The Abridged version:
- Natomas Unified will have its first ever strike Tuesday, after the school district and teachers union failed to come to an agreement over the weekend.
- The strike in Natomas follows Twin Rivers Unified, where educators have been absent from schools since Thursday. Negotiations in both districts have hit a wall over salary increases, health care and class sizes.
- Schools are expected to stay open in Natomas. Parents there are weighing whether to send their kids to class, as Twin Rivers families complain about inadequate conditions for their students.
The first ever teacher strike in Natomas Unified begins Tuesday, after negotiations over the weekend failed to produce an agreement.
Union leaders said they had planned to be back at the table Monday but that the school district canceled the meeting with no clear plans to reschedule.
District officials held a press conference Monday morning, but did not provide any details about further talks with the union. Superintendent Robyn Castillo said reaching a resolution is top priority, but the district is prepared to keep schools open in the event of a strike.
Natomas teachers will be on the picket lines starting Tuesday morning.
Schools to remain open
Schools across Natomas Unified will be open Tuesday, according to Castillo.
Meals and afterschool programs will continue. Instruction will be provided by “qualified substitutes,” the district said in messages to parents.
“Our goal is to maintain as much stability and normalcy for students as possible,” Castillo told reporters Monday morning. “At the same time, we recognize that having teachers absent from the classroom is not normal and not ideal.”
Castillo said the district is asking parents to “plan with flexibility” for a strike that could last one day or several days.
Some parents make other arrangements
Christina Reyes Estrada, a stay-at-home parent, said her two elementary-aged children will not attend school during a strike. “They won’t be crossing the picket line,” she said.
Reyes Estrada, her fourth grader and her transitional kindergartener will be at home or standing outside with educators.
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Other parents she knows who are not able to stay home are making alternative childcare arrangements.
“A lot of parents are concerned,” said Reyes Estrada. “Especially hearing from Twin Rivers, how that’s going.”
Twin Rivers strike continues
Next door in Twin Rivers Unified, teachers have been on strike since Thursday. Families there have complained of inadequate lessons, crowded classrooms and anxiety in their students caused by disrupted routines.
Twin Rivers officials reported a 72% attendance rate and 88% staffing Thursday. In their most recent message to families Friday, the district detailed its current offer of fully funded health care coverage and 4.7% pay increase over two years.
“The District is ready to sign this agreement. Today,” the message read.
Brittoni Ward, president of Twin Rivers United Educators, said Monday, on day three of the strike, her team is prepared to resume talks. But they want the district ready to counteroffer.
“Until they come with something that’s actually substantive,” Ward said. “We’re not going to come to them.”
Union officials say their members want full health care to extend beyond two years.
The union did later agree to return to the table, though, at the request of Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento. A union spokesperson said the union has a meeting with the district Tuesday afternoon.
What are the demands, proposals in Natomas
Krell also addressed Natomas officials, in a joint letter with former state Sen. Richard Pan and Sacramento County Office of Education Trustee Mariana Corona Sabeniano.
“We are disappointed to learn that those negotiations have not progressed despite fair and reasonable requests from NTA (the teachers’ union),” Krell, Pan and Corona Sabeniano wrote.
The union and district officials in Natomas remain at odds over salary increases, health care coverage and class sizes.
A mediator’s report released Friday supported the district’s proposal for a 4% raise over two years. Teachers have asked for 4.5% this school year and 4% in 2026-27.
The district has proposed covering 100% of their employees’ and their employees’ families’ health care, under the Western Health Advantage plan. The union, which has called for fully funded health benefits, said the offer “is a start.” But they are calling for the district to fund the more expensive Kaiser plan, which they say most of their members use.
The mediator in Natomas did not make any recommendations to lower class sizes. Union leaders say they are fighting for a cap of 20 students in TK classes and 26 students for each 1st-3rd grade classroom.
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.