Superintendent Forced to Close Schools

Contacts:  Calaveras Unified Educators’ Association President Lorraine Angel at 209-304-1457 or Communications Consultant Cynthia Menzel at 650-380-8553

SAN ANDREAS – Calaveras teachers are on strike today after late night talks failed to settle a fair contract for teachers.  The 138 teachers in the Calaveras Unified School District (CUSD) will be picketing at eight locations. 

Superintendent Mark Campbell was forced to close schools for today, despite claiming last week that the district was prepared for a strike. The two sides met for five hours yesterday and last night. Teachers thought they had a deal until School Board member Sherri Reusche reneged on a verbal commitment to support the teachers’ concept for settlement.

Parents say they will join the members picketing at the school.  Picketers will meet at Toyon Middle School and march to the district office at 10:00 am for a noon rally.  Afternoon plans call for picketing school board members’ homes and businesses and a possible candle light vigil near the district office.

Parents and teachers want CUSD to honor the independent fact-finder’s recommendations regarding class size reduction, a joint safety committee and salary raises of 4% in 2016-17 and 2.5% in 2017-18. The district has rejected the fact-finder’s report. The district’s salary offer has moved from 0% to 2%.

“We are going on strike because that is the only option we have left to save our schools. We’re doing this from our heart, for our kids and for the future of this district.” said CUEA President Lorraine Angel. 

“What’s truly tragic is that the district can more than afford our proposals.  We’ve done our homework. If they couldn’t afford it, we wouldn’t propose it.  Bottom line, if it’s not good for students we’re not going to do it.  We wish CUSD felt the same way,” Angel noted.

CUEA and CUSD have been negotiating since March of 2016.

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The Calaveras Unified Educators’ Association is an affiliate of the 325,000-member
California Teachers Association and the 3 million-member National Education Association.