the current contract. Also, the superintendent’s automobile allowance will be increased from $250 per month to $500 per month and a cellphone allowance from $50 per month to $100 per month. With voting in open session, the motion to extend the contract carried 7-0.