Teachers in the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) will be receiving a 7.75% raise in the 2023 to 2024 school year per an agreement reached by the district’s board of trustees and the teachers union.
After months of pushing for salary raises, the Sequoia District Teachers Association (SDTA) has reached an agreement with the board that provides salary raises that reflect the district’s increased budget for this school year. The agreed-upon solution includes raises for the 2023 to 2024 school year which will be reevaluated for the following year to ensure continued alignment with the district’s budget.
“Salaries affect everything that our members (teachers, counselors, librarians, school psychologists, speech and language pathologists, and a variety of other specialists) do in their lives. It is the determining factor for many in whether or not they can afford to live in the Bay Area or continue to teach,” said Edith Salvatore, a Spanish teacher at Sequoia High School. “It also affects whether or not we can afford to retire as teacher retirement earnings are tied to the salaries we earned while working.”
The push for salary raises came as a response to the cost of living in the Bay Area. According to The Center Square, San Mateo County residents need to make a minimum of $6,391 monthly to preserve a modest standard of living.
Many teachers feel that previous salaries did not align with the cost of living or account for inflation. During the Oct. 25 board meeting, many teachers shared that colleagues have had to commute from cities outside of San Mateo County or change to a teaching position in another district in order to maintain a standard of living.
“It is dehumanizing to stand before my colleagues, students, and their parents to try to justify why the teachers of this district are clamoring for a wage that barely ensures our basic livelihood,” said Jason Hunt, an English teacher at Menlo Atherton High School, at the board meeting.
Other factors that have motivated this movement include disparities between SUHSD salaries and those of teachers in other districts in the area, such as the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District (MV-LA).
According to a document compiled by the SDTA, which compares SUHSD salaries with those of other districts, SUHSD pays teachers 26.2% less than teachers in the MV-LA district for the same experience and formal education.
Furthermore, the document shows an additional $1,530 guaranteed to teachers in SUHSD who have a master’s degree, doctorate Degree, or national board certification compared to an additional $3,196 for teachers in the East Side Union High School District who meet these same requirements.
“Palo Alto is offering me $7,000 more to teach in their district. Mountain View-Los Altos, $44,000 more than what (SUHSD) was willing to pay me. If this trend persists, it will lead to the bankruptcy of our district in terms of teacher retention and the maturation of talent,” Hunt said.
During this debate district members made sure to express their appreciation for teachers. However during the board meeting teachers explained that showing appreciation for educators will not solve the problem presented by salaries.
“This is not about appreciation. This is about compensation. Appreciation doesn’t pay my gas. Appreciation doesn’t pay my rent. Appreciation doesn’t pay the cost of living here,” said Karina Escobar, a counselor at Menlo Atherton High School, at the board meeting.
