DECEMBER 1: What they said… “When things are good, we need to plan for a possible bad future.”

Nutrition & Schedule: EMUEA responded to District’s last proposal by proposing a one-year only implementation of the nutrition break. During this time, each site would review schedules, research/visit other sites, listen to the district’s concerns and do whatever is necessary to come to some consensus. This would be followed by a vote where a 75% majority of the site staff would select a schedule—including nutrition—that works for their students & site. This preserves the existing contract language about professionals choosing the schedule—block vs traditional—six vs seven periods—that works.  

District said “yes” to the one-year implementation, “yes” to a site vote for Nutrition Break placement.  District still insists on cutting each site’s right to “adjust its scheduling of instructional and preparation periods…with the concurrence of 75% of site certificated staff”.  Despite a plethora of Doctors of Education, District does not want to  present evidence, measure outcomes, take time to make a case, and vote—uniformity will simply be imposed.

Class Size: EMUEA re-submitted our proposal which District has so far ignored: most classes capped at no more than 32 students per period/160 students per day—with language for paying teachers for any “emergency” need by the district to surpass these numbers.

District said “yes” to class caps at 37 for all classes except “Honors/Accelerated/AP/Academy/ AVID classes…” as well as all instrumental music, all choral music, all auxiliary units to Marching Band, all Associated Student Body Classes, Dance, Colorguard/Drill Team, Yearbook, Journalism, Drama, Athletics, and PE.  These classes would have no  limit on the number of students crammed in...  District removed the contract language related to “recommended class size divisors” and removed our proposed language related to “student and teacher safety.”

Salary & Fringe: EMUEA countered the District’s “3% on schedule + 4% off” salary proposal. EMUEA said “NO” to cancelling health insurance for retirees and “NO” to any cap on benefits.

District moved to 4% on schedule + 4% off.  District again proposed killing retiree benefits starting with new hires after January 2017 instead of 2016.  District moved to a  cap of $14,500 for medical only: “It’s generous.”

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DECEMBER 1: What they mean…

District got over $10,000,000 in new money this year—money meant to directly address the inequities of poverty and language specific to our neighborhood.  When asked why—in light of this—the Superintendent did not propose a package better designed to attract and retain superb teachers—the key way to redress the inequities—the District only said “it’s a choice.”  It’s also a choice to cap insurance.  A hard cap means the district no longer has a stake in negotiating with insurance brokers for the best prices and plans—all new costs go directly to you.

Assuming insurance costs stay the same(!), a new teacher considering EMUHSD, with a new baby at home, will be faced with this EMUHSD reality—with United Health Care HMO for example:

Oct. 1st Salary + Ben. Pkg	New Oct. 1st Sal (4%) + Ben.	Retirement “Gap” Insurance
4374.36 + 1762.96 = 6137.32 Pays $300.04 for ins. = 5837.32	4549.34 + 1450 = 5999.34 Pay 300.04+362.96  = 5336.34	None.  Absolutely must work until 65 or later—or face possible financial ruin.

EMUHSD district does one thing: educate El Monte kids.  So if the district isn’t putting this new money into getting the best teachers into El Monte classrooms and keeping them there, into taking care of them if they must retire early after sacrificing their health for El Monte, into guaranteeing classes under 32 to give El Monte kids the same chances in life that a kid in a charter or private school might have — what the hell are they doing with it?

From Your

EMUEA Negotiations

Team…

FIRST MEETING FOR 2014-2015

Negotiations opened May 13, 2014 at the Union office.  The District reviewed their financial situation and their projected $6 million budget surplus.  The CBO told us that the current cost of a district-wide all-employee 1% raise is about  $511,000.00.  

The District proposed an Intervention/Tutoring/Supervision during an extended lunch—which would add 30 minutes to our day and shorten teacher lunch to 30 minutes.  The particulars of the tutoring curriculum are vague at this point.

The  District proposed requiring all certificated non-teaching staff to support and promote college, career and parent involvement events for five (5) evenings during the year.

The District proposed adding 5% on the salary schedule.

The District proposed making the instructional minutes and preparation time at all five comprehensive high schools consistent.

In addition to discussing each of these proposals in order to understand the way the District team is thinking, the Association reviewed with the District team the salaries currently being offered at other districts and the length of time since the last cost of living adjustment (2007-2008).

Your Association is currently formulating a counter-proposal.

NO STRIKE/NO LOCKOUT

Here is an answer to a question many of you have asked:  after June 30, 2014, we are working without a contract.  Until we finalize a 2014-2015 contract, striking is back on the table.  Once we finalize the contract, the “No Strike” Article is back in force.  

US INFLATION—BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

BTW… If in 2007 you purchased an item for $20.00, then in 2014 that same item would cost $22.79—a cumulative inflation rate of 14%.  (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl)

What should our message be?

I had a teacher recently ask, "What should our message to the board be?" I think part of my answer to him might be worth sharing more broadly. The school board, at its best, is a fellow-soldier in the war against lowered expectations and ignorance. I think an appeal to this is our best direction: 

 "I'm watching you. I know when the elections are. I expect you to make the best choices for the quality of education in this district...  

 "One vital ingredient for good education is excellent teaching staff. If you want the freedom to non-renew ineffective teachers in the first two years, EMUHSD must have a competitive salary structure that will have excellent teachers LINING UP to work here. 

"EMUHSD must have a professional environment that encourages smart, thinking teachers to stay here: teachers must be consulted about curriculum and instruction, must be given common goals and freed to achieve them in uncommon ways—using their own professional judgment.   

"Teachers must have good common assessments to use that are aligned to common standards and well-designed to be recursive so that an honest appraisal of a teacher's--or a program's--success can be made.

"I expect you to think while you are here serving on the EMUHSD School Board—not about your next career move but about your city, your district, your kids."

 If there are fifty personalized variations of that message every month, if we avoid personal attacks or insults and address them as colleagues of whom we expect the best—I think that would make negotiations better...lol...I don't think this needs to be a secret strategy. I don't play tricky games very well...I have a terrible memory for that kind of thing...lol...