ReporterAn official Publication of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers AssociationRepresenting Teachers and Educational Support Professionals

Affiliated with FEA, NEA, AFT, AFL-CIOVolume 45, Number 4 March 2011

REPORTER

Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association • 4505 N. Rome Avenue Tampa, Florida 33603 • www.hillscta.org

The president’s message this month lays out the immediate rights we stand to lose here in

Hillsborough County and across the state of Florida in the weeks ahead. The threat to our rights is as clear as it is overwhelming. But the attack on our rights in Florida is part of a wide-spread movement across the nation to strip unions of their right to bargain, as well as their ability to exist.

Politics, as they say, is local and many of our members and potential members will rally around the threat here. I wholeheartedly support and encourage their activism. However, the larger economic and political consequences of the concerted ef-fort to undermine unions are worth considering as well. Even in a time where union density nationally is low, unions matter in so many criti-cal ways.

Of course, it is difficult to cover a topic people have written books about in a short column. With a nod to some famous bumper stickers and pins of the past, I’ll try to make my case.Thanks To The Unions—The Folks

Who BroUghT YoU The WeekendMost don’t recall the days when

the workplace, even without a union, was devoid of state and/or federal regulation of rights we now take for granted. Unions were instrumental in the passage of laws designed to make the workplace safe and equitable, in-cluding the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, to name a few. On the state level, unions are similarly responsible for the passage of state laws on labor and employment topics.

We, especially the younger gen-eration, expect a safe and democratic workplace as a matter of course. In all fairness, we should be able to have such expectations in this day and age. Unfortunately, we need to be aware that these seemingly basically rights can disappear instantly by the votes of our lawmakers. america Works BesT When We saY. . .

“Union Yes!”Unions increase democracy in the

workplace and in the larger commu-nity. At work, unions provide a voice for workers, which increases job satis-faction and productivity. Unions raise

wages and benefits for all workers making economic security, and dare I say prosperity, a reality for more people.

Unfortunately, some of the basic benefits unions have won over time are now being used to drive a wedge between working people. Union workers are branded as greedy or overpaid because they have basic health care and/or a modest pension. When unions are strong, we raise the floor for everyone and help stop the “race to the bottom” we see happen-ing across the country right now.

Unions also serve a positive role in helping to increase overall partici-pation in our democracy. Local state and national unions are democratic organizations with elected leader-ship, as well as a constitution. Partic-ipating in this microcosm of democ-racy leads to more aware and active citizens. Unions provide a balance of power against solely corporate or profit driven interests and have his-torically supported positive changes in workplace laws as noted above.

UniTed We Bargain, divided We Beg

The union movement paved the way for a middle class by helping to raise wages and benefits for all workers. In the 20th century, unions helped spread economic growth by making sure that workers received a fair share of profits.

Unfortunately, as union member-ship has decreased, the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small mi-nority of people in our country has in-creased. The gap between “the rich” and “the poor” is widening according to 2010 Census figures and the mid-dle class is dwindling.

don’T Whine—organize!I am disappointed the state of our

democracy. It wasn’t that long ago that corporate greed in our country created the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. Public sector workers are not responsible for the results of that greed, and yet they are being asked to pay for it, in both actual dollars and in the form of their right to join a union! What’s happening in Tallahassee and across the country is an attempt to silence the voices of working people—teach-ers, firefighters, police officers, and other vital public employees. If you are frustrated too, and I hope you will JOIN us in ORGANIZING to make your voice heard.

Why Unions Matterin the Big Picture

by Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, Executive Director

Hillsborough CTA members were front and center at the Tampa Awake the State Rally on March 8, 2011. Area unions, consumer groups, and progress organizations marched down Kennedy Ave., with a rally culmination in Gaslight Park to raise awareness of the devastating budget cuts being proposed by the governor.

Staff from James Elementary participated in the Rally.

Kennedy Ave. was lined with people who attended the Rally.

Photos by Beth Roach

Awake the State

Page 2 • CTA Reporter • March 2011

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Jean ClementsCTA President

Board Election Results

Congratulations to our new and returning board

members:

District 1 Sabrina Gates- McCarthyDistrict 3 Aimee BallansDistrict 5 David PeacockDistrict 7 Amy MurphyDistrict 9 Miriam Hodges

What a difference a day makes. Or four months. Or 43 years.

