As teachers enter their third week on strike, some Del Paso Heights residents are questioning the union’s tactics — and one board member says she is being targeted because of her race.
Twin Rivers Unified School District trustee and board president Christine Jefferson, the only Black woman on the board, alleges the union marched twice in her neighborhood and in front of her home. The first time was Friday, March 6, when a small group walked outside her home. The second was Monday, March 9, when marchers gathered a few streets away.
Jefferson said she believes the pressure on her is not because she is board president, but because of who she is.
“This has gone beyond negotiating,” Jefferson said. “This has gone to where they’re putting me and my husband in danger.”
Twin Rivers Unified Educators President Brittoni Ward disagreed, saying the union did not go to Jefferson’s home. Ward added that the attention on Jefferson stems solely from her position on the board and the fact that she is one of the few trustees who has not met with union representatives.
“We have reached out to her throughout this entire bargaining process and she has failed to come and meet with us, where other board members did, and listen to the concerns teachers are having, including those in Del Paso Heights,” Ward said.
Community member Jason Dillard expressed concern over students being used as leverage in the strike, emphasizing the negative impact on marginalized students in Del Paso Heights and Gardenland.
He also criticized the union for what he called harassment of trustees, including the marches near Jefferson’s home.
“I’m not against anybody,” Dillard said. “I’m against the harassment and the overt acts of intimidation. So, yes, I believe that both sides need to come to the table immediately, and everybody needs to be focused on a compromise.”
Grant High School Principal Darris Hinson echoed that frustration, alleging the union has concentrated a majority of its efforts outside the high school and has drawn in teachers and community members from outside Del Paso Heights.
“There isn’t another principal that’s having to deal with this level of attention targeted at one school,” Hinson said.
Ward said that of the union’s several rallies, only two have been held at Grant High School — a smaller one March 5, when the strike began, and a larger one March 9. She did clarify that picketing outside schools, including Grant, has been consistent since the strike started.
As of Monday, March 16, rallies had occurred at the following locations:
Grant High School, March 5 Twin Rivers Unified District Office, March 6 Grant High School, March 9 Twin Rivers Unified District Office, March 10 Twin Rivers Unified District Office, March 11 Crocker Park, with the Natomas Teachers Association, March 12 Ridgepoint Elementary School, March 13
Marches have also taken place throughout the city, including in Del Paso Heights, North Highlands and downtown Sacramento.
Jefferson Explains Why She Doesn’t Support The Union’s Proposal
Jefferson said she does not support the union’s proposal because she believes it would financially damage the district and harm its most vulnerable students.
She said that if the district agrees to the union’s terms, Twin Rivers risks insolvency similar to what Sacramento City Unified School District has faced. Jefferson added that she does not want the district to draw on its reserves, which she said would threaten after-school programs and programs for students with disabilities.
“I’m not going to sacrifice our babies for these teachers…” she said. “I care about my community, and I care about our kids. These after-school programs keep them out of trouble. And so, no, I’m not going to do that.”
Ward pushed back, insisting the union’s proposal carries no risk of insolvency or cuts to after-school programs.
“If she had met with us … she would understand more. She only has the narrative of the district side and their scare tactics,” Ward said. “We laid it all out for our board members. We’ve sent them our fact-finding presentations. We’ve sent them everything that breaks down why our district is unique.”
Assemblymember Maggie Krell reached out to both the district and the union urging a return to the bargaining table. The OBSERVER contacted Krell’s office about her role in mediation efforts; a spokesperson declined to comment.
The union is seeking a raise of between 4.5% and 6%, along with 100% district-funded health care in perpetuity. The district has offered a 2.5% salary increase for the remainder of this school year and a 2.21% increase for the following year.
The district said it also offered full Kaiser HMO family health coverage, paid entirely by the district for employees and their families.
The union rejected the offer, citing its failure to address health plans beyond Kaiser and its omission of dental and vision coverage. The union also said the district’s proposal would freeze employer contributions during the 2026-27 school year, with increases not resuming until after June 30, 2027 — effectively ending fully employer-paid benefits after just 15 months.
The strike’s ripple effects have reached beyond the classroom. Dillard said one of his students, an Afghan girl with a green card, was told the day before the strike began that ICE would show up at her campus the next day. She did not attend school Thursday, March 5, or Friday, March 6, out of fear. When she returned March 9 and sought help for her anxiety, she found the office closed.
“I think the overarching thing for me is, our students are suffering and getting caught in the crosswinds and being used as leverage,” Dillard said. “It’s very frustrating for those of us in the community who really care about our children’s education to see students used as a pawn in a bigger game.”