California

California teachers fight for new contracts

NBC Universal, Inc.

Dozens of teachers unions around California, including educators in the Bay Area's three largest cities, are uniting in their push for new contracts.

Teachers from 32 major districts around the state have come together around a shared vision of what all schools need to be successful. They launched the "We Can’t Wait" campaign on Tuesday. As part of the effort, teachers rode a trolley to four different sites to spread the word in San Francisco.

In the South Bay, teachers are bargaining with the San Jose Unified School District, hoping to ensure a new contract is in place when the current one expires in June. What they want boils down to three things: competitive wages so teachers can live where they work and schools can retain good teachers; fully-staffed schools so students are able to learn and receive the support and resources they need with smaller class sizes; and increased safety at schools. They also want teachers to have a seat at the table when talking about safety improvements on campuses.

"We know that when districts can retain trusted teachers who can afford to live in the communities in which they teach, our schools are safer, more trusting environments because it’s those relationships that make all the difference," Willow Glen High School parent Trudi McCanna said.

NBC Bay Area's Ian Cull has more in the video report above.

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