On July 1, 2011, if nothing changes, you will lose collective bargaining in Hillsborough County. We will be prohibited from sitting at the bargaining table and negotiating a contract.

No contract. No little green or yellow book.

No contract which protects your planning time, your duty-free lunch, or your ability to voluntarily transfer.

No contract which guarantees planning time for elementary teachers within the student day.

No contract which provides for health, personal, professional, family, and study leaves, with provisions to return to the same school and subject area where you previously served.

No contract which allows you to inspect your personnel file, prevent derogatory material from being placed in your file without having a chance to review it first, and have inappropriate material removed.

No contract which keeps written lesson plan requirements reasonable, practical, and realistic.

No contract which states that you shall not be required to fill out forms, checklists, and other documents which are not approved by a district forms committee, and do not have an official School Board number on them.

No contract which ensures teacher input and empowerment by requiring that teachers be appointed to district textbook selection committees, screening committees for administrative positions, a forms management committee, a calendar committee, and a wide assortment of ad hoc committees, as well as faculty steering committees at each school site. No contract that ensures these district and site committees have

teachers serving on them, and specifies a minimum number or percent of teachers who must be appointed to each committee.

No contract which provides an orderly and fair process for teachers, paraprofessionals, or clerical professionals whose positions are cut or lost, to move into another position for which they are qualified, and if there are none available, to move into the most similar position they are qualified for, as long as they agree and are able to become qualified in a reasonable amount of time. No contract which allows you to return to the same classification from which you were cut, if a position becomes available.

No grievance procedures. No comp time, so of course no transfer

of comp time when you move to a new site.No minimum of at least four full

workdays to complete grades after the end of the grading period.

No T-Payroll (pay for giving up your conference period and teaching an additional period).

No early release days.No energy transfers.No job-sharing.No meeting limits.No prompt report on action taken

regarding student discipline referrals.What difference does a day make?. Or

four months? Or 43 years?Yesterday, few teachers knew how

much their lives were going to change over the next 60 days.

Four months ago, few pundits or observers really thought the current governor would win the election. Not a single notable newspaper recommended him. Many are still shaking their heads in disbelief, four months later.

If he hadn’t won, what’s about to happen would never have happened.

Forty-three years ago, in February of

1968, about half of Florida’s teachers and administrators walked out of their schools in protest of the deplorable conditions of Florida’s schools. On March 8, one day after a special session of the legislature passed a bill to infuse about $2000 into every classroom in the state, the “strike” was called off, and most teachers and administrators were rehired, though not all.

The Constitution of the State of Florida was revised in 1968 and ratified by the electorate on November 5, 1968. In that revision, “right to work,” collective bargaining, and the prohibition of public employees to strike, all appeared in the same paragraph.

Direct from the State of Florida Constitution, Article 1, Declaration of Rights, Section 6: “Right to work.—The right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union or labor organization. The right of employees, by and through a labor organization, to bargain collectively shall not be denied or abridged. Public employees shall not have the right to strike.”

In 1974, the Florida Supreme Court threatened to write the procedures and rules itself, if the legislature didn’t enact a statute and rules, and finally, the legislature passed the statute establishing procedures for collective bargaining for public employees.

Today, while the constitution is not changing, your ability to have collective bargaining is about to.

House Bill 1023 requires a labor organization to demonstrate majority status by July 1, 2011, or its status as the exclusive representative will be revoked. It also requires recertification of an employee organization which represents

less than 50 percent of employees eligible as members. Employee organizations representing or seeking to represent law enforcement officers and firefighters are exempt.

That means, if we don’t prove we have a solid majority membership by July 1, we lose collective bargaining rights.

In 1968, teachers and administrators walked out of schools across Florida and gave up their jobs in an attempt to improve our schools. That resulted in constitutional and statutory language ensuring collective bargaining, and led to our first contract.

I’m not asking you to walk out and give up your job, risking all future employment in Florida public schools, your retirement, large daily fines, and jail time.

I’m just asking you to stand with us and join CTA to save collective bargaining and your contract in Hillsborough and to thank all the members who enabled you to have the contract in the first place.

