Welcome to VEA- Vallejo Education Association

A Cautionary Tale: QEIA Waiver Denial - January 12, 2012

On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, the California State Board of Education (CSBE) denied the waiver that the Vallejo City Unified School District had requested in regards to QEIA funding. Most of us who went to Sacramento to testify knew going in that it was a long shot. None of us believed that it would be decided as quickly as it was by the CSBE with only one Board member stating her reasons as to why she had to vote no on the waiver.

It needs to be at the outset that Superintendent Dr. Ramona Bishop provided the CSBE with a well-defined plan in order to right the ship. I strongly commend her for her tough message to the CSBE and for her willingness to take responsibility for this situation – a situation that was not created by her.

In meetings that I had with her regarding our presentation to CSBE, she expressed a willingness to work with VEA if the waiver was denied for Vallejo High School and Cooper Elementary. It was also stated to me that it is anticipated that lay-offs for this year may be minimal due to attrition. VEA will continue to push for being part of the lay-off process as well as ensuring that the contract is followed for teachers impacted by any involuntary transfers.

That being said, this denial serves as a reminder to the District the crucial piece that had been missing during previous administrations.

First, last year the California Teachers Association (CTA) issued a report, “Lessons From the Classroom: Initial Success for At-Risk Students” (http://www.cta.org/About-CTA/News-Room/Press-Releases/2010/11/~/media/9A616C989C7E46C1827D1C344C9CCAFE.ashx). One of the essential components for those schools that were most successful was the willingness of district administration to work with teachers and their unions in order to engage in essential and meaningful collaboration. This meant that most of the decisions made were site based driven and not driven from the top.

As many of you know, there has long permeated in this district an unwillingness to engage in meaningful collaboration and an outright refusal to work with the union in order to make working and learning conditions better for our students and teachers.

Second, one of the arguments that the District made in order to try to secure the waiver for QEIA funding was the lack of stability at school sites. It was argued that this instability had a severe impact on their ability to meet the API goals for QEIA. While VEA recognizes that none of us could have imagined the severe economic impact of this recession, let it be said that were a couple of options that the HR Department could have chosen in order to mitigate the instability.

For instance, VCUSD could have used the language in Ed. Code that allows for “skipping” any unit member that had received specialized training and/or is providing specialized services. This is the language that districts across the state of California use in order to “skip” special education teachers and more significantly, it is the language they used to “skip” our colleagues who teach at Vallejo Charter School. While VEA recognizes that this option is controversial, it is still an option available to the District through Ed. Code.

When the District chose to ignore this route, they also made the unfortunate decision to not work with VEA when it came time to bring people back from the rehire list. Instead, the HR Department made the decision that when people were brought back, they would be placed wherever they had an opening for them. Some of our teachers who had only taught primary, now suddenly found themselves teaching at the middle school and conversely some of those who had only taught middle school, now found themselves teaching elementary. No one, except for VEA, thought it was prudent to ask teachers what they wanted.

At Cooper, this meant a significant change in their staff at the start of the 2009 school year, where they saw 9 brand new teachers out of a staff of 28.

When I spoke to the CSBE on Wednesday, I expressed that I was cautiously optimistic. VEA has often fought for maintaining stability at our school sites when possible. This is because we believe that through stability, long-standing, trusting relationships are developed and built upon. This stability transmits to our students, which ultimately leads to our students performing at the very best of their abilities.

If we are all truly here for the kids, then it is of absolute importance that we work together.

Update on Tentative Agreement

VEA has reached a tentative agreement with the District. Based on the budget trigger on December 15th, VEA members will not take any pay-cut days for the 2011-12 school year. Based on any potential reductions in the revenue limit, members may take up to five days for the 2012-13 school year. Please keep in mind that there are several tiers which VEA will use for each potential pay-cut day. In order for five days to be implemented, the District would have to see a reduction of up to $299 per student in the revenue limit. Any pay-cuts days would be worked on collaboratively between VEA and the District.

