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, November 1st, 2021 3:30-5:30PM
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1. Call meeting to order at: 3:32
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 Yi Chen will take info back to Orion after this meeting
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
President called motion to approve the 10/4/21 Rep Council minutes
Minutes approved without objection
4. Committee Reports
Treasurer's Report-Steve Murray
Proposed RCTA Budgets and Dues for 2021-22
Last meeting we had some confusion over payroll and how much was being taken out of our checks for RCTA/Union
What appeared coming out of our checks was $112/monthly
That money goes to RCTA, CTA, and NEA dues
$165/member per year comes to RCTA
The rest goes to NEA(National Education Association) and CTA (California Teachers Association)
Without Arbitration $165 dues/year goes to RCTA = $112.50 monthly deduction
With Arbitration: $180 dues/year goes to RCTA = $113.50 monthly deduction
Looking forward, if we want to have the CTA arbitration lawyer on call for our teachers we would need to raise our annual dues to $180/year, or a $1.00 per month
A member raised a point that in the early 2000’s there were 126 pink slips handed out to tenured teachers, there was a CTA arbitration lawyer who helped teachers save their jobs.
Deborah Brooke (CTA membership department) is the one who helped Erinn break down the actual numbers that make up our monthly dues as well as how the increase will run
**Voting for the dues increase will (tentatively) take place in December after Site Reps have a chance to share information with their site members
Organizing Committee: Kevin Sugar
Site Lunches from Erik’s
Taft: Tue. Nov. 2
MIT: Mon. Nov. 8 - Send out lunch order forms
Orion: Tues. Nov. 16- Send out lunch order forms
Roosevelt: Mon. Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving week)--(Rescheduled Friday, November 19 11-12)
Kenedy: Tues. Nov. 30
Henry Ford: Mon. Dec. 6
Roy Cloud: Mon. Dec. 13
North Star: Tues Dec. 14
** Need to add in the Independent Study Team for lunches
Holiday Mixer: Friday, December 3rd
Holiday Mixer venue possibilities
Kevin- Faith and Spirits
Jennifer Tanti- San Carlos Bar and Grill
Add the flyer (to be sent out) to your RCTA boards to ensure members have access to the RSVP.
10 minute meetings
can be directly following administrative staff meeting
can be held in someone’s classroom
Some site reps use snacks to get more site members to the 10 minute meetings
How can RCTA help staff to start having lunch together on a regular basis?
Raffles?
Movie tickets?
Money for lunch?
Community Memo: The schools who have lunch together seem to have the least “issues”. Teachers need to have time to get together as a community.
Erinn, and RCTA, would like to help encourage teachers to get together at lunch more. Teachers talking together will help us solve more problems for our school communities.
Get together with local businesses to see if they will deliver large orders to your sites. Staff can select from menu and pay in advance and possibly have lunches delivered.
Member Comments on lunches:
Morale on some sites is poor, and seems to be preventing staff from getting together at lunch, especially the SpEd and support teams
Bonding is key as teachers, but some sites do not have staff rooms, so are eating at tables right outside the office, which isn’t a private space for teachers. Same tables as they do COVID testing at
Erinn will look into this, but recommends using a staff classroom, if possible.
Membership Committee:-Christina Granato ms.granato26@gmail.com
Address changes for CTA database-Christina Granato ms.granato26@gmail.com
Human Rights and Equity Committee: Erinn Washburn
Creating Gender inclusive Schools
Optional training for teachers by Welcoming Schools (Human Rights Campaign)
Wednesday, November 3rd from 3:30-5:00- sign up on Liz’s newsletter.
Geared toward middle school, but can be used by all teachers
Emily and Natalie joined Erinn at the CTA conference this past weekend
Report from conference:
Emily Farrell- GSA Contact on CommitteeFun and enjoyable. Brought back a ton of new ideas to apply to GSA meetings. It was also nice to refresh the different laws surrounding inclusivity in schools.
Natalie Delahunt- Global Majority Fantastic time, we learned so much. There were many elements that didn’t know existed in CTA like Hispanic caucus, Black caucus, Asian and Pacific Islander caucus. The laws that protect us in the classroom are good to have in one space, and know about, if you don’t know
11/5-7 Special Education Conference (online only) register today! It’s FREE
State Council: Erinn Washburn
The State Council is like a Rep Council, but for the state. Legislation for California goes through the various State council committees
Some big ideas
Universal TK is going to pass
CA dept of Education will now haven a sitting state Nurse consultant
**State council representatives get voted in Spring, so if you are interested in joining state council reach out!
Climate Committee Joan Solari, Erinn Washburn
Get site administrator approval to get paid the $250/day long term sub rate to plan on weekends. MOU
In essence, this MOU is to eliminate the need for a sub for planning days
There are requirements like full 7 hours, reporting out what was done in your planning time
On-site/off-site not outlined, but should be worked out with the site principal, within reason.
Want to join a committee?
Elections Committee
Organizing Committee
Grievance Committee-
Belinda Mendez has offered to help!
Elementary Campus: Ford, Orion, Adelante-Selby, Taft
Anum Khan also offered.
Want to start a committee?
Retirement and Benefits- Organize events to inform members about STRS and CTA benefits.
Community Outreach- Collaborate with community partners to bring services to students and staff.
Parent Liaison- Create relationships with PTO and School Site Council members
6. Announcements
-Available Leaves for certificated employees
-Up to date salary schedule
7. Member Concerns:
** MIT Flex Schedules: There are staff members concerned with the schedules, and there are complaints behind the survey sent to staff and the results/outcome
Erinn will reach out to MIT principal to discuss the schedule
**Exceptional Circumstance forms do NOT have a due date. RCSD is requesting that teachers use their weekend planning time, due to the sub shortage.
** Independent Study: Ellevation forms are coming out to independent study teachers too. The Independent study principal should be supporting teachers in tracking our ELL and R-FEP students. Leslie Daniele has been a support in training teachers in the past.
** Student Question: Water fountains at sites have been shut off. Sites have been told to not allow students to use them, but to bring a water bottle. It is supposedly a county mandate, but sites are not providing cups for students to drink from.
** Taft Water was off: Staff arriving early had no bathrooms available until 9 or 9:30 am. Porta-potties and portable washing stations were delivered in the late morning, but nothing for staff.
Why were sites (Kennedy, Cloud) shut down last week for loss of power, but Taft was not shut down for having no running water, plumbing, etc.?
We need a universal standard policy to address these issues. How long are teachers expected to teach through these issues, if they arise during the school day?
** Administrator feedback from staff members: Why is there not a way for staff to provide feedback about site administrators and leadership?
CA Administrator Performance Expectations (linked here)
** Paper towel dispensers: Taft preschool rooms have the old paper towel dispensers and little students’ fingers are getting stuck. They need touchless dispensers.
** Flexible spending: the date for district’s flexible spending has been moved to January 1. It used to be December 1. Why haven’t employees been informed of this change in the mass newsletter
Meeting adjourned at: 5:16 pm
10 minute meeting To Do’s:
1. Decide when you will have your 10 minute meeting and invite your members
2. Explain that you would like to increase dues to the level that would allow our local to have an arbitration lawyer. It would require a monthly increase of about $1.00.
3. Watch for Holiday Mixer information on December 3rd
4. Tell members that they may receive money for planning on a weekend.
Resources:
Web: rctacares.com Facebook: @redwoodcityteachersassociation
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