HomeYearly Archives: 2013

Yearly Archives: 2013

VEA Celebrates creation of Common Ground

June 23, 2013
VEA President Christal Watts and CTA President Dean Vogel enjoy Common Ground.
VEA President Christal Watts and CTA President Dean Vogel enjoy Common Ground.

VEA members joined over 15 other organizations, including local churches, non-profits and labor, in the Common Ground Founding Convention held today at St. Patrick’s/St. Vincent’s in Vallejo, California. With almost 1,000 delegates present, community members were able to tell their stories regarding issues that concerned them to the over a dozen of local civic and political leaders in attendance.

We were thrilled to have our very own, CTA President Dean Vogel attend today’s event. We were also pleased to see VCUSD Vice President Tony Ubalde along with Superintendent Ramona Bishop.

While today’s convention was inspirational and energizing, VEA recognizes that this is just the first step in developing long-lasting positive change in our communities. Posted below is the tentative agenda that has been developed for the  work of Common Ground in the upcoming months. We ask that if you are interested in making a difference, look at the list below and commit to attending at least one thing!

Homeless Teen Strategy Meeting
Thursday, August 22nd, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church,
1600 Union Ave., Fairfield

“Ready for Reform” Immigration Gathering
Early Fall 2013 – Date/Time/Location TBD

Neighborhood and School Safety Strategy Meeting
Tuesday, October 8th, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Vincent Ferrer Memorial Center,
SW Corner of Sacramento and Florida Sts., Vallejo

Neighborhood and School Safety Neighborhood Walk
November 2013 – Exact date/Time/Location TBD

Common Ground in the News:

Common Ground Founding Convention

June 19, 2013

VEA is excited to announce that we are founding members of “Common Ground,” an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation. This new organization is committed to bring profound positive change to the communities of Solano and Napa counties. Common Ground is a non-partisan group that consists of faith-based organizations, non-profits and labor groups.

We are very pleased that our very own CTA President Dean Vogel is attending this event.

Contact Christal Watts at [email protected] or at 707-552-8487 for more information.

Common Ground
Organizing to:
Strengthen our Institutions and
Create Community Change in Solano and Napa Counties

Who is Common Ground?
We are diverse religious and non-profits organizations in Solano and Napa Counties who are forming a broad-based, non-partisan organization, which will help us to:

– Build strong relationships within and across our communities;
– Equip our members with leadership and organizing skills;
– Act powerfully together on concrete issues facing our communities.

We are building this effort with the help of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the nation’s oldest and largest leadership development and broad-based organizing network.

What Do We Believe?
Relationships. The issues we work on come out of conversations in which people share stories about experiences and concerns. We build on these relationships to strengthen connections between people, which is the foundation for effecting real change.

Leadership. We identify and develop leaders within our institutions and across our communities, so that our institutions get stronger and we can accomplish more together.

Ownership. Dues from member institutions, in addition to some foundation support, fund the organization. We accept no government money. This allows us the freedom to reflect the interests and values of the institutions that make up the organization.

Practical Solutions. We work on concrete issues that we can do something about. Once potential issues are identified, we do research and power analysis to develop practical, achievable solutions. We measure success with a triple bottom line: Are we bringing about change? Are we developing leadership? Are we growing the power of people to act on their values?

Where We Are Now and Where We Are Going?
We have 15 congregations and non-profits that are already charter members and many others seriously exploring membership, and we welcome more!

Member institutions are working internally to identify and form leadership, develop strategic plans and identify issues they want to work on that are impacting their families and communities.

Common Ground will have a Founding Convention Sunday June 23rd from 3:00-4:30pm at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, 1500 Benicia Rd, Vallejo. There, 1,500 delegated from our 15 charter members will announce and credential the organization publicly, pledge dues commitments to each other and launch action around an agenda of issues.

Teacher/Educator Survey Results

May 25, 2013

From May 5, 2013 until May 17, 2013, a survey was open to VEA members. A link was provided on this website as well as through VCUSD district e-mail. 176 responses came from the link provided through the district e-mail and 88 responses came from the link provided on the website.

The results of this survey are posted below.

1. Are you currently looking for a teaching/education position in another school district?

Yes     31.8%
No 68.2%

2. Do you feel that District Administration generally supports the work of teachers/educators in their classrooms?

Yes 25.4%
No 75.8%

3. Do you feel safe on your school campus?

Yes 53.0%
No 47.0%

4. Has a school board member visited your school site this school year?

Yes 45.5%
No 55.3%

5. Do you believe that PBIS has been an efective strategy on your campus?

Yes 38.3%
No 64.4%

comments about PBIS:
“If PBIS is an effective strategy for working with people, then why aren’t the Administrators and Superintendent modeling the same strategy in their own interactions with us? The lack of training on how to deal with SEVERE Behaviors is of great concern. I have no problem with learning a new strategy, but the community must adopt it for it to show systemic results.”

