Teachers angry at the Capistrano Unified School District’s proposal to cut their pay by 10% held a rally Saturday to protest the move.
The demonstration, which took place near the Mission Viejo Mall, drew more than 300 people, according to organizers of the event. It marked the latest in a series of actions highlighting teachers’ dissatisfaction with contract negotiations and the school board.
Capistrano Unified needs to slash about $25 million from its 2010-11 budget, board officials have said. They have suggested cutting teachers’ pay by 10% and making the decrease retroactive to July by deducting it from upcoming paychecks.
“These are difficult times for all institutions, not just school districts,” said trustee Anna Bryson. “We have to work with the money that we have, and that keeps getting smaller.”
Vicki Soderberg, president of the Capistrano Unified Education Assn., which represents some 2,200 teachers, said the proposed salary decrease would be dire.