Live Oak School District teachers hold rally calling for competitive wages and fully staffed schools
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) - Dozens of teachers, parents, and students with the Live Oak School District marched in solidarity calling for more school support.
The rally, organized by the Live Oak Elementary Teachers Association, brought attention to issues include wage increases, better staffing, and safe and stable schools.
“There just isn't money for raises. We are kind of stagnated right now. We have great leadership right now, but just, you know, not money coming in," Live Oak School District teacher Jessy Middour said.
Meanwhile, parents in the district, like Serena Potter worry about her kindergartener and a lack of resources.
“We need more support from the state. We need more support from how the state funds public education. We need to look at that and obviously, certainly federal funding," Serena Potter said.
Recently, the Live Oak School District has been undergoing difficult cuts including staff reductions. That’s something staff point out is also being felt at schools across the state.
"School districts in California are facing severe cuts. That means we're losing positions such as yard duty, front office staff, reading intervention coordinators, psychologists, counselors," Live Oak Elementary teacher Annette Kamoss said.
That impact is being felt by other districts as one time pandemic funding ends.
Live Oak School District Superintendent Pat Sanchez provided the following statement on the rally:
“I don't feel we value teachers and educators enough in this country, and I think that that's something we all need to do a better job with and be cognizant of, as these are people that spend full days with our children. I'm glad that they're motivated to take action.”
Parents of students in the district are continuing to call for more support at the local, state, and federal level.
"When you're in the classroom, you really see that we need to fully staff them. We need to support our teachers. We need to fund education," Serena Potter said.
The union behind the rally adds, low wages have led to some staff leaving the district. They’re continuing to call for those competitive wages to help teachers afford to stay in Santa Cruz long-term.
