The Palo Alto Educator’s Association is considering next steps following a mutual “separation” agreement announced this morning between Superintendent Don Austin and the Palo Alto Unified School District.
According to a statement by PAEA, the district’s teachers union, the organization’s focus will turn to improving collaboration with the district.
After this morning’s closed Board of Education meeting, which finalized the decision, PAEA issued the following statement:
“PAEA is now focused on the opportunity for a ‘cultural reset,’” the statement said. “Our schools thrive when there is a true partnership between the district office, the Board of Education, and the educators in the classroom. We call on the Board to conduct a transparent search for new leadership — someone who prioritizes student well-being, respects the expertise of our staff, and understands that the strength of PAUSD lies in its people, not its policies.”
Despite the board’s decision to extend Austin’s contract last summer, Austin’s relationship with teachers have been strained as a result of ongoing contract negotiations and staffing changes.
The PAEA’s statement highlighted such tensions.
“While leadership transitions are never easy, this change is a necessary step toward healing a culture that has grown increasingly strained,” the statement said. “In recent years, our educators have navigated an environment often defined by top-down mandates and a breakdown in the collaborative spirit that once made Palo Alto Unified a destination district for teachers. The damage to morale and the erosion of professional trust cannot be ignored.”
AP Capstone teacher and PAEA representative Lucy Filppu said that she is glad to see how the community’s voices have had an impact.
“It feels really good to have our voices heard,” Filppu said. “We, PAEA especially, really rose up after the employee cuts that were done behind everyone’s back.”
Daniel Nguyen, the head of negotiations for the PAEA, said that the PAEA will navigate the situation carefully.
“In terms of meeting and conferring about next steps, this is really fresh news,” Nguyen said. “Dr. Austin has been here for, as they like to say, a somewhat historic eight years, and I think the new start is gonna be beneficial for everybody: for students, for the community, and faculty. … Everything is still very fluid right now.”
The PAEA seems to be preparing for a new stage of relations with the district.
“For our members, today marks the conclusion of a difficult chapter,” the statement said. “We stand ready to work with the Board and the community to restore the collaborative excellence our students and families deserve.”