BEUnited! — Coolidge Corner!
December Flyer
Brookline Educators
Are Working Without A Contract!
The School Committee budgeted $750,000 for additional central administrators, but they
have been unwilling to work with us on a contract to meet key immediate needs of
Brookline children. In contrast, Brookline educators are seeking contract changes that will:
Prioritize individual attention for every child:
§ Assess specialists’ workloads, limit caseloads & reduce number of students per
educator so we can meet the needs of all learners.
§ Guarantee every educator the time to prepare to teach every day.
§ Limit non-instructional tasks (data entry & paperwork, meeting time).
Enhance the safety of our students and staff:
§ Introduce “special populations” caseload review.
§ Add building aides who can step in where needed.
§ Assign more than one educator to rooms with 65 or more children.
§ Increase classroom safety with appropriate staffing & equipment.
Respect the professionalism of our educators:
§ Reserve time in staff meetings to discuss educator concerns.
§ Guarantee fair compensation for all, including a living wage & fair scheduling for
Paraprofessionals.
Since August 2014, the School Committee has been assuring us that
they can address these issues without contract language. We’ve seen
little come from such claims. No more empty promises! We need
contractual guarantees that protect our members’ professional rights;
secure their economic well-being (especially for our lowest paid
members, Paraprofessionals); and recognize their expertise and
creativity so that every Brookline Public Schools student has access to
the best possible education.
PLEASE CONTACT THE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
& DEMAND THAT THEY SETTLE A FAIR CONTRACT
BROOKLINE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Chair
617-730-2430
susan_Ditkoff@brookline.k12.ma.us
Barbara Scotto, Vice Chair
617-566-0041
barbara_scotto@brookline.k12.ma.us
P.H. Benjamin Chang
617-730-2430
ben_chang@brookline.k12.ma.us
Helen Charlupski
617-566-5329
helen_charlupski@brookline.k12.ma.us
Michael Glover
857 -445-5580
michael_glover@brookline.k12.ma.us
Lisa Jackson
617 -731-0902
lisa_Jackson@brookline.k12.ma.us
David Pollak
617-734-4418
david_pollak@brookline.k12.ma.us
Rebecca Stone
617-278-9220
rebecca_stone@brookline.k12.ma.us
Beth Jackson Stram
617 -730-2430
beth_stram@brookline.k12.ma.us
Above and Beyond Survey — electronic option here
McLac2000 / Pixabay
If you would like to fill out the survey right now, here’s a link to an electronic version: http://bit.ly/overandabovesurvey
Or: fill out a hard copy of this survey and give it to your Building Rep or an Action Team member. If you wish to email it to beu-mta@hotmail.com, please let a member of your organizing team know you have submitted yours. Thanks!
Bargaining Update: Just returned from the table on this last day of November…
…and it is as cold as ever…We began by asking the School Committee team to explain their position regarding the increasing burdens on teachers. They offered a rather technical response that focused primarily on administrative logistics and some ways to make these more efficient. In turn, we insisted that the remedy that would insure the best education for our students was to contractually limit increased non-teaching burdens. However, they remain entrenched, maintaining the status quo and presenting some technical remedies that would be implemented on a schedule of their own making. This discussion of unconstrained workload was lengthy.
At the end of the session, we gave them our economic proposals for Unit B and the Paraprofessional Unit, which exactly mirrored the $3000.00, $4000.00, $5000.00 that we asked for in Unit A bargaining.
We have a session scheduled for 12/9 where they will respond to the Para wage proposal. The plan is to focus attention on Paras that night.
We also have two upcoming actions and it is imperative that you make time to participate! They are not going to move at the table unless we make things uncomfortable in the community.
— Eric Schiff, Negotiations Chair
MARK YOU CALENDARS! PLEASE SIGN UP FOR DEC. 12 UNDER “EVENTS”
— Saturday, December 12, 11am-1:00pm. Leafleting at Coolidge Corner. Please meet behind the Coolidge Corner Theater. Sign up under EVENTS for 1 or 2 hours.
— Wednesday, December 16: Picketing at EVERY school for 30-45 minutes before members are required to be in the building; leafleting of parents; all staff walk in together.
— Complete “Over and Above” survey
— Each member assembles a list of the names of at least 3 parents whom they’d be willing to talk to about negotiations if they had a clear script for doing so.
The Action Team is meeting this Friday, Dec. 4. Stay tuned for logistical details.
BEU members ratify Contract Campaign Action Plan
On November 23, the BEU membership met and ratified the following action plan.
The BEU will undertake a three phase action plan, commencing tomorrow, November 24th, with Phase 1.
NB: This is not “work to rule”. That is a tactic that has members only do the work that they are strictly required to do under the contract. Rather, we are calling for a phased in plan of ceasing voluntary activity while also increasing our communication of our message to the greater Brookline community – as follows:
Phase 1: Beginning November 24th
— Saturday, December 12: visibility/leafleting at Coolidge Corner in two shifts, 11-12 & 12-1.
Start recruiting now!
— Wednesday, December 16: Picketing at EVERY school for 30-45 minutes before members are required to be in the building; leafleting of parents; all staff walk in together.
AND
A. Complete “Over and Above” survey
B. Have each member assemble a list of the names of at least 3 parents whom they’d be willing to talk to about negotiations if they had a clear script for doing so.
AND
Members will refuse to volunteer for any NEW uncompensated committee work that is not student-centered.
Phase 2: Beginning on or about January 18th, 2016
— Once-a-week picketing at every school (to be determined by each building)
— Suspension of voluntary services
— Presentation of survey results to school committee
— Meetings with parents/community concerning unsettled contract
— Leafleting/visibility actions in community
— Press strategy
— “Teach ins”
Phase 3: Beginning on or about March 15th, 2015
Escalated undetermined action to be recommended at the time by the bargaining team in conjunction with the action team.
