Teachers' bargaining chair urges board to address pay gap and looming health-insurance change

Lesley McNanley, bargaining chair for the Apple Valley teachers' association, told the board during the public-comment period that this year—ould reshape teachers' compensation and benefits. "This year is a sunshine year for our contract," McNanley said, referring to the districtwide reopening of the collective-bargaining agreement. "The real test of the IBB process is when money is involved."

McNanley, who said she is in her 40th year of teaching, told trustees that the union has decided to move its membership to "Cal Pur" for medical insurance beginning next year and warned the district's proposed shift from composite to tiered rates "if unchanged will negatively impact our young families." She urged the board to provide direction to district negotiators rather than limiting bargaining to past spending parameters.

She cited regional salary comparisons as part of her plea. "Out of 14 school districts in the region our district ranks eighth or ninth in salary," she said, and described a multi-year difference with nearby districts that, she said, can amount to more than $165,000 to $268,000 over 14 years for teachers in comparable placements.

McNanley also reported the union's site listening tour findings, which identified special-education caseloads, class size and salary/benefits as primary concerns, and asked the board to signal that recruiting and retaining teachers is a budget priority. "Your teachers and support staffs are your most valuable asset," she said.

Board members acknowledged the concerns and noted budget constraints discussed in recent board and budget-committee reports, but made no formal direction on benefits during the meeting. The clerk later reported that staff and bargaining units will bring resolutions to establish the district's relationship with "Cal Pur."