Modesto teachers say they deserved voice in shaping proposed schoolday schedule
Dozens of teachers went before the Modesto City Schools board Monday night to express frustration with the proposed restructuring of the elementary school day.
The Modesto Teachers Association contract bargaining is ongoing and no agreement has been reached.
“What if the first call you made before proposing major changes to the music program was to us? What if you asked us, ‘Hey what works and what doesn’t? What do you need to make this better?’” MTA President Jennifer McGrath said to trustees and district administrators. “Instead, we find ourselves lining up out here to tell you after the fact.”
She said the elementary schedule change was rushed and teachers should have been asked for their insight.
“What if we piloted something first and [allowed] time for teachers to build skills needed to make the program successful?” McGrath continued. “Why does everything have to be zero to 100 with lightning speed every time we propose big changes?”
On Nov. 25, the district presented MTA with two schedule proposals. The first allows for PE three times a week, with one day of art and one day of music. Students in fourth through sixth grades would swap out their art and music class for instrumental music if they like. Currently, students interested in instrumental music are being pulled out of English and math classes. The new proposal also allows all students to be exposed to music.
The second option would create a visual and performing arts, or VAPA, class that combines art, music and digital media for TK through third-grade students. After that point, students could continue with VAPA or switch into instrumental music instruction.
Regardless of the option, computer literacy classes would come to an end. In the second proposal, however, digital media would be a part of the VAPA schedule block. This change would require instructors certified in teaching computer literacy and prep providers to acquire the credentials necessary to teach VAPA courses or teach another class in the district.
“The district’s proposal prioritizes literacy and math skills by reducing interruptions to valuable core instruction time,” Associate Superintendent Mike Henderson said in a negotiations update. “Maintains fourth- through sixth-grade elementary music while increasing access to music and art for all students. It provides a path for continued computer skill development. It takes the responsibility of PE minutes off of the classroom teacher. It commits to not laying off any teachers due to the proposal.”
Many teachers expressed concerns over the large class sizes they would be asked to handle with the consolidated music and arts classes of the new schedule. Others criticized the decision to remove computer literacy classes, questioning the impacts on digital equity, online test taking and students’ ability to responsibly engage on the internet.
“What you have is not a plan, it’s an idea,” said Lisa Allen, a resource teacher at Kirschen Elementary School, at public comment. “If it was a plan, you’d know exactly what curriculum you plan to use. You would know how many prep providers would be needed at each site, taking into account the full population and resources available at each site. Without this knowledge, you have no idea how many people you actually need in this position.
“When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And the real problem is, when it does fail, you won’t be the ones dealing with it. We will.”
Wilson Elementary Kindergarten teacher Deanna Salomon said computer literacy classes are important because they teach keyboarding and how to take advantage of technology responsibly for academic purposes. They level digital skill gaps among students, she said.
“While Modesto City Schools does an excellent job providing every student with a district-issued computer and Wi-Fi access, access alone is not enough. Students will still need explicit instruction to learn how to use these devices effectively,” Salomon said. “Computer literacy classes ensure that all students regardless of background develop the same essential skills.”
The MTA contract was not an agenda item of discussion, but the contract for classified staff was up for approval, only to be tabled for a January meeting. Classified staff include bus drivers, cafeteria chefs, librarians, paraprofessionials and more.
“We did reach a tentative agreement with CSEA on our negotiations, very happy about that,” Henderson told trustees. “Just in terms of sequence of approvals, we’re requesting to pull this item tonight and move it to the January board meeting which will allow the CSEA to commence with their member ratification voting process.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 10:14 AM.
