On April 14, your DCTA Bargaining Team came to bargaining prepared to negotiate with the district—but once again, the district showed up with no real intention of actually negotiating. Instead, they responded to the DCTA Bargaining Team’s Proposals with strikethroughs, dismissals, and an unwillingness to engage in collaborative and meaningful discussions.
Key proposals rejected by the district include:
- Expanding rights under TECDA to all educators, including SSPs, CTE educators, and ESLIs
- Annual trauma-informed and restorative practices training
- Adequate float coverage to meet student needs under IDEA
- Protections for international educators
During our conversation about TECDA rights, the district made their position painfully clear, stating: “We will not go beyond anything that the law requires.” That very telling statement shows exactly why we must continue fighting for more than the status quo and the bare minimum.
Despite the district’s repeated stall tactics, nearly 50 educators stayed late into the night, standing strong for our rights and the well-being of our students. As chants of “Respect us. Pay us. Value us.” began, the district chose to walk out of the room—unwilling to listen to the very people they continue to disrespect and devalue through this process.
We’ll be back at the table every Monday, fighting for a contract that truly respects, pays, and values us. We need as many people in the room as possible, putting pressure on the district to come to the table and actually negotiate. All upcoming bargaining dates are listed below—mark your calendar and be there!
