Members of the Glendale Unified and Glendale Teachers Association bargaining teams met again on November 8, to try to come to an agreement on a new contract for GUSD educators. After rejecting GUSD's proposals at their previous session on October 18, GTA was expected to return to the table on Tuesday with a counter-proposal. GTA presented a proposal identical to that from previous sessions and no progress was made.

The session on November 8 was the 13th bargaining session of the wage and contract negotiations that began in January of this year. So far, GUSD and GTA have come to agreement on several stipend and hourly rate increases that GTA asked to be part of this contract negotiation, including the following. 

• Increased stipend for special education, dual language immersion, and split grade level teachers, and other special education service providers
• Increased stipend for teacher specialists 
• Increased stipend for elementary teacher/assistant to the principal
• Increased hourly rate of pay for professional development instructors
• Increased hourly rate of pay for categorical program instruction
• Increased hourly rate of pay for attending professional development, planning for tutoring/ intervention 
• Increased stipend for National Board Certified Teachers and consulting teachers )
• Increased doctoral stipend

These stipends would take effect retroactively once the updated contract is accepted and approved.

Glendale Unified maintains its commitment to the following key topics, keeping health and safety and equitable access to educational opportunities at the center of all decisions:

• Wages: GUSD has offered a 4.5% one-time payment for 2020-21, a 3.5% ongoing raise for 2021-22, and a 5% ongoing raise for 2022-23. If this offer is accepted and approved, GTA members will begin seeing these raises in their paychecks without delay.

• Secondary prep time: In 2021, GUSD launched a block schedule and 7-period day at middle and high schools to better meet the needs of every student. Based on this schedule, GUSD is proposing to measure prep time on a weekly basis instead of daily, with individual teacher collaboration. Teachers will continue to receive the same amount of prep time and will still have the option to request a schedule that offers daily prep time. GUSD is not proposing eliminating prep periods for secondary teachers.

• Elementary prep-period flexibility: The district is focused on safety and has proposed that teachers notify their site administrator at least one business day before making a change in their schedule in order to ensure the school can meet the educational and safety needs of students, employees, and families. GUSD is not proposing to eliminate prep-period flexibility for elementary teachers. 

• School-based management: Currently, a teacher who does not vote on school-site proposals for any reason is automatically counted as a "no" vote. The district is proposing that teachers who do not vote because they are on a leave of absence, have submitted notification of retirement or resignation, or have been notified that they are not returning to the school site for the following year will simply not be included in the count. GUSD is not proposing to change the definition of “consensus” on school-site proposals, only clarifying how non-votes are counted.