Contract Corner: The Evaluation Process

February 19, 2016

Dear Contract Corner,

I often find myself unsure about how to approach the evaluation process. Can you give me any guidance?

Signed,

Bea Dewing-Moore

Dear Bea,

The BEU just did a 6-hour training for a group of Reps and Grievance Team members. They will be available to help. We thought we’d give some highlights in this and the next issue of Brookline Educator. We’ll start with what’s coming up next:

OBSERVATIONS

Unannounced observations should generally be at least 10 minutes long. For a visit to your classroom to qualify as an observation, you must have written feedback and an in-person conference with your evaluator within 5 days of the observation (or, if rescheduled, “within 24 hours whenever possible”). To qualify as a record of the conference, a final write-up must summarize this conversation and be sent to you within 10 days of the post-observation conference. If as a result of observations the evaluator finds grounds for a needs improvement or unsatisfactory rating on any Standard(s), the evaluator must attend a full class, or a complete lesson in elementary, within 30 days. They should let the teacher know what supports the teacher can expect and what they are expected to improve.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

These happen in the middle of the cycle. You should be given a minimum of two weeks notice to submit evidence. One piece for each of the 4 Standards should suffice. No ratings should be assigned. You are entitled to a face-to-face meeting upon request. As always, if you disagree with the contents, submit a statement and any evidence you wish.

FEBRUARY LETTERS

Pre-Professional Status teachers and the BEU should receive one of these before February break if at that point, the administration sees grounds for non-appointment. The dates of all previous supervisory conferences must be listed along with “clear and specific” areas in need of improvement.

SUMMATIVE RATINGS

This rating must balance your performance on the 4 Standards and your 2 goals (20% each). However, you cannot be rated Proficient overall unless you receive that rating on Teaching & Curriculum and Teaches All Students. The Exemplary rating has not been collectively bargained so it cannot be used. You and the BEU must receive a letter by the end of March if you are at risk of not being rated Proficient overall. PTS teachers may request review with BEU representation of a Summative Rating.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email beu-mta@hotmail.com or call 617-277- 0251. One of the following grievance committee members will get back in touch with you.

Deb Allen (Devotion)

Dominique Gonyer (BHS)

Sarah Blalock (Lincoln)

Jody Curran (Devotion)

Hillary Golden (Lincoln)

Mark Goldner (Heath)

Rich Gorman (BHS)

Anna MacIver (Runkle)

Shelley Mains (BHS)

Susan Moreno (BHS)

Jill Sifantus (BHS)

Susan Stark (BHS)

David Weinstein (Pierce)

Jessica Wender-Shubow (BHS)

Bargaining Update

January 29, 2016

The BEU and School Committee Negotiating Teams negotiated Thursday, January 28. The School Committee proposed a package proposal to settle all outstanding issues in paraprofessional negotiations, including wages. The BEU Bargaining Team finds the offer completely unacceptable – for four reasons chiefly. We’ll briefly explain why.

The overall wage proposal would still keep paras at far below a livable wage.

Specifically, the School Committee proposed a three-year wage package, increasing salaries by 1% halfway through year one, 2% halfway through year 2, and 2% at the start of year three. For our lowest paid full-time direct care educators, their salary would increase by $91 the first year of the agreement, to about $18,300, then rise to roughly $18, 600 in the second year, before topping out at $19, 170 in three years.

The 2016 Federal Poverty Level for the United States (not taking into consideration the high cost of living in the Greater Boston Area) is $20,090 for a family of 3.

The package comes with a new, higher salary scale for classroom paraprofessionals, but only those working in certain programs.

Specifically, the School Committee is calling for a new, higher, salary scale, for those classroom paraprofessionals who work in seven programs: Adaptive Learning Center (ALC), Reaching for Independence Through Structured Education (RISE), Language and Academic Home Base (LAHB), Supportive Learning Center, Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), Community Based Classroom (CBC), and ExCEL. This new 12-step salary scale would allow some classroom paras to gradually increase their pay to a little less than $30,000 a year at the top of this new scale. In so doing, this proposal devalues the work done by classroom paraprofessionals working in all other programs – dividing hard working paras into the poorly paid and the really poorly paid.

The package allows layoffs and reduction in hours of paraprofessionals during the year.

This package essentially eliminates the hard-fought job security that paraprofessionals won in the last few contracts by giving the employer the right to eliminate para jobs mid-year or to reduce their hours at will. Paraprofessionals, unlike Unit A or B employees, would have no assurance throughout the year that they would even have a job – even if their work was exemplary. Why should the lowest paid also have the least job security?

Rejects all other BEU proposals for improvements for paraprofessionals.

The BEU is seeking many significant improvements in the benefits and work rules of paraprofessionals, including: paid lunch (currently all paras are docked 30 minutes for their lunch period), eliminating forced overtime, notice of who supervises and directs the work of paras, recall rights of paras who are laid off, and improvements to holiday pay, bereavement, vacation, and longevity pay. This package would require that we drop all of those proposals.

December Flyer

December 13, 2015

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

Contract Corner 183rd Day

March 8, 2015

Dear Contract Corner,

I understand that all Unit A members must fulfill 6 hours of professional development. I’m confused about how to do this. Can you help me?
                       Signed,
                       Uncertain
Dear Uncertain,
Yes, some years we are told how to fulfill these hours and some years we have more choice. This year, we have some choice. Here is some of the contract language on the professional development day:
The Professional Development day may be converted to a minimum of six (6) hours of pre-approved professional development learning activities related to a goal(s) of the Public Schools of Brookline. The administration will publish a list of specific learning opportunities that may be used to fulfill this requirement and employees may select from this list or propose to participate in and seek approval for other learning opportunities not included on such list. All professional development activities used to satisfy the 6-hour minimum requirement must be pre-approved by the employee’s appropriate supervisor(s).
Signed,
Contract Corner
Dear Contract Corner,
   I’m still not sure what I can use to apply towards my 183rd day. Can you clarify?
               Need Confirmation

Dear Need Confirmation,

Here are some Q&A from Gabe McCormick, the Professional Development Director for the PSB:

Q. Do release days count toward the 183rd day?
A. No. Release days of any kind do not qualify for the 183rd day.

Q. Can I use an A day to complete a course for the 183rd day?
A. No, because A days are for important personal reasons not professional development and more significantly, it’s double-dipping, you can’t be paid twice for one day.

Q. Do courses from the summer 2014 qualify for the 183rd day?
A. Yes, any course taken during the FY 14 (July/Aug) qualifies for the 183rd day.

Q. Does RETELL course work count?
A. Yes, six hours of the RETELL course does qualify for the 183rd day.

Q. How many hours do Part Time Employees need to qualify for the 183rd day?
A. They need to complete hours on a pro-rated basis based on their FTE and will only be compensated at that proportion. For example: a .4 employee completes 0.4*6 hours of PD and is compensated accordingly.

Q. What should we do about employees taking a leave during the year?
A. They should make every effort to complete the 183rd day while they are still working. If there are extenuating circumstances preventing completion, contact Human Resources and will we consider the appropriate accommodate.

Q. Can a two day for 3 hours/day after school qualify for the 183rd day?
A. Yes. Any combination for a total of a six-hour course would work, such as the cultural proficiency course being offer.

Q, Should the teacher or supervisor submit documentation to the OHR/PD?
A. The teacher is responsible for submitting all required paperwork including the course approval form and selected evidence of course approval.

Dear Readers,
You can find the form to fill out by clicking on the Professional Development link on First Class. From there, click on Gabe’s entry called 183rd day. You should see the form attached.
Signed,
Contract Corner