For most of last semester, some clubs were put on pause or stopped happening entirely. Fun activities were offered less during FLEX. Campus life at RHS was significantly deprecated because of the district’s refusal to help teachers.
It is well known that the Rocklin Teachers’ Professional Association (RTPA) is a union of many teachers across the district. According to a math teacher in the RTPA, the teachers “work together so that [they] can get a fair [work] contract, fair pay, and be treated properly” by the Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD.)
According to the math teacher, the RUSD admins “feel like they are superior to the teachers.” Luckily for the RTPA, the admins they battle with are people that work in the district office, not at the schools themselves.
“Raises never come smoothly or easily.” – Language arts teacher
“Admins who work at schools generally understand what it’s like to be a teacher,” the math teacher said. “It’s the people who work in the district office…they forget what it’s like to be a teacher.”
A language arts teacher in the RTPA said that many teachers are “thankful that the district is far away” from their schools. They want to stay far from the boss that “does not truly appreciate that [teachers] deserve financial rewards just as much as [the district admins] do.”
Most students know that the RTPA demands higher wages. The language arts teacher said that for over 20 years, their raises “never come easily nor smoothly.” Teachers usually get their raises via negotiations with the RUSD. “Our union representatives have some ideas, and then the district has some ideas,” the language arts teacher said. “There’s a lot of back and forth.” Unfortunately, the process of negotiations is always “very contentious,” according to the math teacher.
RUSD usually claims that they cannot afford to give teachers raises. However, the language arts teacher does not believe the RUSD’s claim because every time the district said “they were going to be in a deficit,” it never happened. The RUSD still has money.
“The people who do the job on campus are the teachers, and we should be the people that should be prioritized in our district,” the math teacher said.
“I want to be treated fairly.” – Math teacher
On November 19, 2025, members of the RTPA gathered outside the RHS office to spread awareness to the RUSD about their demands. “We have to tell people how we feel, and hopefully people’s better judgement…helps us get everything done,” the math teacher said.
The language arts teacher said the RUSD does not remember the challenges that teachers face every day. “I want [the RUSD] to remember what it was like to be a teacher.”
“I just want to be treated as the professional I am. I want to be treated fairly. I want to know that I have a priority in our district. I want people to understand how challenging this job is, and respect us for who we are,” said the math teacher.
