With Fresno Unified teachers gearing up for a strike, the district is promoting the $500 per day rate that it will pay substitute teachers.
Fresno Unified’s latest efforts to hire substitute teachers comes after the deadline set by the Fresno Teachers Association to reach a new deal has passed.
Driving the news: The FTA had previously set a deadline of last Friday to reach an agreement on a new deal.
- Fresno Unified’s previous deal with the FTA had expired at the end of June, leaving teachers working throughout the early school year without a new contract in place.
- While the district previously announced in August that it would pay $500 per day to substitute teachers, the district pushed out that message again on Tuesday as a strike looms.
- The FTA is expected to vote on authorizing a strike on Oct. 18 unless the two sides can come to an agreement in the next couple of weeks.
- Currently, Fresno Unified pays substitute teachers around $208 per day, meaning the district would over double the daily rate to cover the 4,000 or so teachers in the FTA that could potentially go on strike.
What they’re saying: In a statement Tuesday, the district said it is seeking high-quality candidates both locally and statewide to work as substitute teachers in case of a strike.
- Schools will remain open throughout a potential strike as the district says the students remain its first priority.
- “While we continue to work toward an agreement with our teachers, our students can’t afford to lose any more learning time and we’re committed to ensuring that doesn’t happen,” said Superintendent Bob Nelson. “If a strike does become a reality, we are prepared. Our schools will remain open and safe and students will be learning.”
