San Jose teachers prioritize safety in contract negotiations

A teachers union is joining parents in demanding San Jose’s largest school district makes schools safer.

Following increased incidents of weapons on campus and social media threats post-pandemic, the San Jose Teachers Association is calling on the San Jose Unified School District to provide safe and stable schools. This year, the union is including “teaching conditions and safety” in its contract negotiations. Among its requests is appropriate staffing levels for students with behavioral needs.

Renata Sanchez, president of the San Jose Teachers Association, said the concept of holistic school safety has surfaced in teacher concerns. Sanchez wants to ensure school safety regulations and procedures are outlined in the contract, so teachers and administrators are clear on protocol. 

“Safety is foundational to learning. Our students can’t wait any longer for better support in our schools,” Sanchez said earlier this month at a union news conference. “In order for our staff to be their best selves each day, and for our students to do their best learning each day, they need to feel safe and secure, both physically and emotionally at their school sites.”

The union collected surveys from more than 600 teachers and staff, talked to them directly and held about 26 focus groups. In the surveys, teachers’ top priorities were increases in salary and safety. They want wellness centers and mental health support for students, fencing and perimeter barriers on campus and clear protocols for who is allowed on campus.

“We feel helpless,” one teacher wrote in the survey. “It is our job to make our students feel safe even though we don’t feel safe.” Another said, “I wish people understood the mental exhaustion that teachers face on a day-to-day basis. Based on the number of problems and decisions we face due to our responsibilities with keeping our students safe.” 

Sanchez said although there’s a district safety committee, the missing element has been gathering feedback from people working at school sites. It’s one of the things they’re hoping to change in the new contract agreement, she said.

“What we’re really hoping to negotiate are policies and processes that make sure teachers and SJTA members … are at the table to help make decisions about school safety. And that the district is listening,” Sanchez told San José Spotlight. 

A district spokesperson declined to comment on negotiations.

The current federal administration has also directly impacted both staff and students’ feelings about safety in our schools, she said. SJUSD recently reaffirmed its support for immigrant students and also has a resolution in support of LGBTQ+ students. 

“We’re hopeful to codify some of those statements of support,” Sanchez said. “Students need to know that school is a safe and stable place for them to go since the world around them is in turmoil.”

Parent Trudi McCanna, who raised concerns regarding gaps in SJUSD’s approach to school safety and mental health, is encouraged school safety will be part of the SJTA’s negotiation process. McCanna founded the “Why Wait Project,” a parent-driven initiative advocating for safety improvements in the school district.

In addition to hiring a safety director, McCanna wants SJUSD to adopt evidence-based early intervention programs, security upgrades, trauma informed emergency plans and anonymous reporting systems to foster safer, more trusting school environments.

“Safety in our schools cannot be an afterthought,” she said. “We are proud to stand with teachers launching demands for safe and stable schools. When safety isn’t something we just hope for, but rather something we ensure, that’s when real learning can happen. That’s what every student deserves.”

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].