Greetings!
Good Day...
The school department's plan to ask 150 plus teachers and paraprofessionals from five schools(*) to reapply for their own positions is on hold, pending State DESE Commr. Mitchell Chester's approval of the Turnaround Plan and perhaps some second thoughts percolating throughout Ct. St. The department's negotiating team told the BTU's negotiating team in late July that, with the Commissioner's expected approval, it would reject the applications of as many as 24 staff members, the lion's share coming from the Holland School. A report that followed in the Boston Globe suggested a bit of indecision among Ct. St. policy makers. As of this writing, it is uncertain what the school department will do.
A decision to excess teachers and other staff just prior to the opening of school will naturally create chaos and uncertainty in our schools that will outweigh any alleged good. One thing's for sure: If the school department chooses to create chaos, the decision is their's alone. Perhaps the school department will come to its senses; perhaps it won't. We shall see.
(*Agassiz Elem., Dearborn MS, E Greenwood Elem., Holland Elem., and English High School.)
On pay issues and negotiations...
Negotiations for a successor contract continue, and the next meeting is scheduled for later this month. The BTU is seeking a salary increase effective 9/1/10, as well as for successor years. In the meantime, the salary schedule in effect for 2009/2010 continues. However, step advancement continues as does lane advancement, e.g., If you were on step 4 Masters 15 last school year, and you will automatically advance to step 5 Masters 15 effective 9/1/10, and so on. Lane changes, as always, remain in effect, as do newly-acquired career awards.
How do career awards work ? Both teachers and paras automatically earn career awards (or longevity bonuses) after a set number of years of Boston service. The first year after a teacher (nurse, psychologist, etc.) reaches the maximum step, he/she receives a first career award. Prospectively, the same applies after 14 years of service, and every five years thereafter. The career awards are cumulative, and instructions for application can be found here . Ditto for paras, also found here . Check your pay stub in September to make sure you are on the right step, lane, and career award (if any). If you need any help, please email the appropriate field rep., Caren , Michael , or Jenna . Per diem Substitute teachers who work as per diem for more than 120 days or 150 days in a given year earn a yearly bonus.
**********************************************************************
A timely piece by well regarded educational researcher, Edward Moscovitch, appears this month in Commonwealth Magazine . His piece (Teachers are not to blame) decries those Ed Reform initiatives that blame teachers instead of helping them. This is a piece well worth reading, and quite fitting given the drama playing out in Boston right now. Here's an excerpt.
"In the past few months, President Obama, Gov. Deval Patrick, and the press have practically made "education reform" synonymous with "firing teachers."
...What all these so-called reform initiatives have in common is the assumption that teachers in low-performing schools have the tools they need to turn their schools around but, for some reason, are refusing to use them. We therefore need to use the carrot (merit pay) or the stick (losing their students via choice or to charter schools, embarrassing them by publicizing their students' low MCAS scores, or firing them).
This view-that the right incentives (positive or negative) will produce the necessary changes in teaching-may be a very common one, but there is no data to back it up. Indeed, a close look at MCAS results shows there is surprisingly little difference between the quality of teaching in so-called "good" schools (wealthy, suburban schools with high MCAS scores)and "bad" schools (inner-city schools with low scores) when the results are averaged across all teachers in the district and disaggregated by student demographics, specifically race and poverty. Put another way, a low-income white student in a "good" suburban school tests essentially the same as a low-income white student in a "bad" inner-city school."
Moscovitch writes persuasively and gives comfort and ammunition to those of us who face the tsunami of daily attacks masquerading as 'Ed Reform.' His conclusions will not be popular in today's blame-the- teacher culture. All the more reason to print out his article, grab a cup of coffee, and spend a few minutes digesting something that will make you feel pretty good.
Along the same lines, educational historian Diane Ravitch has written another good piece about RTTT's demonization of teachers.
Here's a challenge to a bold and brave BPS administrator: print out the Moscovitch and Ravitch columns and use them for staff PD. Give staff one hour to read and digest both, then have a discussion. That'd be true professional development. It would also take great courage. Go for it!
**********************************************************************
By the way, last week we mentioned that a few City Council members suggested that the BTU take a one day furlough to bring back the positions of 40 custodians. The suggestion went nowhere as both the custodians association and the BTU would prefer a funding solution that doesn't pit one group of employees against another. That said, our schools do need more funding. A great source of funding that is lost yearly goes to Commonwealth Charter Schools. The city of Boston will spend $64 million in 2010-2011 on tuition reimbursements for these charter schools, which refuse to teach all students. The typical Boston-based charter school educates few SPED students and even fewer ELL students. The charters by and large function as little
more than dropout factories (report here ). This year's loss of $64 million is estimated by Citizens for Public Schools to grow to $110 million annually by 2013-2014. These are funds that rightfully belong to the children who attend public schools in Boston. Unfortunately, this year's Ed reform legislation, which brought us involuntary excessing and Turnaround schools, also doubled the number of Commonwealth Charter schools, exacerbating the outflow of needed funds from our public schools.
A few other notes:
Hiring of new staff continues. If your provisional contract has not been renewed, please see here for the current listing of positions, and also feel free to call or email either Caren or Michael .
The BTU Field representatives sent a letter out last week to all who may be affected by the possible excessing of staff in the five schools mentioned above. Any questions on this issue ought to be directed to either Caren , Michael , or Jenna .
The school department has scheduled an orientation for new teachers for three days, August 24 through 26. The BTU and its members staff a table at this event, offering greetings and information to new teachers. We will staff the event from 8 to 2 each day, in two hour shifts. If you are interested in volunteering, please email and let us know your availability and contact information. Thank you. This is an important event at which we welcome our new members. The event is at U Mass. We have people lined up for the 24th and 25th from 8-12, and are looking to fill other time slots. If you can help, we'd appreciate it. Thank you.
Lastly, the 26th and final teacher paycheck for the 2009-2010 school year is on 8/20. That paycheck completes the full salary due, which is found here . (The second-to-last paycheck comes tomorrow.) The first paycheck for SY 2010-2011 will be on September 17, 2010. 25 additional paychecks will follow to complete the 2010-2011 cycle.
|
are in the process of being solidified...please stay tuned! 
