NTU Update - May 24, 2021

Just a few quick items that came up this morning.  We will still be releasing our normal weekly update on Friday

Week 6 in the Legislature

REC Recognizes Additional Money

On Tuesday, the Revenue Estimating Conference met to consider economic projections from economist who determined that the state has more money than previously thought. They increased their revenue projections for both this year and next by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Lawmakers will now have $357 million more to spend in the current fiscal year and $320 million more to spend next year. LFT is pushing legislators to use some of this additional money to fund further increases for teachers and school employees. We can and should match the pay increase seen in 2019 ($1000 for teachers and $500 for school employees), if not exceed it.

Teacher Safety in Classroom Discipline

House Bill 411 by Representative Hughes seeks to revamp school discipline procedures. While we can all support sensible, transparent and progressive discipline practices, we need to take measures to ensure that teachers and school employees are safe through that process. As currently written, this bill could take away the provision that insists that if a student is removed from the classroom three times then a parent conference be required before the student returns.

LTU Elections

Domino’s Pizza-A-Day-Give-Away on UMass Dartmouth Campus!!

The UMass Unions United Dartmouth and UMass Health & Safety coalition have partnered with Domino’s Pizza to reward students for adhering to the campus’s COVID-19 protocols.  Deb Gula, VP of Flawless Execution, has graciously donated 100 gift certificates for a large, one-topping Domino’s pizza (a $15 value).  Deb is the mother of our AFT MA Maintainers 6350 President Nicholas Gula.

UMass Dartmouth Unions Win A Seat On The Chancellor Search Committee

Last week members of the UMass Unions United Dartmouth team created an email requesting a union seat on the UMass Dartmouth Chancellor search and screen committee.  The email was sent to UMass President Marty Meehan, Search Committee Chair Steve Karam, Board of Trustees Chair Robert Manning, and copied

Education Issues and Professional Development Update - May 2021

Read below for updates on: Ohio’s ESSA Waiver; the Ohio Teacher Leader Summit; the 2021-2023 Teacher Liaison Cohort; I Educate Ohio; Ohio’s new Dyslexia Law; Educator Standards Board; State Board of Education; Gifted Advisory Council; OFT Partnership to Diversify Teaching Profession; and a Cincinnati Public School Honored as a Green Ribbon School.

Results of the AFT Executive Board officer 2021 elections

The results of the AFT 1789 Executive Board election are in, and here is your new eboard:

  • District President: Annette Stofer
  • District Secretary: Althea Lazzaro 

  • Treasurer: Marla Robinson

  • Membership Chair: Sharon Spence-Wilcox

  • Communications/Technology Chair: Alyssa Jocson Porter

  • Negotiations Chair: David Krull

  • Political Action Chair: Jill Lane

  • Professional Issues Chair: Alecia Spooner

  • Human and Civil Rights Chair: Cristóbal A. Borges

  • District President for Part-time Faculty: Natalie Simmons

  • Faculty Senate President for North Seattle College: Jim Jewell

  • Faculty Senate President for Seattle Central College: Helena Ribeiro

  • Representative for Part-time Faculty at Seattle Central  College: Mia Bailey

To everyone who voted, you are making our union stronger. Keep up the good work.

 

Record Day MOU Signed

May 3, 2021 - The School District of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association have reached agreement through Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in lieu of any formal action over the recent adoption of modifications to the calendar for 2021-2022.  The MOU addresses the modifications to the October 8, 2021 Record Day and modifies the Collective Bargaining Agreement pertaining to Article XVII-Work Year-Section 1-Work Year. 

The MOU provides the following: 

  1. Voluntary BEST Standards professional learning opportunities may be offered on half of the Record Day on October 8, 2021. It is the teacher’s sole choice to participate in this professional development, and no one shall be coerced or pressured to do so by any District or school administrator. No other meetings or professional learning will be scheduled on October 8th. 
  2. The Student Growth Score within the Teacher Evaluation System for the 2020-2021 work year will only be used if the measure results in an advantage or benefit for the teacher. 
  3. The Superintendent and MEA agree to distribute a joint communication regarding the voluntary professional development, its purpose, and the fact it is restricted to the Record Day on October 8, 2021. 

Pat Barber                                                                       Cynthia Saunders
MEA President                                                                Superintendent 

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