December 3, Consultation Minutes

Instructional Consultation
December 03, 2009


Chapter 37

HFT brought to the attention of administration the violations of state law Chapter 37. Principals in several schools all over the district are refusing to enforce the mandatory removal of students with serious violations including physical abuse requiring removal. HFT will start taking these to TEA as they are more responsive than HISD ever is. CEP referrals being delayed by paperwork is not the problem. The administration stated that they had made no changes in the procedure. HFT stated that to their certain knowledge, principals are being encouraged not to refer and threatened with withholding of funds if students are referred. The financial threat came from the superintendent. The pattern is clear across the district; principals are not referring students for mandatory removal. CEP will take fully mainstreamed Special Ed students.

Excessive Paperwork

The continued demand for excessive paper work in disaggregating weekly tests for TAKS is impacting the teachers’ time to teach. This is a clear violation of state law. Where does all this paper go? The district has demanded the same data for the past two years.

Grievance Procedure

Grievance procedure has no teeth. We keep seeing the same violations; we need some real sanctions to get the attention of the principals. Administration suggested that when submitting an item for review that the region be indicated and the administration will see that the region has a representative present at the meeting.

Credit Recovery

Academic coaches, i.e. graduation coaches, students on credit recovery will take a course on line working with another person other than the teacher of record. The teacher of record will be required to sign off on the students’ grades online. The teacher of record cannot sign off on those grades unless the teacher taught the course and gave the grade her/himself. Administration stated that a teacher needs to certify that the course meets the standards required for credit in the course. That can also be a problem. What happens for a kid who cannot read on level? District is looking to buy software that reads for the student specifically intended for the Special Education student.

Teacher Assistants

TA’s used as teachers. Administration has notified regions to correct the situation. They will double check with the regions.

AP Tests and ASPIRE

There are no current plans to link AP scores to EVAAS but the linkage is being studied.

Meeting adjourned.

December 3, 2009 Consultation Agenda

HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

Please include the following to the December 3, 2009 Instructional Consultation agenda:

1. The use of Teacher Assistants – We first presented this issue in November and were asked for a list of schools where this is occurring.

a. It has come to our attention that many campuses have found a less than legal way to cut their budgets; using teacher aides to teach ancillary classes such as library and computer, and as regular substitutes. Aside from violating NCLB, TEC laws, and HISD policy, this is not moral. Doing so exploits the teacher aides who are directed to do a $45,000.00 a year job for about $18,000.00. Not to mention that it cost a teacher a job.

While TAs or clerks can be used as support and as library clerks, classes cannot be dropped off for ancillary period with the aide in charge. While aides can hold a class for a teacher who is late, or in the event of an emergency such as not being able to obtain a sub, they cannot be used as the designated or long-term sub on the campus.

b. The following schools have reported abuses in the use of Teacher Assistants:

· At Dogan a TA is the PE teacher, and on the ancillary schedule.
· At Davila a T.A. has been in the library as a teacher for more than 2 years. Library is not ancillary. It is a separate class.
· Lewis is using a Teacher Aids for Art.
· Alcott, Frost, Hobby, Tinsley are holding ancillary library classes and computer classes.
· At JR Harris Elementary School TA's are regularly used as substitutes

2. Grievance Procedure

The grievance procedure is becoming increasingly less effective. A principal losing a grievance does not seem to be a deterrent against further policy violations. It is time we look at the current procedure and develop real sanctions against administrators who continually flaunt policy, procedures, and the law.

3. Advanced Placement Scores

With the current push to increase the number of AP courses offered and tests given in order to raise school rankings in the Newsweek magazine list of top schools, is there any plan to use student AP scores as part of AP teachers EVAAS rankings?