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.
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