December 4, 2008 Consultation

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the December 4, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:

1. EVAAS scores and teacher evaluations

Is there currently a plan, or is a plan being considered, that would link teacher evaluations with EVAS scores? We have already received several complaints, primarily in the South Region, from teachers who are being told that the EVAS data compiled for their students will be used on teacher assessments, and be the basis for growth plans and terminations.

2. ASPIRE

We continue to hear that teachers are being required to take the ASPIRE training. Last month we were assured that this training was not mandatory and that word would be sent to building principals.

3. Chapter 37 removal of students.

We are once again getting complaints regarding building principals who are ignoring the rules in Chapter 37 of TEC regarding removal of students for disciplinary reasons.

November 6, 2008 Consultation

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the November 6, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:

1. Violations of laws, policies, & regulations

This is the third time, since the start of the school year, that we have brought this item into consultation:

· Classes should be balanced early and class sizes should adhere to legal limits where a law applies and reasonable limits where there is no legal mandate.
· Lesson plans exist to facilitate instruction. They are not a vehicle to document that every imaginable rule or regulation is being followed. The law requires plans to be “brief and general”. Let’s follow the law.
· All teacher’s are entitled to 30 minutes of duty-free lunch periods.
· All teacher’s are entitled to 450 minutes planning time during a 10 day period. That planning time belongs to the teacher and there can be no assigned duty during that time.
· The teacher contract specifies a 187 day work year. Those days are approved by the Board of Education when the calendar is adopted. There can be no required duty beyond the contract year.
· The length of the teacher workday is 7 hours and 45 minutes.
· All employees are entitled to all supplies necessary to do their jobs.
· There must be an elected Shared Decision Making Committee in place and actually functioning.

We have probably left some important issues off of the list, but the point is that these laws and policies exist to facilitate and improve instruction. Employees who demand that these policies be followed have the best interests of the students, the school, and HISD at heart. They certainly should never be subject to administrative retaliation or made to feel that they are not team players. Common decency is still a core value of HISD.

Whatever the central administration is doing to communicated these concerns to the regions, feeder patterns, and schools is ineffective. Whatever the central administration is doing to enforce laws and policies governing the above issues is ineffective. The Federation constantly receives complaints regarding these issues. It is not one region, one feeder patter, or one school. They pop-up all over. The Federation looks at consultation as a problem solving process. These problems have not been solved. Nearly all of these issues are grievable. We can tie up the grievance process and file each time there is a violation but that seems to be a waste of everyone’s time and resources. What will the central administration do to force the regional, feeder pattern , a school based administration to comply with laws and policies?

2. Excessive Paperwork

This must be added to our above list because it has once again become a widespread problem and not just confined to excessive lesson plan requirements. We have attached a copy of TEC § 11.164. RESTRICTING WRITTEN INFORMATION to be included in the minutes.

3. Administrative retaliation against employees who demand the district follow laws, policies, & procedures.

We will give a specific example of this retaliation at the meeting

4. Using school employees to direct traffic

This problem continues. It is dangerous and is a violation of city ordinance and is an activity that the school district/employees have no immunity (anything involving a motor vehicle). The latest complaint we have received comes from Field Elementary where employees are required to stand in the street directing traffic.

5. School Improvement Facilitators

What is the status of these employees? Are they administrators? Some schools use them almost as assistant principals including the assessment of teachers. Others use them to support instruction. Are they all paid on the teacher salary schedule?

6. ASPIRE

What is the purpose of the series of tests employees are being required to take regarding ASPIRE? Will failure to take or pass these tests affect the ASPIRE award? Why are professionals being tested in the first place? These are very time consuming, take away from lesson preparation, and don’t appear to enhance instruction and student learning in any way.

7. Food in the classroom

We have an old problem appearing again. It seems that schools are once again requiring students to eat breakfast and lunch in teachers classrooms. This is unsanitary and unhealthy. It also requires the classroom teacher to clean up messes. This is time consuming and takes away from instruction. The specific complaint came from Helms Elementary.

8. Funeral Leave

Current Policy:

Regular employees eligible for the comprehensive leave program
may receive funeral leave and be absent without loss of pay and
without deduction from their accrued leave in the case of death of a
spouse, child, parent, current parent-in-law, or any person residing
in the employee’s home at the time of death, for a period not to exceed
three days per occurrence.

