We are a group of concerned Benicia Unified School District parents, who are working to help get our teachers the pay and benefit package they deserve. As you may know, our teachers are due for a new contract and have asked for a reasonable pay and benefit increase (4.75%). The district initially offered them 1%, then 2.25%, before ceasing negotiations in favor of paying for arbitration to settle the issues. If an agreement cannot be reached, there is a very good chance our teachers will be forced to strike on May 1st. This petition is to show the school board and the district leaders that Benicia parents are concerned about this issue and want them to meet the teachers demands. We want Benicia to continue to be one of the top school districts in the state. We can't celebrate our awards, without acknowledging how we got them, and that starts with the teachers.
There is a larger issue that if our teachers are not competitively compensated, we risk not being able to attract and retain quality teachers moving forward. Based on information from other districts near us (including Walnut Creek, Pinole, and Napa) our teachers have some of the lowest paid salaries and are at the bottom percentile in health benefits in Solano County. For example, a district in Walnut Creek is offering 8% more in salary, better health benefits and will allow Benicia teachers to keep their tenure. We've already had some teachers leave for better opportunities this year and we currently have multiple open teaching positions that the district is struggling to fill. The district is now allowing non-credentialed teachers to fill those outstanding positions. Our children deserve better.
The school board is saying there isn't money, which is not true. There is money coming in, but the concern is where they're planning to spend it. They call for a need for improving programs and using the money for new technology. If we don't have the teachers to implement the programs and to teach the kids this new technology, they won't be worth the money spent. We should start with the teachers. Please sign this petition so that we can show the board and the district that the parents are behind our teachers and that we stand with their demands to be paid in-line with other schools in our area and in the state.
Thank you.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 27, 2017
February 24, 2017
One hundred signatures arrived this morning. It is a long and quiet struggle to get people to look at what is happening to our district but this shows that we are not fighting alone.
February 24, 2017
The exhaustion is setting in but we are nearing five hundred signatures. Please send this link to a neighbor before the district board meets again because we need the pressure to be impossible to ignore.
Reached 100 supporters
February 23, 2017
February 21, 2017
The path forward feels long and the silence from the district is exhausting. We are nearing the first hundred signatures and I need you to push this a little further today so the board cannot ignore our presence.
234 Comments
As a Realtor in Benicia I feel it is unbelievable that the teachers we demand so much of have a hard time qualifying to purchase a home in Benicia due to the poor salaries. It is a shame when college educated, credentialed people are treated with such disregard.
As a ten-year teacher with BUSD, I can speak to the disparity of professional salaries here compared with other high-quality educational institutions in the state. It was a factor in my departure in 2014.
BUSD pays significantly less than other local school districts. We lose teachers every year (especially at BHS), and can't even hire enough new people to adequately staff our math and Spanish departments. Disgraceful.
As a graduate of the BUSD, former teacher in Benicia and current teacher in a neighboring district, I know how much time and effort teachers spend preparing for and teaching their students. We don't do it for the money, but teachers in Benicia, and all teachers, deserve a fair wage.
We moved to Benicia for the excellent schools let's maintain this standard by keeping talented and dedicated teachers in our school district. That starts by paying them competitive wages. Let's take care of the people responsible for educating our children!
TThey deserve salaries to cover cost of living and medical
Our teachers deserve a raise.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
We are a group of concerned Benicia Unified School District parents, who are working to help get our teachers the pay and benefit package they deserve. As you may know, our teachers are due for a new contract and have asked for a reasonable pay and benefit increase (4.75%). The district initially offered them 1%, then 2.25%, before ceasing negotiations in favor of paying for arbitration to settle the issues. If an agreement cannot be reached, there is a very good chance our teachers will be forced to strike on May 1st. This petition is to show the school board and the district leaders that Benicia parents are concerned about this issue and want them to meet the teachers demands. We want Benicia to continue to be one of the top school districts in the state. We can't celebrate our awards, without acknowledging how we got them, and that starts with the teachers.
There is a larger issue that if our teachers are not competitively compensated, we risk not being able to attract and retain quality teachers moving forward. Based on information from other districts near us (including Walnut Creek, Pinole, and Napa) our teachers have some of the lowest paid salaries and are at the bottom percentile in health benefits in Solano County. For example, a district in Walnut Creek is offering 8% more in salary, better health benefits and will allow Benicia teachers to keep their tenure. We've already had some teachers leave for better opportunities this year and we currently have multiple open teaching positions that the district is struggling to fill. The district is now allowing non-credentialed teachers to fill those outstanding positions. Our children deserve better.
The school board is saying there isn't money, which is not true. There is money coming in, but the concern is where they're planning to spend it. They call for a need for improving programs and using the money for new technology. If we don't have the teachers to implement the programs and to teach the kids this new technology, they won't be worth the money spent. We should start with the teachers. Please sign this petition so that we can show the board and the district that the parents are behind our teachers and that we stand with their demands to be paid in-line with other schools in our area and in the state.
Thank you.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 27, 2017
February 24, 2017
One hundred signatures arrived this morning. It is a long and quiet struggle to get people to look at what is happening to our district but this shows that we are not fighting alone.
February 24, 2017
The exhaustion is setting in but we are nearing five hundred signatures. Please send this link to a neighbor before the district board meets again because we need the pressure to be impossible to ignore.
Reached 100 supporters
February 23, 2017
February 21, 2017
The path forward feels long and the silence from the district is exhausting. We are nearing the first hundred signatures and I need you to push this a little further today so the board cannot ignore our presence.
234 Comments
I'm not a parent but I went to Benicia schools, starting at Mary Farmer then the middle school and then the high school. I know how great the teachers are and how important it is to have good teachers at our schools. They deserve much more of a raise than what they are asking for.
As a Realtor in Benicia I feel it is unbelievable that the teachers we demand so much of have a hard time qualifying to purchase a home in Benicia due to the poor salaries. It is a shame when college educated, credentialed people are treated with such disregard.
As a ten-year teacher with BUSD, I can speak to the disparity of professional salaries here compared with other high-quality educational institutions in the state. It was a factor in my departure in 2014.
BUSD pays significantly less than other local school districts. We lose teachers every year (especially at BHS), and can't even hire enough new people to adequately staff our math and Spanish departments. Disgraceful.
As a graduate of the BUSD, former teacher in Benicia and current teacher in a neighboring district, I know how much time and effort teachers spend preparing for and teaching their students. We don't do it for the money, but teachers in Benicia, and all teachers, deserve a fair wage.
We moved to Benicia for the excellent schools let's maintain this standard by keeping talented and dedicated teachers in our school district. That starts by paying them competitive wages. Let's take care of the people responsible for educating our children!
TThey deserve salaries to cover cost of living and medical
Our teachers deserve a raise.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 1,000 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
I'm not a parent but I went to Benicia schools, starting at Mary Farmer then the middle school and then the high school. I know how great the teachers are and how important it is to have good teachers at our schools. They deserve much more of a raise than what they are asking for.