Teachers speak out at CVUSD board meeting

Erika Hernandez

Flyers created by the ACT were handed out by Don Lugo teachers last Friday morning in support of CVUSD educators.

Teachers and all school staff provide schools with trusted educators, bus drivers, and custodians, but they also provide schools with people that will help inspire and motivate the students that attend them. These teachers deserve a pay that is fair and stable. Unfortunately, the CVUSD has failed to meet those standards by not providing teachers with a contract and a competitive salary compared to other districts. Multiple teachers have left the CVUSD for other districts because they provide better salaries and benefits.  In September, a two hour board hearing occurred where 40 speakers, including the Associated Chino Teachers and the California School Employees Association, spoke out about their concerns with the contract negotiation. 

Multiple employees of the Chino Valley District expressed that schools cannot run without the staff that make up these campuses. “We make the wheels go round and round… A lot of people can’t do what we do, but yet we’re at the bottom of the totem pole”, said Ms. Rouzan, a CVUSD bus driver, at the board hearing. Teachers around the district have worn black as a form of protest to represent the loss of respect and appreciation that they have experienced because of the situation. A student walk out at Don Lugo also occurred on Thursday, September 29th to show their support for their own teachers and spread awareness. 

Ms. Celaya, Secretary of the ACT and theater and video production teacher at Don Lugo, describes how teachers are constantly going above and beyond to help students before school, at lunch, and after school. However, they do not get paid for that time they take off. “We walked in together as a sign of solidarity, to show that all the teachers felt the same way”, she says. Celaya explains that teachers spoke out at the board meeting because she believes that if they don’t speak up, their voices cannot be heard, which is why they began protesting.