Next Week Is Educator Appreciation Week

We appreciate all of those who have dedicated their career to the field of education at all levels and in every form. As tradition goes for Educator Appreciation Week, people will share words and gifts of gratitude.
 
Although we enjoy the attention, at ACE, we believe that truly appreciating educators goes far beyond token gifts.
 
Appreciating educators means prioritizing competitive pay, lowering class sizes and caseloads, increased prep and planning time, fair stipends, and providing quality affordable healthcare so that educators can focus on supporting students’ success. 
 
Above all, appreciating educators means respecting us as the professionals who give our whole selves every day to our students - and by working with us in an honest, fair, and transparent way.
 
It’s no secret that every CUSD educator’s top goal is to give our students the best education we can. And the best way for us to ensure that the district treats us as equals is to build a strong, independent union.
 
Ace is the answer.

 
The District's Market Study
Today educators received a letter from Barry Jager, CUSD Associate Superintendent, addressing the long-awaited Market Study. While we’re glad the district is taking our point seriously - that we need to have competitive pay to retain and attract talented educators - we’re still unclear as to why the preliminary results from the market study are being kept under lock and key. 
 
While we’re not sure what, exactly, the district is waiting for, here are some calculations we've made from our own research:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
How do we compare to the other districts in the study?
- CUSD educators are often the lowest paid on average
 
- Over the course of a 30-year career, we calculate that a CUSD educator will lose out on about $250,000 in cumulative pay and benefits compared to their peers in other districts
 
- Our highest-paid educators make less than their peers at other districts - and about $7,000/year less than the average
 
- Our newest educators make less than their peers at other districts - and about $6,000/year less than the average

After salary schedule samples are completed, ECC will then continue its discussions about where Clovis Unified salary schedules should fall compared to the median, any costs to address any such changes, and development of potential recommendations related to implementation of study results…
 
…It’s expected that the work of the ECC will culminate with proposals for consideration by the Administration and Governing Board at the June Board Meeting. 
 
- Barry Jager, CUSD Associate Superintendent
April 27, 2022
We at ACE believe the information - and full report - should be made public and shared with all of us. 
 
Promptly.
 

 
District's Changes to Our Healthcare Plan
You may have noticed some changes to the CUSD healthcare plan.
 
The district had a "$5.5 million shortfall in the district's health plan budget." In order to close part of that gap, they chose "cost sharing" measures for our healthcare benefits. 
 
Here are some of the details:
To be clear, one of the fundamental principles of collective bargaining is to negotiate these kinds of changes.
 
Without a legitimate union, this won't be the last time educators bear the consequences of a unilateral decision. 
 

 
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Big shout-out to CUSD administrative assistants! We’d be lost without you!
 

 
 
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