At a High Tech High Board of Trustees meeting in mid-November in Point Loma, the union that represents the school’s union and school management reached agreement on most points, including pay and health benefits, but deadlocked on the final points, according to Voice of San Diego.
It was the first board meeting since 89 percent of the union’s members approved a resolution of no confidence in the board as negotiations stalled. The union “no longer has confidence in the High Tech High Board of Trustees’ ability to lead our schools in a manner that aligns with its design principles,” wrote Hayden Gore, president of the school network’s union, in a letter to the board chair.
Criticism of the board and High Tech High management at that November meeting was fierce, after High Tech High and the union’s bargaining teams failed to finalize a contract. Some teachers called the failure to reach a deal thus far “embarrassing,” and some parents said it’s made them question whether they made a good choice sending their children to High Tech or whether they should suggest the schools to their friends. …
A key sticking point is who has final say if a teacher fired for cause were to appeal their firing. High Tech High leadership wants it to be the charter’s CEO, while the union is pushing for a panel with representatives from the union, school leadership and a neutral third party. Teachers fear that without a more neutral appeal process, they’ll be stuck with a de facto at-will employment system that could negate any of the benefits they bargained for.
That deadlock was so significant that at that November meeting, the board declared an impasse, which will lead to a state-appointed mediator overseeing further negotiations.
{ 0 comments… add one now }