Santa Barbara Teachers Association Members Express Their Priorities

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About 70 members of the Santa Barbara Teachers Association gathered Tuesday to give guidance to their Bargaining Team for the next round with the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

“Bargaining never really ends,” said Ashley Cornelius, SBTA Bargaining Chair. “As soon as one cycle ends, we are asking our members how we did what we need to work on next.”

SBTA unit members are still very interested in bargaining a better contract, based on the turnout at The Creekside Restaurant Tuesday. They shared their thoughts by gathering around signs for issues including “Hourly Pay,” “Elementary Prep Time,” “Teacher Librarians at Elementary Schools,” “Junior High Electives,” and “Caseloads for Alternative Education Teachers,” to name a few.

“SBTA members are the ones who see, first hand every day, what students need in our schools,” said SBTA President Hozby Galindo. “We may not be bargaining for salary in the coming year, yet there is much we can do to improve our schools. SBTA will not be quiet when it comes to addressing student needs.”

Thoughts gathered from the open house will be formatted by topic area and shared back with members, who will continue to have opportunities to share and refine their thoughts and goals.

“When we go to the bargaining table, there are not just six or seven of us, there are 800 of us,” Cornelius said.