DECEMBER 2016
I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. I hope you enjoy your much deserved break. It will be nice to have some time off to relax and celebrate the season. I look forward to working for you in 2017.
The Federation's Negotiation Team met with the CSEA (classified employees union) Negotiators on November 28. The purpose of the meeting was to look for ways to support each other. The meeting went very well, and we discovered we have much in common. We are both dedicated to providing the best education possible for the students of Petaluma City Schools. In addition we are both working to negotiate the best possible contract for our members. We will continue to look for ways we can work together to achieve our common goals.
Elementary Bilingual Education Support
The District has been attempting to fill two Bilingual Resource Teacher positions for some time and has not been able to find qualified candidates. Two elementary sites, McKinley and McDowell, have a high percentage of English learners and have not had support services for their students. The district has developed a temporary solution for these sites for the remainder of this year. They will be attempting to hire bilingual aides to support English Language learners at both sites. In addition, they will be evaluating the Bilingual Resource Teacher job description and looking for ways to serve all English language learners in the future.
Upcoming Negotiation Sessions
Your Negotiations Team is continuing to work on securing the best possible contract for all of us. We have two sessions scheduled for December. We will meet with District Negotiators at the District Office on December 16 at 8:30. This will be our first opportunity to discuss financial issues. Our next session is scheduled for December 22 at 1:00 P.M. If you would like to be an observer at either session please contact our Chief Negotiator, Suzanne Garcia.
It's Scholarship Time!
The Petaluma Federation of teachers will sponsor multiple scholarships that will provide a one-time payment of $500.00 to children of “PFT members in good standing” who are graduating from high school to attend a community college, a four year college, or other institution with a course of learning resulting in a diploma or certificate of completion.
The scholarships are for those graduating from high school in the 2016-17 school year.
The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) will administer the scholarships. The graduating student must submit the application no later than February 28, 2017.
This is intended to be an annual scholarship however, since the number of applicants will vary from year to year the scholarship will be reviewed each fiscal year in the total context of the PFT budget.
Applications are available on line at the PFT Website. Please email the PFT President at [email protected] about your intent to apply. PEF will notify students of the scholarship award and all of the details encompassing.
All completed applications should be submitted to PFT President, Sandra Larsen, no later than February 28, 2017. Submissions may be done via email, postal mail, or brought directly to the PFT office.
Grievances
Article XIV of our contract describes the grievance procedure. Grievances can be filed when there is a perceived violation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. You can only file a grievance about issues covered in our contract. We have a strong grievance team
Dana Morelini (McNear ), Erinn VanderMeer (Kenilworth) , Connie Williams
(Petaluma High) and myself are your Grievance Committee representatives. Feel free to contact us with your grievance questions or concerns. We are here to support you.
California Federation of Teachers Convention 2017
The CFT Convention will be held March 31- April 2 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. We will begin the process of electing our delegates in January. If you are interested in attending the convention be on the lookout for nomination forms. There will be more information in the next newsletter.
I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. I hope you enjoy your much deserved break. It will be nice to have some time off to relax and celebrate the season. I look forward to working for you in 2017.
The Federation's Negotiation Team met with the CSEA (classified employees union) Negotiators on November 28. The purpose of the meeting was to look for ways to support each other. The meeting went very well, and we discovered we have much in common. We are both dedicated to providing the best education possible for the students of Petaluma City Schools. In addition we are both working to negotiate the best possible contract for our members. We will continue to look for ways we can work together to achieve our common goals.
Elementary Bilingual Education Support
The District has been attempting to fill two Bilingual Resource Teacher positions for some time and has not been able to find qualified candidates. Two elementary sites, McKinley and McDowell, have a high percentage of English learners and have not had support services for their students. The district has developed a temporary solution for these sites for the remainder of this year. They will be attempting to hire bilingual aides to support English Language learners at both sites. In addition, they will be evaluating the Bilingual Resource Teacher job description and looking for ways to serve all English language learners in the future.
Upcoming Negotiation Sessions
Your Negotiations Team is continuing to work on securing the best possible contract for all of us. We have two sessions scheduled for December. We will meet with District Negotiators at the District Office on December 16 at 8:30. This will be our first opportunity to discuss financial issues. Our next session is scheduled for December 22 at 1:00 P.M. If you would like to be an observer at either session please contact our Chief Negotiator, Suzanne Garcia.
It's Scholarship Time!
The Petaluma Federation of teachers will sponsor multiple scholarships that will provide a one-time payment of $500.00 to children of “PFT members in good standing” who are graduating from high school to attend a community college, a four year college, or other institution with a course of learning resulting in a diploma or certificate of completion.
The scholarships are for those graduating from high school in the 2016-17 school year.
The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) will administer the scholarships. The graduating student must submit the application no later than February 28, 2017.
This is intended to be an annual scholarship however, since the number of applicants will vary from year to year the scholarship will be reviewed each fiscal year in the total context of the PFT budget.
Applications are available on line at the PFT Website. Please email the PFT President at [email protected] about your intent to apply. PEF will notify students of the scholarship award and all of the details encompassing.
All completed applications should be submitted to PFT President, Sandra Larsen, no later than February 28, 2017. Submissions may be done via email, postal mail, or brought directly to the PFT office.
Grievances
Article XIV of our contract describes the grievance procedure. Grievances can be filed when there is a perceived violation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. You can only file a grievance about issues covered in our contract. We have a strong grievance team
Dana Morelini (McNear ), Erinn VanderMeer (Kenilworth) , Connie Williams
(Petaluma High) and myself are your Grievance Committee representatives. Feel free to contact us with your grievance questions or concerns. We are here to support you.
California Federation of Teachers Convention 2017
The CFT Convention will be held March 31- April 2 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. We will begin the process of electing our delegates in January. If you are interested in attending the convention be on the lookout for nomination forms. There will be more information in the next newsletter.
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