VEA is implementing the following timeline leading up to ratification of the tentative agreement:

• January 9 through January 20th - VEA Bargaining Team to visit school sites to discuss agreement/answer questions.
• January 25th and January 26th - Ratification Vote, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Location TBD.

School Site Safety:
A concern for students, teachers and staff

On Thursday, November 3rd, the teachers at Steffan Manor took a courageous step. After a student brought a hammer to school and threatened the teacher with it, the student was suspended for three days. The student was supposed to return to the same classroom where the assault occurred. The teachers decided together that parents at this school site needed to be aware that the safety of their students could be endangered unless the district took action. They urged parents at this school to contact Superintendent Ramona Bishop.

Instead of engaging in conversation with the teachers at Steffan Manor, the district has decided to scapegoat them. First, it appears that someone contacted a well-known community activist who stated that the teachers violated this student’s civil rights. Second, Superintendent Bishop was only willing to meet with the teacher directly involved in this incident. No conversation with the other teachers at the school site regarding school site safety has occurred. Third, at the November 16th VCUSD School Board, Dr. LaTonya Derbigny presented information on the suspension and expulsion rates for the district. At this meeting, teachers were scapegoated once again. School board members made outrageous claims that teachers were writing referrals “for their convenience” or “because they were in a bad mood.” Adding insult to injury, Dr. Derbigny turned to the reporter for the Vallejo Times Herald and demanded that he put in the paper that “teachers are lying when they say the district is not suspending or expelling students.”

VEA is hosting a forum “School Site Safety: Silent No More.” We can no longer stand on the sidelines while the district and school board members vilify our colleagues in a public forum. We are urging ALL VEA members to attend this event in order to develop a plan of action on school site safety.

In order for this district to “attract and retain quality educators” (a district goal), they need to start by listening to us about our concerns regarding the safety of our campuses. Our students deserve campuses that are safe and free from threats of violence in order to ensure their civil rights to a quality education.

School Site Safety Forum “Silent No More”
Hogan Middle School Theater
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
December 8th, 2011

An injury to one is an injury to all!

VEA’s Bargaining Update - November 7, 2011

Your Bargaining Team met with the district at the CTA Office in Cordelia on October 18, 2011. During this session, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was finalized in which Special Education teachers in need of added authorizations will receive some financial support from the district. The district has agreed to pay a maximum of $1500 per added authorization per unit member. A copy of the MOU will be in the next VEA Voice as well as on myvea.org.

During our session, financial data from the State of California was reviewed with the district. Your Bargaining Team is continuing to look at all available funding, discretionary funding and programs. In the event there are mid-year cuts from the State of California, there is the possibility that VEA will be asked to take pay cut days. If this happens, your Bargaining Team is actively looking at ways the District can take things off your plate. The Bargaining Team and the District will be meeting again on November 10, 2011 to continue negotiations.

Show your support for YOUR Bargaining Team!
Blue shirts should be worn on Thursdays – this is VEA’s day.

Action Alert - August 29, 2011

Rectal Injection Bill Escapes from Committee; Contact Assembly and Senate to Kill This Bad Measure

The CTA-opposed measure, SB 161, requiring school employees to rectally administer the drug valium to students experiencing epileptic seizures while in classes, is in the full Assembly, where it could be heard as early as Tuesday. If approved by the Assembly, SB 161 will go back to the Senate for final approval.

It is urgent that you contact your State Assembly Member and State Senator immediately to urge them to vote against SB 161.

Educators are concerned about the danger to students by having non-medical personnel -- including teachers, other certificated personnel, and education support professionals -- administer the drug.

Educators believe it is unrealistic to assume non-medically trained school employees will receive sufficient training to distinguish between different types of seizures and recognize whether the seizure can be safely treated with Diastat. The manufacturer’s instructions call for the medication to be administered through a student's rectal cavity while she/he is in the middle of an epileptic seizure. Educational personnel would be required to administer the drug to students wherever the seizure occurs – the playground, the school bus, a field trip, or a classroom.

Educators are concerned about the health and safety of all school children. SB 161 is the wrong answer to get students the health services they need. Under current law, parents can already use the 504 process to get their child specialized medical services.