If you’re already a member, you have taken the first step. But simply being a member yourself will no longer ensure our contract, and the process by which to continuously improve it, is available to you.

It’s your profession, your future. Don’t let your voice be silenced.

Get Connected

Join our, members only, CTA group on

Facebook.

Search “Hillsborough Classroom Teachers

Association” and click to join.

Empowering Effective Teachers Q & A

On the Verge of Losing Half a Century of Progress

The district has an online option for people to submit questions about the EET initiative and receive answers. Below are answers to some questions about compensation:

Q: Will compensation for advanced degrees continue?

A: Current teachers who choose not to opt in to the new system will continue to receive the advanced degree supplement. In the new compensation system we will have a tuition reimbursement program rather than a supplement. Teachers will be reimbursed the average value of tuition at a state university. The reimbursement will be paid over a four-

year period. Teachers who leave during that time frame will not receive the remaining payment(s).

Q: Will current teacher base pay remain the same or will the scale for pay be changing? If so, how? Will Title 1/Renaissance schools continue to be compensated differently?

A: Compensation will remain the same until the new plan is in place. Veteran teachers will continue under the current plan for as long as they teach if they choose not to opt-in.

Q: If compensation from the Grant doesn’t come until 2013-2014 but we do choose to opt in, is there any compensation

between now and then?A: The only compensation change

(other than Mentor/Peer Evaluator supplements) prior to 2013-14 will be in the form of bonuses for Level 1 and 2 student performance. That model will begin in 2012-13.

Our plan is to expand the Renaissance Plan to a few additional high schools and middle schools and also to include bonuses (similar to those received by AP teachers) for teachers who move Level I and II students forward.

Q: Where can we find the pay scale?A: At this point there is no specific pay

scale for Career, Advanced, and Master

Teachers. These rates will be negotiated with CTA before the new compensation plan takes effect in 2013-14

Q: Will teachers be able to receive raises if they do not have many or any Level 1 or 2 students?

A: Yes. Raises in the new compensation system are based upon increases in one’s evaluation score. If a teacher is a Career Teacher (evaluation=3), he/she would earn a raise by earning a higher evaluation score for two consecutive years.

Visit http://communication.sdhc.k12.fl.us/empoweringteachers to see additional questions and their responses.

Marc 2011 • CTA Reporter • Page 3

Peer Explains Experiences Bucket Questions Answered

Peers give advice for how and what to add to your

electronic bucket

• A good use of the journal section would be further reflections about the lesson and progress toward next steps. For example, if the lesson indicated a need for strengthening in “Communicating with Students” and the peer recommended collaborating with colleagues to find methods for effectively communicating and holding students accountable for the lesson objective, then the teacher may journal about the method she implemented and its outcome.

• It may be important to point out to teachers that peers/principals/mentors are not regularly reading or referring to the journal section. It is not currently designed as a back-and-forth communication system. It is more a record-keeping, note-taking section to add info that doesn’t fit anywhere in the summary or rating comment areas. The journal is used to document what should be considered before evaluating a teacher.

• It is also a great place to note trainings attended in areas where it was suggested.

• Teachers may want to journal about any abnormal events that impacted the instruction and subsequently the ratings. For example, one teacher had the guidance department unexpectedly sent up green passes to call almost half the class to the office in the middle of her instructional time. She had to readjust her groupings and the students did not work as well together as if they had been with their original partners. Or, a teacher may want to clarify if they misunderstood part of the process and did not do things they would normally do “because it was an observation”.

Some of the things that Career and Technical teachers might add to their journal are:1) Trainings they have participated

in and/or readings or research they have done that is linked to the post conference2) Description of a new strategy

incorporated that improved learning (example: procedures, questioning, using Edline/technology as a learning tool)3) Example of an assessment of the

student’s work or a sample of their work, as a final project may not be observed in our 50 minute observation’4) Co-curriculuar club involvement/

competitive events results, projects

Clarification could include additional information such as time factors that changed the lesson, more information regarding one or more students, and input on why a teacher thinks the students were learning (this often is the case when the teacher wants to defend their lesson or respond to needs improvement discussions).

