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VIDEO and PRESS RELEASES. From the Cabrillo Unified School District (CUSD) Board Special meeting on Tuesday, September 10th, 2024 at 6:30pm, in person comments only and live on PCTV.
From Cabrillo Unified Teachers Association (CUTA) on Tuesday, September 10th, 2024.
Dear Families & Community members,
Teachers are devastated that we are at the point of striking. However, the District has given us no choice. On Monday afternoon, CUTA gave the Districts the required 48 hour notice that we will be striking starting at 7am on Thursday.
Many families are questioning whether to send their child to school during a strike. District has promised that schools will continue to be open and classrooms supervised by qualified adults. With that said, if you have concerns about safety, please use your discretion when deciding whether to send your child to school. If you do choose to keep your child home due to safety concerns, please consider letting our superintendent know of your decision (Amber Lee-Alva, [email protected])
The most impactful thing you can do is join us on the picket line Thursday and Friday anytime between 7 and 3:45pm. If this strike extends past Friday, we will send out a sign up for parents to join us on the line. In addition, there is a Board Meeting on Thursday at the Cunha MU. if you are able to join our picket outside the meeting or make a comment encouraging the Board to act, we would be grateful.
Please also communicate with the School Board via email letting them know you need them to solve this situation immediately by prioritizing teachers and students.
Finally, many of our teachers will struggle to make ends meet during a strike, without their regular paycheck. If you are willing to provide any donations for teachers in this situation, CUTA has set up an emergency fund: https://gofund.me/c10c91d8
We deeply appreciate your support and are eager to be back in the classroom.
~ CUTA Teachers and Counselors
Cabrillo Educators Picket Before School Board Meeting to Demand Respect and a Fair Contract That Invests in Students; Educators Prepared to Strike on Thursday
From CUTA Educators on Nextdoor on Tuesday, September 10th, 2024.
Cabrillo Unified Teachers Association (CUTA) members have voted overwhelmingly not to accept the Cabrillo Unified School District (CUSD) management’s last offer from the August 23, 2024, bargaining session. CUTA is prepared to strike this Thursday, Sept. 12, unless CUSD management decides to return to the table and agrees to a contract that keeps a permanent educator in every classroom. In May 2024, over 97% of CUTA members said loud and clear that teachers are prepared to strike if no deal that respects students and educators is reached. Students and parents also agree that every student deserves a permanent educator in every classroom. Since the beginning of this year, parents have attended every community meeting held by CUTA to demonstrate their support for teachers.
The fact-finding hearing made clear that CUSD’s finance practices are insufficient to deliver credible and competent budget data. Every bargaining session after the fact-finding hearing shows that CUSD management has no respect for the teaching profession and students’ learning conditions.
“CUTA members are now the lowest compensated school district in San Mateo County. To attract the best and brightest to the teaching profession, we need competitive salaries. Better pay would help us retain experienced educators and attract new ones, ensuring our students get the best possible education,” said CUTA President John Carey. “We much rather be in the classroom and not have to strike on Thursday, but CUSD management has left us with no other choice.”
Subject: Important Message to our Cabrillo Families about our Labor Negotiations, September 9th, 2024
From Amber Lee-Alva, CUSD Superintendent.
Dear Cabrillo Unified School District families,
At Cabrillo Unified School District, our foremost priority is the well-being and success of our students. We understand that the challenges of the current negotiation process may be a source of concern, but we want to reassure you that our commitment to providing a high-quality education and maintaining a supportive environment for students and their families remains unwavering. We want to keep you informed about the recent developments and how we are working diligently to address them.
On August 23, the District provided the teachers’ union (Cabrillo Unified Teachers’ Association) with a proposal for a 6% ongoing salary increase, which was significantly more than the state appointed neutral fact-finding panel’s recommendation of 4% this past spring.
With Governing Board approval, District Administration has reallocated funds and restructured the District office to provide maximum salary increases for all of our valued staff. As a result, the District was pleased to present CUTA with this final offer, which reflected the District’s best and sincerest efforts to meet a variety of concerns voiced by the union. It also reflects an ongoing commitment by the District to its valued teachers by providing an ongoing and sizable salary increase, while at the same time allowing the District to meet its legally-required financial obligations.
Despite receiving clear information detailing the current budget, to which CUTA leaders continue to have full access to such data, CUTA presented a counter-proposal for additional retroactive pay and health benefits. The District believes that adoption of this counter-proposal will significantly erode already difficult budget conditions facing the District, endangering our ability to provide quality programs and services to our students and families.
The District recently received notice from CUTA that the union intends to implement a teacher’s strike beginning Thursday, September 12th. We regret that we have not yet reached a settlement, despite our collaborative efforts and the District’s sizable offer, especially considering the District’s ongoing structural financial challenges.
We recognize a strike is very concerning for CUSD students, families, and staff. However, we want to assure you that all District schools and programs will remain open. We acknowledge the crucial role that our schools play, both as learning environments and safe spaces where many students depend on meal services. We remain committed to prioritizing student safety and well-being, as well as supporting families during this challenging time.
