PUBLIC EDUCATION

Starting January 22, many Santa Barbara School District
teachers aimed to gain leverage in their ongoing
salary negotiations with the district by refusing
to provide voluntary services to students. In a move at least
partially endorsed by the Santa Barbara Teachers Association
(SBTA), some teachers temporarily stopped conducting homework clubs
and providing after-school and lunchtime extra help. According to
district Superintendent Brian Sarvis, the protest –which ended
January 31 – was anything but widespread, as he observed “most
teachers” practicing business as usual. But the SBTA claims
teachers have been “very united” in this protest, with participants
at every school site. A state mediator is scheduled to meet with
the union and the district again on February 1.

With slightly more than two years at the helm of Adams
Elementary School under his belt, Principal Matt
Zuchowicz announced that he will be stepping
down this spring. Looking to depart sometime in April,
Zuchowicz is moving on to the Santa Barbara County Office of
Education, where he will work directly with new teachers as the
director of the county’s Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment
Program.

A Santa Barbara County educator was elected
president of the 340,000-member California
Teachers Association this week. Santa Maria Elementary
School teacher David Sanchez was unanimously voted into office by
the association’s 800-member governing body on January 27. With 26
years of experience as an educator, Sanchez will become the first
Latino president of the association when he takes office on June
26.