The Federation requests that sibling be included in the above list.


§ 11.164. RESTRICTING WRITTEN INFORMATION.

(a) The board of trustees of each school district shall limit redundant requests for information and the number and length of written
reports that a classroom teacher is required to prepare. A classroom teacher may not be required to prepare any written information other than:
(1) any report concerning the health, safety, or welfare of a student;
(2) a report of a student's grade on an assignment or examination;
(3) a report of a student's academic progress in a class or course;
(4) a report of a student's grades at the end of each grade reporting period;
(5) a textbook report;
(6) a unit or weekly lesson plan that outlines, in a brief and general manner, the information to be presented during each period at the secondary level or in each subject or topic at the elementary level;
(7) an attendance report;
(8) any report required for accreditation review;
(9) any information required by a school district that relates to a complaint, grievance, or actual or potential litigation and that requires the classroom teacher's involvement; or
(10) any information specifically required by law, rule, or regulation.

(b) The board of trustees shall review paperwork requirements imposed on classroom teachers and shall transfer to existing noninstructional staff a reporting task that can reasonably be accomplished by that staff.
(c) This section does not preclude a school district from collecting essential information, in addition to information specified under Subsection (a), from a classroom teacher on agreement between the classroom teacher and the district.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1320, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 201, § 6, eff. Sept. 1,
2003.

October 2, 2008 Consultation

Please include the following to the October 2, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:

Counseling Positions – We have several questions:

How many counseling positions have been eliminated from campus budgets this year?

How many counseling positions have been turned into Dean positions?

Are Deans doing the same job previously done by counselors as well as other administrative duties?

Are some schools using social workers as counselors? Do social workers and counselors have the same training and are they on the same salary schedule?

With counseling positions being eliminated, why is there still a counselor ACP program?

With the evident changes taking place in school based counseling, what long-range plans does the district have to ensure the social and emotional development of a child?

September 4, 2008 Consultation.

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the September 4, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:


1. Lesson Plans – Despite our request last month that principals follow the law regarding lesson plans, either the message wasn’t delivered or it failed to be delivered to executive principals. The following is from a member in the North Region:

Dr. Berry has devised a lesson plan form for her area. Lesson plans must include:


1. bloom's taxonomy

2. project clear, marzano strategies, teks objectives

3. gap - reteaching

4. daily homework assignments

5. 2 grades each week

6. no zeroes allowed

Comment - Dr. Garza agreed that lesson plans including this type of detail are excessive and would communicate that to the North Region. I have no confidence that the North Region leadership will pay anymore attention to Dr. Garza or the paperwork law than they have previously. We must get teachers to grieve.

2. Grade Reporting – We are hearing reports from all over the district that teachers are being told not to give zeroes, grade cuts for late work, and do over for failed tests. The following is from the 2008- 2009 HISD Secondary School Guidelines:

TEC §28.0212 provides that an examination or course grade issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be changed unless the grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent with school district grading policy, as determined by the board of trustees. The board’s decision may not be appealed. (the bold print is in the guidelines)

In the absence of a board policy forbidding zeroes, a teacher who does give zeroes is acting consistently with the school district grading policy. Furthermore, only the board of trustees may change the policy. Why are HISD Deans of Instruction, Assistant Principals, Principals, Executive Principals, and Regional Superintendents taking it upon themselves to make a policy which is clearly within the sole purview of the board?

Comment – Dr. Garza stated that there is no district policy and agreed that only the board can create one. That being said, she stopped short of saying that a teacher who grieves a directive forcing them to change grades to fit a school or regional policy would be supported. She also indicated that a policy is currently being developed by the administration for board approval that would address this issue and the issue of homework. We stated that we need to be involved in the development process.

3. Using school employees to direct traffic

We are finding this to be a more common problem. It is dangerous and is a violation of city ordinance and is an activity that the school district/employees have no immunity (anything involving a motor vehicle).

Comment – Dr. Garza agreed that this practice was unsafe and would look into the matter.

schools require calling the principal or secretary, some schools require both. Why the differences?

4. Absence notification

Is there a district policy regarding who an employee calls when reporting an absence. Some schools require calling the sub line, some

Comment – The district leaves the method of absence notification up to the school. This policy does not seem likely to change anytime soon.

