Newsletter

A Publication of the Central Valley Education Association

C.V. Educator

November 2006

BARGAINING UPDATES

SPECIAL EDUCATION
The District and the Association have agreed to have reopeners to the current contract on special education issues. Those talks are scheduled to begin in March. Your Association team is in the beginning stages of preparing for this bargain. Bargaining surveys were sent to all special education classroom teachers two weeks ago and to other special education personnel (OT’s, PT’s, SLP’s, Psych’s, etc.) last week. Surveys were due back to CVEA on November 17. Once the survey results are tabulated we will begin scheduling meetings with these groups to discuss bargaining objectives. Your input to this process is very important so please get involved.
PAGE TWO AND EVALUATION COMMITTEES
The District and the Association have formed two committees to review Page 2 (Included Supplemental Salary Schedule) for high school positions and Evaluation instrument issues. These committees will make recommendations for changes to the collective bargaining agreement when bargaining begins next year for a new contract. Committee members are as follows:

Page Two Committee

Evaluation Committee

When the Page Two committee for high schools finishes we will move on to middle school and elementary school Page Two salary issues. Please thank these committee members for their willingness to serve in members’ behalf.

CVEA GENERAL SURVEY

In the next few days CVEA Building Reps will place in members boxes a CVEA general survey. The survey seeks member input on several issues that may require attention before a full bargain begins next year. The Association is seeking your opinion on calendar issues and the $250 classroom supplies/tuition reimbursement stipend. The survey contains only a few questions. Please take the time to fill it out and return the answer sheet by December 1. Your opinion is valued, please give it.

KNOW YOUR CONTRACT

LEAVES

The following is a summary of the leaves available to the certificated staff of the Central Valley School District as provided by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the school year 2006-07. For full detail of these leaves, refer to the collective Bargaining Agreement, Article V, Page 27.

Personal Illness: Twelve (12) days/year accumulative to 182, for personal illness, injury, or emergency. Employees contracted for less than full time will receive a proportionate amount of leave. (Section A, Page 27)

Emergency Leave: For the 2006-07 school years emergency leave with full pay shall be limited to three (3) non-accumulative days absence per year for illness or death of a relative of the employee and/or someone with whom the employee has a close relationship. It shall also be granted for emergencies requiring the employee’s personal attention for which preplanning is not possible; or, if preplanning is possible, it will not remove the necessity of the employee’s absence. Effective with the 2007-08 school year, employees with have two (2) non-accumulative emergency leave days. (Section D, Page 28)

Personal Leave: Certificated employees shall be entitled to three (3) personal leave days per year, which shall be at full pay. Certificated employees may carry over up to two (2) unused personal leave days from year to year. Two (2) days carried over, plus three (3) days from the current year will equal a maximum of five (5) days to be available in any one year. Unused personal leave may be cashed in each year at the substitute rate of pay. Personal leave days may be taken in half-day increments. Use of personal leave day(s) shall be at the employee’s discretion (no reason required) with the following limitations:

1. Personal leave cannot be used during the first and last week of school.

2. Use of personal leave to extend a holiday or break will be limited to the first 8% of staff per building and the employee must provide at least forty-eight (48) hours prior notification. This applies only to staff requiring substitute coverage. (Section E, Page 29)

Bereavement Leave: Employees shall be entitled to five (5) days per occurrence of bereavement leave for a death in the immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother, child, spouse, grandparents) or the death of a parent of the teacher, spouse or significant other. (Section G, Page 28)

Unpaid Leave: Requests for unpaid leaves shall be submitted in writing to the principal/supervisor and approval shall be coordinated with the Personnel Office. Pre-approval is required. Consideration for approval will be limited to unique circumstances or opportunities and only when personal leave has been exhausted. If the leave is approved, employee pay will be deducted at per diem rate. (Section F, Page 28)

Note: Unpaid leave will also result in loss of FTE credit for the year. That means the employee will not be given credit for a full year of service.

WASL Retake Scores Leave More Students Behind

The release of the WASL retake scores from August adds to the troubling direction of the WASL’s use as a high-stakes test.

Here are the numbers(state wide):

WEA remains firm in its message:

No single test should determine whether or not a student earns a high school diploma. Students should have multiple ways to demonstrate their academic achievement.

The system is not ready to support the needs of 42,000 students who have not passed the WASL. Increasing needs for remediation without additional resources and alternative assessments that aren’t fully in place all point to a system that is failing.

The funding is inadequate and not focused on system solutions. The state should focus on areas like smaller class sizes, funding all-day kindergarten and attracting and retaining quality educators -- all of which support improved student achievement and benefit all students.

Source: The Edge--Late Breaking News for Education Leaders; November 9, 2006; Washington Education Association.

Building Visit Schedule

I plan to be in the following buildings during lunch to meet members and answer questions. kr

CALENDAR

CVEA EXECUTIVE BOARD

Newsletter Archive

Newsletter