United PCS is currently in mediation with the PCS board. This process is confidential, so we can’t share a current update until later in the process. In the meantime, we would like to share some more specific information about what we are advocating for, as we have gotten a lot of questions from our community about what all the numbers mean.
First, here are up-to-date comparisons between PCS salaries and those of other local schools and California charter schools, based on PCS’s most recent salary proposal:
So, what is United PCS proposing? Here are some frequently asked questions to help explain the numbers:
We are asking for a 5% base salary increase and a 3% step increase (a step increase is how much your salary increases each year as you move up the salary scale).
Why did we structure our proposal this way?
We are trying to make our salary more competitive with other local schools; this 3% step increase would help. The people most affected by the current disparity are those in their 10th -15th year of teaching. This is the time in people’s careers when they are trying to raise families, buy homes, etc. It’s no surprise that we see many people leaving PCS when they reach this point in their career.
What’s the PCS Board proposing?
PCS has countered with a 5% base increase plus a 2.5% step increase.
But that’s only a .5% difference! That doesn’t seem like much.
It’s doesn’t! But take a look at the chart and how it plays out…
The difference between the last two columns is striking, especially as teachers move up the salary scale and especially for our most senior, experienced faculty. In fact, under PCS’s second proposal, those teachers would end up getting less than a 5% raise total.
We know how critical it is for a school to have consistency in its faculty, and to have highly qualified, highly experienced teachers.
Our Board’s salary counters repeatedly show a lack of investment in retaining the very people who have held out school together through the chaos of the last few years. To them, 0.5% makes a world of difference.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We hope this information sheds a little bit more light on the details of our bargaining. As always, what we need most is support from our community. We have been overwhelmed by all of your support; please keep it coming!
We just added contact information for the PCS Board of Directors. You can find them here on our “get involved” page.
Take a minute and write to our board members; urge them to invest in PCS teachers and students. You can also sign up at the bottom of that page for updates and more opportunities for support.