5. Grade Reporting at the end of the first semester

We were told in the calendar committee that first semester grades would not be due until January 5, 2009, the last official day of the first semester. Some schools are telling teachers that chancery will lock out grade inputs at the end of the day December 19, 2008. Which is it?

Comment – I didn’t get an answer to this one. I’ll bring it up again next month.

6. Inconsistent Punishment

We find it amazing that the Principal at Mark Twain Elementary be returned to her position with no apparent punishment. We all know that if those same comments had been made by a teacher, that teacher surely would not have been returned to his/her position and most probably would have been fired. Is there a double standard or a new policy? Do all employees now get to make one racially insensitive comment before they are punished? If so, that change didn’t come through consultation.

Comment – Dr. Garza said this problem is still being handled and of course she wasn’t inclined to go into details. We made our points about fairness.

7. Displaced Sam Houston Teachers

Teachers have been assigned to sub.
Teachers are subbing out of their fields.
It is our belief that in violation of state law HISD has hired uncertified teachers when these displaced and certified Sam Houston teachers are being misused.

Comment – This problem will be ongoing. The district claims that they will not force a principal to take a teacher onto their faculty that he or she does not want. As long as that is the attitude, there will be certified displaced teachers looking for spots, and uncertified teachers in the classrooms. We are going to have to deal with this in other ways.

8. Nurses Issues

Chancery issues:

This has been taken to consultation for the past two school years. We are aware that the health system will be completely revised this school year and nurses would like some input into the new system so that corrections/defaults can be made beforehand. We would also like to know when the new system is being implemented and what training is being planned for nurses.

Comment – Members of our nurses task force were promised regular meetings with Evelyn Henry and Chancery personnel to work out these problems. We our going to have to watch this closely. Evelyn wants nothing to do with our nurses task force.

Student Health Insurance:
It was stated in a memo from Academic
Services to all Principals and copied to all school nurses dated 8-20-08 that “we” would once again collect health insurance data from information recorded on the Student Enrollment Card. It was also stated that due to the implementation of our Chancery SIS only minimal data was collected for school year 2007-2008. We would like to remind the administration that this was taken to consultation last school year and it was determined at that time that nurses do not have access to the Student Enrollment Card and that this data entry should be performed by the data entry clerk for the campus at the same time that the rest of the information is being input.

HISD Nutrition and Wellness Leadership Plan:

Under “Nutrition Education”, the plan states that in September 2008 school nurses will “collect student BMI data”. It further states “combine data for district-wide analysis; communicate results to students, parents, and staff”. In May 2009 this process is to be repeated with “school nurses collecting year-end student BMI data; combine data for district-wide analysis; communicate results to students, parents, and staff.” We have concerns regarding the role of the school nurse in this plan and would like an explanation of what is expected of the school nurse.

Comment - Nurses will not be involved in this process unless a student health problem is discovered through the BMI data.

9. HISD Core Value of Common Decency (Part I)

We have a teacher who was assaulted and injured at school. That teacher missed work and has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome. When the teacher was able to come back to work, that teacher was sent to same school. Why?

10. HISD Core Value of Common Decency (Part II)

The following is a communication sent by one of our staff representatives to a principal in the West Region. Out of common decency we have omitted the name of the principal and school. We will be happy to give that information at the meeting.

“I have received NUMEROUS calls from teachers on your campus regarding your address to the staff today in which you cried and repeatedly berated the union and its members, and coerced teachers to sign that they "volunteer" their time to stay late Monday-Thursday. This will not be tolerated by this union and could result in your having an SBEC ethics complaint filed against you and the administrators at (name omitted). You need to be aware of some facts, in case you are not already:

1. Professional communication goes both ways and an administrator who publicly berates her staff for their union affiliation or for reporting policy violations, especially in an emotional way, is not professional.

2. Coercion of teachers is illegal and against HISD policy.

3. Federal Law: UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES (Federal Law) Sec. 8 ss158 (a) Unfair labor practices by employer: It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer (1) to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7 (section 157 of this title) and 3. by discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization...

Texas Education Law: Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247, Rule 247.2 (D) Standard 2.4 The educator shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities. and Standard (F) 2.6 The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions of colleagues.

