La Cañada teachers union urges district to return to bargaining over curriculum mandates, hours and extra-duty pay

Mandy Redfern, president of the La Cañada Teachers Association, told the La Cañada Unified School District governing board that the union remains at an impasse with district negotiators over multiple contract provisions and pay.

Redfern said the union and district met in June but are “still at a standstill on three critical issues” that she described as core to teachers’ professional rights: Article 6 (bargaining unit member rights), Article 11 (duties and hours of employment) and Article 12 (extra duty/extra pay). She said the district’s proposed language would “severely limit teachers’ professional judgment” and open the door to “punitive oversight and micromanagement.”

The union president urged the board to reopen negotiations. “We support the use of adopted curriculum,” Redfern said, “but we oppose language that forces rigid mandates that even district-hired experts say fall short.” She said teachers need flexibility to “adapt, differentiate, make instructional decisions” and to use supplemental resources and project-based learning to support students.

On collaboration time, Redfern said LCTA proposed a modest increase to protected collaboration once per month; she said the district rejected that and offered to keep existing collaboration days only if districts guarantee the time is used for teacher collaboration rather than district-directed agendas. On extra duty, she said district language would allow assignments during the instructional day that could exclude unit members from paid opportunities and let external hires perform roles “that have traditionally belonged to our experienced educators.”

Redfern also criticized the district’s latest compensation offer, saying it included “0% ongoing increase to base salary and a one-time 1.85% off-schedule payment,” and that about 30% of that one-time payment was funded by parent donations, not district ongoing funds. She cited rising health-care costs and asked why teachers would be asked to accept less pay while class sizes rise.

The remarks were delivered during the board’s public comment period; the board did not take action or respond beyond the procedural limits the Brown Act allows for non-agendized public comment.

The union’s statement included a request that the district “return to the bargaining table, willing to engage, ready to listen, and committed to reaching a settlement that’s fair and respectful.” Redfern concluded, “LCTA believes our teachers matter and our students matter too.”