Dozens of teachers, parents and students rallied at the corner of Castro Street and El Camino Real Thursday afternoon, Feb. 17, to support the Mountain View Whisman teachers union in its contract negotiations with the school district.

The union declared an impasse last month, objecting to the district's lack of willingness to shrink class sizes or set defined working hours for teachers. The district offered teachers a deal that would have increased pay by 12% over three years, but created a locked contract so that other items couldn't be negotiated. When teachers rejected that, district officials suggested a 4% raise for the current school year, with no changes to class sizes or the work day.

"We have 7% inflation and you're offering us 4%," union President Sean Dechter said at Monday's rally. "As far as I see it, we didn't gain anything this year."

Dechter said that he hopes the rally will raise awareness in the community about teachers' concerns.

The protestors stood on all four corners of the intersection, as well as some of the center medians, holding signs bearing slogans that included "We stand with Mountain View teachers" and "We want what is right for our students."

District administrators have argued that the union's requests aren't financially viable and suggested that they take some of the proposed raise to reduce class sizes and pay teachers extra for after-hours work.

In an email to the Voice, district spokesperson Shelly Hausman said that the school district looks forward to partnering with the union to work toward a solution.

"We, too, support our teachers, and have continued to work with them over the years to increase salaries and improve working conditions," Hausman said.

Katie Puglisi-Chan, the mother of two students at Gabriela Mistral Elementary School, turned out to Thursday's rally to show that parents agree with teachers' demands. Puglisi-Chan said she is deeply grateful for the effort teachers have been making to help kids catch up after the disruptions caused by the pandemic, but said that their current workload isn't sustainable.

"Being a teacher requires tremendous patience and care," Puglisi-Chan said. "Doing that depleted is just an impossible ask – and yet they do it, day in and day out."

She said supported the union's request for clear work hours, fewer meetings outside of the school day and reduced class sizes.

"Addressing the things they're asking for will make the important work they do sustainable," Puglisi-Chan said.