Letter From District Warns Teachers That Homework Ban Violates Contract

The Tustin Unified School District prepared a letter to teachers Tuesday warning that a boycott of homework assignments is a violation of their contract and could result in “discipline or loss of pay.”

The letter from the district Board of Education, dated today and marked for mailing to “all certificated bargaining unit members,” said the board “expects all members of our staff to continue to fulfill” contractual obligations to assign homework and attend open house meetings.

“Attendance of certificated staff at open house is a required extra-duty assignment,” the board wrote. “Similarly, attendance of (staff) at faculty meetings and other assigned meetings pertinent to the staff member’s individual assignment is required by the agreement.

“Teachers who do not attend open house or who fail to attend required meetings or to assign homework for the purpose of advancing their views concerning negotiations are subject to discipline and loss of pay,” the board said.

Many Tustin teachers stopped assigning homework and have refused to participate in after-school activities, including open house and faculty meetings, in protest of stalled contract talks. The next open house meeting is scheduled for Thursday at Tustin High School.

The letter also cites a 1982 case at the Palos Verdes Peninsula School District, noting that a state employment relations board termed similar tactics there “tantamount to a partial work stoppage.” The ruling said such a stoppage is not protected by public work rules and gives school districts the go-ahead to investigate withholding of services and discipline teachers.