Every day, teachers make sure that their students feel seen and heard. We are behavior modification experts, friendship counselors, cheerleaders, psychologists, and health experts. We wear many hats. In addition to all our other duties, we teach.
While teachers are there for their students, day after day, Superintendent Hilda Maldonado of the Santa Barbara School District and the school board don’t do the same for educators. They definitely don’t hear what we have been saying for the last few months about our salaries, or about anything else, for that matter. We have said that we need a salary increase that would bring us closer to making ends meet in Santa Barbara, and one that would be an incentive, rather than a deterrent, for teachers interested in working for our district.
Right now, the Santa Barbara School District pays their teachers $10,000 less than nearby districts, and up to $30,000 less than ones to the south. We have asked for a 15 percent increase this upcoming school year, and 8 percent the next. The school district has offered an 8 percent salary increase the first year, with a 4 percent the next. No one is budging, bringing us to our current impasse.