Joint Communication from the District and SPTA: Negotiations Update- December 10, 2025

 
Hello Everyone,
The District and SPTA met for another productive negotiations session on Wednesday, December 10.  Since the collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30, all articles remain open, and discussions continued across the full contract.
Agreements Reached

• Article 12 (Salary): The parties reached agreement on language balancing unit member rights with qualification requirements related to the posting of stipend extra-duty assignments, specifically focused on the process for posting and filling coaching assignments.
• Article 16 (Duration of Agreement): The parties updated the article to reflect the new term of the agreement, and agreement was reached.

Articles Discussed

• Article 3 (Hours of Employment): Discussion focused on Early Release Wednesdays and establishing an agreed upon time for the end of the work day on district-led days. The District proposed a 3:15 p.m. end time, and additional discussion will be held in January.
• Article 4 (Class Size): Limited discussion and no counter-offer from the District on SPTA’s proposal to increase compensation for classes exceeding the “Desired Class Size Maximums” and to increase compensation for short-term independent study contracts. This article will be on the agenda for January. 
• Article 6 (Safety Conditions of Employment): Topics included guidelines for smoky days and air quality index thresholds, as well as providing a platform for staff to communicate with parents when using personal devices. There is general agreement on both items, with additional work needed to develop detailed contract language.
• Article 8 (Evaluation of Unit Members): The parties discussed identifying and agreeing upon evaluation instruments more appropriate for unit members providing specialized services, such as special education teachers and service providers.  A sample evaluation instrument was reviewed and the parties liked it as a starting point.
• Article 15 (Input in Selecting New Programs for Schools): Discussion focused on clarifying that the article refers to the role of teacher consultation and participation in curriculum selection (instead of "programs" as the article currently reads), consistent with Education Code requirements, with an emphasis on district-adopted primary instructional materials.
• Article 18 (Early Retirement Options): Continued discussions addressed increasing substitute pay for retired teachers to encourage these experienced educators to return as substitutes, as well as clarifying that teachers eligible for the Golden Handshake are not required to be enrolled in district insurance at the time of retirement. Additional discussion is needed before agreement can be reached.

The next negotiations session will focus on working toward agreement on the articles listed above, as well as Article 20 (PARR and BTSA Programs). As PARR no longer exists and BTSA has been replaced by Induction, the parties will work to update contract language to reflect these changes.
We will continue to share these updates after each session to keep everyone informed.
Sincerely,

Sean Snider, Superintendent 
Miranda Prakash, SPTA President