QUOLKE'S CORNER #150
Staffing 2013-2014 School Year
Anyone that was at the May 23 Delegate Assembly heard the frustration that was shared by our team waiting for answers when Staffing would be scheduled. As we told the Delegates that day, a timeline to do Staffing by the end of the school year was drafted and was waiting for approval from CEO or the CAO or someone with the ability to give that ok.
Delegates asked if the District was waiting to see if the CBA was ratified. FaceBook was full of discussion this weekend anticipating that staffing would now be done since the Tentative Agreement was indeed ratified by our members.
Today, I along with members of my team sat with Eric and members of his team to learn finally and officially that the District does not intend to staff schools until September in order to avoid honoring Right to Returns. We all know that as a result of HB 525 that there will no longer be a Necessary Transfer Meeting where teachers and paraprofessionals choose positions based on seniority (now interviews or placement by CEO). Our contract only necessitated a Right to Return be issued at a Necessary Transfer Meeting – if no more Necessary Transfer Meeting then obviously no more Right to Returns issued. We get that and I believe all of our members get that.
However, there are a number of people that currently hold a Right to Return (RtR) that received the RtR in 2011 or 2012. Some people received their RtR before HB 525 was even conceived, while others received their RtR after HB 525 was passed. The CTU is insisting that the District honor Right to Returns this spring as they do the Staffing for next school year. As a matter of fact, in December CEO Gordon and I signed a timeline for restoring the school day at the end of the first semester that emphasized Right to Returns. In order to circumvent the need to honor RtR, the District has officially said that they will not do Staffing until July 1 or later. Their belief is that if they wait until after July 1, they are covered by HB 525. They also believe that this is what principals want. This is a disastrous and not very well thought out attempt to thwart a commitment that was made to the educators that work in the CMSD.
So what does this mean? What I think the district plans to do is leave everyone where they are assigned right now. No one will be identified for Necessary Transfer and no Open Positions will be identified. In July, they may then identify Open Positions (due to retirement or resignation, etc.). This probably sounds good to those that want to remain in their current school, but provides little options for those that are at Investment Schools that do not want to “recommit” for a variety of good reasons, or who are not selected by the Personnel Selection Committee, or who are at Stokes (where those staff members were told that they would all be necessary transfers). The staff at Stokes was told that the Open Position List was being “bargained” and should be out in a couple of days (that was last week).
I wish I had the answers to the questions that I know that a number of you have right now, but I do not. This is not a well thought out plan on the district’s side. One of the goals of reaching an agreement for the new CBA was so that we could have a smooth start to the 2013-2014 school year. Holding Staffing hostage, instead of honoring Right to Returns, is not going to lead to a smooth start to the upcoming school year. Staffing is the trigger for creating the Open Position List, opening the Open Position/Voluntary Interview window, creating a school master schedule, interviewing new recruits into Investment Schools, etc. Yeah (you see it - I see it) by the district not completing Staffing now that is going to have a lot of consequences and implications for next school year.
We are working with our attorney and filing Grievances on behalf of our members in response to the district’s decision – not to staff now for next school year.
After months of hard work and collaboration to reach a TA that moves the district forward in the best way for students and increases academic achievement, it is more than disheartening that the district is choosing this path.
There is much more to say on this topic and I will do that and continue to update you as more information becomes available.
In Union,
David