Latest Teacher Contract Updates
FAQ page from Seattle Schools on Teacher Contract issues and start of school.
From the Times:
Also according to Seattle union officials, agreement was reached Sunday to increase pay for certificated and classified substitutes, an attempt to address a general shortage of substitutes.
Soup for Teachers is a Facebook group that SPS parent Ljiljana Stanojevic Penuela started a few days ago to support striking teachers with food, cards from kids, and other necessities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/507823286040448/.
The group has over 200 members.
They have money, kids’ cards and food and provided lunch to the SEA team. (And heard teachers are getting sick of pizza.)
From the Times:
Also according to Seattle union officials, agreement was reached Sunday to increase pay for certificated and classified substitutes, an attempt to address a general shortage of substitutes.
As well, a group of parents have started a support group for teachers, Soup for Teachers:
Soup for Teachers is a Facebook group that SPS parent Ljiljana Stanojevic Penuela started a few days ago to support striking teachers with food, cards from kids, and other necessities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/507823286040448/.
The group has over 200 members.
They have money, kids’ cards and food and provided lunch to the SEA team. (And heard teachers are getting sick of pizza.)
Today, they are providing a taco bar to the SEA bargaining team as well as also providing desserts, posters, and cards for the strike captains’ meeting tonight. Q13 Fox will be at Greenwood school to film and interview during their 3:45 pm dessert drop off today. Some of the members don’t even have kids in SPS. and the turn-out from the community has been great.
Great work by parents and community in support of our teachers.
Comments
Is the district asking to extend the school day?
The district proposal for 2016-17 adds ten minutes to the average teacher day and provides more collaboration time. The student day is twenty minutes longer for elementary and thirty minutes longer for the secondary day – partially offset by a weekly early release/late start. This provides extended learning blocks, social emotional learning time, more PE time, planning collaboration time and flexibility for recess. It also helps meet the state requirements for high schools.
Let's discuss lack of parent and community engagement over this schedule change.
What exactly is the schedule they are proposing?
How would four long (going home in the dark) and one short day affect student safety? How would this impact before and after school care? Student jobs? Sibling care?
What is the research showing this plan would improve student achievement? What is the research showing less PCP time improves outcomes (this I gotta see) or is at least neutral?
Have they done an EIS on this yet?
It may be that there is some merit to these ideas- but the merit has yet to be explained and the community has yet to be consulted or convinced.
Please just say no to this half-baked idea.
Can the union truly be considering caving on this stupid extended day proposal? I can't stand the newsbriefs from SPS - they are truly smarmy and misleading.
reader
Also, it's important to remember that SPS waited until the last day of negotiations to spring this on the SEA. News stories tend to leave that part out, too.
Is this to meet the 1080 hrs requirement, which the district has known was coming for some time now? Or are they planning to decrease the length of each class by 5 min and then add an extra period? A 7-period day would give kids more opportunities to get their 24 credits in, but it could also mean that teachers have to pick up an extra class worth of students. Instead of say 150 papers to grade (teaching 5 out of 6 periods, with 30 kids per class), would teachers be working 6 of 7 periods (thus 180 papers)? Or is there some other plan? (Or perhaps no real plan, just a whim?)
HF
What does that mean. That there will be early release or late start every week? And how does that translate to more time in the classroom?
-confused
reader
Empl
After working 90 days in the district, you get $187 per day. If you somehow manage to work every one of the 180 days of the year, that's $33,660 before taxes. No benefits. No TRI pay. Not unless you swing a long-term job, and those aren't exactly plentiful. And you do NOT count as a "district employee" when the job openings hit and in-district transfers get priority. Your credentials gets stuck in limbo until you land a regular teaching job, too--university programs won't accept you to get the next level of certification if you're "just a sub."
It's important to remember that it's almost impossible to work all 180 days, too. The first & last few days of a semester or right after holidays are often tough to fill on your schedule.