Also see HISD DGA (Legal) Employee Rights and Privileges: Freedom of Association

Ranting about how "certain people " call the union, and that others are there for the children, and then passing around a list that teachers felt compelled to sign to "volunteer" is coercion. ALL teachers are there for the children. However, some teachers have children of their own, do not live close to work, and day care charges BY THE MINUTE when parents are late to pick up their children. In addition, the administrators at (name omitted) have had all summer to come up with a schedule that meets the needs of the children without violating HISD policy and the defined work day. Other schools seem able to do so, why can't the administrators at (name omitted)? Teachers are expected to follow policy and are written up if they do not. Why do some administrators think that policy does not apply to them?

3. The defined work day can be found in the HISD Elementary School Guidelines: II Organizational Structure: "TEC ss25.082 (a) states that the length of the instructional day for students shall not be less than seven hours including intermissions and recesses. Teachers' daily duty schedules are based on a seven hour 45 minute workday."

This schedule can be altered, but only by submitting a waiver to the faculty, having it approved by vote, then sent to the HISD waiver committee (On which HFT sits and we NEVER turn down these waivers when the faculty has passed it), and sent to the HISD Board and TEA. In fact, HFT approved the early dismissal at (name omitted), but that does not translate into authorization to change teacher works hours and this was not requested on the waiver. IN fact, it is expressly stipulated that these schedules NOT alter teacher work hours when it comes to before and after school duty and student dismissal and arrival. Administrators are expected to consider the safety of the students when they make the schedule, without requiring extra time from teachers. At this point, the staff cannot vote to make everyone stay late M-Th.

It is my experience that when a faculty has an administration that they see as competent, fair, and professional, they are willing to go the extra mile and work extra hours and even cover for mistakes. On the other hand, when administration is seen a coercive, deals in favoritism, and plays "gotcha" with employees, the employers hold the administrators to the letter of the law and policy. This is also why members do not "Come to you" instead of calling us. Some open doors mean, "Come in, ask a question, and we will make your year hell". This is why some schools never call me, and others call for every violation. IF you want an extra nickel from people, they have to feel that you reciprocate.”

11. HISD Core Value of Common Decency (Part III) – Last month we submitted the following item:

As the school year opens there are several negative issues principals can avoid simply by routinely following the rules:

· Classes should be balanced early and class sizes should adhere to legal limits where a law applies and reasonable limits where there is no legal mandate.
· Lesson plans exist to facilitate instruction. They are not a vehicle to document that every imaginable rule or regulation is being followed. The law requires plans to be “brief and general”. Let’s follow the law.
· All teacher’s are entitled to 30 minutes of duty-free lunch periods.
· All teacher’s are entitled to 450 minutes planning time during a 10 day period. That planning time belongs to the teacher and there can be no assigned duty during that time.
· The teacher contract specifies a 187 day work year. Those days are approved by the Board of Education when the calendar is adopted. There can be no required duty beyond the contract year.
· The length of the teacher workday is 7 hours and 45 minutes.
· All employees are entitled to all supplies necessary to do their jobs.
· There must be an elected Shared Decision Making Committee in place and actually functioning.

We have probably left some important issues off of the list, but the point is that these laws and policies exist to facilitate and improve instruction. Employees who demand that these policies be followed have the best interests of the students, the school, and HISD at heart. They certainly should never be subject to administrative retaliation or made to feel that they are not team players. Common decency is still a core value of HISD.

We were promised that a notice would be sent to principals concerning these items. If this notice was sent at all, it clearly, as evidenced by several items on this agenda, fell on many deaf ears. When is the administration of this school district take seriously it’s own core value of common decency? Do we have to constantly complain, grieve and sue to get the district to follow it’s own rules and policies?

Comment – Issues 9, 10, 11 were different examples of the same problem. Dr. Garza stated that a memo would be sent out telling a concerned administrators telling them to follow the rules. She also stated that consultation is not the proper place to deal with these school specific problems. I agree with her. She also stated that she is pleased that HFT staff has started to deal with her directly when these problems occur so she can solve them before we have to make them public in consultation. It seems to me that she just named herself as ombudsmen for obnoxious behavior. The staff should start to copy Dr. Garza in all their communications with regional, feeder pattern, and school level administrators concerning these obvious violations of policy and law. Lets see if she can make these individuals behave.

