Teachers' union, school district hit impasse on deal

The Ross Valley School District and its teachers' union have declared an impasse in contract negotiations for the 2023-24 school year.

The declaration triggers the intervention of a neutral state mediator to help seek a resolution.

At issue is the pay increase for the year, said Karen Tesitor, president of the 112-member Ross Valley Teachers Association. Even with a 9.9% pay bump and a 0.54% increase to cover health benefits costs in the 2022-23 school year, Ross Valley teachers are still among the lowest paid in Marin, Tesitor said.

“Our low salaries make it difficult to recruit and retain qualified educators,” Tesitor said. She said teachers are leaving the district to accept jobs that pay more.

“As educators, we are committed to our students and community,” Tesitor said. “We are asking for a living wage, to be able to afford to work and live in our community.”

She said Ross Valley's most experienced and highly educated teachers will leave for better-paying districts, if they can, in order to accumulate higher pension benefits.

The district's last offer for 2023-24 was for 2% in pay raises and a 0.83% increase to cover health benefits costs, Tesitor said. That was below the general cost-of-living increase of around 3% to 4%, she said.

“The district's offer is a pay cut and insufficient to keep up with today's cost of living,” Tesitor said. “RVTA educators are among the lowest paid in Marin County with a starting salary of $61,287.”

A neighboring TK-8 district, the Ross School District, has a starting teacher salary of $70,311.

“Ross Valley educators are asking for a $9,000 increase per year,” Tesitor said. “A $9,000-a-year increase is less than half of what is needed for a living wage in Marin County.”

Tesitor said the union was asking for the $9,000 per person raise rather than a percentage pay bump.

“We're trying to get a fair settlement for each member, as opposed to a percentage,” she said.

Marci Trahan, the superintendent of the district, said it values its teachers highly, but also must be fiscally responsible.

“Teachers are at the very heart of our work,” Trahan said. “When we meet with them in negotiations, I wish that we had the means to offer them what they are asking for because I know they are advocating for our children and their learning.”

“However, the truth is that we are funded by the state and we have to work within the reality of our limited funds,” she said.