School Board Approves Contract For Dublin Teachers

DUBLIN, CA — The Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved a labor contract for its teachers. On April 11, after more than a year of "difficult" negotiations, rallies and informational picketing, Dublin educators and the school district reached the tentative contract agreement.

The agreement was taken to the DTA for ratification on April 15 and was approved by 99.8 percent of its members.

"The greatest asset we have in Dublin is our teachers and staff," said Amy Miller, President, Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees. "Lack of adequate funding for public education in California makes it difficult to show them how much of a priority they are. Because there is a long way to go to before our schools receive full and fair funding, the board decided to spend down the district’s non-mandated reserve to deliver this exceptional offer to the best teachers in California. We do prioritize our people and feel good about what this means for our students."

"This tentative agreement is a good step in the right direction toward investing in educators and the future of our community… our students. This agreement is about far more than compensation, it amazing to see that we have enhanced the supports for all students. Thank you to the Dublin community for your support during this long process. We have always been and will continue to be committed to our students," stated Robbie Kreitz, President, Dublin Teachers Association.

In March, 98 percent of the 625 members in the DTA voted to approve a strike. The DTA had been haggling over a new contract for the past year and declared an impasse in January – an action that triggered the involvement of a state mediator.

Soon after the strike was approved, Dr. Leslie Boozer abruptly stepped down as the superintendent. Boozer's last day was March 26, just weeks after longtime school board member Dan Cunningham submitted his verbal resignation. In February, Niranjana Natarajan, a newly appointed Trustee, was terminated after a community petition was filed with the county.

On April 15, Dr. Dave Marken took over as the Interim Superintendent of the Dublin Unified School District.

"Dublin offers a very high quality education that helps prepare students for the next phase of their lives," said Dr. Dave Marken, Interim Superintendent, Dublin Unified School District. "Critical to our ongoing success is the retention of our exceptional teaching staff, and the ability to attract quality new teachers as our district continues to grow. As a result of this agreement, we now offer one of the top total compensation packages for teachers in Alameda County. This, along with improvements in class size, safety and other elements agreed to as part of the new teachers’ contract, makes Dublin a place for great teachers to teach and for students of all abilities to learn. Both parties came together to make this agreement one that prioritized our employees and took to heart the best interests of our students..I believe they can both walk away feeling they have achieved their goals. We are pleased to reach this milestone for our students, staff and community."

Key elements of the approved contract:

• 4.5 % ongoing salary increase
• 1.0 % one-time bonus
• Health insurance subsidy for employees receiving medical coverage through the District
• Counselor supports for K-5 and counselor ratios for 6-12 counseling
• 1 counselor per elementary school
• 1 counselor per 410 secondary school students
• Caseload caps for special education: SDC and SLP
• Secondary student contact limits for grades 6-8 and 9-12
• Safety and security enhancements for classrooms and common spaces
• Instructional Calendars for the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 school years
• K-5 class size limits
• 4.5 % increase to non-athletic stipends

See Also:

• Dublin School Board Announces Interim Superintendent
• County Supe Pledges $5K To Replace Damaged DHS Softball Equipment

Additional reporting by Bob Porterfield, Patch Staff