August 31, 2015

Welcome back, everyone! I can’t believe it is almost September which signals the second month of school for traditional schedule and a well-deserved break for our year-round folks. The summer was not as busy this year (woo hoo!) for me or the officers. I hope that everyone was able to rest, rejuvenate, and look happily forward to the coming school year. I also hope that people enjoyed their retro check!! I hope that the school year started reasonably well for all, and I hope that members are happy to see the smiling faces of our students every day.

Notice how often I am using the word “hope”.  You can’t take the English teacher out of the girl…so know I select my words carefully, as words have power and evoke emotion. I want all Federation members to be hopeful. That is the theme of the year for me. I hope that you can join me. I want members to see the change in our district as a positive one…with an overabundance of opportunity to be part of making this district a better one, for our students and for us. I want members to know that we do have power, the power of solidarity.

Realize, like I have, what we accomplished last school year: together we are strong, together we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to, and together we are a force to be reckoned with. I am so proud to be part of PFT.

With that said, there are issues to tackle. We have a new superintendent who has an education background. I have been fortunate to meet with him often this summer (solo, with PFT officers, and at a workshop). We continue to discuss some wishes the Federation has for a new district leader. My main concern and wish is about communication. My other wish is for the district to recognize the professional dynamos we have. Lastly, I was adamant about having a “seat at the table” on all issues TK-12. I feel heard and hopeful that the culture in our district is changing for the better.

Staffing is an immediate issue that is not going so well at some sites. Be assured that the officers and negotiators are tracking changes and engaging the administration in conversation about best practices. There are constraints on anything that we do that has a dollar attached to it. Please let your reps know if there are questions or concerns about what is happening at your site.

Technology is another issue that has hit sites…some better than others. Again, please let your reps know if there are issues or questions. PFT has requested a TK-12 committee be formed to design protocols for use. Once again, we are faced with playing “catch up” (like with the changes in Aeries), but I firmly believe we need a say in the protocols. More info on that as the committee is formed. With that said, I attended a parent information night concerning the use of ipads (yep, still a parent in the district). It was clearly stated that technology is a tool, one of many teachers will use. Administration also stated that technology will be used only when it enhances the curriculum. This seems reasonable to me, but many members are having different experiences and we need clarity. Hopefully this district/PFT conversation will happen soon so we can all have clear, equitable expectations and protocols. More on this when the idea becomes a committee…

We will soon embark on the adventure that is known as negotiating the “successor” agreement. This means the entire contract will be open for negotiation. Start considering issues and having conversations with your colleagues about hopes you have for the future…things that maybe need to be defined in the contract…changes you want to see. A survey will be coming soon asking for your input. YOUR INPUT IS VITAL to the negotiating team’s ability to create change.

The road show for the start of the year has begun. Dave Rose and I will be presenting the annual Safe Schools Presentation. Along with that presentation, Linda Scheele (our new Director of HR) and I will be presenting about the new Professional Development plans and evaluation/process changes. Coming soon to a site near you!!

Shared Decision Making has come up as an issue. There are no formal plans for the road show to come to sites for this year on this topic. I have had a few requests from sites to bring back the show. You know your sites. You know the climate at your sites. If you would like some sort of presentation/meeting/training on Shared Decision Making, please email me and I’ll arrange something.

Will any of this be easy? No. Will this be immediate? No. Will PFT be on the front lines fighting for you? Absolutely! 

I hope that this message finds all happy and healthy. Take care of yourselves. Be hopeful.

In Unity-

President’s Message

April 23, 2015

The next General Membership Meeting will be held at the PHS Library on Thursday, April 30 at 4pm. Please come and discuss current and future issues. Your participation is vital to our success as a Union!

Congratulations to Krista O’Connor, Tammy Elliott, and Carrie Caudle, our newly elected High School Vice President, Treasurer, and Elementary Vice President (respectively). 

A huge thank you goes to MaryBeth Cohen, out-going Elementary Vice President, for her incredible service to PFT as she takes on other roles.

Sandra Larsen, Tammy Elliott, Erinn VanderMeer and yours truly represented PFT at the annual CFT Lobby Days this week. We met with staff from Assembly Member Levine’s office and with Senator McGuire’s office and discussed current CFT backed legislation. There’s a listing of issues from Teacher Evaluation, Charter Schools, Community Schools to Classified and Higher Ed issues. See any one of the participants for information if you are interested.

