NegotiationsUpdateJuly19,2012
“WewanttheSuperintendentandtheSchoolBoardtocommittomakingteacherswhole.Teachersneedtoknowthatthereisalightattheendofthetunnelregardingthestepfreeze.”BrianPhillips,CTA’sChiefNegotiator
TheCTA’sNegotiationTeammetwiththeSuperintendent’sNegotiationTeamforitssecondmeetingoncontracttalks.Eachteambroughtforwardproposalsandclarifiedtheirintent.Sincethecontractdoesnotexpirethisyear,onlyalimitedamountofsectionsmaybenegotiated.Belowarethehighlightsofthemeetingandsomeofthemostimportantissuesdiscussed.
CTAProposals
Compensation:
CTAisaskingforteacherstobemadewholeonthesalaryschedule(placedcorrectly)andisflexibleonhowtoaccomplishthisproposal.TheSuperintendent’steamdidnotrejectthisideaandwillbespeakingwiththeSchoolBoardforfurtherdirection.
HealthInsurance:
Althoughhealthinsuranceisdiscussedinadifferentnegotiationssetting,CTA’spositionisnoincreasetotheemployeecontributionsandnodecreaseintheemployeebenefit.
ArticleThree,SectionBandP,WorkingConditions:
CTAisproposingmoreuninterruptedteacherplanningtimeandlimitingtheamountoftimeschoolprincipalscanmandatedepartment,team,orgradelevelplanningandothermeetings.Thisproposalwouldnotlimittheabilityforteacherstoplantogetheriftheysochoose.CTAisproposingthatprofessionaldevelopmentdaysshouldaffordteacherstheopportunitytoattendprofessionaldevelopmentatdifferentdistrictschools.Theprofessionaldevelopmentmustrelatetotheircontentorcertificationareaandnotbeofferedattheteacher’shomeschool.
ArticleThree,SectionC,WorkingConditions:
CTAisproposingthatteachershaveagreatervoiceinschoolassignmentsandplanningtime.Theproposalwouldallowteacherstochoosetheirassignmentandplanningperiodonceeverythreeyears,ifavacancyexistsattheirschool.Italsoaddsprotectionsagainstassignmentsthatarearbitraryand/orcapricious.Theproposalwouldlimittheamountoftimesaprincipalcouldchangeateacher’sassignmentormoveateachertoanotherclassroom.Otherproposalswouldrequireprincipalstoannounceteachingassignmentsnolaterthantwoweeksbeforethevoluntarytransferperiodends.Theintentistogiveteachersanopportunitytovoluntarilytransferiftheyareunhappywiththeprincipal’sassignment.