Sacramento City Teachers And District Reach Impasse On Distance Learning

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento City Teachers Association says they have requested a state mediator after failing to reach an agreement on a distance learning plan with the Sacramento City Unified School District.

Schools are scheduled to reopen this Thursday despite the impasse.

In a press release, SCTA President David Fisher said, "SCUSD administrators have been unwilling to respect the input of hundreds of educators who work with students every day and who have spent thousands of hours developing a distance learning plan that will meet the needs of Sacramento's diverse students."

SCTA says the impasse comes after 20 bargaining sessions with the district.

The union says they disagree with the district on required screen time, curriculum, special education services, and special services for students who cannot participate in distance learning, such as foster youth and homeless students.

In a press release, district superintendent Jorge Aguilar said, "Our district compromised on the number of instructional minutes that would be provided to our students, but we cannot compromise on the quality of instruction and education for our students. SCTA's proposal fails to provide adequate time for students to learn from their teacher."

Aguilar said the community wants more "more quality instruction, more communication, and more accountability."

The district says it is pushing for more live instruction, saying that students are more successful when receiving direct instruction from teachers.

Below are the proposed instruction plans, as provided by the district:

SCUSD students will start the year Thursday and Friday will a temporarily reduced schedule that will allow teachers time to adapt to the new learning environment, the release said. Teachers were also granted two extra days of paid professional learning ahead of the first day of school.