What a difference a few days can make! There are so many changes happening in the district…district office personnel, principal swapping, mediation, staffing for 15/16…phew! I hope you are all resting and staying healthy as we head into the final stretch of the year.
 
Here are a few quick items to consider:
 
EXTRA DUTY PAY
It has come to my attention that the district administration is “blaming” the Union for the $25.44 rate of pay for extra duty. This is unfair, untrue, and extremely disturbing. That this is announced as fact at K12 Curriculum and at Superintendant’s Advisory just blows my mind. How divisive can the administration get?
The rate of pay for extra duty is NEGOTIATED! This is not an arbitrary decision made by the Union. To blame us for an item in the contract is unconscionable! 
What has not been said is that, in our contract, the district is not to offer any stipend, of ANY AMOUNT before participating in the negotiation process. The Federation has been put in the horrible position too often to demand that the district bargain in good faith what our teachers are paid above and beyond the contract. Please know that the Union is not the obstacle here. We have to again and again DEMAND TO BARGAIN what our teachers are paid…to make sure it is equitable and reasonable. The $25.44 has not been recently brought to the table by the district and the Union has not currently said that is a reasonable rate.
I am deeply saddened by this attack and certainly expect more professionalism from our administration.

In solidarity,
Kim

Note:  Mediation Update - I know a mail chimp message went out about the two meetings coming up Monday and Tuesday of next week (April 13 and 14). Wish our team luck!
MEDIATION UPDATEI know a mail chimp went out about the two meetings coming up (Monday andTuesday of next week). Wish our team luck!

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH DEBACLE

Dear PFT Brothers and Sisters,

On February 10, the board of education announced that they were on a “fast-track” to hire a new superintendent. At the same meeting, the board looked for “input” from the “stakeholders”. A special board meeting was planned for Saturday, February 28. They announced they would be including everyone affected by this decision.

On February 24, after a long agenda, the board announced no one but they would be part of the hiring for the new superintendent. For the few people still in attendance at this late school board meeting, this was a shock. No selection advisory committee is part of the planned (and now approved) process. It was also announced that there would be a very short timeline: the job closes onMarch 13.

Although the board made great attempts to reach the public to attend the special Saturday meeting, a communication process that we have been asking for, there was no explanation of why the board is not using our district hiring protocol…except a citing of the need for “confidentiality” in the process. Although reminded of the confidentiality clause in our protocol, the board is adamant that they will use their own process. Clarifying questions were asked that night, and all public attendees were told was that was the decision.

Many people attended the special board meeting on Saturday, February 28. Approximately 70 community members, parents, teachers, administrators, and others attended the three-hour meeting. Although many wished to discuss the process, most were told to stop and that it was not appropriate, that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss criteria only. There was no discussion, only a formal, rigid presentation of ideas. There was no feedback from the board, no indication of next steps, nothing but note-taking.

Thank you, in advance, for your action in this process as we move forward.  This hire is an incredibly important moment for our district.  Our voices need to be heard.

In solidarity,
Kim


What's NEXT? See our Take Action Now page!

President Board Address                         February 24, 2015

Good evening.

In order to foster good dialogue and communication, I respectfully ask that the board move item L.1.1 to earlier in the agenda. Thank you.

In that vein, I wish to begin tonight to heartily thank you for all of the communication efforts this week about the special board meeting this Saturday. I received two robo-calls in addition to the district email about the event.

This is such an important time for our district…and this type of inclusive, wide-spread communication is exactly what we need to build a district our students deserve.

The Federation has also been busy communicating: emailing, creating surveys, passing out reminder memos, so all voices can be heard. The efforts of the district perfectly complements the efforts of PFT…almost as if we planned it! Whether it is hiring processes, technology, curriculum or other business of the district, we always are more powerful when creating the systems together.

Let us take this example of successful collaboration and build on it and move forward to once again be the envy of all other districts in the county.

Thank you.

February 13, 2015 MEDIATION UPDATE

Message from the Negotiators…
HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!
The team met today at the Sheraton with the mediator and the district team. The 
day started at 10am with the mediator talking about confidentiality. We are not able 
to share specifics about our conversations. After 6 hours, making small strides, the 
teams did not make significant enough movement to resolve all issues. We will be 
meeting again on March 4 at the District Office to continue the conversations.