RCTA Representative Council Meeting Agenda
Redwood City Teachers’ Association Rep. Council RCTA 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.
1. Call meeting to order at: 4:01 pm by Erinn Washburn, RCTA President
2. Land Acknowledgment: With gratitude, we practice this work on the traditional lands of the Ohlone Nations.
3. Roll Call Site Reps:
Rita Melton-Adelante/Selby ✓
Yessenia Bravo-Adelante/Selby
Sandy Hoover-Clifford (Michelle Territo/Carol Marque will take messaging back)
Anyone from Garfield? (Erin Washburn will take messaging back)
Sandra Covacha-Henry Ford ✓
Angie Teupel-Henry Ford ✓
Kevin Sugar-Hoover ✓
Julie Gordon-Kennedy ✓ (Cindy Meek offered to take messaging back)
Ann Berljafa-Orion and Staff Development (Jackie Kroner will take messaging back)
Susanne Pillay-McKinley ✓
Brenda Whitla-Pinto-North Star (Gwen Minor will take messaging back)
Chris Holm-Roosevelt
Maureen McPeek-Roosevelt ✓
Belinda Mendez-Roy Cloud (Judy Sloan will take messaging back)
Kim Combs-Taft (Siggy McCarthy will take messaging back)
Aida Ortiz-CDC ✓
Bernadette Garcia-SDC preschool ✓
Lisa Cox-Nurses
4. Review and Approve 11/2/20 Minutes
Motion to approve 11/2/20 minutes; Approved without objection
Comments/Questions/Concerns
(indicate site & grade level of comments please)
Rep Council Questions/Comments:
1. Tracking COVID cases on campuses:
Erinn Washburn will have contact with Erin Kekos, notifying them of any positive cases.
All site members get notification if the site has COVID + cases.
If members have direct contact with COVID positive cases, personal email will be sent directly.
Are we notified for, and tracking known students not on campus with positive COVID cases?
District COVID tests are inconsistent in timeliness of results. Some are returning the next day, some are taking 4 days. What’s up with that?
Are external groups like REACH, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club leaders/groups a part of our districts tracing and notification system?
Are we being notified if there are TOSAs, Construction workers, visitors, etc. testing positive for COVID and having been on site campuses?
Instructional assistants: What happens if classified staff do not follow protocols on site? What are the consequences for these staff members?
4 pillars are built to protect you on site and in the classroom, but if there is a safety concern, or violations witnessed by any staff or member on site, take concerns to the admin and supervisors.
2. DL and Voluntary In-Person Classes/Pods:
Since the district gave members a choice, in essence we have to cope with unbalanced numbers of students in each grouping (DL vs. In person Stipends), BUT the district cannot overload your classes.
Minimum in-person student count (7)? If there are less than 7 students a teacher cannot make a class in-person, BUT possibility of a Pod?
Pod kids are dropping out, we have schedule conflicts, parents are pulling kids back out of pods due to tier transition into purple. How is the district going to manage the quantities of parents who want to keep students home AFTER we have adjusted schedules and classes, as/if COVID cases rise?
If a parent changes their mind, wanting to pull a student out of an in-person hub/class, they cannot return in person.
Where do the students go? The district has to figure that out, parents won’t have choice in the matter at that point.
Teachers who opted to voluntarily return, but have since changed their mind due to rise in cases and transition into purple tier, need to communicate with their admin before site plans are finalized. If you are changing your mind, speak with your admin THIS WEEK. DO NOT WAIT!
The hope is that numbers decrease by the expected start date of January 19th.
RCSD has waivers to return, and is prepared to return no matter what.
How far will the district go in terms of a return to school even if the county marks it as unsafe.
Vaccination impact? The MOU for RCTA is written until June 2021 so RCSD cannot force a full hybrid return.
Requirements for COVID vaccines for teachers? CTA address
3. Attendance/Pilot Communication:
Students and parents are dropping out of pods with no notifications. Is there policy in place for office staff to follow up with families as to why they are dropping out?
Ask your front office staff to follow-up with families as to why they are not attending.
If students are out sick, how are we screening families currently on site for COVID before returning?
4. Furniture Labeling:
What is the deadline for January returns? Is it extended? It was 12/10/20.
5. Student Movement and Behavior back on campus:
MS students are in stable pods, with no movement from class to class.
How will we ensure expectations for student behavior on campus.
See In-Person Parent/Student Agreement for more information on expectations and consequences for parents and students who violate agreement.
Roosevelt and Kennedy have visible student violations of COVID protocols; students are playing tag, moving closer than 6 feet. Have these issues been addressed yet?
Teachers will have to train students upon returning to school.
6. COVID Leave Issues:
If a teacher is out on a COVID leave, they are not expected to make up instructional minutes.
This has happened to a SPED teacher in our district recently.
If there is not a qualified sub, the admin can ask for SPED minutes to be made up.
If a SPED sub is being pulled into a gen. Ed classroom needing a sub, teachers should not have to make up those minutes, since they secured the sub.
Linked Resources:
6. Negotiations suggestions for our 2020-2023 CBA First item on January 4th meeting agenda
Email suggestions to rctaprez@rctacares.com
More Pay?
Smaller Class Sizes?
Prep Time?
(Keep in mind, these top three tend to come from the same pot of money. Example: smaller class sizes would reduce the pay increase.)
Professional Development?
Safety and Discipline?
*8.4.4 Special Circumstances Pilot
Member Survey will be sent out by December 11th and will be attached here.
7. Parent Liaisons Needed
-Go to PTO meetings
-Introduce yourself to PTO officers and maintain relationships and communication.
-Be helpful
-Report back to RCTA
-Fill out the officer form
***RCTA Reps! Find Volunteers at your next 10 minute meeting
Garfield
MIT
Roy Cloud
Roosevelt
Kennedy
Taft
Ford
Adelante/Selby
Orion
Clifford
North Star
Hoover
CDC
SDC Preschool
9. Committee Reports
Human Rights and Equity Committee
CTA LGBTQ+ Conference
10. Member Concerns
See questions and comments above
Meeting adjourned at: 5:31 pm
Motion to adjourn the meeting without objection
___________________________________________________
10 minute meeting To Do’s:
Share MOU information with members.
Discuss Bargaining Options and get feedback.
Find a parent liaison for your site.