The SEIU Local 1000 Bargaining Unit (BU) 3 Team has exercised the language we fought for and launched an advisory committee with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) pertaining to student class assignments.
There is ongoing concern about program failure removals and student reassignments in correctional education – specifically that students removed from classes for program failure are often quickly placed back into other classes, sometimes within days. This raises questions about the meaning, consistency, and impact of program failure decisions.
We informed CDCR that the teachers document attendance and behavior issues, complete RVRs, and recommend removal but students are often returned to waitlists and reassigned almost immediately. This makes program failure feel meaningless and undermines teacher authority and morale.
The State told us that ultimately the decisions belong to management, not teachers. They highlighted that there may be causes such as custody issues, personality conflicts between student and teacher, and misplacement due to classification/testing. Because causes vary, blanket timelines or rigid rules aren’t appropriate.
We argued that attendance data and RVRs should matter and reflect reality. We pointed out how the state’s own data they provided shows 85% of students appear misassigned on reading scores alone. Misassignment is not localized – it appears statewide which is why we urge this committee to take action. Office of Correctional Education (OCE) acknowledged misassignment exists but said it’s primarily handled locally and isn’t a top priority statewide.
While consensus exists on the importance of accurate placement and meaningful interventions, further work is needed to align data use, policy frameworks, and operational practices to better support both educators and students.
As always, if you have questions or concerns you wish to bring to your Bargaining Unit Chair, please send an email to: [email protected]
In Solidarity,
SEIU Local 1000, Bargaining Unit 3