FRESNO - Angry teachers revealed in a news conference this morning the depth of their lack of confidence in Superintendent Santiago Wood - and their frustration over new school district data that disputes Fresno Unified's claim it can't afford to give teachers a 3.98 percent raise.
Fresno Teachers Association President Larry Moore said more than 1,500 teachers are expected to attend a "rally for respect" on Friday, the first day a state mediator is being used to try and settle the rapidly escalating salary battle. The 80,000-student Fresno Unified School District is still refusing to honor a 3.98 percent cost of living adjustment for teachers already negotiated by FTA for the current school year.
"Teachers are angry because the district reported to the state in March that it can afford to give teachers this modest cost of living adjustment," Moore said. "Superintendent Wood and the school board are being disrespectful to educators by playing these outrageous games with the budget."
Moore stressed these points at the FTA news conference today:
- In a second interim report submitted to the state on March 7, FUSD reported a $16.9 million surplus in its salary and benefits accounts. Giving the 3.98 percent cost of living adjustment to both teaching and non-teaching staff would cost only $14 million, leaving a surplus of $2.9 million.
- Wayne Johnson, president of the 330,000-member California Teachers Association, will address the FTA rally, which starts at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, in front of the University of California Center, 550 West Shaw Ave., where FTA and FUSD will be meeting with a state mediator.
- A new FTA poll of thousands of Fresno teachers on whether they support the unanimous vote by the 200-member FTA Representative Council in March of "no confidence" in Superintendent Wood shows that they do indeed - with 97 percent agreeing.