Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA), representing educators from Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) was refused the opportunity to bargain proposed changes to student schedules that would expand equitable access to elective and support courses.
SBUSD’s leaders have purposely selected a path that disproportionately harms multilingual learners and students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), further entrenching systemic inequities in the school system.
SBTA Educators have identified scheduling practices that routinely prevent language learners and students receiving special education services from accessing electives such as art, music, and world languages. SBTA has repeatedly requested that these issues be addressed; however, SBUSD officials have declined to negotiate changes that would remove structural barriers for these students.
According to Dr. Hilda Maldonado at a school board meeting on May 28, 2024 (minute 1:28:35), “The seventh period is a negotiated item with SBTA. It’s not something we can unilaterally implement… it’s something we would have to talk to them about to bring forward in future talks.” But now that SBTA is trying to work with the district, they refuse to address this at the bargaining table.
“Our students always come first, so we’re prioritizing the needs of our students and families before requesting a salary increase this year,” said SBTA president York Shingle. “Our students deserve better and unfortunately, SBUSD administrators continue the pattern of not prioritizing our community and disrespecting our teachers. We are tired of the games.”
SBTA members know, and much research shows, that elective courses play a critical role in student engagement, academic success, and social-emotional development. When entire groups of students are systematically excluded due to rigid scheduling decisions, schools fail to meet their obligation to serve all learners fairly.
Bargaining chair and Santa Barbara High School science teacher Ashley Cornelius said, “The only way to create a solution to the Junior High electives problem, that is both effective and equitable across all sites, is to change the working conditions of the teachers. That means that we need to make changes to the contract and the way we do that is through bargaining. It is really disappointing that we worked so hard to create a solution that is incredibly focused on student needs and the District is unwilling to bargain around this issue.”
SBTA remains committed to working collaboratively with the SBUSD leadership to find solutions that uphold students’ rights and reflect the district’s stated commitments to equity and inclusion.
SBTA is calling on SBUSD leadership to work together and to return to the bargaining table and engage in good-faith negotiations that center the needs of all students.
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It’s sickening that the district won’t negotiate on these issues. If teachers are willing to adjust their workloads to benefit students, why won’t the district even talk about it? How is the board this oblivious?
It is. “The District” is basically Maldonado and her 300k/yr. Admin group, who along with the Board, have been under fire for years and haven’t budged. They like their money and control as opposed to the teachers and students. It’s a sad state of affairs with them. She should be booted, along with the Board. Voters have to notice this stuff though. Otherwise it’s status quo.
Basic has TACO’d and is now supporting the teacher’s union.
Yeah, because I don’t blindly support one side or another over any given issue. I look at the specifics of each issue and decide what seems right. Critical thinking. It’s basic. Try it.
You blindly support MAGA predators, but ok, nice try.
Hilarious.
” I don’t blindly support one side or another” and “Critical thinking. It’s basic. Try it.” – LOL! Oh man, thanks for the laugh BASIC!
It’s so cute when you use big words you don’t understand. Here’s another big word for you to look up: “hypocrite”
Also look up “liar,” as it’s clear you still don’t know what that means.
She’s so awful. I mean, they said they’d negotiate, and now they won’t? What was the point of getting Celeste Kafri and Sunita Beall elected if they are just going to roll over and do whatever she wants. Blank holes in high schoolers schedules? Not enough instructional hours per state rules? Yeah, that’s such a great idea!!
She is. But the Board has a job to do, and they don’t seem to be able to do it. Pretty sad state of affairs in the local schools under Hilda Moldonado. Poor choice whoever brought her into town. Muy pobre.
Don’t pretend to care about kids when you voted for policies that are killing children all over the world. Spankings hurt.
Interesting. Somewhat similar co,plaints are the subject of a lawsuit that claims “white” students are being discriminated against by LA policies awarding resources to schools in non-white areas. We know that whenever we create broad policies for good causes there will be collateral damage from some who are inappropriately lest out. For years parents have complained that AP classes in SB are open only to those who have connections and with affluent parents giving their children tutors and such. I wonder why we can’t use the old model wherein students were allowed to try classes and advance based on performance in that class, not some test aptitude or social history.
You apparently don’t have children currently in high school.
Also concerning is the lack of communication from the district about this. The district is not providing all junior high students access to electives, and is only offering a part-time education to 11th and 12th graders, and right now we have no idea what their plan is to address these problems.
Both sides typically send out updates during the contract bargaining process, but as a teacher I only heard about this news from the SBTA president, York Shingle. I have heard nothing from the district side. At the last board meeting, Trustee Beale briefly addressed the issue by claiming that certain matters of administrative policy are not appropriate to include as part of a labor contract (which is surely true in general). But that still doesn’t make sense given previous claims (like Maldonado’s quoted in the article) that the Jr High schedule would need to be negotiated with SBTA, and given the reality that these scheduling issues affect teacher’s working conditions (total number of students, prep time, working hours, etc.) as Mrs. Cornelius explained in the article.
SBUSD owes the public a transparent explanation of this decision, and a transparent explanation of the process they intend to use to address these issues, if not through bargaining with SBTA.
Generaltree, Taco’d has it right. How things change. Maldonado es mal. she built an unprecedented administrative staff with triple-digit salaries on a foundation from L.A where she was previously , one of the worst districts in Ca.
Your Mega line is old, I’m a Democrat, and as Basic info805 pointed out, a free thinker. Yes, we need new Board members to support Kafri and Beall, they are the minority and are working hard to change things.They are supportingort the teachers, students, and families. The Board majority is so worried about losing their control that Gabe Escobedo is leaving his seat early to run for City Council, and Maldonado and her “majority” will then appoint someone of their choosing. Rose Munoz, who has just been warming the seat and voting yes to anything Maldonado wants, is not running again; at least there will be one seat voted on in the next election.
We shall keep trying, but the majority have it locked down. Thank you Laura Capps for bringing Maldonado into town and setting this up.
A big thank you to Edhat for running this article that says it like it is!
My comments to Basic have zero relation to you. I support the teachers union. Basic supports predatory behavior by elected officials. Now scram.