Teachers tell Mount Diablo Unified board to rebuild trust as contract talks continue

Linda Ortega, president of the Mount Diablo Education Association, told the Mount Diablo Unified School District board on Oct. 15 that trust between educators and district leadership has eroded and asked trustees to direct their bargaining team to negotiate in good faith toward a fair contract.

“Trust is an important word in our line of work,” Ortega said during the public-comment period. “When parents drop their children off at school every day, they trust that their teachers are going to teach them well and that all children will be safe at school... Somewhere along the way, trust has been broken.”

Ortega told the board that members of the association — which she said represents more than 1,600 MDUSD educators across more than 50 school sites — report classrooms that are not ready to teach and a sense of disrespect from district leadership. She urged trustees to ensure teachers are compensated in ways that reflect the Bay Area’s high cost of living.

“We are just asking that our love of teaching be respected and not taken advantage of,” Ortega said. She referenced the state’s high nominal teacher pay but noted that when adjusted for cost of living California ranks lower compared with other states.

Ortega asked trustees to “direct your bargaining team to negotiate in good faith and settle a fair contract with your educators,” and to instruct district management to repair workplace culture after bargaining concludes. She also thanked Trustee Lawrence for proposing a public budget-information meeting and said an open budget process is one way to rebuild trust.

The board did not take action during public comment. After Ortega spoke the meeting moved on to recognitions and the consent and regular agendas.