RCTA Representative Council Meeting Agenda
Redwood City Teachers’ Association Mission Statement: The Redwood City Teachers Association exists to promote and protect the professional health and longevity of its members. It is dedicated to the pursuit and support of excellent teaching, equity, collective bargaining, and fair working conditions. We are devoted to the education of the children, their families, and the community of Redwood City.
Monday, January 10th, 2022 3:30-5:30 PM
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1. Call meeting to order at 3:32 pm
2. Land Acknowledgement: We recognize the original stewards of this land that we live and work on; The Ramaytush Ohlone Nations.
3. Roll Call- Elected Site Representatives (✓ present)
Adelante Selby-Rita Melton and Yesenia Bravo ✓
Roy Cloud-Belinda Mendez and Maureen McPeek ✓
Roosevelt-Kohlby Hong and Chris Holm ✓✓
Hoover- Kevin Sugar ✓
Clifford- Jennifer Tanti ✓
Orion-Jackie Kroner ✓
North Star-Jacob Havey ✓
Garfield-Anum Khan ✓
MIT-Susanne Pillay
Kennedy-Cindy Meek ✓
Taft-Kerry Benjamin and Kim Combs✓
Henry Ford-Angie Teupel and Sandra Covacha ✓✓
SDC Preschool - Bernadette Garcia
Preschool -Aida Ortiz
Independent Study- Rebecca Robinson ✓
4. Approval of the Minutes
Motion to approve the 12/6/21 Rep Council minutes met without objection
5. Committee Reports
Treasurer's Report- Steve Murray
2021-2022 Budget: Approved 12/6/21
$180 dues/year goes to RCTA = $113.50 monthly deduction
September-December 2021 Organizing costs: Will report back specifics at later Rep Council
September-December 2021 Operations costs:
January 2022 Balance:
Checking $64,522
Savings $50,404
Elections Committee:
NEA Representative Assembly- CTA State Delegate Declaration of Candidacy
If you would like to be an important member of the NEA policy makers check out the link above.
Stay tuned for 2022 State Council representative elections information.
State council is similar to being a part of the representative council for RCTA, but statewide versus city-wide.
RCTA NEEDS YOU!
Election Timeline for positions of:
Local RA representative
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Recording Secretary
Corresponding Secretary
Jan 10 Announce the Elections Jan. 28 Declaration of Candidacy Due- Candidates submit a statement to election committee: rctatreasury@rctacares.com and rctaprez@rctacares.com Jan. 28-Feb. 11 Campaigning Feb. 14-17 Simply Vote Elections Feb. 28 Election Results Announcement
Roles and responsibilities of Executive Board Members can be found in our bylaws.
Organizing Committee: Kevin Sugar and Rita Melton
RCTA Night Out
Working out details with RCEF and will report back with updates at next Rep Council meeting
20/25/30 Years of Service Celebration
Calendar Committee: Erinn Washburn, Brian Cagle, Pam Barsch
The district would like to negotiate the 23-24 calendar to change two days of conferencing in November.
RCTA does not wish to change the current November conferencing schedule.
Human Rights and Equity Committee: Erinn Washburn, Natalie Delahunt, Emily Farrell
CTA Training Coming Up: So You Want to Be an Anti-Racist Union (2 Day Conference)
No cost to RCTA; just time.
January 12 and 19: Link to Sign Up HERE
Human Rights and Equity Conference
- March 4-6 in Los Angeles
Parent Liaison Committee:
Idea: Parents from Taft, Hoover, and Garfield could get involved with the Redwood City Education Foundation (annual report)
There is huge inequity between our sites based on how much each PTO is able to fundraise. RCEF was created to balance the scales. Over a million dollars was donated directly to Taft, Hoover, and Garfield
RCTA Action? (Open Forum)
Is this a union issue? RCSD flaunts and markets equity-based practices, pays for equity-focused training, yet our schools, resources, and finances are not equitable. There is a lot of disconnect across the district in terms of which schools have what, what teachers get in prep, students’ PE classes, etc.
We need to make parents aware of the inequities. It’s not our fight per se, BUT it is our responsibility to make noise and let parents know what is happening across the district.
