The teachers’ union, Natomas Teachers Association (NTA), has been negotiating with the district for over 9 months. We want smaller class sizes so we can best support all our students, more special education support, safety, literacy, and a fair wage because teachers are going to other districts where salary and benefits are better. We are also fighting for better budget priorities from the District to make sure classroom and student needs are prioritized.

Yes, this is an information picket to raise awareness of what’s going on with teachers’ bargaining their contract with NUSD. Teachers are not on a work strike and will be teaching once the picket concludes.

No, see previous answers.

We know our students will learn and thrive in schools that are staffed by trusted district educators and staff. We know our communities will thrive when our schools can be places all students are supported. Therefore, we want:

• Competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain teachers and eliminate destabilizing vacancies
• Prioritizing educators over consultants and contractors
• Better special education class sizes and caseloads   
• Safe and stable schools for our students and communities.

Yes, We have a bloated district office, the recommendation for a District of our size is 62 district office staff, we have 107 and top management just got a 15% raise. NUSD priorities are out of line if they prioritize increasing the pay of someone who makes $300K a year, when teachers are working second jobs. Also, $17 million dollars were spent last year on outside consultants and contractors. Consultants do not work directly with students and contractors are often provide subpar or virtual services and are not invested in our community. Meanwhile, we began the school year with 29 vacancies and more teachers continue to leave because they earn higher wages and receive better benefits in neighboring Districts.

We believe the real harm to students is the years of underfunding and disinvestment in our classrooms to pay for expensive consultants and managers or other programs that don’t prioritize students and their educators. Teachers are trying to turn things around.

A strike is a last resort for working people to bring about change when their employer — in this case, NUSD— refuses to listen to hear our concerns. Through these last 9 months of disappointing negotiations with the District, the School Board has repeatedly failed to adequately address the issues that we know are essential to a healthy, nurturing educational environment, like having a district employed, permanent teacher in every classroom.

At this point, there is no strike date set.

If the NTA has to go out on strike to win for our students and educators, the length of a strike will depend on educators, parents and the community supporting NTA’s demands! The more that teachers and the community work together to show the district and school board that their proposals are unacceptable, the quicker we will be able to end the strike and get back to working with our students.

During a strike, unqualified replacement “teachers” may be at your child’s school. The school district collects money for student attendance, even if they’re just showing movies all day in the cafeteria or auditorium. As a parent or guardian of your child, you’ll have to decide if you want your child in this environment. A strike is most powerful when students do not attend school because this puts financial pressure on the district to negotiate with teachers or lose more money from the state.

The District may tell you that your child will have an “unexcused” absence in the event you keep your child out of school, but it has been the experience statewide that there is no negative impact to students of honoring the picket line, and the teachers’ Union will support parents to ensure that missing school during a strike should not affect grades, graduation, or college acceptances.

This depends on your school site. Talk to the after school program director to learn about their plan for a potential strike. Some after school providers may change schedules or locations to be in solidarity with teachers.

Talk to your child’s teachers. If they don’t know the answers to your questions, they can refer you to a teacher leader on campus. You can also visit: https://wecantwait.info/ for more information about this campaign.