COLA Stands for Cost Of Living Adjustment

Rocklin School District teachers used to be paid one of the highest salaries in our area.  However, this has drastically changed in the past few years.  RUSD teachers now seem to be competing for the lowest pay.

Each year, the district receives COLA from the state.  COLA stands for Cost of Living Adjustment.  It is meant to protect our teachers from factors such as inflation and rising gas prices.  

Recently, our district's trend has been to pass a fraction (or even none) of the COLA to its teachers.  The teachers are not asking for a pay raise, they are only asking for their COLA!  

Last year, the state gave our district 4.35% COLA.  The district passed 0% on to our teachers!  Teachers are still negotiating their '07-'08 salaries, but the district continues to offer them 0%!

Rocklin teacher salaries and health benefits are now 4% below average in the area. Why not teach in Roseville where teachers' salaries and health benefits could be up to 7% above average?

Clearly, we will be getting the left over teachers if this goes on.  As a junior in high school, this doesn't affect me very much; I may only miss out on one or two good teachers. But for younger siblings, friends, and the sake of what's right, we must do something about this.

So what can we do? Call or email super intendant Kevin Brown and the school board members. Go to board meetings. Spread the word. We must do something.  It certainly appears that district officials will not work out teacher contracts without student and parent involvement.