We need to support our parents and team up together to shift this dynamic
Burlingame had similar issues and they remodeled about 10 years ago. We have a model.
The board and RCSD head figures are well aware of these issues and have been for a long time.
Michelle Remond could be a great resource for reaching our Spanish-speaking parents
Students see these inequities too. Students are aware of which schools are the “good” schools and which are not. Can we get students to mobilize in this too?
We can start trying to reach our parents through PTA/PTO and SSC meetings, if we have them
We can also make noise at our Climate Committee meetings
We can bring up the testing process for NSA and ensure the entrance test is equitable for ALL students and right now we are using a racially and culturally biased
North Star is inaccessible for many Eastside parents
Climate Committee: Kristy Herrera, Sigrid McCarthy, Silvia Antonelli, Chelsea Williams
District-wide concerns for the January 24th meeting
Equity Issues-Policies that should be district-wide
Instructional minutes should be equal across the district
Music, art, and theater enrichment classes should be accessible to all students during their instructional time
PE time for students (K-8 loopholes in EdCode)
Prep times for teachers, but rebrand it as Professional Development time to process, assess, reflect, and strategize the academic and social/emotional growth of our students
How are the teacher climate surveys shared with principals? Does it remain anonymous?
Membership Committee:-Christina Granato ms.granato26@gmail.com
Address changes for CTA database-Christina Granato ms.granato26@gmail.com
Grievance Committee: Michelle Territo, Belinda Mendez
End of Jan/Early Feb- Non-reelect notices will go out to teachers
Want to join or start a committee?
Elections Committee
Organizing Committee
Retirement and Benefits
Community Outreach
Parent Liaison
6. Announcements:
Covid and Covid Quarantine Leave: It is up to the District to prove that you did not contract Covid at work. If they can’t prove you did not contract at work, you are eligible for Workers Compensation (SB 1159). Otherwise, you must use your sick leave. If you have no more sick leave, the district will give you supplemental sick leave (your wages minus sub costs).
Gov. Newsom is working on extending COVID sick leave, but we don’t have any legislation yet, so we will have to wait and see.
RCTA has been working with RCSD, but the district has not been open to negotiating this
As of now, until further notice, any days taken off for COVID come out of your sick leave
Cleaning routines by facilities have seemed lax. Classrooms are not being cleaned to the expectation, students are being sent to class with cold symptoms, students are being sent back to class when sent to the office with symptoms. (site-by-site issues)
RSP teachers are not being notified of COVID cases (Roosevelt), reached out to Shanna, who didn’t provide many answers, who reported that teacher back to Roosevelt administration
Other members reported that TOSAs and Librarians are ALSO not receiving COVID notices
Parents cannot be forced to test their child, even if out due to sickness with symptoms
Students should still be forced to quarantine if sent home for symptoms.
Student and teacher cases are snowballing right now with COVID; shutting back down to remote learning should not be out of the question.
What are the costs for keeping campuses open? We are not mitigating the spread for students, and we are losing teachers to outbreaks.
Parents are demanding missed classwork when out with COVID, not accepting the ready-made packets we prepared.
If COVID is surging out of control like in Spring (technically cases are way higher right now, than ever before) how are we ensuring our students’ safety?
Board meetings are now hybrid. If you attend in person, you must maintain 6 feet of distance and show your vaccination card.
KN-95 masks are available on the PPE order form now
Hiring season is beginning! HR is utilizing EdJoin and The San Mateo County Job Fair. They are also holding an RCSD Job Fair. In addition, they are considering Indeed, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, and Next Door as avenues of recruitment.
7. Member Concerns:
Teachers want to increase the frequency of testing at some sites (only testing once a week). Also, requesting PPE in form and not receiving it.
Meeting adjourned at 5:26 pm
10 minute meeting To Do’s:
1. Decide when you will have your 10 minute meeting and invite your members
2. Election Information–Recruit recruit recruit!
3. Make sure your members are at least experiencing site-wide equity
-Enrichment opportunities
-PE
-Professional Development for student success
-Individual classroom funding
-Breaks
-Extra Duties
Resources:
Web: rctacares.com Facebook: @redwoodcityteachersassociation
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