Twin Rivers teachers hit day four of strike as Natomas teachers join them

CORRECTION: Educators in the Twin Rivers school district receive partially-funded health care benefits. A previous version of this story included incorrect information.

Teachers, parents and students piled into the Twin Rivers Unified School Board meeting Tuesday night in the midst of the fourth day of a teachers strike.

Some educators had been picketing since 7 that morning, also joining fellow union members striking in nearby Natomas Unified. 

Wendy Robinson, a teacher at Highlands High School, said many of her colleagues are frustrated with the lack of credentialed teachers and large class sizes.

“Largely, it's about class sizes… they can’t recruit new teachers,” Robinson said. “We have 88 unfilled vacancies right now, so that means there’s over two thousand kids sitting in classrooms with subs. They don’t have credentialed teachers.” 

The district has offered a 2.5% salary increase for this school year and a 2.21% increase for next year. It has also offered full Kaiser HMO family health coverage including medical, dental and vision care for employees and their families “at zero cost to the employee,” according to a news release issued last week.

“It is the union’s job to advocate for their teachers, and it is the District’s job to ensure fiscal solvency for students today and tomorrow,” the district added.

Zsanelle West, whose kids have attended Twin Rivers’ schools for more than 10 years, said she has kept her kids home since the strike started. She’s heard that students who’ve stayed haven’t been getting a proper education with teachers absent from the classrooms. 

“My kids actually tell me everyday they’re watching movies. Today, specifically, my daughter was sitting on the couch [and] said her friends that were in class were playing Roblox,” West said. “So they’re not really learning anything, they’re just there.” 

According to a district announcement issued following the strike on Thursday, students are still required to attend class. 

“We want your children in school,” it read. “We are fully prepared to continue providing instruction, enrichment activities, and a supportive environment tomorrow and every day this continues.”

Many striking educators are also frustrated with what they say are the high salaries of district administrators, namely Superintendent Steve Martinez.

Mary Buford, a third grade teacher at Hazel Strauch elementary, said Martinez makes an exorbitant salary. She added that she and her colleagues also don’t receive fully paid family healthcare. 

“It’s more than the governor of California,” Buford said. “And he gets fully paid benefits for him and his family. And we don’t get that all.”

According to Transparent California, Martinez’s salary comes in at $377,000 a year, while according to the CalHR website for the state, Governor Gavin Newsom makes $245,929 a year.

According to EdSource, the striking teachers have asked for a 12% raise going into negotiations.

In a statement, the district said it would offer full benefits for teachers’ families through Kaiser for the term of their two year contracts. According to the statement, the district wants to come to an agreement.

“We did not want this. We do not accept that this is necessary,” it read. “We will not stop working to end it. But we will also not make promises today that cannot be kept.”

Parents at the board meeting also expressed disdain for Martinez’s salary, and supported pay raises for teachers.. Gerald Hernandez, the father of two children in the district, said he’s been calling the district office to show his support. 

“I’ve been calling him every morning, leaving messages every morning,” Hernandez said. “His secretary knows my name.”

Hernandez said teachers feel like another parent for their students, and see his kids more than he does. He said he wants more funding for schools, especially in low-income communities.

“Martinez should let go some of that money to the funds for the schools, especially schools like in North Highlands,” Hernandez added. “We live in a low-income area. It’s hard enough to keep them from being involved in any of the street stuff and to be more involved in the schools.”

Twin Rivers said in a statement issued following the first day of the strike that all schools would remain open, and that they want to negotiate a fair contract.

“Today was not a normal school day. We are not going to pretend otherwise,” it read. “But this District made a commitment to its families that their children would have a safe place to go, that they would be fed, and that every campus would be open and operational.”

Natomas joins Twin Rivers

Some Twin Rivers teachers went to North Natomas Regional Park to picket with Natomas teachers, who also went on strike Tuesday. Their demands centered around filling critical vacancies at their school. They also demanded family benefits for educators. 

Nico Viccaro, a high school special education teacher and president of the Natomas Teachers’ Association, said Natomas schools can’t retain educators.

“We have a crisis going on. We had 106 educators leave last year,” Viccaro said. “We’re fighting to keep them here, to get a fair agreement so families don’t have to worry about paying $1,500 or more for family healthcare every month.”

Parents also showed up to support Natomas educators. Jlay Tor, mother of four and a Liberian American immigrant, said she loves Natomas, but that over the years she’s grown frustrated with the district.

She said she’s seen a decline in quality educators as they leave for other districts with higher pay.

“We’ve just seen educators not being supported,” Tor said. “Not having the smaller class sizes, not having the resources they need … just so many things that our students need, which has actually caused a decline in student achievement in Natomas.”

Tor called on other parents to show out in support of the teacher’s strike.

“It’s hard, but we have to wake up, parents,” Tor said. “We can’t be asleep at the wheel. We have to wake up because this impacts our children. This impacts their future. So we have to be involved.”

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