Adelanto Protests for Teachers

via Victor Valley Daily Press

By BROOKE SELF
STAFF WRITER 
Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 6:03 pm
Updated Feb 11, 2015 at 6:05 PM 

ADELANTO — About 30 Adelanto parents picketed in front of the Adelanto Elementary School District offices on Wednesday morning for several hours regarding continued stalled contract negotiations between the teachers union and administrators.

The newly organized group of parents — mostly mothers — said they wanted the district to spend more money on their schools and children, and to give teachers “what they are asking for” in their contracts.

“The teachers are excellent,” said Monique Leshecia Hunter, 35, as she held a young child on her hip. “They go above and beyond. I really think they deserve every bit of what they’re asking for.”

Hunter is the mother of two children at Victoria Magathan Elementary School, a Spanish and English dual immersion school. She said both of her children are getting a “good education” while learning to be bilingual.

District and union officials said previously that the two sides agreed on an 8-percent ongoing retroactive raise and 3-percent one-time payment for past frozen step-and-column pay. However, the current dispute seems to center around a health benefits cap. The district is offering a $1,026 increase for a total package of $10,950, according to a district memo posted at www.aesd.net.

AESD Board President Teresa Rogers refused to comment on the stalled talks on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the parents said they were also upset about being asked to fundraise for local field trips and basic school supplies. Miriam Garcia and Ada Ramirez were the two mothers leading the group. They said they would picket all week long in support of the teachers.

“We’re very concerned we’re supposed to be taking money out of our pockets to donate papers to our schools, supplies like pencils and erasers,” Garcia said. “ We have to do all these events to raise money for our schools.”

Garcia also said she was upset with the current school board and said she was “ashamed and embarrassed” that she voted for them.

“We feel like they are laughing in our faces,” she said.

 Brooke Self may be reached at 760-951-6232 or BSelf@VVDailyPress.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @BrookeSelf or @DPEduNews.