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Teachers, union and parents press Washington Unified on pay, staffing and campus safety
Summary
Union leaders, teachers and parents urged Washington Unified to increase teacher compensation, address staffing shortages and protect staff from targeted harassment. Public commenters also raised complaints about a Riverbank principal and unauthorized filming; the board approved several routine items and heard multiple follow‑up requests.
Union leaders, teachers and parents used public comment at the Washington Unified School District board meeting on Oct. 23 to press for higher pay, better staffing and clearer protections for school employees.
“Transparency,” the WSTA speaker said during the union report, arguing that district bargaining communications have not matched spending decisions and pointing to what the speaker characterized as a recent $16 million budget stability fund. Union testimony and multiple public commenters described persistent vacancies — listing open positions such as VAPA and special‑education roles — and urged the board to invest in retention rather than consultants or out‑of‑state travel.
Vice President of the classified staff (Ruth Pagano) told the board the district converted 13 grant‑funded paraeducator positions to permanent roles but called for parity in access to professional‑development stipends. “Not including classified employees while using up grant money that could also be used for paras is not equitable,” she said.
Several Riverbank Elementary teachers and parents testified about on‑campus improvements under new leadership while also warning that staff are being harassed and filmed without consent. Teacher Judy Moreno said unauthorized filming and “verbal attacks” have left some staff feeling unsafe. Parent Maria Grihalva, representing the Latino Information and Resource Center, said her group filed an HR complaint alleging a principal called police on a Spanish‑speaking parent and filed a false police report; she said the incident has been placed on the public record.
Teachers who spoke connected compensation to retention. “4.5% isn’t enough,” teacher Chandler Crook said, adding that she would leave the district if pay did not improve. Several teachers described long hours on overnight trips and weekend duties for which stipends do not reflect the responsibility.
Board members responded by acknowledging the concerns and requesting follow‑ups. Trustees asked staff for updates on how students and families are informed about available mental‑health services, how recess‑time policies are enforced at sites, the district’s substitute‑screening practices, and the procedure for ensuring contract‑funded programs produce value for money. Several trustees said they supported reviewing contract outcomes before future ratifications.
Outcome and next steps: the board approved the consent agenda and a slate of personnel and program items during the meeting. Trustees requested staff reports on student access to services, substitute screening, and the public‑comment recordkeeping process. No changes to bargaining positions were made at the meeting.
