School Board To Vote On Teachers' Union Agreement

MALIBU, CA — The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board will vote Thursday evening whether to approve an agreement with the district’s teacher’s union, the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association.

After months of negotiations and 11 separate meetings, the district and the union came to an agreement last Friday over pointed topics arising from unprecedented circumstances.

The memorandum of understanding asks for the school year to start on Aug. 24, and extend two days later in June. District Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati said in a statement that the two days are for extra professional development to help teachers successfully teach remotely in the fall.

The memorandum says that teachers will work in accordance with established district learning agreements, and provide live instruction for 230-240 minutes daily, except for a secondary compressed day. “Live time” will be counted as either whole class or small group instruction, and can be pre-recorded. Faculty advisory committees and site leadership teams will work to make sure that instructional minutes are met. The district voted July 16 to go completely remote in the fall, after considering giving students the option to return in staggered groups.

The MOU also addresses the District’s plan for health protocols before reopening, giving teachers discretion over whether to teach from their home or at school, the opportunity to reschedule calendared Back to School Nights, training for substitute teachers, the creation of a separate “virtual learning academy” similar to ones implemented in the Las Virgenes and Beverly Hills districts, leave of absences, and teacher evaluation.