Portola Valley Elementary School District teachers stuck paper plates, with handwritten lists of their responsibilities, to a wall in the Corte Madera School Annex during a Thursday, Oct. 27, governing board meeting. They were there to plead district officials to not to add an extra 30 minutes to their already busy workdays.

Nearly a dozen teachers spoke during the public comment period of the meeting, many sharing that they felt disrespected that district officials were considering adding the extra time to the end of the teaching day as part of a new teachers union contract, which has been under discussion during nine bargaining sessions over 10 months. The additional half hour per day on campus amounts to 12 days of uncompensated work per year, said Portola Valley Teachers Association President Tim Sato during the meeting. Teachers currently get out of school at 3:15 p.m.

Teachers union negotiators said that they met with district representatives on Wednesday and, for the second time, rejected what they consider to be "an unfair tentative agreement, which was rushed out to educators in the last days of the 2022 school year and would not have supported student success."

"I really urge you to consider how full our plates are and what we really need," Corte Madera School resource specialist Nicole Wright told the board. "We need to have work-life balance. I need to be able to go home and squeeze my own small children. ... I need to be able to stay healthy so I can be here because my students really need continuity of care."

Superintendent Roberta Zarea said in a Friday statement that while the district appreciates receiving feedback from staff and the public, she and her colleagues are "disappointed that some of the remarks (from teachers) were not factual and misrepresented the situation." She noted that the new teachers union leads, who took over in June, have brought forward increasingly costly compensation demands, while rejecting the district's proposal to add 30 minutes to their current seven-hour work day and a half hour duty-free lunch.

Under new legislation, districts are required to provide extended learning opportunities for students, Zarea said. The proposal not only addresses this need, but also promotes student safety and supervision before and after the instructional day, she said. The additional time also increases opportunities for staff collaboration around curriculum and instruction. She said the proposed salary increase over the next two years includes compensation for this increased time.

"We recognize that the past couple of years has been particularly challenging for all of us in the education sector," Zarea said. "The district strongly supports its teachers and we believe PVSD is a great place to work. This is reflected in the long tenure of the majority of our teachers and the bonus offered in recognition of their efforts in addressing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic."

A full press release from the district on the labor negotiations can be found below:

Sato responded to Zarea's comments on Monday, Oct. 31, saying the district's most recent demand to add 30 minutes to the contract day "flies in the face of their claimed support of teachers."

"Instead of recognizing and supporting its teachers, the district would be creating more restrictive working conditions with no clear benefit to students," he said. "As the district acknowledges, teachers already work well beyond their contract day. Adding additional mandatory hours will impact commute times, increase child care/eldercare costs, and reduce time teachers have available for medical and dental appointments."

Sato said the district is not immune to the regional teacher shortage that is "hobbling" districts across the state and the country, and that Portola Valley's veteran staff have helped shield the district from the worst of the shortage's effects. But finding and retaining staff will be hard without competitive salaries and benefits.

"PVSD’s compensation has fallen far behind neighboring districts and we now struggle to find applicants. PVSD's contribution to health and welfare has been stagnant for nearly a decade," Sato said. "The teachers we have want to stay in PVSD, but economic realities will begin to push younger teachers elsewhere and we will continue to face challenges replacing veteran teachers when they retire. Students are not served well by a revolving door of educators and we should be working to ensure consistent, high-quality teaching for our students."

The district's last contract agreement with the teachers union was in 2019. The deal, which expired June 30, included a 2.4% annual salary increase for completing professional development.

The contract established a $1,500 bonus for teachers who receive a positive annual evaluation. John Davenport, the former president of the teachers union said at the time that it was the best deal they were going to get.

"Although I am not jumping up and down, this is something I could endorse," he said.

Other teachers' comments

Corte Madera School social studies teacher Lemma Barazi said after being forced to move out of her apartment, she had to live with 14 other people to save money. She said she also has a second job to make ends meet.

"We're (teachers) here because we do love it," Barazi said. "I'm willing to stay here if there's more cooperation. … I don't know how long I can last."

Art teacher Brigid Horgan said she felt disrespected by the district.

"I work my tail off; I don't have time to add to my plate," said Horgan, who commutes from San Francisco so she can keep her rent-controlled apartment. "I will be burnt out if I have to stay here longer."

Longtime fourth grade teacher Jenny Lebsack said that the district used to be a sought-after place to teach, but because of increased cost of living in the area, educators do not want to work in a district they can't afford to live in. Being able to teach in the Portola Valley district used to be considered "the golden ticket," she said.

What's on the table now

The district's latest proposal includes moving to a new salary structure to provide all teachers with pay comparable to that offered by neighboring districts. Base salaries in the district start at $64,108. Teachers can earn up to $132,969. The Menlo Park City School District starts at $70,832 and tops out at $140,477. Zarea noted that MPCSD teachers work three extra days per year and 15 extra minutes per day, which is one of the reasons for their higher base salary.

Some teachers will receive up to a 50.7% increase over the prior year, but no teacher will receive less than a 7.9% increase for 2022-23. The average increase would be 20%, retroactive July 1. The estimated average base salary for 2022-23 is $129,514 under the district's new proposal, according to the district.

Teachers would also see a 3% increase for the 2023-24 school year. There would also be increased contributions to teachers' insurance coverage, according to the district.