Redwood City-Based Charter School Teachers Avoid Strike, Reach Deal

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Teachers at a network of Bay Area charter schools who picketed outside Redwood City headquarters earlier this week reached a new contract agreement with administrators on Friday, according to a news release.

Summit Public Schools has seven schools in the Bay Area, with locations in Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Richmond, San Jose and Daly City.

Ninety-five percent of teachers who voted on Mar. 31 had supported a strike if necessary. Eighty-nine percent of teachers participated in the vote. Contract talks had been ongoing since Mar. 2020.

Instead, the two sides reached a contract agreement that includes new standards to support English language learners, limiting class sizes to 17 for middle school English language learners. There are also more “fair discipline and dismissal policies” for teachers to prevent fear of retaliation.

Related: Teachers At Charter School Network Picket At Redwood City Office

Other changes include four weeks of parental leave, an updated salary schedule replacing “merit-based” pay, mental health support and a 40-hour workweek with duty-free lunches.

“Our goal was to reach an agreement that would help to counter high teacher turnover and provide our students with additional support,” said Janine Peñafort, a Spanish teacher at Summit Prep in Redwood City and president of the union, Unite Summit. “This contract was a long time coming, but in the end, we achieved our goals. We look forward to a productive and collaborative relationship with Summit.”