Teachers and Staff Are The Heart & Soul Of ACPS
Next week (May 8-12) is national Teacher Appreciation Week. In addition, during the month of May, we express our gratitude to other critical workers in our public schools, including principals (May 1), school nutrition professionals (May 5) and school nurses (May 10).
As a parent of five children enrolled in ACPS schools, I believe we owe it to our amazing ACPS teachers and staff to support them not just during Teacher Appreciation Week, but throughout the year. One important way to do this is by adopting collective bargaining, which would give teachers a seat at the table to negotiate over pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Collective bargaining strengthens public schools and our communities. All public employees should have the right to join together and fight for a living wage and better working conditions. That includes advocating for adequate planning time, smaller class sizes, adequate classroom supplies, and an equitable leave policy. Ultimately, teacher and staff working conditions are our childrens’ learning environments.
Collective bargaining is good public policy too. It will help ACPS attract and retain high-quality teachers and in-demand staff like school nurses, reading specialists, and transportation workers. A recent study found that Virginia teachers have the third-worst teacher pay penalty in the country; as of 2021, Virginia teachers are paid 33% less compared to peers with similar education levels in other professions. Low pay also contributes to the acute shortage of school bus drivers that cause children to be late to school and fall behind on learning. In addition, collective bargaining helps reduce pay disparities, particularly for women and people of color. Most importantly, unionization helps improve student outcomes. According to a recent peer-reviewed study, “teachers unions have a significantly positive association with student test scores in both math and English, particularly for Black and Hispanic students.”
I’m grateful that a majority of the Albemarle County School Board has voted to proceed with collective bargaining. However, this is only the first step of an ongoing process. In the coming months, the School Board and the Albemarle Education Association will be involved in detailed negotiations about the scope and duration of collective bargaining. And the final agreement will be subject to a vote as well. As a candidate for school board, I pledge to stand up for our students, teachers, and staff by supporting collective bargaining.
In sum, our ACPS teachers and staff deserve the best. While free pizza is nice, collective bargaining is key to ensuring that Albemarle County Public Schools remain a place where all of our children can learn, grow, and thrive. If you say that you value teachers and they’re the most important part of our system, why wouldn’t you give them a voice in advocating for themselves and advocating for their students?