“The students have no consequences for their actions anymore and they continue to repeat undesirable behaviors because there are no real consequences for their behavior.”

“It will take sometime to implement and adjust these new ideas on discipline and consequences.”

“For the majority of students, PBIS is working, but there are a few outlier (Tier 3) students whom PBIS is not working for.”
6. Do you believe restorative justice has been an effective strategy on your campus?

Yes 16.7%
No 84.6%

Comments about restorative justice:
“I’m not sure what it is or what its purpose is or whether or not students have any buy-in. Teens are very conscious of what’s fair and what’s unjust but they are not involved in “restorative justice”. Are they?”

“Very few teachers even understand the concept behind this program and little to no explanation or training has been given to support the process whatever it is. The district officials make it sound as though it is in place throughout the district but in reality very few individuals at our site know or understand how it is being used. We have very few support systems for our students and don’t see how they are being “restored” or rehabilitated.”

“Not enough time for all interested parties to meet and work out agreeable solutions to problems. Training for implementation of restorative justice seems inadequate.”

“We have not implemented all of the strategies of Restorative Justice, but theones we have in place are proven effective. I can’t wait to implement all of Restorative Justice next year. We have some great ideas for promoting a healthy and engaging school climate using Restorative Justice.”

Press Release: Vallejo Educators Respond to Grand Jury Report on High School Safety Concerns

May 25, 2013
May 24, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Vallejo Educators Respond to Grand Jury

Report On High School Safety Concerns

VALLEJO – Local educators share many of the same concerns about Vallejo High School safety spelled out in a recent grand jury report.

For the past two years, members of the Vallejo Education Association have reported to the Vallejo City Unified School District administration and to school board members their concerns regarding safety – not  only on the Vallejo High School campus but at other school sites within the district.

“There is nothing to celebrate about this report, said Christal Watts, President of VEA. “While teachers do feel a sense of vindication, we also recognize that there is much work to be done. This essential work absolutely must include teachers’ voices.”

Among other findings about the 1,700-student Vallejo High School, the Solano County Grand Jury report says too few teachers have access to two-way radios to communicate directly with campus supervisors; several locations on campus are not secure and are “easily accessible” by intruders; and the high school administration is “not informing teachers of a student’s prior criminal or disruptive conduct at the time a student is enrolled in their class.”

VEA is calling on the district administration and the school board to work with VEA and the California School Employees Association in finding sustainable solutions to address the issues raised in the grand jury report.  VEA is working on grant funding to help coordinate VEA and district “community listening sessions.”

“Right now many of our teachers are very concerned about the direction of this district,” Watts further stated. “One of the most essential ingredients for student success is to provide a safe environment for both students and their teachers. This report confirms that this is not always happening.”

VEA looks forward to engaging in honest dialogue with the community about the findings of this report in the upcoming months.

###

 

The Vallejo Education Association is affiliated with the 325,000-member California Teachers Association and the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.

VCUSD lowers standards on acceptable behavior

May 1, 2013

AR 1250 – Community Relations:Principal’s Registration Authority has replaced BP 1314, which used to be known as the “Civility Policy.” Both policies are posted below in their entirety.

AR 1250 – Community Relations: Principal’s Registration Authority
The principal or designee may refuse to register any outsider if he/she reasonably concludes that the individual’s presence or acts would disrupt the school, students, or employees; would result in damage to property; or would result in the distribution or use of a controlled substance. The principal or designee or school security officer may revoke any outsider’s registration if he/she has a reasonable basis for concluding that the individual’s presence on school grounds would interfere or is interfering with the peaceful conduct of school activities or would disrupt or is disrupting the school, students, or staff.

BP 1314
1. Any individual who disrupts or threatens to disrupt school/office operations; threatens the health and safety of students or staff; willfully causes property damage, uses loud and/or offensive language which could provoke a violent reaction; or who has otherwise established a continued pattern of unauthorized entry on school district property, will be directed to leave school or school district property promptly by the Superintendent or designee.

2. If any member of the public uses obscenities or speaks in a demanding, loud, insulting and/or demeaning manner, the administrator or employee to whom the remarks are directed will calmly and politely admonish the speaker to communicate civilly. If corrective action is not taken by the abusing party, the district employee will verbally notify the abusing party that the meeting, conference, or telephone conversation is terminated and, if the meeting or conference is on district premises, the offending person will be directed to leave promptly.

3. When an individual is directed to leave under such paragraph 1 or 2 circumstances, the Superintendent or designee shall inform the person that he/she will be guilty of a misdemeanor in accordance with Education Code 44811 and Penal Code 415.5 and 626.7 . . .

4. The Superintendent or designee will ensure that a safety and/or crisis intervention techniques program is provided in order to raise awareness on how to deal with these situations if and when they occur.

5. When violence is directed against an employee, or theft against property, employees shall promptly report the occurrence to their principal or supervisor and complete an Incident Report. Employees and supervisors should complete an Incident Report and report to law enforcement any attack, assault, or threat made against them on district premises or at school-/district-sponsored activities.

