Education: Culver City Labor Negotiations

This letter is in response to a letter to the editor appearing in the Feb. 2 issue of the Los Angeles Times, Westside Section, by Norman H. Green (“Education: Teacher Salaries in Culver City”).

Without commenting on the merits of each side involved in labor negotiations, we believe it is important to cover the accuracy of some information presented in Mr. Green’s letter. First of all, the superintendent has not been offered nor has he received any increase in salary for the 1994-95 school year; and while the superintendent’s salary does exceed the statewide average, it is well below the average salary paid to unified school district superintendents in Los Angeles County.

Further, the Board of Education has been consistent in its desire to support the basic function of teaching in the classroom, and over the past four years has granted salary increases significantly above the average of other districts in Los Angeles County. The current offer by the school board of 2.2% exceeds at least two-thirds of the settlement offers by other school districts in Los Angeles County and exceeds the increase in the cost of living, which was 1.0% in 1994.

VERA M. JASHNI

Deputy Superintendent

Culver City Unified School District