www.spfe28.org

August 26, 2019

CONTRACT U P D AT E

SAVE THE DATES Thursdays:WearRed

SPFEshirts@SPFEoffice

CATTeamTrainingMonday,September9

4:30-8:30p.m.SPFE(23EmpireDrive)RSVPtojulie@spfe28.org

OpenBargainingThursday,September124:30p.m.Pre-Mee0ng

5-8p.m.BargainingSessionSPFE(23EmpireDrive)

Thursday,September264:30p.m.Pre-Mee0ng

5-8p.m.BargainingSessionSPFE(23EmpireDrive)

StewardTrainingSaturday,September21

9:30-3:30SPFE(23EmpireDrive)RSVPtojulie@spfe28.org

MembershipMee.ngMonday,September23

4:30p.m.SPFE(23EmpireDrive)

Mental Health Support for Students Top Priority Suppor0ngstudentmentalhealthneedsinSt.Paulisacri0calsteptoaddressingthepredictabilityofdispari0esbyrace,socioeconomicstatus,anddisability,andwillacceleratelearningandachievementforallstudents.Ina2011MinnesotaACE(AdverseChildhoodExperiences)survey,60%ofMinnesotanssurveyedreportedatleastoneadversechildhoodexperience.Adversechildhoodexperiencesandtheresul0ngchallengesareapublichealthcrisisthatplayouteachdayinourschools,causingstudentstomisslearning0me.Yourbargainingteampresentedaproposaltoincreasementalhealthsupportsowecanhelpourstudentsthriveandreachtheirfullpoten0al.

Specifically,weproposedthateachSt.PaulPublicSchoolbefullystaffedwithamentalhealthteamcomprisedofstaffinthefollowingposi0ons:SchoolSocialWorkerswhoserveSpecialEduca0onandGeneralEduca0onstudents,SchoolCounselors,SchoolPsychologists,SchoolNurses,andBehaviorInterven0onSpecialists.Eachoftheseposi0onsbringsdifferentexper0seandskillsintoourschools.Togethertheycomplimenteachotherandcanfullysupportourstudents.

Inaddi0ontoproposingwefullystafftheseposi0ons,weproposedtheteamprovidetrainingandsupportforalllicensedstaffandbehaviorinterven0onspecialists.WealsoproposedpeersupportsforourBehaviorInterven0onSpecialists.

TheDistrictgaveusacountertoourMentalHealthProposalattheJulybargainingsession.Thecounterwastoformacommikeetodiscussanequitablephase-inplantosupportstudentmentalhealthneeds.Counteringwithanothercommikeetoaddressourstudentneedsisadelayourstudentscannotwaitthroughandismorethandisappoin0ng.Weareworkingonaresponseforafuturebargainingsession.

Quick UpdateYourSPFEbargainingteammetwiththedistrictonMay30thandJuly25thtopresentthefollowingproposals.AllSPFEproposalscanbefoundonourwebsiteat:hkps://spfe28.org/proposals/1. StudentMentalHealthSupports2. Addi0onalDu0esforEAsandSCSPs

andInterpreterPrepara0onTime3. Na0onalBoardCer0fica0on4. EAandSCSPGrowYourOwn

Par0cipa0on5. SchoolRedesignandElec0onto

WorkAgreements6. PeerAssistanceandReview

AttheJuly25thbargainingsession,theDistrictpresentedthefollowingproposalsandcounterproposals.1. SickLeaveAccrualRatesforEAsand

SCSPs2. ShortentheInterviewandSelec0on

PeriodwithenddateofMay31(thiswasaverbalproposalmadeatthetable)

3. StudentMentalHealthSupportscounterproposal

www.spfe28.org

PROPOSALSUMMARIES

Addi.onalDu.esforEAsandSCSPsItisnotunusualforourEduca0onalAssistantsorSchoolandCommunityServiceProfessionalswhoservicestudentstobepulledfromtheirstudentstodootherdu0esassignedbyaprincipalorsupervisor.Thiscanmeanalossofcri0calservicetostudentsandadisrup0oninlearning.OAen0mes,thesedu0esarenotrelatedtothestaffperson'sjobdescrip0on.

Therefore,yourbargainingteamputforthaproposaltolimitthisdisrup0on.Ourproposalwouldrequireprincipalsandsupervisorstoprovideaclearscheduleoutliningdailyresponsibili0esandassignmentsthatalignwiththeemployee’sjobdescrip0on.Italsorequiresthemtos0cktothisschedule,exceptinextremecircumstances.IfanEAorSCSPdisagreedthatanydu0esalignedwiththeirjobdescrip0onuponreceivingtheschedule,theywouldhavetherighttofileagrievance.

InterpreterPrepara.onTimeOurEAinterpreters(bothdeafandhardofhearingandspokenlanguage)whoworkdirectlywithstudentsinclassroomscurrentlydonotgetanyprepara0on0metorevieweduca0onalcontentortoconnectwiththeteacherbeforeinterpre0ng.Weproposedthattheseeducatorsget125minutesofprepara0onperweektoensurethattheyareprovidingthebestinterpreta0onofeduca0onalcontentaspossibletoourstudents.

Na.onalBoardCer.fica.onThisproposalisanupdatetoourlanguageonLicensedStaffwhoareseekingandgetaNa0onalBoardCer0fica0on.Weproposedlanguageupdatesthatreflectchangestothecer0fica0onprocessandforaddi0onalsupportforfolksseekingcer0fica0on.BenLathropandJennyFunkhouserfromHardingsharedtheirexperiencegoingthroughtheprocessandhowitimpactedtheirteachingprocess–helpingthemtobuildstrongerrela0onshipswithstudentsandprovidemoreculturallyrelevantinstruc0on.

DistrictSponsoredLicensureProgramsEAsandSCSPswhopar0cipateinadistrictsponsoredteacherlicensureprogram,suchasSUTR,currentlydonothaverightsbackintotheiroriginalbargainingunitiftheydon'tendupbecomingateacher.WeproposedthattheycancomebackintotheiroriginalbargainingunitiftheydonotgetplacedinSPPS,aredeniedtenure,ordon’tcompletetheprogram.Manymembershavetoldusthatthelackofjobsecurityisabarriertopar0cipa0nginthesetypesofprograms.Wewanttheseprogramstobesuccessfulinhelpingtodiversifyourteachingworkforceandarehopingto

openmoredoorsforourmembersofcolorwhowanttopar0cipateintheselicensureprograms.

Elec.ontoWorkAgreementsBasedonlastyear’sfrustra0ngElec0ontoWorkAgreementprocess,weproposedsomelanguagethatclarifiesthe0melineandprocedures.

PeerAssistanceandReviewandforma.veevalua.onsThisproposalisaclean-upofourPeerAssistanceandReviewcontractlanguage.Wealsoaddedaclauseregardingtheschedulingofforma0veevalua0onsforallteachers,reques0ngschedulesatthestartoftheschoolyearthatgiveteachersa1-week0meframeforwhentheycanexpecttobeobserved.

DistrictProposalsThefirstproposalfromSPPSwasaboutsickleaveaccrualsforEAsandSCSPs;thedistrictwouldliketohaveaccrualratesbethesameforallstaffregardlessof10monthand12monthstatus.10monthEAswouldlose1.25daysofsickleavewiththisproposal.

ThesecondproposalwasfortheLicensedStaffcontract;thedistrictwouldliketheInterviewandSelec0onprocesstoendonMay31insteadofmid-June.

“I am a proud member of SPFE because our union supports our students and quality education!”

Chris Baumhover EL Teacher

Mississippi Creative Arts