Teachers forced to rent rooms in strangers’ houses because that’s all they can afford on their current salary. Educators taking on second jobs to pay their monthly bills, including the rising rental costs that eat up more than half their income. A revolving door of young teachers coming into Morgan Hill Unified School District, cutting their teeth for a couple of years and then moving on to a higher-paying gig at a different local school district.
These are the harsh realities of certificated employees for the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers who poured their hearts out and divulged personal hardships to district leadership and school board members May 3 in a push for higher wages.
“Teachers should not accept the fact that struggling to pay rent is simply part of the teaching profession,” said Britton Middle School teacher Jacob Goldman, one of about two dozen teachers who addressed the board Tuesday night. “Teachers should not accept the fact that they will never be financially able to own a home of their own, ever.”
All the teachers who spoke up May 3—whether from Britton, Ann Sobrato High School, Barrett and P.A. Walsh Elementary Schools or Jackson Academy of Math and Music—praised their work experiences since joining MHUSD. But several explained that they are either searching for new teaching opportunities elsewhere or leaving after accepting jobs in other districts that paid more and fully covered their health benefits (MHUSD teachers pay about $1,100 monthly premium for a family).
“Unfortunately, I will not be returning next year,” said San Jose resident Kayla Benton, a second-year mathematics teacher at Britton who is leaving for another teaching job in a more affordable area. “I believe in living in the town you work in, especially when our job is about building communities.”
Teachers, like Britton science teacher Jim Levis, even brought facts and figures to back their words. Levis shared the average teacher salaries: $74,000 statewide and $78,500 in Santa Clara County, compared to $69,000 in Morgan Hill. He also introduced the average home price as $440,000 statewide, but $840,000 in Morgan Hill.
“If you are looking for highly qualified teachers….if you want to keep those teachers, I think we need to consider increasing that salary so that we reward the teachers for their hard work,” Levis said.
Negotiations underway to modify existing contract
The local teachers union is currently operating under a 3-year contract, one that came with a 5 percent raise and approved by a 6-0 board vote in June 2015. However, in the spring they started new negotiations on designated articles of that agreement, which runs through 2018, including compensation.
Along with the local workforce, Jeff Freitas, secretary treasurer for the California Federation of Teachers and Ben Field, representing the South Bay Labor Council, spoke in support of their union brethren.
“The teachers in this district are not able to make ends meet,” Field said. “Today’s compensation structure is not competitive in this labor market. You are at the very low end of the spectrum.”
A statewide teacher shortage, coupled with rising home prices and rental costs, has impacted districts throughout California. School districts with higher pay scales for employees and other perks such as no cost health benefits, first-year signing bonuses and even talks of subsidized teacher housing have made for a highly competitive market from an employer’s standpoint.
A first-year MHUSD teacher salary starts at $50,365.35, which is more than neighboring Gilroy Unified School District ($49,748 first year) but lower than other local school districts in Santa Clara County such as San Jose Unified ($53,358), Eastside Union ($54,131), Los Gatos Union ($55,053) and Fremont Union ($60,125). The wage gap increases with years of experience and the take-home pay magnifies with other districts covering medical benefits with little to no cost to the employee.
Trustee Rick Badillo said after the meeting that the salaries of other MHUSD district employees don’t set a good example.
“It’s concerning to me that our administrators are near the top of the (pay) scale for comparable districts (while) the teachers are at the bottom of the same scale,” said Badillo, adding that he “heard their concerns” but at the same time “a contract is in place already that’s still good for another two years.”
Sobrato math teacher Mario Araujo is another second-year teacher at the lower end of the existing pay scale, which increases with years worked and credits toward higher degrees attained such as a Master’s. Araujo explained he was forced to take an out-of-the-area summer job because it paid more and is necessary to pay bills.
“My rent starting this June is going up and my salary is not. How am I going to pay those bills?” said Araujo, who shares an apartment to split the monthly rent. “I’m here because math is my passion, but it is also my job.”
MHFT President Gemma Abels, who also serves on the SBLC’s executive board and as a local representative with the CFT, hoped that the teachers’ true stories of struggle opened the eyes of district leadership and board members as they continue with negotiations.
“What is happening in this district is that we are continually building the foundation of a great teacher workforce; but when teachers leave, that foundation is weakened and we must rebuild it with new teachers each year,” Abels said. “A stronger salary schedule would mean a stronger foundation for us to build upon, not to rebuild every year.”
Late the same Tuesday evening, Trustee Donna Ruebusch—a retired MHUSD teacher—said: “Certainly comments from our teachers tonight are very valid and heard.”
Teachers should not accept the fact that struggling to pay rent is simply part of the teaching profession. Teachers should not accept the fact that they will never be financially able to own a home of their own, ever.
