Poway teachers will be protected from the budget ax. The Poway Unified School District is one of a few school districts that will not issue layoff notices in March.
Roughly 1,500 Poway teachers will keep their jobs despite the state’s money problems.
Poway district officials say they’re using one-time federal and state stimulus funding to balance their budget this year.
Most importantly, school officials say their teachers have agreed to pay cuts and furlough days over the past three years, saving the district money.
This year teachers are working eight fewer days and taking a 4 percent salary rollback.
Superintendent John Collins said the union and the district work together in what’s called Interest Based Problem Solving.
“For example, (teachers) want class sizes lower, we have that interest too,” Collins said. “As you go through these priorities, you realize what they want are things that we want too because we’re all working for a good system for our kids.”
Poway teachers union leaders are also part of a national group called the Teacher Union Reform Network, which seeks to reform the way unions negotiate and approach education reform in public school systems.
