San Francisco teachers seek labor support with letter in student backpacks

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Teachers at a San Francisco elementary school sought to enlist community support in contract negotiations by sending a letter home to parents in student backpacks, a move that district officials said violated state law.

The letter, sent last Thursday by some teachers at Daniel Webster Elementary, informed parents that the teachers planned to work only the hours required by their contract as of May 1, an action known as work-to-rule that is sometimes used by employees in labor disputes.

“We will arrive together at 8:20 a.m, take our 45-minute duty-free lunch, and leave together at 4 p.m.,” the teachers wrote, adding that meetings, tutoring and other activities would be “abbreviated” and that no homework would be assigned. “While we are committed to providing quality education to your children, SFUSD cannot continue to take our generosity for granted and expect us to volunteer hours every day.”

The teachers said they would prioritize activities, only performing those they had time for. Communicating with parents and maintaining classrooms was at the top of the list while completing special education paperwork was toward the bottom. Yet none of those activities are voluntary, district officials said.

Teachers have the right to use a work-to-rule strategy to “exert pressure on management,” said district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. However, she said, “teachers and paraprofessionals are still expected to carry out required duties such as corresponding with parents, organizing and maintaining classroom space, giving grades and homework.”

Under California’s Educational Employment Relations Act, teachers aren’t allowed to distribute such letters to families using school time or resources, Blythe said.

Pubic education is controlled by politicians: this is the logical conclusion of that arrangement. Separating education from state is one great one.