New Contract for Huntington Beach Teachers

Re Huntington Beach city schools:

Apparently, the union leadership, which claims to represent the classroom teachers, has violated a promise to the superintendent and school board by continuing to press for higher salaries after the contract.

I know previous fact findings by parent, teacher and arbitration groups have supported the responsible actions of the Board of Trustees. Apparently, the vote to not support Proposition 98 was the issue that set off at least the militant leadership of the teachers union. The fact that the California School Board Assn. did not support the union-written and -sponsored proposition encouraged me that the Huntington Beach City School District is on firm ground and responsible to the community.

But, like the police union of Santa Ana, when votes didn’t go their way, a “no-confidence” vote is taken. A secret vote of 85% of teachers polled approved the vote of no confidence. How many teachers voted?

With salaries and fringe benefits averaging $45,913 for a 185-workday year, who feels sorry for these professionals who can make $60,386 per 185-day work year at current pay rates and no more responsibility than a beginning teacher at $22,000 a year?

I can’t believe the union leadership is representative of the teachers they claim to lead. After years of deficit spending, the board’s only course was for a balanced, responsible budget to provide education for our children.

Supt. Diana Peters and the board are to be praised by the community for responsible leadership in spite of pure “unionism” by the teachers union. The good teachers of our community are receiving a black eye by the very group that claims to represent them. Shame on the teachers if they don’t change their leadership.

TOM STEELE

Fountain Valley