Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
The union representing teachers who work in Sonoma County Office of Education’s specialized classrooms have filed a complaint with a state panel accusing the county’s elected schools chief, Amie Carter, of acting “dishonestly” in the recent hiring process for an administrator job. The dispute stems from a mistake acknowledged by both sides in how the office publicly reported the union’s stance on the hiring, part of a mandatory step under state rules for such positions. In the agency’s report to its own board, it said the union had signed off on the hire when in fact the teachers’ group had made its opposition well known in writing. The complaint comes as group representing about 60 teachers closes in on a year of negotiations for its next contract. The two sides, according to the teachers’ group, remain far apart over what the teachers ought to be paid. The allegations against Carter, lodged with the California Board of Education in an Oct. 7 complaint, reflect what teachers’ representatives say is shattered trust with office of education administrators. The union has taken issue especially with the amount of money spent on top level administrators at the education office, a state-chartered agency that operates special and alternative education programs while also overseeing the county’s 40 school districts. “They did clarify that it was a misunderstanding, but we had no way of knowing,” said Gabe Golabi-Torney, bargaining leader for the Association of Sonoma County Office of Education, the teachers’ union. “There is this relationship of distrust unfortunately … a lot of that stems from how we are being treated and approached in the negotiation process.” The teachers group serves 160 students with significant disabilities across the county. It is one of two unions in contract talks with the education office over the past year. The other is Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, the North Bay’s largest public employee union, which represents classroom aides and campus support staff. They have echoed the teachers’ group complaints, saying the agency has prioritized its highest paid staff and wasted money that could be used the support rank-and-file employees. The union is also at a standstill in its negotiations with the education office. Both unions are working on expired contracts. The office’s lead negotiator, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Greg Medici, said the agency is offering a “generous” salary package to both union groups while seeking to keep a lid on spending as education budgets tighten statewide. SCOE misrepresents ASCOE support in admin hire In October, SCOE decided to fill a vacant Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources position with a retired former SCOE administrator, a move representatives said would save the county office thousands while not competing with local districts also looking to hire qualified administrators. Due to the former administrator’s retired status, the county was required by the state to submit documentation to the California Department of Education before approving the part-time hire. Part of that process is to notify the state of union groups’ stance on the hire and issue a similar report in their own board documents. The teacher’s union formally objected to the hire, telling county education leaders in an emailed statement on Sept. 3 they were “deeply concerned” about the move to fill a vacancy that would continue to “prioritize upper management positions.” Already, the county office of education had increased its number of administrators by two over past year, including a Director of Artificial Intelligence post with a six-figure salary. At the same time, the education office has laid off numerous teachers, which agency leaders say was necessary due to declining enrollment in their specialized classrooms, where student numbers are down 70% over the past decade. The driving factor in that decline is that many districts have moved to take back their special education students to cut their per-student costs, which are significantly higher at SCOE. The mistake in the hiring process came in a Sept. 4 resolution to the county board of education. “SCOE has consulted with the exclusive representatives of SCOE employees… and ASCOE (supports) this waiver request,” the resolution stated. Carter acknowledged the error in an interview with The Press Democrat and in an earlier admission to the union. She called the mistake a typo and a misunderstanding on the agency’s part. The two other reports submitted to the state correctly noted the union’s objection. “It’s getting mischaracterized because of the climate as we are working through negotiations,” Carter said. “If you look at the actions we took, they were in full compliance with the laws. We made it very clear to the state, their position.” The county education board approved the flawed document at the same September meeting. Union leaders have seized on the misstep and opted to move forward with a complaint to the state targeting Carter, who was first elected three years ago and is poised to run for a second term next year. As the county’s top education official, she runs an agency that has about 300 employees and a budget of $76 million. Teachers’ stalled talks The office of education teachers are a highly trained group that serves students with the highest levels of special needs countywide. Their $119,865 average total compensation, including pay and benefits, puts them in the top three for teachers in public school districts countywide and about $2,100 above state average for the 2023-24 school year, according to figures from the California Teachers Association and California Department of Education. But their union says SCOE’s latest pay proposal for the teachers does not reflect their value. “What the offer is does not reflect the specialization of SCOE teachers,” Golabi-Torney said. “Every student that SCOE serves has an (Individualized Education Plan)… these are students who have high needs to access their curriculum.” Students enrolled in office of education classrooms can be deaf or hard of hearing, visually impaired or medically fragile. The same group of teachers also helps run three alternative education programs, including a school for teen parents and a school in Juvenile Hall. Midrange Sonoma County Office of Education teachers — those with at least five years of experience — make about $81,000 in pay, not including any additional compensation for university training. “I do recognize that we are in the top five (paid) in the county but what the big issue there is we are still paid at just the state average,” Golabi-Torney said. “It just goes to show how poorly teachers are paid in this county.” The average salary for midrange California teachers in unified districts of a similar size is about $78,000, according to 2023-24 state figures. ASCOE would not share what they’ve sought for a salary bump in contract talks. Both sides acknowledge that pay is the sticking point. SEIU did share details about their negotiations, including the pay hike they’ve sought for their represented SCOE employees. They’re asking for a 5% annual increase. The office of education has countered with a 2.3% annual hike, matching the state’s cost of of living adjustment — additional money given to school districts each year to meet inflation costs. “We’ve asked to stay slightly above inflation because our members are vulnerable,” said Aaron Burton, bargaining leader with SEIU. “We’ve repeatedly moved to try and find some middle ground and SCOE has not.” Carter said her office is faced with budget uncertainty that is affecting districts statewide. “When I talk about a conservative approach I absolutely know that the cost of living increase is guaranteed dollars,” Carter said. “Anything beyond that – and this is true for all of our systems – anything beyond that is really engaging in speculation.” Both Carter and Medici, SCOE’s lead negotiator, pointed to the significance in the past three years of consecutive 8% increases for teachers – raises which are no longer feasible. “We were really aggressive over the last three years to take care of this group,” Carter said. “Given where we are budgetarily right now, it’s pinchy.” The county office is in good fiscal health, but the agency can’t ignore the fiscal impact of declining student enrollment, which is fundamental to public school budgets, Carter said. “We really have to be mindful about protecting our jobs, protecting where we are in the market, not outpricing ourselves, keeping ourselves organizationally within the zone of do-ability for districts,” Carter said. “That’s a little bit of the tension we face.” Union leaders say they do not feel confident that their negotiations will close the gap on pay in the near future. “Do I see a resolution? No,” Burton said. “I haven’t seen any kind of evidence that (SCOE leaders) are even interested or that they see these negotiations as a priority.” Report For America corps member Adriana Gutierrez covers education and child welfare issues for The Press Democrat. You can reach her at Adriana.Gutierrez@pressdemocrat.com.