CTA has a brand new Dell Latitude 2100 Netbook to give away!If you are a CTA member who is the parent or legal guardian of a high school student in a Title I school who plans to pursue some sort of post-secondary education, e-mail your name and the student’s name and school to CTA President by April 8. A name will be drawn at Rep Council on

April 14, and the Netbook will be delivered the next day.

THE PEER! That is what I have been reduced to. No longer am I Mr. Richard, or Mr. Oscar, but now just “The Peer.” I am not

complaining, it is just the latest name I have been called. Being on the frontline of the new Empowering Effective Teachers initiative has been one of the most mind blowing experiences of my life; it is a new role I am playing in the most important change in the history of education.

When I first read about the Bill and Melinda Gates grant, I was excited and knew I wanted to be a part of it. Being afforded the opportunity to travel around the district, watch teachers teach and have professional discussions about a profession I love sounded like a dream opportunity. After undergoing a rigorous interview process, weeks of training in the summer with trainers from across the globe, and working with an awesome team of peers, I set out to see what I could see.

It didn’t take long. After one day of sitting down with teachers, discussing lessons, analyzing strategies, and figuring out next steps, I knew this was going to be great. It was going to be a bumpy ride, but at the very least I would know where every teacher bathroom and soda machine was in the district.

It hasn’t all been smooth, and there was a huge learning curve that the peers and the teachers had to overcome. Initially I was assigned over 160 in 23 different schools. I had to plot routes to different schools, introduce myself to new curriculums (hello auto shop!), and figure out a way to schedule classroom visits to teachers who had no idea who I was or

what I wanted.The hardest part of the early days of

the job was convincing teachers that I was not the boogeyman and had absolutely no agenda. Being a classroom teacher myself, I knew firsthand the apprehension the teachers felt. I knew that I knew what I was doing, but expressing that was sketchy. The teachers had no idea who I was, and justifiably had no reason to trust me. My initial visits were met with more curiosity than anxiety. However,

as the semester wore on, the rumor mill began to fire up and life became more interesting. I was asked about quotas (we have none), mandates to grade harshly (nope), bias (only towards pizza). The longer the year ran, the crazier the stories became. Teachers were fearful of what we all are; the unknown.

On our first day, Mrs. Elia said to us that we were to look at every class as if our own children were sitting in that classroom. That insight stuck with me. As any parent will tell you, their child is their most precious possession. Having

three children myself, including one with special needs, I have looked at each class through those eyes. That being said however, I can say without equivocation: I would love to have my kids sitting in too many classrooms to name.

After a while, more and more teachers had their first observation and the fears began to subside. Some people weren’t happy, but most teachers felt the experience gave them a chance to think about their teaching and the way they are working with the students. We, as professionals, are rarely given the chance to sit down and talk with peers and hash out what works and what can be improved. Our days are filled with planning, teaching, grading, contacting parents and a laundry list of responsibilities that we all know way too well. Now, thanks to the EET grant, we get a chance to sit down and talk about teaching. What works, what needs help, and what needs tossed out. Teaching will always be a craft–a craft that we all love.

So I will be THE PEER, because it is awesome. We are helping teachers help students, plain and simple. Nobody likes having the sometimes hard conversation, but it is part of the job. Giving feedback and opportunity is a sign of dedication to the students on behalf of the teacher, the administration, the CTA, and all stakeholders. I have always been proud to be a teacher; if I were to go back into the classroom tomorrow I would be ten times the teacher I was before. The amazing teachers in Hillsborough County are some of the best the country has to offer, and I have been privileged to watch them at their best.

Oscar Richard shares difficulties, rewards

Observation Fears CalmedFaye Cook gives advice to teachers

“HELP!” CTA heard the cry loud and clear from members as the new observation and evaluation system was rolled out this school year. Based on member needs, the “Calming Pre/Post Observation Jitters” training was developed as a benefit for CTA members. National Board Certified Teachers, Faye Cook and Sue McCrossin developed the training in conjunction with CTA Professional Development Specialist Mary Gonzalez, based on their knowledge of Charlotte Danielson’s Enhancing Professional Practice, A Framework for Teaching, the assessment system used by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the observation documents developed by the district. This training is not intended to provide details on the entire Empowering Effective Teachers initiative, just the portions dealing with the observation cycles. The following tips will increase the teacher’s confidence with the new evaluation system:• Be proactive throughout the process• Use the EET Toolkit on Ideas• From the Toolkit, utilize the pre-

conference observation form with the guiding questions when planning your lesson

• Use the Backwards Planning model, which is similar to the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching model from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards• From the Toolkit, familiarize yourself

with the post-observation questions, so you are prepared for the conversation. In the words of Charlotte Danielson, “It’s about the conversation.”• Use the Journal on the Lawson Talent