Our schools will remain open as safe environments for continued learning, with breakfast and lunch services available. Students who do not attend will be marked absent. To excuse absences, parents should contact the attendance clerk, preferably by e-mail.
Friday is a minimum day, and so your school’s dismissal time will continue as a minimum day.
Our District team is committed to addressing negotiations concerns through collaboration with our labor partners. We aim to find solutions that support our educators and staff while preserving an optimal learning environment for students, guided by open dialogue and mutual understanding.
For the latest information, please visit our district’s Negotiations Updates Webpage Labor Negotiations – Cabrillo Unified School District We will continue to provide timely updates throughout our discussions.
We appreciate your ongoing trust and support of Cabrillo Unified School District. Together, we can ensure that our students receive the exceptional education they deserve, during these challenging times.
Warm Regards,
Amber Lee-Alva, CUSD Superintendent
CUTA Bargaining Update (Friday, September 6, 2024)
The District threatened to impose its “last, best, final offer” (described in the August 26th update below) and shut down negotiations, so we brought the offer to a vote. CUTA members have rejected the offer by a wide margin, as we assured the District they would. After more than two years of negotiations, members feel disrespected and undervalued. We firmly believe the offer does not reflect true concern and care for the education of CUSD students. It’s time for the school board to step up and show that their priorities are in the classroom with students and teachers.
Follow Instagram for up-to-date information.
Half Moon Bay High School Cougar Boosters (Facebook) on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.
Dear HMBHS Community:
CUSD Superintendent Lee-Alva has communicated with you that Cabrillo Unified Teachers Association (CUTA) has declared the intent to strike beginning Thursday 9/12/2024. This action will have an impact on student athletics. As of now we have the following sports as part of the Fall Season: waterpolo, girls tennis, girls golf, girls volleyball, cross country, cheer, and football. Of these sports, girls golf, cross country, and JV football have a head coach who is a CUTA member. The other sports have what we call walk-on coaches who are not part of CUTA membership. Our Athletic Director, Mr. Barragan, is communicating with our walk-on coaches so that they inform student-athletes and families, one way or another, what they can expect as it relates to practice and competition. Currently, the coaches for football, volleyball, and cheer will continue to coach practice and games. Water polo and tennis currently will not be coached Thursday or Friday this week. We will learn on Thursday if our CUTA member coaches are participating in the strike, which if they do, will mean they won’t be coaching. In the case of JV football there are assistant coaches who are going to continue to coach practices and games. There is an assistant walk-on coach for cross-country who will be coaching, but there is not an assistant coach for girls golf so practices and competition will likely be rescheduled or canceled.
As a reminder for student athletes and their families, it is a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rule that students must attend ⅔ of their school schedule on competition days.
Saturday we are hosting a volleyball tournament at HMBHS and JV football will play at Sacred Heart Prep. I will update families when more information becomes available about what next week will look like.
Sincerely,
Andrew Boysen, Principal
More on CUSD on Coastside Buzz
Cabrillo Unified School District (CUSD) Trustee Meetings ~ 2nd Thursday @ 6:00pm
The Cabrillo Unified School District School Governing Board is comprised of five school board members who are elected by the local community. The role of the school board is to provide leadership and oversight of the district. The Board ensures that the district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the community.
The term of office for school board members elected in regular elections is four years, beginning on the second Friday in December after their election. The board meets at least once a month at the District Office, 498 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay. Meetings are open to the public and are usually held on Thursday nights at 6 pm. A portion of the board meeting consists of a “closed” session for the purpose of discussing confidential matters, such as personnel or student issues.
District Board of Trustees
 | KIMBERLY HINES President Term: 2020-2024 [email protected] |
 | CARMEN DANIELVice PresidentTerm: 2022-2026 [email protected] |
 | LIZET CORTES Clerk Term: 2022-2026 [email protected] |
 | MARY BETH ALEXANDER Member Term: 2022-2026 [email protected] |
 | SOPHIA LAYNE Member Term: 2020-2024 [email protected] |
District Elections & Trustee Area Maps
What District Area do I belong to?
CUSD residents can visit this map and type in their address to learn which Trustee Area represents them on the CUSD Governing Board.
Who is my District Area representative?
Trustee Area A: Carmen Daniel (Term expires: 2026)
Trustee Area B: Kimberly Hines (Term expires: 2024)
Trustee Area C: Lizet Cortes (Term expires: 2026)
Trustee Area D: Sophia Layne (Term expires: 2024)
Trustee Area E: Mary Beth Alexander (Term expires: 2026)
More on CUSD Maps and Districts
What does the School Board do?
The Board works with the Superintendent to fulfill its major responsibilities, which includes:
- Setting the direction for the district
- Establishing an effective and efficient organizational structure for the district
- Providing support to the Superintendent and staff
- Ensuring accountability to the public for the performance of the district’s school
- Providing community leadership and advocacy on behalf of students, the district’s educational program, and public education
- Ensuring that the district is meeting its commitments to parents/guardians, all members of the community, employees, the state of California, laws pertaining to education, and established policies of the district
Author: Coastside Buzz
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