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
1.5. Land Acknowledgment
2. Roll Call Site Reps:
Rita Melton-Adelante/Selby ✔️
Sandy Hoover-Clifford (Carol Marque will report back)
Anyone from Garfield?
Sandra Covacha-Henry Ford ✔️
Angie Teupel-Henry Ford
Kevin Sugar-Hoover (Annie Chowill report back)
Julie Gordon-Kennedy (Margaret Klien will report back)
Ann Berljafa-Orion and Staff Development ✔️
Susanne Pillay-McKinley ✔️
Brenda Whitla-Pinto-North Star ✔️
Chris Holm-Roosevelt ✔️
Maureen McPeek-Roosevelt ✔️
Belinda Mendez-Roy Cloud (Chelsea Williams will report back)
Kim Combs-Taft ✔️
Aida Ortiz-CDC ✔️
Bernadette Garcia-SDC preschool ✔️
Lisa Cox-Nurses (Diana Ayllon will report to nurses)
3. Review and Approve 10/5 Minutes (No Objectives from Rep Council)
4. Return to In-Person Survey:
What we know:
-DO needs to know who will return and and who absolutely won’t -Parent survey indicates which teachers have agreed to return in January to help parents make decisions….to help HR with the number of mis-matched students and teachers. -HR will contact those who have indicated they want to take a leave. -HR does not know how many DL positions there will be (that is why they could not make preference to teach distance learning a survey option). Should have a better idea the first week of November when the parent survey is finished. -Members who will be taking leave, may be offered DL positions.
What RCTA is planning for MOU:
The plan for prioritizing who will get DL positions (NEED MOU): 1) Members with underlying medical condition (interactive process) 2) Members who live with a person with underlying conditions (need their doctor’s note: My patient is at high risk and lives with an essential worker in the RCSD….) 3) Everyone else.
What RCTA is still working on:
-If you get a distance learning position, will you be given your job back when things go back to normal? This is an RCTA priority. We must write this into the MOU. -MOU negotiations will begin on November 13th. -If numbers are up in January and it is unsafe to return, I expect the school board will reconsider. However, we must be organized and ready to refuse to return. We need parent support here.
RCTA Rep Council Meeting Feedback
Parent/Teacher Surveys:
RCSD already asked families what they wanted to do, WITH the option of following their teacher, but where is the choice? Parent information is not clear, parents are reaching out to teachers to ask, and it's a mess for many teachers and many sites.
Schools are responsible for sending out the survey’s to families. Families are under the impression that families can follow their teacher if possible, but teachers might not be on site, how are they prioritizing student placement, especially with distance learning teachers/students?
“They (RCSD) don't want teachers doing Distance Learning, they want everyone to come back, they have written both surveys to get the data they want!!!They designed this model to be imbalanced, they want control over what is happening.”
It should have options like 1) willing to return in person, 2)want to stay in distance learning and 3) take a medical leave, and 4) take a personal leave
Pilot Meeting Input:
It seems that RCSD has already chosen our hybrid program schedules. An overheard conversation made it seem that the district is looking at the AM/PM split schedule. Are our school sites and teachers still able to choose what works best for each site?
Health/Safety:
CTA Legal Support?:
“This feels like a situation that may require expert legal advice. I understand the four pillars but I am not confident that they(RCSD) will uphold them.”
Interactive Process:
“I am unable to complete the Interactive Process because my doctor has provided a letter saying that I have a pre-existing condition identified by the CDC and the County Health as being at higher risk for COVID. It does not specify modifications which is what the District requires. I feel that these identified pre-existing conditions such as asthma should be considered in the MOU as to priority of being chosen for a Distance Teaching assignment.”
“We need something because the interactive process isn’t working for some of us. HR is using a one size fits all model and going back to previous and changing their mind.”
Some teachers have not been contacted by HR after selecting “take leave”
Teachers who would take medical leave, if not informed of the interactive process (not posted in survey) could have qualified for Distance LEarning versus taking leave. Is that fair since the survey is not all inclusive, the sources/options are not available.
The process is making it very difficult to go through the interactive process. Interactive process forms are for disabilities, not suited to COVID pandemic. Approvals are being amended, unrealistic expectations (Distance only teachers are being asked to stay off campus during planning days, RCSD is working against us, not with us to support. HR is sending people back and forth, HR is making it very difficult to go through the interactive process, which is a right for us. RCSD is not supporting us, they are trying to discourage teachers from exercising their rights by making the interactive process impossible for teachers to get approval. District is sending different information to different people and sending people back and forth to doctors for more specifics. We need transparency and support, not diversion tactics from HR.
We need to work on the interactive process language in the MOU for COVID
Custodian/Cleaning Staff:
The schools are not clean; how we can trust in the cleaning and disinfecting of our classrooms.
Custodians are not properly trained and pre check bathrooms that they say they clean.
Classrooms are not being cleaned regularly now, what will ensure that will change once students are back.
Nurses:
Nurses are RCTA they are protected by our MOU
Need proper PPE; nurses have been given plastic ponchos, not true PPE robes, need proper protection, NURSES NEED MEDICAL GRADE PPE!
RCSD COVID Testing:
Why does the district get our COVID test results first, and not employees? Why can’t we receive our own results first (like all other medical tests like TB, etc) then, WE release the requested results? Instant results are safer for our schools and since they are facilitating the administering of the test.
BUT personal health information should come to the person first, not the employer.
24-48 hour results are not happening: Some have surpassed 48 hour windows.
Resources:
Pilot Program MOU
In-Person Parent/Student Handbook
Carol Marque Motions to Extend Meeting 10 minutes to 5:40 pm with no objections
5. RCTA Discussion:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of pk-5th grade returning and 6-8th grade (with the exception of high needs students) staying distance learning through June?
Advantages:
Not disrupting MS classes, students can stay with their teachers and peers online
No disruptions to parent schedules currently
High-Risk MS students will be enrolled into hubs to be on campus in a pod with adult overseer, sub?
Disadvantages:
Massive mental health concerns for middle school; social isolation and not enough resources for mental health services
Students are not in a hub with a credentialed teacher, but being babysat by subs who are not qualified to provide support to our students.
Potential risks for teachers with volume of student exposure- The exposure argument needs to be equitable for all teachers who are in high volume positions
Staffing changes are going to disrupt student progress
RSP teachers will need way more support to facilitate support with ever changing schedules
6. Negotiations suggestions for our 2020-2023 CBA
-We get to open 2 articles. RCTA is entitled to this compensation because the district (faced with COVID financial insecurity) was unable to sign a previous TA that guaranteed a 2021-22 4% raise. Article 6 (salary) will automatically be reopened to review the 2021-22 4% raise.
-Please email suggestions to rctaprez@rctacares.com
-Negotiations for this begin in February.
7. Committees: Committee Sign Up
-Meaghan will have our first committee chair meeting on Monday, November 9th 3:30-4:30.
-We will begin committee reporting at our rep council meeting on December 7th.
-Organization and motivational tools from CTA Center 4 Organizing and Bargaining:
8. Who can attend PTO meetings and build relationships with PTO officers
-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
9. Current Member Concerns
School Grade Level Concern
Meeting adjourned at: 5:42
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10 minute meeting To Do’s:
-The district will know how many distance learning positions there are after the first week in November when all parent surveys are received.
-In-Person MOU will be negotiated begin on November 13th
-Ideas about what CBA articles to open in February
-Members interested in being on a committee
-Members interested in attending and building relationships with PTO
Comments