Management to keep records of your activities and to share activities and things you do that may not be observable or known to your evaluators.• Read the messages that come via

e-mail and use the tutorials as well as the EET website to keep up with changes.• Use the domains and components of

the framework to guide your reflection. Any component is a potential area for reflection.• Breathe – this is a work in progress. It

will improve next year.• Keep your lines of communication

open with your evaluators.• Do not hesitate to send questions and/

or comments to GreatTeachers on Ideas. Positive changes cannot come without information provided to those with the authority and responsibility to work out

the problems. • Sign up for “Calming Pre/Post

Observation Jitters” workshop.The full 2.5 hour training provides

specifics and guidance on all of the above and more. A shorter version of the training is offered in the Surviving and Thriving mini-workshops, but the lesson planning component is not included in the mini-version. As always, CTA works for our members in promoting the highest quality of teaching possible for the students in our district.

Some feedback from participants at recent workshops:

“Tons of timely tips. Excellent – thank you so much. Well done.”

“I am so happy that I was able to attend this training! My administration and my peer evaluator provided no feedback about the observation rubric, pre-observation questions, post-observation guide, and journal. I had no idea that these resources existed and now that I do I will be so much more prepared for my next round of observations.

“I enjoyed learning more about where to find the documents and how to effectively use them as I go through my observations. Great presenters.”

“Very helpful in filling in the gaps.”

The hardest part of the early days of

the job was convincing teachers that I was not

the boogeyman and had absolutely

no agenda.

Reporter

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CTA WORKS FOR YOU

CTA continues to work tirelessly to support members and to work toward the mission of “Helping You Help Kids.” To that end, listed below are just a few of the things CTA staff members have accomplished for our membership recently.

• Ensured a members’ right to representation in a meeting with an administrator that could have resulted in disciplinary action• Saw to it that the correct voting procedures were followed in relation to School Recognition funding and called for re-voting to take place where necessary• Represented members in numerous Professional Standards investigations• Ensured that a faculty was given at least three days’ notice before a change was made in the school bell schedule (2.8.3)• Attended multiple CTA site meetings, faculty meetings, and EET information meetings• Ensured teachers were receiving the appropriate amount of comp time when absorbing students from another class• Provided attorneys for members when appropriate• Secured hundreds of hours of comp time for teachers who were assigned duty when they should not have been• Protected a number of members’ rights to have a student removed from class when appropriate (4.3.8)• Represented members in Child Protective Services investigations• Protected planning time in countless and varied situations• Had inappropriate items removed from members’ personnel files• Requested mediation between a member and site administrator• Prevented unnecessary and/or noncontractual meetings• Ensured transfer of comp time to new work sites

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March 8 – May 5

March 26, Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., CTA

March 31, Thursday

April 9 and 16, Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., ISC 161 April 14, Thursday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., ISC 102

2011 Legislative Session

Teacher Mentoring and NBC Candidate Support Session and Mailing the NBC “BOX” Party

All New NBC Candidates Portfolios Postmarked to San Antonio, TX

NBC Assessment Center Practice

Rep Council Meeting

ESPupdateESPs gathered at CTA for the all-county ESP meeting on Feb. 23.

Here is some information pertaining to ESP Evaluation Procedures. Please see Section 11 in the ESP Contract, particularly 11.2.1., which states, “All ESP employees shall be assessed on their overall work performance once a year in March. ESP employees shall complete a self-evaluation annually.

“The self-evaluation shall occur (should have occurred) no later than the first week in March of each year.”

Remember: you have the right to representation during evaluative meetings. Also, you can contact your CTA Staff Representative for assistance in writing a rebuttal letter.