Benefits Advisory Committee - August 8, 2008

HISD brought forward it's recommendation's for the 2009 benefit year. The good news is that there will be no premium increase for employees. The bad news is there will be higher out of pocket and point of service costs for many employees. The changes are as follows: (from the 8/14/08 HISD board agenda item G-12)

• Implement a fee schedule for non participating (non-network) medical facilities.
  


• Pre-certification required for certain high technology radiology services.
  


• Modify the co-pay amounts for all medical plans. For the fifteen specialty areas where Aetna has designated Axcel certified specialists, the co-pay amount will remain the same as is currently in place if the participant utilizes an Axcel certified specialist. For other in-network specialists in these categories, the plan co-pay will be reduced by 10 percent.

What this means is for in-network specialists, Aetna has designated a certain number of them as Aexcel certified specialists. In order to continue to receive the same benefits, a participant must use these doctors. If a participant use non-certified in-network specialists, the district will reduce it's coinsurance contribution by 10% and for open-access participants (there are over 7000 of these) the co-pay will increase from $40 to $50. We asked the district for two things:

1. What was the criteria used by Aetna to designate Aexcel certified specialists?



2. How many of the total in-network doctors will be certified?

HISD agreed to get us that specific information and the representative from Aetna stated that the information will be available on Aetna Navigator. They did state however, that no Kelsey doctor will be a certified specialist.

The district is also going to stop paying the full amount billed by several non-network facilities. This is a real problem. It seems several of these facilities charge an outrageous amount for their procedures. Far more than the market norm. In the past HISD has paid these bills in full. The proposed change will only pay these facilities the market norm. If the facility continues to charge the higher rates, the participant will be responsible. It is the thinking of the district, Aetna, and Mercer, that in all likelihood these facilities will lower their rates and possibly join the network. The Federation cannot oppose a plan that is intended to eliminate price gouging.

These changes are proposed in order to make up a projected $9 million deficit. We are extremely uncomfortable with the Aexcel designation. It forces participants into a preferred network of even fewer doctors, will likely force participants to give up a doctor who is familiar with them in exchange for a stranger, and saves only around one million dollars. We suggest that instead, the district look at eliminating the Choice POS II option entirely. There are only around 900 participants and can save up to $2.25 million. These participants can move to the Consumer Plus plan with very little disruption in their service and receive improved benefits in several areas.

August 7, 2008 Consultation

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the August 7, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:


1. Counseling Positions

We are experiencing an alarming number of complaints from school counselors who have been told during the summer that they are being re-assigned as teachers under the 10 month teaching contract. This results in a very expensive contract change for the counselors. Because these contract changes occurred during the summer and not at least 45 days prior to the last day of instruction, the Federation expects the district to honor the counselor contract for the coming school year.

Audrey Gomez stated that if the counselor was not notified of the contract change in time, he/she would receive the full counselor pay but is expected to work the full eleven month contract.

2. Procedures for displaced teachers

There are a number of teachers, primarily from Sam Houston HS, who though under contract, have had their positions eliminated and are teachers without a school. What is the established HISD procedure for these employees to follow? Where do they report on August 11th and what will be their duties? August 11th is four days away; we must have answers now!

Audrey Gomez stated that displaced Sam Houston teachers are to report to the Board Auditorium in the central administration building at 8:00 AM Monday. She does not know of teachers from other schools who are displaced, but if they exist, they are to report to their old school.

3. Sam Houston HS

We have several questions regarding Sam Houston:

1. Where do displaced teachers report on August 11th?
2. Have all the administrators from last year been removed from the campus?
3. Is there a written guarantee of sign-on bonuses being given to teachers who transfer into Sam Houston?

4. Will all employee rights such as duty free planning, duty free lunch, 7 hour and 45 minute workday, and 187 day duty schedule be honored?

We spent so much time on question 4 we did not get to questions 2 and 3. Audrey stated that at this time there is no plan to extend the school day at Sam but it may happen at the 9th Grade Academy at some point. She did say that teachers at Ryan MS have signed agreements (she wouldn’t say contracts) to extend their work day 1 hour, a maximum of 5 hours a week, and would be paid hourly at their daily rate. It is mandatory at Ryan.

