Sometimes you Just Can't Guess

I thought today's session was going to be about safety and money. It turned out to be about staff development and staff development plans.

Should a teacher that have a life credential have to worry about a staff development plan? In the district's proposal they did. We argued successfully that having them do so was a significant change in their work. They can be encouraged but they should not be required. We were engaged in working through the aftermath of the state requiring 150 hours of professional development in a three year period in order to maintain credential status. These professional plans were often neglected and not developed with any semblance of accountability. The district wanted to push the accountability of this without changing the requirements or being required to pay for such growth. So they would take over the role that was previously held through the state in the form of credential renewal. We have a stake in in service for our members in that it could train teachers so they would be less vulnerable to lawsuits that the district would get and therefore decrease the money available for raises.

The long and the short of it.. we got life credential teachers exempt from it. We also got the professional development away from evaluation. We also were able to make it primarily teacher driven and maintained. All are wins for us wrapped in a tentative agreement for this part of the contract.

We did give the other side our concepts of teacher safety and they had some limitations I think that we can live with when it push comes to shove. The financial person had some bad news from the Sacramento from the district advisors that there may be a significant shortfall this winter so that a state of economic emergency would be called and the money that we were to have this year could be recalled. Our district is still in growth this year with an enormous balance in a catchall carryover account. We told them that too.

I just thought you might be interested in what is happening at the battlefield.

Love
Pat