Access program teachers tell Orange County Board of Education they need pay equity, cite management raises and student needs

Dozens of teachers who work in the Orange County Department of EducationAccess and alternative-education programs urged the Orange County Board of Education at its meeting to prioritize pay and staffing for front-line educators.

Charles Kelly, an Access teacher since 1997, told the board that he had reported "academic fraud" and raised concerns about executive hiring and pay. "When Mr. Miramontes came on board, he went on a hiring spree . . . The vast majority of the hiring are people at extremely mid level and upper level management with salaries of $203,100," Kelly said, adding that he had reported a student who earned 50 credits in an eight-week summer course.

The testimony continued with a series of long-form firsthand accounts from current Access teachers. Rob Simonson, who said he has taught in the county for 32 years, said that he and his colleagues work "with the toughest population in Orange County" and described the pay gap relative to recent executive increases. "Doctor Bean, you received a 10% raise and other OCDE staff have also received significant increases," Simonson said. "By comparison, the rest of us teachers and staff received a 1% cost of living increase last year. To me, that's incredibly insulting."

Jacqueline Krisky and other Access teachers described students with severe trauma and behavioral needs and listed the nonacademic roles staff perform: social work, crisis intervention, organizing basic necessities and transportation, and securing compliance with IEP goals. "We are more than teachers," Krisky said. "We're social workers, resource managers, food deliveries. . . . Words of appreciation are meaningful but words alone are not enough. If you value the outcomes . . . then value the teachers who make this impact possible. Invest in the teachers who invest in these students every single day."

Speakers raised both fiscal and instructional concerns. Kelly asked the board to explain what he characterized as outsized executive compensation, citing numbers he said were visible on public salary sites. Several teachers questioned the department's priorities while noting that OCDE has reserve balances; Catherine Lou said the reserves have grown and asserted they "now exceed the state's statutory limits as outlined in the California Education Code." Teachers also contrasted their classroom demands with the pay and promotions reportedly given to top administrators.

OCDE Superintendent Doctor Bean and staff did not take action during the public comment period. The comments will be included in the record; no board vote or motion arose directly from the public comments segment. Board members thanked speakers for their testimony and noted that collective bargaining and compensation decisions fall under administrative and negotiating processes.

Access teachers concluded by urging the board to visit their sites and to place higher priority on pay and working conditions for educators who work with the county's highest-need students.