GLENDALE : Teachers Push Board to Give Back Raise

An attorney for the California Teachers Assn. has sent a letter to the Glendale Unified School District demanding that district trustees give back a $350 monthly raise in 30 days or else face legal action.

The letter, addressed to district Supt. Robert A. Sanchis, was delivered by fax transmission to all five members of the school board on Tuesday.

It claims that board members violated the state’s Ralph M. Brown Act by accepting the increase--from $400 to $750--last summer without holding a public hearing. The law requires that legislative bodies hold public meetings, unless dealing with legal, union bargaining or employee issues.

If trustees fail to revoke their action in 30 days, attorneys from the California Teachers Assn. will seek a judge’s order to nullify the raise, which was retroactive to June, 1992, said Rosalind D. Wolf, CTA staff counsel.

Such an order would also force trustees to return money they received from the salary increase to the district, Wolf said Thursday.

“This is the necessary thing to do. We have a lot of enraged teachers in the district,” said Sandi Steinberg, president of the Glendale Teachers Assn.

Board President Jane M. Whitaker, Vice President Sharon R. Beauchamp, and trustee Blanch Greenwood could not be reached for comment Thursday.

“I’m sure that the letter is going to be taken seriously and that we’re going to be looking at it with our legal counsel,” said Trustee Lynda Rocamora, who has spoken against the salary increase.

Rocamora had previously acknowledged that an understanding about the raise was reached among trustees during a June meeting, usually called a study session, in which trustees receive information about various issues from staff. Later, at a regular meeting Oct. 5, the board approved $21,000 to fund the increase.