Once you've done this for a while, you find yourself wondering if going back to certain schools is really worth $187 for another guaranteed miserable day. There are schools I will not work at unless I'm worried about paying rent. I've been a sub in Seattle for about ten years now, and for most of that time I've worked in multiple districts just so I can make sure I work every day--and so I have some amount of choice in where I'll work. Everywhere around Seattle pays less, but that choice makes a huge difference.
For everything I've just said, remember that the classified substitutes have it even worse. That's only $127 a day. And unless it gets changed in this contract (something SEA is fighting for), classified subs stay at that daily sub rate even if they're in a long-term position. Even if they have the job all year.
No evals, no parent issues, no overtime, what's so bad about subbing? My subs don't even correct papers anymore. And teachers hate to write plans! Most of us have many hours of sick leave to avoid having to write plans for subs. My best times were subbing many years ago because I learned so much - that as a young new teacher. Our retired teachers come in, earn some money, stay in touch, and go home smiling.
First off: that money that I cited? That's for real. That's not a make-believe thing. The numbers I presented are the best case scenario. Most subs have to live on that or less. God help you if you wind up with a medical problem or if you have family to support.
What's so bad about being a sub? The routine disregard, disrespect, and disdain, which you have just demonstrated. What's sad is that I'm not REMOTELY shocked that someone would write a comment like this, and I damn well wish I could be. We get that from the teachers. We get that from the kids.
We get that from their parents. We do NOT often get complete instructions from teachers. Sometimes I don't find any lesson plans at all. Teachers routinely fail to tell me which students need extra attention, what the kids expect in the way of classroom management, or any number of other important details. I've lost track of the number of times a teacher tells me they never allow headphones or hall passes when this is demonstrably untrue. All that does is set me up for a struggle to enforce rules that the regular teacher doesn't even care about.
Subs aren't up to current curricula? Yeah, you're right, because most of the time we're not even serving in our credential areas. That happens routinely. That's how short-term subbing works. Did you somehow not know that?
Regarding your personal experiences: maybe you're a great teacher and you get lousy subs. I fully concede that this is possible. We do, in fact, have some lame subs in this district. As for you doing everything right to prepare for subs and being generally awesome yourself, I'll have to take your word for that. But if you could for a moment take a step back and realize that your comment basically says, "Gosh, I got mine, it sucks to be you," then you MIGHT understand why I would be disinclined to sub for you if I knew who you actually are.
--veteran sub
I'm Brian Kowalczyk. Students call me Mr. K. And I do a damn good job.
Also, late arrival or early dismissal?! I am a teacher and I would absolutely embrace it. Most districts around us do it, parents and childcare sites figure it out, and teachers like the extra time for collaboration. We are so behind the times in Seattle, it's pathetic.
@Brian - thanks for doing a job I would never want. You are not compensated enough.
Wanting Contract
I cannot speak to the sub issue except to say that the inability to find subs is a big huge. Sounds like there is work to be done in all directions.
"parents and childcare sites figure it out..." ? No, parents are left with very few options already and now more not less predictability and straightforwardness mapping to conventional work schedules. It's one more layer of planning headaches for families. Families do not need one more layer of planning and navigating challenge in SPS.
Realist (and parent)
Tight Margins
I am a parent as well as a teacher and I too will have to figure this out. Figuring out childcare is always stressful and difficult. However, allowing teachers the time they need to collaborate with their peers helps ensure high quality education. Parents in our county, state, and in fact across whole country are figuring out how to do this. We are not special snowflakes in Seattle. We can figure it out too. It would be the same day and time every week and just built into schedules.
Some examples:
Renton delays every other Friday
Lake Washington has early release every Wednesday
Mercer Island has early release every Wednesday
Wanting Contract
FYI Peter Henry (Substitute President) is trying to organize subs. He's on the bargaining team.
Tight Margins, you are right on the money as well. Perhaps if Michael Tolley and some of other folks involved in C & I had to substitute every so often, they would have a better understanding about what happens in buildings and in actual classrooms.
Re planning for planning: If the District can close MCHS - High Point at the end of the school year without bothering to meet with teachers and parents--and the school board allowing it, I guess they figure they can get away with failing to provide opportunities to disclose other necessary information with the public.