4. Reimbursement for expenses

We received the following communication from a member:

“I need some advice. I was expected to visit a school in NYC June 3 -5. My secretary turned in my receipts on June 9. On my school's part they did everything right and in a timely fashion. It is now July 30 and HISD has yet to reimburse me for my trip which is close to $500. I have e-mailed them, my principal has spoken with them, with the response that they "were working on it." This is ridiculous and interest has accrued on my credit which I had to use to pay for the hotel.What steps may I take? The accounting department has done this over and over again to folks, including my principal. The last time I turned in receipts it took two months and they did not reimburse me for all of my receipts.”

What can we do about this?

I don’t remember the name of the women who spoke on this item but basically she said that the breakdown in most cases is in the school office. In this particular case, her office has not yet received the receipts from the school. This whole system is slow, cumbersome, and vulnerable to human error. Our best advice is to tell members not to up front their own money.

5. Opening of School

As the school year opens there are several negative issues principals can avoid simply by routinely following the rules:

. Classes should be balanced early and class sizes should adhere to legal limits where a law applies and reasonable limits where there is no legal mandate.

· Lesson plans exist to facilitate instruction. They are not a vehicle to document that every imaginable rule or regulation is being followed. The law requires plans to be “brief and general”. Let’s follow the law.

· All teacher’s are entitled to 30 minutes of duty-free lunch periods.

· All teacher’s are entitled to 450 minutes planning time during a 10 day period. That planning time belongs to the teacher and there can be no assigned duty during that time.

· The teacher contract specifies a 187 day work year. Those days are approved by the Board of Education when the calendar is adopted. There can be no required duty beyond the contract year.

· The length of the teacher workday is 7 hours and 45 minutes.

· All employees are entitled to all supplies necessary to do their jobs.

· There must be an elected Shared Decision Making Committee in place and actually functioning.

We have probably left some important issues off of the list, but the point is that these laws and policies exist to facilitate and improve instruction. Employees who demand that these policies be followed have the best interests of the students, the school, and HISD at heart. They certainly should never be subject to administrative retaliation or made to feel that they are not team players. Common decency is still a core value of HISD.

Mark Smith agreed that these items do not need to be issues this year. He said he will draft a memo to be sent to principals. I’ll remind him next month.


*Michelle Polla substituted for Karen Garza, Mark Smith ran the meeting

*Linda Murray and I represented HFT

*Chuck Robinson represented CHT

* HEA was not present

Education Notes Online: Bill Cala: High-Stakes Tests Push Kids to Streets

This is a great argument.

Education Notes Online: Bill Cala: High-Stakes Tests Push Kids to Streets

Education Notes Online: Teach for America: The One That Got Away

I found this to be an interesting perspective on Teach For America. I love the last line:

"Teachers are deskilled and expected to teach a narrow, test-driven curriculum which will prepare those kids who manage to get through high school for a job in data entry"

This is exactly what is happening to what used to be the teaching profession. A narrow, test-driven curriculum eliminates the benefits of skill and experience. Teachers may as well be assembly line workers. A little bit of training and one person is as good as the next. The only good part is, if something goes wrong, the accountability must rest with those who designed the assembly line
Education Notes Online: Teach for America: The One That Got Away

Reflections on the Budget Vote

I’ve had a couple of days to digest the board’s unanimous vote to approve the HISD budget and salary schedule. In the end the transfer of $5 million from the fund balance to the PUA brought the naysayers on board. Thanks must be given to the District VI trustee for cobbling this deal together. On a more somber note it is clear we have a hugely divided school board. The additional money into the PUA amounts to $23 extra dollars per student with no real controls on how the money can be spent. In the end this will benefit the schools with the largest enrollment which explains why it was so important to the trustees in Districts I,V,VI, & VII. I’ve always been an advocate of single-member board districts but there is a decided lack of a broad district-wide view on the school board. Perhaps it is time to consider a plan that would give us seven single-member districts and two trustees elected at-large.

