President’s Message

(A PDF version is available at the bottom of this page)

June 10, 2010

End of the Year Thoughts from your HEA President . . .

Well, as we end the year we find ourselves with much unfinished work and many unanswered questions, but not for want of nor attempts by HEA to resolve the many District  self -imposed problems.

“0” and “7th” periods at the High Schools:  We go into the summer not knowing if “0” and “7th” periods will be eliminated from the high school program.  Despite hearing from the community that they wanted the “0” and “7th” periods, despite the District having transitioned from the Block schedule with “0” and “7th” periods being used as a selling point to the community and teachers as a way to make up for the lack of eight classes offered to the students in a given year, despite HEA’s best attempts to explain both the educational impact, as well as the impact on our membership, the District continues to act as if the Board has made the decision to eliminate the “0” and “7th” periods, all for the sake of $630,000 (so says the District).  In fact the Board has not acted, but the administration seems “secure” that they have the Board’s ear and await their stamp of approval.

Music: We go into the summer without a 5/6 music pull-out program.  We are told that the District will provide students with music after school and that the teachers teaching it will be paid at the hourly rate.  Despite the fact that this action is devastating to the secondary music programs, despite the fact that HEA has made it clear that this negatively impacts our students and teachers, despite the fact that the District admits that they have a bussing problem and not all children will have equal access to music, the District has eliminated the program for the sake of $290,000 (so says the District.)  HEA will be filing a grievance and an unfair labor practice as soon as the “plan” is implemented.

Special Ed: We go into the summer with special education teachers’ assignments being all over the map. People who have taught for 17 years at the elementary are now assigned to high schools, people at year-rounds are to teach on a traditional school calendar and have split assignment of elementary and middle school.  Despite the fact that the District did not follow contract language in making assignments, despite a pending grievance regarding the positions, the District contends that the language does not apply to special ed because the language of the contract deals with site assignments rather than District assignments.  While it is somewhat interesting to watch Donna Becnel dance her way into trying to find a good argument, it is clear to HEA that the District, and Valerie Baugh, have violated the contract all for the sake of …we know not why. HEA will be filing a grievance if this is not resolved by Monday.

Involuntary transfers: We go into the summer with the involuntary transfers not yet assigned namely because the District has not determined the impact of following the lawful option of reinstating some of the Teachers on Special Assignment and the ELL / PRT coordinators.  Despite the fact that the District has known about the option for months, despite the fact that they have a District office full of people whose job it is to prepare lists, the District has yet to supply HEA with a final list of involuntaries and those positions available for teachers to look into as an option. HEA has been told that the new and improved deadline that the District has given itself for both involuntary lists and positions is this Friday, June 10, 2010 . . . HEA waits.

PLAS Schools (Persistently Low-Achieving Schools:  We go into the summer not knowing what the District has in mind except for the fact that when (seemingly) directly dealing with the membership, (HEA is looking into filing an Unfair Labor Practice) the Superintendent has named Tennyson as a “twilight school,” (no, not the movie.) Supposedly, Tennyson will have an after school program from 3-5 PM, taught by whomever, for what amount of compensation, we do not know.  HEA would have to be involved in bargaining these changes.  For Burbank and Longwood, we are still not sure of the plan.  Harder remains a District redesign school.  The District is doing everything in its power to have Harder become a PLAS so that can get money for changes at the site.  Implications of the PLAS schools include a change in hours and evaluation.  When we know what the District is planning to do, HEA will file a demand to bargain.

Adult Ed: We go into the summer with a huge hit to our brothers and sisters at Adult Ed.  Despite compelling arguments to the Board from both teachers and community, despite the negative impact on the services provided by Adult Ed, the Board took half of their funding for general use money leaving Adult Ed programs devastated and/or wiping them out all together.  For those remaining programs, HEA will put in a demand to bargain once the District has a plan.

Bargaining: On June 2 at 6:47 PM, the District gave HEA a proposal which included 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 proposals even though the District had not yet completed the process that would have permitted it to speak about 2010-11.  Despite HEA stating that they would be willing to negotiate 2009-10, despite HEA saying that they would provide dates to negotiate 2010-11 once the District’s process was completed after June 26, by 7:00 PM, HUSD claimed that negotiations were at impasse.  We await the Public Employee Relations Boards response and spend the last days of the school year fighting a claim that ultimately takes time away for some of the issues above.  The biggest stumbling blocks between the parties are HEA’s insistence that the budget be accurate before considering concessions from our contract, process and term.  It is also interesting to note that two months ago, HUSD was telling all of us that we would not receive pay for the summer months. They borrowed money (off the backs of the Bond money) to the tune of $12 million.  We understand that they have postponed using the $12 million and are still able to pay us.  Therein lies our issues, could they have paid us the entire time and they were just trying to make us move quickly; did they find money after the fact?  HEA is not interested in going into receivership nor are we the controlling power on that action. We await PERB’s findings.

Moves:  East Ave. and Fairview are moving to Highland and Muir respectively for two years while the schools are being rebuilt.  Longwood and Harder are moving due to a PLAS/redesign plan that forces everyone to leave the site and start all over.  However, as of yesterday morning, the sites had received only five boxes for each teacher citing budget issues. HEA called the District and by the afternoon more boxes had arrived.  Keep track of your hours used for packing.

Elementary preps:  Preps are safe for now. However the District is waiting with baited breath for the final state budget to come in.  They are hoping that the state’s budget will be in such jeopardy of being balanced that they could do August layoffs.  Nothing we have heard from CTA or anywhere else would indicate that their wishes will be fulfilled.

Elementary hours continue to be 7 hours, but a new bell schedule can be created that reflects a 6 hour and 40minute or 6 hour and 50 minute instructional day.  SBDM teams, or the like, need to meet to do so immediately.

THROUGH OUT IT ALL, TEACHERS HAVE KEPT THEIR FOCUS ON THE REASON WHY WE WENT INTO THE PROFESSION TO BEGIN WITH --- OUR STUDENTS.  The District talks about fiscal solvency but have forgotten about educational solvency.  We will continue to work through these issues as rapidly as we can make the District work and we will contact you during the summer.  Please provide HEA with your site phone trees.

Be PROUD of your work!  Despite that District’s actions, you ARE providing well for the students!

HEA will continue to post updates on our new web site: heaonline.org during the summer months.

Click the link for this message in PDF format:  End_of_Year_Thoughts.pdf