6. An employee whose person or property is injured or damaged by willful misconduct of a student, may ask the district to pursue legal action against the student or the student’s parent/guardian.

When the school board trustees were questioned on this change, they seem to be unaware that the old policy had been replaced with the new one.

Numbers don’t tell the whole story

May 1, 2013

This letter is in regards to the recent article, “Vallejo district to avoid major budget cuts,” (April 25). In this article, the Superintendent speaks to the drastic reduction in school suspensions and expulsions. She states the District is not looking the other way on student behaviors, rather that students are being suspended for suspendable offenses.

How do we know that this statement is true? The teachers don’t know it as they have been denied access to being able to easily look at a student’s discipline record that used to be readily available on AERIES, the computer program that tracks attendance, grades, and discipline. The discipline tab was disabled shortly into the Superintendent’s first year in the district.

Teachers will report that too often referrals that are written are never returned or are returned days letter. Teachers will say that even after sending a student out for a suspendable offense (offenses are listed under 48900 of the California Education Code), such as engaging in threatening behavior, students are returned to class. Even after a referral is returned days later, too often the referral provides no information as to what, if any, action was taken by the site administrator. Teachers will also report that it appears that their site administrators are under great pressure to reduce suspensions and expulsions and that many referrals disappear.

The one reliable source that teachers could use to see what consequences was given after a referral was written was disabled on AERIES. This action was taken after the District claimed that a teacher at a school site shared confidential information. This teacher was disciplined, but so was every other teacher in the district. There was no conversation with VEA on how to make sure confidentiality is not breached, rather the one tool we had was conveniently disabled around the same time the push to reduce suspensions and expulsions was put into place at school sites.

I keep trying to remind our school board members to be thoughtfully skeptical when the district provides information, whether it is on finances or discipline. There is a deep distrust with the numbers reported because I know from talking to teachers at our school sites that referrals are not being handled in any way that can be tracked by anyone outside of site and/or district administration.

Christal Watts,
President
Vallejo Education Association

(This letter appeared in the Vallejo Times Herald on Sunday, April 28, 2013.)

Process on changing your school site calendar – it cannot be imposed!

April 22, 2013

Under the VEA/VCUSD Collective Bargaining agreement, the district is responsible for setting the start and end time of our day. However, it is staff at school sites that have the ultimate say in the hours within the day. Under 5.11, any change in the bell schedule has to go through a process, which requires a development of a leadership team (not just selected by site administration), a poll and a vote of all impacted staff.

At the start of the current school year, the district tried to make substantial changes to the calendars used at our middle schools. Specifically, there was an attempt to standardized the minimum days at the middle schools. While VEA doesn’t have an outright problem with this standardization, what we do believe is that ALL members should have a say in this process and a right to vote on any changes on calendars at each school site.

If your site administrator presents any change to the student/teacher work day in the the 2013-14 calendar, remind them of 5.11 of the VEA/VCUSD CBA. VEA recognizes that each school site is unique and their calendar is a reflection of what teachers, support staff, and administration has developed for a variety of reasons. No calendar should be imposed on your staff. It is imperative that any school site that believes they are being forced to change their calendar, contact VEA in order to help you through this process.

Some school sites may choose to retain their current calendar. Even if you are rolling your current calendar over into the 2013-14, school sites are encouraged to still follow the process as defined under 5.11 of the CBA, including voting on maintaining your current calendar. This vote has to take place by May 1st!

Please be advised that each school site should vote on their calendar for the upcoming school year – even if there are no changes. However, if no vote takes place, then your current calendar automatically rolls over into the next school year. NO vote equals maintaining the status quo on your school site calendar.

Please contact your VEA Director for more information.

Elementary:
Teri Nutt
Loree Tackmier
Katie Vevoda

Middle School:
Katherine Catanzarite
Lynette Henley

High School:
Scott Heinecke
Rob Raven

Adult School:
Effie Dudley

Special Education:
Deanna Dunn

2013 NEA-RA Election Results

March 19, 2013

Below are the 2013 NEA-RA Election Results.

Christal Watts 207
Dave Henderson 145
Katherine “Cat” Catanzarite 121
Lynette Henley 115
Scott Heinecke 101
Danalyn Drane 82*
Teri Nutt 79*
Carol Bishop 41

Two people are currently running for CTA State spots for the NEA-RA. If one or both win and one or both give up their Local spots, then Danalyn Drane and Teri Nutt may also go as Local delegates.

We did not receive ballots from the following school sites:
Cave, Federal Terrace, Lincoln, Mare Island, Patterson, Hogan, and Bethel.

–from Marie McPherson, VEA Elections Chair

Congratulations to those who won spots for the RA! Expect more info from VEA about the process by May 2013. Feel free to contact Christal Watts, VEA President with any questions at [email protected].