HISD Salary Controversy

The HISD school board continues to haggle over the salary issue. The superintendent is holding firm with his 3% plus step proposal for teachers. Some members of the board seem intent on carving into that raise in order to increase funding for the PUA (per unit/student allocation). Only the member from District V seems sincere about getting more money to the schools. There is no doubt merit in sending money to schools in order to create programs that may treat the social and emotional needs of students but the money does not need to come from salaries. There are many areas (ASPIRE?) that can be cut to fund PUA. The superintendent made a strong argument fro both the percentage raise and the step. He rightly stated that there are already several compressed steps. Teachers spending two or three years on the same step does little for employee retention. He also produced maps showing the huge numbers of teachers who live in other districts and are currently driving into HISD. He argued that teachers can give themselves a large raise in gasoline savings just by teaching in the district they live. Every board member seemed impressed by the maps. I am cautiously optimistic that five votes exist to pass the proposed salary increase.

Centralized Education Systems v. Local Control

Yesterday I had the opportunity to listen to a former DOE official discuss educational systems in other parts of the world. Much of her talk which took place in a very informal setting, focused on Singapore. She described a system that is free to everyone, tracks students according to merit, has virtually no dropout rate, and is able to graduate students who are then able to fill jobs needed in society. All this is paid for with only about 3% of Singapore's gross domestic product. (The U.S. spends about 6% on K-12) The entire system is directed by strict centralized planning and control of the educational system.

This is a marked contrast to the way we operate our educational systems in t he United States. Since the first mandatory public education systems were established in the 1830's education has always been subject to local control. As our discussion developed we began to talk about the thousands of local school boards in this country and the relative merits and abilities of individual school board members. Our system is considered broken by many, Singapore's is being held up as a model of efficiency and accomplishment. Even if we assume that is true, the question must be ask - Would individual Americans be willing to give up local control of their schools? If not, how can we hope to compete with the rest of the world, most of which has centralized systems?

June 19, 2008 Consultation

I think I am going to begin this blog by chronicling HISD consultation meetings. The following is the Houston Federation of Teachers agenda for the June 19, 2008 consultation meeting. The agenda is in blue and the district's responses along with my comments are in black.

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the June 19, 2008 Instructional Consultation agenda:


1. Salary and Benefits

The Federation reiterates it’s belief that an increase of 3% plus step for teachers and 3% for other employees is the bare minimum needed to keep up with the spiraling cost of living increases we are now experiencing. Any plans to reduce the proposed pay increase in favor of increased student performance based incentives will be most vehemently opposed. Employees need to be able to budget month to month based on a stable salary. We cannot base mortgage or automobile payments on an undetermined student performance incentive that may or may not happen. The Federation continues to support the following:

· A salary increase of 3% plus step movement to all teachers.
· A 3% across the board raise for employees on the Master Schedule, Bus Drivers, Hourly workers, and Substitutes.
· No changes in the 2009 benefit year in health insurance. Any cost increases need to be absorbed by HISD with no costs being passed through to employees including premium increases, a reduction in the benefit plan, or reducing access to health providers by capping the payout thus increasing employee costs.

The district responded by saying they are going forward and recommending to the board the pay proposal HFT supports. The district response did make it clear that there are those members of the board who would like to lower or eliminate the pay proposal. The issue is being portrayed by these members as budgetary. They wish to raise the per pupil allotment for campuses and the money should come from the proposed pay raise. I advocated reducing the amount of money budgeted for ASPIRE ($25 million) and using that money to raise per pupil funding.

2. Counseling Positions

Why do we have a counseling ACP program if we are closing counseling positions all across the district? The current process is a nightmare. Counselors are being informed at the last minute that their position is being closed, thereby jeopardizing their salaries. Will they still be protecting their salaries for one year?

The district's response was again budgetary. Evidently principals are using their budget discretion to close counseling positions and spending the money on other positions on their campuses. There is considerable dispute regarding protecting the salaries of the counselors who were informed at the end of the year their positions are being eliminated. The Federation has always maintained that an employee must be informed of a contractual change no later than 45 days prior to the last day of instruction. The district is maintaining that they must be informed 45 days prior to the first day of instruction the following year. This is a huge difference and we must get it resolved.

3. PDAS

May 6, 2008 was the last day for teachers to sign their 2007-2008 assessments yet we are receiving widespread reports that principals are calling their teachers in to sign lowered assessments. Why is this happening? Who doesn’t know the rules? The Federation is requesting that a notification be sent to all principals informing them that if they have missed the May 6, 2008 deadline the PDAS assessment reverts to last year’s scores.

According to the district, there evidently is no penalty for principals missing this timeline. There first and often repeated response to this issue is for the teacher to file a grievance. Okay.