PACOIMA : Charter Teachers Express Concerns

In the latest murky relationship to emerge from the uncharted waters of the charter school movement, teachers at the San Fernando Valley’s two charter schools and teachers’ union officials are struggling to define their respective roles.

Worried that their concerns were not being adequately addressed by United Teachers-Los Angeles, teachers from the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima and Fenton Charter School in Lake View Terrace met with union officials this week.

In the meeting, teachers told union officials of health benefits they have been denied, and raised other concerns about their on-leave status from the district.

Technically, the charter school teachers, as employees of the fiscally autonomous charter schools, are on leave from the Los Angeles Unified School District.

But teachers say the leave status has caused a host of problems. Many had their names deleted from health benefits lists, for example, and have been denied medical and dental services. Some say they hoped the union would work harder to help them resolve such issues. “I’m tired of feeling as if we were a step-child of the district,” said Vaughn teacher Carol Haasis. “I would like to feel as if our union represents us.”

But union officials say the charter school members, like all members of the union, must raise their voices louder in order to have their concerns heard.

“I told them the same thing I tell every school,” said John Perez, UTLA vice president. “Because we are a service organization, if we don’t hear from a school, we assume they don’t have a problem. We have enough problems that we don’t go looking for them.”

Some charter school teachers, who do not believe UTLA will fight for their best interests, say they are considering a break from the union.

“People ask ‘why are we paying dues to a union that does not support us’ ,” said Brenda Nyx, a UTLA representative at Fenton. “We’re paying the same amount and not getting the same services.”

Perez said the vagueness of the charter law is in part to blame for the concerns.

“I think like everything relative to charter schools, this is an evolving process and will take some time,” he said.