Fresno Unified teachers protest at board meeting

Hundreds of teachers took to the front lawn on Fresno High School's campus to protest an impasse in labor negotiations.

More than five hundred teachers showed up to the Fresno Unified school board meeting on Wednesday night. The teachers say they've been asking the district to let them be part of the decision-making process to reduce class sizes and increase safety on campuses. They also want better health benefits.

"There's a lot of opportunity in Fresno right now. A lot of new monies have come into the area and the teachers really want to be a part of that process. They want to talk about what is the best curriculum for kids the students believe if we have less students per class we can do a much better job teaching them," said Jon Bath, Sunnyside High School Teacher.

"Our teachers get to the highest end of the salary schedule quick. They're lifetime earnings are the highest in the state for urban teachers. We feel very good about the package that we have," said Michael Hanson, Fresno Unified S.D. Superintendent.

Hanson says the district has proposed salary increases and better health benefits for teachers. He added that the district is already working on lowering class sizes and has made safety improvements.

The two parties will meet again next week to work on an agreement.