Teachers pack meeting, ask for raises

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- In an emotional plea to the school board Tuesday night,

Newport-Mesa teachers detailed their woes of being among the lowest-paid

instructors in Orange County.

The crowd of educators spilled into the lobby as they beseeched a

receptive school board to recognize them with a pay increase in this

year’s budget.

“We want them to focus on the quality education that happens with

qualified, well-paid teachers. And our teachers haven’t had an

across-the-board cost of living increase in two years,” said Linda Mook,

president of the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers.

Many veteran teachers said they stood by the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District -- without pay increases -- during the district’s embezzlement

scandal eight years ago and the county bankruptcy six years ago. But they

said they will accept no more excuses.

“Everyone is out there working hard for the students and the community,

but no one is out there working for teachers,” said Jim Rogers, a

chemistry teacher at Corona del Mar High School.

The problem reaches beyond keeping the qualified teachers who are already

employed by the district, they said. It is difficult to attract new

teachers with salaries that are significantly lower than those in

neighboring districts.

“Why would beginning teachers want to make just over $30,000 when they

could drive five miles to the north or west and make over $36,000?” Mook

said.

School board members said they are aware of the situation and have been

working privately to resolve the problem.

“As a board member, I think the community has to know that we’ve been

studying this behind closed doors,” said board member Wendy Leece. “We do

hear them and we are looking at it.”

Tuesday night’s show of force was part of a campaign that has all

district teachers wearing gold ribbons to match their slogan: “Treat

teachers like gold.”

“I agree with them. We need to treat them like gold,” said school board

member Dave Brooks. “They have done a great job for us and I have no

disagreement with giving them more. The problem is we still have an

entire district to run. We are now capable of fixing facilities. It’s

time to look at teacher salaries.”