A Big Win for Senior SLPs and Senior School Psychologists

A Big Win for SDEA – Senior SLPs and Senior School Psychologists Have Been Restored After Union Members Took Fight All the Way to the State’s Public Employee Relations Board!

Last school year, SDEA members in the Speech-Language Pathology and School Psychology departments were unceremoniously notified via email that the District would eliminate the Senior Speech-Language Pathologist and Senior School Psychologist positions starting in the 2020-2021 school year.  With the support of a CTA attorney, SDEA member leaders Sarah Darr (Millennial Tech Middle & Scripps Ranch High School) and Michelle Crisci (NPS), along with SDEA Organizer Sara Holerud, worked together to file both a grievance and an Unfair Practice Charge through the California Public Employee Relations Board challenging the District’s unilateral action. 

The senior positions that the District eliminated are identified in our union contract. Because of that, the District cannot eliminate whole job classes without first negotiating with the members of SDEA. 

Because of our charge at the state, SDEA’s team entered into mediation with the District in August 2021.  With the help of a state appointed mediator, members were able to reach an Agreement that is a definite win for our schools and members.

The mediated agreement restores the senior positions back to the levels they were at in the 2019-2020 school year.  

Members who previously held Senior SLP and Senior School Psychologist positions, who still had time left on their 3-year rotation, will be offered their positions back to finish out their terms.  The remaining FTE will be posted internally in both departments as vacancies to allow new candidates to apply.

In addition to the restoration of senior positions, SDEA’s team was also able to negotiate job responsibilities for the senior positions. This will help fine tune the responsibilities of the members holding the Senior School Psychologist and Senior Speech-Language Pathologist positions to the needs of our schools. In short, senior positions will no longer perform administrative work or clerical tasks and will be used to support and be a resource to SLPs and School Psychologists at comprehensive sites, in addition to supporting their departments.  

This is a major win for members who will once again have the support of Senior SLPs and Senior School Psychologists to support them in using best practices and performing their jobs to support our students effectively!