Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers, parents and staff urge Lodi Unified to address special-education vacancies, pay and legal fees
Summary
During public comment at the April 15 board meeting, teachers, parents and employees urged the district to address special-education vacancies, questioned increases in outside legal fees, and described staffing and pay issues at charter and district sites.
Several speakers used the public-comment period at the Lodi Unified School District board meeting on April 15 to press the district on staffing and compensation issues and to question the district’s use of outside legal services.
Antoinette Garcia asked whether proposed revisions to Board Policy 6158 (independent study) would change classroom workloads; district staff (Superintendent Young) replied the revisions do not alter current practice but will allow the district to formally record independent-study activity and collect ADA. Garcia also questioned apparent increases to an outside attorney contract, saying the firm’s agreement had risen from $200,000 to a proposed $300,000 and asking what the district receives for that additional $100,000.
Speakers representing multiple sites reported staffing pressures and working-conditions concerns. Teresa Hernandez, who identified herself as a Jocelyn Charter School employee, described losses of 11 staff members and strained after-school ratios. A Joe Serna site worker said she has worked 20 years and continues to be paid at minimum wage after previous small daily bonuses were removed; she asked the board to take staff compensation into account.
Bill Yates, a parent and teacher, and other speakers advocated for a local MOU to improve recruitment and retention of special-education teachers, citing an informal count of roughly 30 open special-education positions in the district and urging the board to prioritize staffing over legal fees. A Stockton Teachers Association representative encouraged community participation in a May 17 statewide "Fight for Schools" rally.
Board members acknowledged the concerns. Porter and other members said they support scrutiny of legal contracts and noted the need for strong counsel in special-education matters. The board did not take immediate action on contract terms during the meeting; staff said corrected contract lists were part of the packet under consideration.
