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Important VEA Updates

August 27, 2013

Class Sizes
Per Article 10.2.1, site managers have 10 student days to adjust class sizes or caseloads. On the 11th student day, members start notifying their managers if they continue to be over. Payment for overages begin on the 11 student day, however, site managers have an additional five student days to bring class size or caseloads into compliance with the contract.

Evaluations
Per Article 11.3 – unit members need to be notified no later than the 3rd Friday of September that they are to be evaluated.

Process A
If you are probationary, received an unsatisfactory evaluation or were moved from Process B to A at the end of the school year (last year), you will jointly select 3 objectives from the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP’s). Please remember – the process is to jointly select 3 objectives – not have your site administrator select 3 whole standards.

If an agreement cannot be reached on the 3 objectives between the unit member and the site manager , the unit member selects two objectives and the site manager selects two objectives for a total of 4 objectives evaluated.

Process B
If you are permanent status, you will jointly select one objective from CSTP’s. Again, this should not be the WHOLE standard, rather it should be an objective from the standard itself.

If an agreement cannot be reached on the objectives between the unit member and the site manager , the unit member selects 1 objective and the site manager selects 1 objective for a total of 2 objectives evaluated.

Under both Process A and B – unit members need to meet with their evaluator no later than October 15th to select the objective(s).

Note:
Anything you sign on your evaluation plan, you are agreeing to be evaluated on. It is important to be actively engaged in this process. This is YOUR evaluation plan to help support YOUR practice.

Confidentiality Form
VEA supports the idea presented by the District on confidentiality. Our bottom line is and continues to be that confidentiality needs to be protected for our students and our members. Confidentiality is covered under Federal Law and State Law. We are in agreement that a form should be provided to members to remind them of the importance of confidentiality. We are in disagreement only on the language that is being provided to members.

We further believe that when it comes to the rights of our members, any changes that the District is proposing needs to be bargained with its bargaining units. Therefore, we are urging members to sign the attached form in lieu of the one provided by the District. We also believe that confidentiality is already codified as stated earlier and there may be some members who object to signing this form. Either way, we believe the decision to sign or not sign is up to each individual member and VEA will support the decision of each individual member.

Algebra Success Academy to come to Vallejo!

August 7, 2013

VEA is excited to announce an exciting partnership between VEA and VCUSD (with support from CTA). We will be launching the Algebra Success Academy in the 2013-14 school year. Teachers will be provided with training on the Algebra Success Academy model and then will be able to use what they have learned directly into their classrooms.

The training is open to all teachers working in VCUSD, however, it is generally geared towards those teaching grade 2 through 6th grade. Each teacher attending will be provided with a stipend. Trainings are on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and running from August 21st to September 25th. Dinner will be provided by VCUSD.

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Food to Grow On

July 28, 2013

VEA is very proud of the work being done by VEA members and teachers Lynece Edwards and Charla Yakabe. Their program called, “Food to Grow On,” seeks to educate 5th and 6th grade students about where food comes from (with visits to local farms), to tasting and cooking with different locally grown food, and making healthy food choices.

Watch the video to learn more!

Food to Grow On

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.)

District set to audit benefits

February 20, 2013

The District through CalPers needs to audit benefits that are received by employees. This process will start on February 25th and will run until March 15th. Appointments will be provided to employees. In order to accommodate certificated staff, roving subs are being provided to school sites. Office managers will provide employees with their appointment time/date.

Employees with family coverage or employee plus one coverage will need to provide documentation for those covered under their benefits, such as a spouse and/or dependents.

Please see the linked document below for more information. This is a required meeting and failure to provide the necessary documentation and will put you at risk for losing your health benefits.

Please note that this audit is being conducted by American Fidelity, however, no employee should feel pressured to purchase any products by American Fidelity. Please contact Business Services at the District Office if this is not true.

VCUSD Board approves calendar

January 23, 2013

VCUSD School Board Trustees voted unanimously tonight approving the calendar ratified by VEA members just last week. This means that the two days taken as furlough days in November 2012 will be added back into the remainder of the school year on February 15th and May 24th.

The District plans to send out the modified calendar showing all restored furlough days to parents and teachers.

The last day for students is now June 12th, 2013.

VCUSD seeks to “engage the whole community”

December 2, 2012

VEA has reached out to Touro University and to VCUSD School Board member regarding this scheduling conflict. We appreciate the quick response from Touro University and Trustee Mommsen.

The date was mutually selected by the three parties involved, VCUSD, Touro and Dr. Anthony Muhammad. VEA President, Christal Watts, spoke directly to Touro University and is pleased with their willingness to engage in conversation.

VEA hopes that as future events are planned that the VEA calendar will be taken into consideration in order to prevent future conflicts. We recognize that not all conflicts can be remedied and hope that the District is willing to work with VEA when that occurs.