QUOLKE CORNER #34
3% RAISE, SSP, STATE BUDGET UPDATES
This past Friday, June 26 the CTU received official notice from Dr. Sanders that there are not sufficient funds to support the wage rates set for in the CBA and the wage increases will not apply. Additionally, the district will be in contact with us to schedule commencement of negotiations. When negotiations will commence, how long they will last, etc. is still not known. I will keep you up-to-date via the personal emails that were collected throughout the spring. Remember, if you change your personal email; please contact Michele Pomerantz or Regina Steffen at the CTU.
So far only 22 teachers have taken advantage of the Service Separation Plan. I have spoken to Dr. Sanders about how to improve upon the SSP and hope that he will have his team meet with the CTU team to discuss ideas. Nationally many Unions and Districts are intrigued by what we are attempting to do and we have gotten a lot of support for the idea of using the Stimulus Funding to save jobs, help kids, and improve professional development.
The deadline for the state of Ohio budget arrived and a temporary 7 day budget was passed. I am sure you have been following the controversy over the cuts to libraries, mental health services in Cuyahoga County, and the addition of slots at Ohio race tracks. Despite the 3 billion dollar deficit that still needs to be plugged, it seems as though the amount of funding that will come to CMSD will remain the same as last year. There is a conscious effort by the Governor and the legislature to not allow this budget crisis to impact the public school classrooms. However, the Ohio Department of Education has had to make significant cuts to their budget and over 600 people working for ODE will lose their jobs. How this will impact us as classroom teachers, paras, and support personnel is yet to be seen. We will continue to monitor this situation and update you on the budget watch.
In Union,
David