Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District specialists and teachers praise recent bargaining gains at David Douglas
Summary
Multiple district employees and union representatives used public comment to thank the district and bargaining teams for contract outcomes that added protected collaboration time, case management days, RBI blocks and salary improvements that staff said make jobs more sustainable.
Several David Douglas employees and union leaders used the public comment period Thursday to describe how the district's most recent bargaining agreement has changed daily work and improved job sustainability.
Rachel Zimmerman, speaking on behalf of a group of TOSAs (teachers on special assignment), thanked the district and the David Douglas Education Association (DDEA) for bargaining outcomes and highlighted an assessment work group at K–5 that staff said is beginning to unpack district assessment practices. Zimmerman said teachers are opting into work groups created under the agreement.
Samantha Carroll, an early-intervention speech-language pathologist at MECP, described schedule changes she said stem directly from bargaining: a typical day that includes a 30-minute prep, five hour-long home visits, a 30-minute lunch and a biweekly multi-hour RBI block for IFSP meetings. Carroll called the schedule sustainable and said new case-management days and competitive pay have reduced her interest in seeking employment elsewhere.
Stephanie Myrie, president of the David Douglas Education Association, asked the board to consider the district budget's impact on instruction and safety as the board prepares the May 5 budget meeting. Myrie also announced a planned DDEA event for May 1 (International Workers' Day) coordinated with OSEA and invited board members and staff.
Commenters said the changes — protected collaboration time, RBI blocks and improved salary — have enabled richer cross‑disciplinary planning, more family engagement and greater staff retention. No formal board action was taken during public comment.
