Employees demand wage increases
At the Feb. 4 Conejo Valley Unified School District [CVUSD] Board Meeting, multiple CVUSD employees spoke, as well as read letters from those who were unable to attend, addressing concerns about current wages. Sixteen public comments were presented in total, resulting in a minimization of speaking time from three minutes to two minutes to ensure the meeting was completed in a timely manner.
Melissa Piatt, CVUSD paraeducator, read a letter on behalf of another California School Employees Association [CSEA] employee. The employee is requesting a cost of living adjustment that should be implemented for the upcoming budget cycle, claiming that the current salary scales no longer reflect the cost of living in Thousand Oaks, especially with the rise of housing, utilities and healthcare. “While our dedication to our students remains unchanged, our purchasing power has diminished,” the employee wrote. “A meaningful cost of living raise is not just a bonus for hard work; it is an essential investment in the stability of our schools.”
Another public speaker was Elizabeth Allen, a CVUSD paraeducator since October 2021, and who has been working in CVUSD since 2014. Allen addressed that due to recent county program closures, more students with significant behavioral needs are being served on CVUSD campus. Consequently, this increased enrollment has caused employees to manage heavier workloads, staff shortages and the rising cost of living. “Over the past few years, our responsibilities have increased, but our pay has not kept up with inflation or nearby districts,” Allen said. “This affects staff morale and retention. When experienced staff leave because they cannot afford to stay, students lose consistency, schools lose stability and the district loses a valuable experience that is hard to replace.”
Along with CVUSD paraeducators, Early Childhood Education [ECE] teachers also spoke at the board meeting, sharing their concerns over the rising cost of living. Tanya Arjon Cressman, ECE assistant teacher for CVUSD preschool for 15 years, stated that they perform essential work that keeps the district and the community running, and that they are constantly meeting expectations, adapting to increasing demands and consistently delivering results. “At the same time, wages have not kept pace with the cost of living or the value that our work creates. Fair pay is not reasonable; it is a basic standard of respect for us in classified, whose work makes success possible,” Cressman said.
Pursuant to the Brown Act, the school board informed speakers that they cannot undertake any action or discussion in response to the public comments; however, they are able to briefly respond to questions and concerns from the public. Following the public comments period, Mark McLaughlin, CVUSD Superintendent, addressed the discussion of salary negotiations, claiming that the board is in the midst of negotiations with CSEA. “Hopefully, sooner than later, we will be able to get to an agreement that satisfies both needs on both sides of the table,” McLaughlin said.
The letter read aloud by Piatt outlined expectations that the classified employees are asking for, stating that competitive pay is the most effective tool the district has to fill current vacancies and reduce exhaustion for the existing staff. “A school is only as strong as the people who show up every day to lead the classrooms. We want to continue showing up for our students, but we need the district to show up for us,” the employee wrote. According to Best Places, the current cost of living in Thousand Oaks for a single person is $94,800 per year.
