One week into Natomas Unified teachers strike: Parents fed up, one arrested

It’s been a full week since the Natomas Unified School District's teachers went on strike seeking higher pay, full health care benefits and smaller class sizes.

Schools in the district remain open during this strike, with administrators and substitute teachers overseeing students in classrooms. 

For one parent who has three kids in the Natomas Unified School District, their frustrations led them to the district’s office Thursday morning, demanding an emergency board meeting to resolve the strikes, which ultimately led to her arrest.

Jessica Vroman, along with her 8-year-old son, went to the district office to express her support for the ongoing teachers' strike while criticizing Natomas Unified’s salary offer. She said she’s determined to keep her kids out of school until the strikes are resolved.

“Because I didn't see things moving this morning, I made the decision to come into the office and just sit in and I'm not going anywhere until they call an emergency board meeting to deal with this,” Vroman told CapRadio over the phone before her arrest. “The fact is, our school board does have the power to rein in the superintendent and the people working with her and force them to offer our teachers a fair contract.”

Vroman said she’s been very frustrated by the district's “tactics.”

“They've walked away from the table several times. The last time they were at the table, they kept the teachers waiting only to come and insult them with a 0.25% increase in their salary offer, which is ridiculous,” Vroman said.

According to the school district’s website, as of March 16, the district updated its proposal, which consists of a 4.25% ongoing increase over two years with an additional increase to health benefits for the next two years.

“We understand this strike is disruptive, but we are focused on bargaining with our students in mind, ensuring we’re protecting classroom investments and student programs and avoiding long-term financial commitments, particularly unpredictable health care costs, that would place the District’s financial stability at risk,” according to the latest update from the district website.

While she was in the office, many teachers and parents were striking outside of the building, showing their support.

Joanna Davis, another parent, said the district is not coming to the table fairly to support the educators here in Natomas.

“For me, there is a huge lack of transparency that goes on within this district and the admin here,” Davis said. “They just do not have good transparency for the staff, the teachers and the families that live in Natomas.”

Vroman told CapRadio during her protest that she is determined not to go anywhere until the issue is resolved and is prepared to be arrested if it comes to that.

The Sacramento police department confirmed a woman was arrested around 12:30 p.m. for trespassing at the district’s office, refusing to leave an area that was closed to the public.

A statement from the Natomas Unified School district confirmed that the district’s Education Center is currently closed to the public due to the strike.

"This individual was not authorized to be on-site. All visitors are expected to follow established security protocols and respect facility guidelines.,” according to the statement. “We appreciate our community’s understanding and cooperation in helping maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone."

Vroman said this day is teaching her son a valuable lesson.

“The teachers are outside protesting on our behalf, and that's been very supportive, especially for my son,” Vroman said. “He's learning what community means. He's learning what protest means, and how we stand up for the people who fight for us every day.”

One teacher who came to the Tuesday morning protest was Cael Kuhlman, who has taught in the district for 27 years at Natomas High School. He is also a parent with a daughter who is a valedictorian.

Kuhlman emphasized the need for competitive wages, noting that teachers aren’t making as much as in other schools. He just wants to return to teaching, he said.

“This whole process is a bit scary. Real damage is being done,” he said. “We have testing coming up. Whatever is going on in the classrooms while we're away is not education. The subs are on their phones. The students are being given work that's like, it's basically busy work. It's way below grade level.”

He is hoping for a resolution soon and that the two sides can meet somewhere in the middle through negotiations. 

“I'm a veteran teacher, so I don't need more money as much as new teachers,” he said. “But people that are trying to decide whether they're going to stay in this profession, whether they're going to stay in this district or not. So I'm not really doing this for me. I'm doing this for them.”