To learn more about the bill and to take action against it, click on http://capwiz.com/nea/ca/home/

Updated information about SB 161 is available at www.cta.org.

Specifically, posted at these links are a CTA letter on the bill, a Coalition letter on the bill, and an AP article about the bill’s potential impact on student health:

• CTA letter
• Coalition letter
• AP/Sacramento Bee article

Support YOUR Contract & Support YOUR Bargaining Team - August 9, 2011

The district does not value your time or our contract. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn when we look at their agenda for August 15th, our first work day.

VEA was informed at the end of July of the district's agenda. Within a matter of days, VEA President, Christal Watts had a conversation with our new superintendent, Dr. Bishop about the problem with this agenda.

Specifically, 5.4.1 of the contract states that unit members are given the day before school starts to prepare their classrooms. The district has chosen to use their first non-student day in mandatory district wide meetings, allowing for NO time for site administrators to meet with their staff.

VEA is already aware of instances where site administrators are putting letters out to staff that there will be staff meetings on the 16th. (Some site administrators are stating in these letters that these meetings are “optional”.) Instead of asking you to give up your time to do what you need to start the school year off right, why aren't site administrators advocating for their staff & the success of their school sites by demanding flexibility in the district's first day on Monday, August 15th? And, if site administrators are voicing their concerns about the district’s inflexibility, why aren’t they being listened to?

VEA is requesting that all unit members present a united front by not attending any meetings on Tuesday, August 16th.

It is important to remember two things regarding this issue. First, our time is valuable. Every second we spend doing anything that is "optional" undermines the contract. Second, your bargaining team has begun negotiations with the district. The district is proposing paycut days, but has not yet proposed anything about reducing your workload.

The assumptions always seems to be that we will do whatever it takes to ensure the success of our students, even if it means working longer hours, providing more materials for our students, and giving up our time to make it work on the first day & every day of the school year.

Why should we be asked once again to sacrifice anything & violate our contract in the process?

Uphold your contract & support your bargaining team.
Just say NO to any meetings suggested by your site administrator for Tuesday, August 16^th.

You should also contact Dr. Bishop @ 556-8921 x50001 to voice your displeasure.

Update for RIF'd Teachers - July 7, 2011

VEA President, Christal Watts, met with Human Resources to discuss the number of our RIF'd teachers who will be coming back for the 2011-12 school year. The good news is that the majority of our RIF'd teachers will be brought back in this first round. Mike Cheap, the Director of Human Resources, also stated that there is a strong likelihood that almost all of our RIF'd teachers may be brought back by the start of the 2011-12 school year.

The only disappointment is that the District yet again did not allow teachers to pick their positions. Human Resources stated that placements were done according to the following:

• same grade level at the same school site
• same school site within a grade level or two above and/or below the unit member's previous grade level
• same grade level at a different school site
• if absolutely necessary, a different school site within a level or two of previous grade level taught

Human Resources plans to send out rehiring letters today.

Message from the President - June 5, 2011

Hello All,
I've been shown the end of the year letter that people have received from their school site managers. On the calendar for the upcoming school year, there is no mention of our buy-back days. At this point, I have not yet received conformation from District administration as to what their plans are (if any) for our buy-back days. This may have just been an oversight on the part of the District and I am working on getting confirmation about the District's plans for the buy-back days.

Please remember that elimination of our buy back days needs to be bargained. VEA does not expect to go to the negotiation table until August 2011. VEA membership would need to vote to ratify any changes in our calendar. This could only occur after negotiations have occurred.

Unit members should plan to attend the buy-back days by going to their school site on Thursday & Friday, August 11th & 12th. If nothing has been planned by the District, VEA leadership recommends that Site Reps create a sign-in sheet for both days and have unit members sign in. Those who show up on our already bargained buy back days should have every expectation that they will be paid.

Please share this information with your colleagues at your school site. I will make every attempt to have something out by tomorrow afternoon in District mail. As more information becomes available, I will send you e-mails & have updates on the website as well.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of Vallejo's students. Please enjoy your well-deserved summer break!