MPUSD teachers' union reaches landmark contract agreement with district.

Some say the last time Monterey Peninsula Unified School District teachers had a multi-year contract was in the early '90s. 

Others say they've never had one. Until now. 

A landmark two-year agreement between the Monterey Bay Teachers Association—the union that represents MPUSD teachers—and the district was tentatively reached March 13 and was ratified by union members March 22. 

It will head to the MPUSD board for approval April 15. 

"It’s really good news," says MPUSD Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh. "[It's] a good sign of trust and collaboration with the union, and it will really allow us to focus on the work and not have to come back next year."

MBTA President Allyson Schweifler says the new contract is a big move to make district salaries more competitive with surrounding districts. 

"Working with Dr. Diffenbaugh, he understands the needs of the district, the things our district needs to move forward. He understands the need to recruit and attract teachers," she says. "We haven’t been competitive with surrounding districts, and he recognizes that fact. The teacher's salary, that’s a huge thing.

"It's great to have someone who understands, it's very refreshing for our district."

Diffenbaugh, who grew up in the hills above Watsonville and went on to earn a PhD. at Harvard, is in his first year as MPUSD superintendent. Already, the results are evident. 

"Last year we didn't reach a contract agreement until mid-May, and the year before that was the day school was out," Schweifler says, adding that Diffenbaugh has taken a holistic approach to district challenges. "His overall vision for the district is bringing all the pieces together." 

A big part of that approach is valuing teachers. 

"In the No Child Left behind era, teachers were often viewed as implementers," he says. "Your role is to implement someone else's vision. Literally, the environment was, 'You need to be on this page, this day, this time.'

"As we’re shifting into Common Core, my approach, and my leadership team's approach, is to empower the teachers to be more creators rather than implementers," he says. "It’s that collaborative environment were trying to create. It helps build trust. They feel respected because of that. Us being able to negotiate this two year agreement is just a further sign of that trust."

The tentative agreement has teachers (as well as district psychologists, nurses and speech and language therapists) receiving a retroactive salary increase of 1 percent for the 2014-15 school year, a 5-percent increase effective July 1 and another 4-percent increase July 1, 2016. 

"I think this is a kind of the direction we're headed, one of collaboration as opposed to adversaries," Diffenbaugh says.