Summit school avoids a strike

The three-year contract marks the first for the charter school system’s teachers union, Unite Summit, since it was officially recognized before the pandemic. Formal contract negotiations began around that time but were stalled by the pandemic and an inability to find common ground on key issues, said Miles Bennett-Smith, an advanced placement government teacher at Summit Preparatory School, the system’s high school in Redwood City.

Those issues largely centered on classroom size and job security and seemed to be resolved by the end of a long meeting ending around 9 p.m. Tuesday, said Unite Summit President Janine Penafort, who also teaches at Summit Prep.

“It’s a really strong contract that significantly improves the support that we have for students, especially our English language learners,” Penafort said.

Under the contract, both parties have agreed to aim for a teacher-to-student ratio of 25-1 or smaller when possible and teachers will be paid extra when class sizes must be larger. For middle school classes, that ratio falls to 17-1, Penafort said.

Teachers also secured a $2,000 ratification bonus and a two-year probation period, down from the four years sought by the administration’s bargaining team. As a compromise, the parties agreed to allow a third probation year if school administrators feel it’s necessary after reviewing a new three-tiered evaluation system. The parties also signed a memorandum of understanding that guarantees teachers employed this year will have a position at the start of next semester.

“One of our core beliefs is that everyone is always learning and growing and the purpose of evaluation is growth. This agreement confirms the idea that honest, actionable and timely feedback is a key element of growth,” read the statement.

More than two years after negotiations began, Penafort lauded the contract and union bargainers who have helped bring discussions to a close in the last weeks of the semester when classes are often at their most hectic.

The successful outcome also prevented a looming teacher strike that was backed by 95% of union members who voted on the action. About 90% of union members voted. That vote was inspired by concerns with high teacher turnover due to a lack of support for students and educators, according to an open letter published on Unite Summit’s website.

The letter also points to a teacher retention “crisis” in the Summit Public School system. Since beginning negotiations in 2019, about 70% of educators employed in the system at that time have left and another 15 teachers quit mid-semester this year, according to the letter and a Teacher Retention Crisis Report it cited.

The contract will now need to be ratified by the charter system’s Board of Directors and Unite Summit members before taking effect July 1. Penafort said union leadership is preparing to hold a vote in the coming weeks.

“The word that I've been hearing today from staff and a lot of folks is the sense of relief. It’s definitely the big feeling I have right now,” Penafort said. “I am feeling very proud again of our bargaining team and all the folks who have represented each of our school sites. This contract is a sound foundation for teachers of Summit to keep building on for the next two years.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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