Unite Summit has officially launched its campaign for union recognition. See below to read the public letter from the organizing committee:
To: Our Summit Public Schools Community
Summit Public Schools founded eight amazing schools in California as part of its commitment to prepare a diverse student population for academic success, and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society. We are dedicated and passionate SPS teachers and are committed to fulfilling Summit’s mission and vision. We want to ensure that students meet all SPS high school graduation requirements and post-secondary goals, and we do this by providing engaging, dynamic, and differentiated instruction. Community is an essential part of our mission statement as well, and tocontinue to realize this goal, we feel it is time to create a recognized community of educators within Summit.
As SPS educators, we play many roles in our students’ lives; we are not only teachers, but also mentors, coaches, college counselors, club advisors, family liaisons, and advocates. Our students’ success depends on educators being integral and respected partners, alongside students, families, and administrators. Summit Learning is also in the process of spreading curriculum and methodology around the country, and therefore our schools are being examined across the nation as examples in how to support students. It is important to acknowledge the role we play in making our schools the best they can be. As SPS continues to grow, we want a space that ensures student-focused, teacher-led collaboration in order to nurture an effective, caring and qualified staff that can play the many important roles that our students need. In order to continue to be truly present for our students, it is important that our community of educators in turn feels supported. Though each of our schools enjoys the autonomy needed to personalize our efforts for our unique local communities, it is also important that we come together on decisions that affect us and our students as a whole.
After careful consideration, the teachers at SPS California have decided to form the Unite Summit teachers union affiliated with the California Teachers Association. A supermajority of SPS teachers have signed a petition to form our union, and we have filed it with the Public Employment Relations Board. This is a decision we take seriously and strongly believe is in the best interest of our students and schools in order to maintain and carry out the work we describe in our mission and vision statements.
We are proud to be educators at SPS. We call on SPS to respect our legally protected, collective decision; to not exercise influence or interference; and to work with us to make our schools the best possible places to teach and learn. We look forward to working together with all stakeholders to develop a community of professional educators who are empowered to work toward success for our students and our schools.
Sincerely,
Unite Summit