--Baile Funk
working parent
CCA
K-5 students last year had 350 instructional minutes a day. If we add 20 minutes to their day, we're at 370. Over 180 school days, this is 1,110 hours - or 110 hours over the required minimum. If two hours per week are used for early release there are 38 left for conferences, district training, etc.
High School students last year had 360 instructional minutes per day. Adding 30 minutes gets us to 390. Over 180 school days, this is 1,170 hours - or 90 over the required minimum. Using two hours a week for an early release leaves 18 hours for district training. 390 instructional minutes per day (less one two hour early release) gives us a partial block schedule of seven 56 minute periods (inclusive of passing) and two block days - one with three 90 minute classes and another with four 90 minute classes.
That's my guess at least.
I would be OK with this for my elementary student if recess was increased to 50 or 60 minutes. For high school, I'd be more interested if it was a weekly 2 hour late start than a two hour early release.
I think this change would allow seven periods in middle school - so maybe PE waivers wouldn't be necessary?
I respect that a lot of my peers want more collaboration time but lots of early releases DOES hinder our contact time with students and the most vulnerable are the ones who need the contact/teaching time. {OK, not at the expense in elementary of some recess/down-time during the day, but please don't give us more meetings when we don't have a history of effective PD from the district in the 1st place!}
There's a legitimate point made about how parents are not being included in this decision (district and teachers also both have had no input out if this is real) - there was a lot of parent backlash when we had 5 more days of early releases a couple years back. Let the district revisit this with the next bargaining team 3 years from now... mandating that the district actually show to meetings and can engage in real bargaining instead of a last minute surprise plan which guaranteed will not be well thought out by either side. This last minute unexpected discussion of early releases is unprofessional by both the district and union IF it is really happening as it wasn't on the oft emailed lists of demands. No more early releases - it's like bargaining for meetings which is stupid.
More meetings?
Reader
Can you really do PE with 150+ middle school students crammed into a small gym each period? PE has proven chaotic and dangerous enough with two classes in there at once. I can't imagine trying to squeeze in 5, not to mention having 5 PE teachers on staff. I don't see how it works logistically.
HF
I don't believe the district is going to offer seven classes per
day. If they were then they would definitely say so specifically, since many parents would love to have another class period. We really don't know what they're planning to do, but 30 minutes longer for four days per week won't give enough time for an extra class during those four days unless they take away lunch! Also, they would need to hire more teachers to teach the 7th class, and offer teachers A.LOT.MORE.MONEY - imagine having to correct 210 papers or math homeworks per day!!
It'd be great if they would offer 7 periods, but Seattle schools have only had 6 periods for as long as I've been alive. I can't understand why, there are cities much poorer than Seattle that have 7 or even 8 periods for their schools. Of course those cities spend a lot less money on their central admin. and don't have superintendents that make more money than their governors, and a bunch of assistant superintendents, doing what tasks only God knows. I can't even figure out what Nyland does beside spamming our inboxes with bullying and lying emails! (Yes, I'm still angry about the emails threatening teachers over parents opting out of those stupid common core tests in the spring.)
CCA
Sorry, I hadn't done that math. You're - right we don't have enough gym space. (Seems like the ed specs for our buildings need to be updated.)
CCA,
I think they might be planning seven periods for high school to prepare for the 24 credit graduation requirement. The state doesn't require a specific amount of instructional time per credit earned - so we could theoretically have seven periods without adding any time. I hope the teachers are thinking about this as they negotiate. If schools switch to seven periods, teachers cannot be required to have more than the current five classes to teach.
I am angry too. This resolution is going to be discussed by the board in an emergency meeting tomorrow: http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/090815agenda/20150908_Action_Report_Resolution.pdf
The District considers a strike or the concerted refusal to provide contracted for services to be unlawful. Such action causes irreparably (sic) harm and disrupts the education program of the District, students, families and others.
In the event a strike or work stoppage commences, the residents of the District and the school age children in the community will be injured through the actions of the Seattle Education Association. Immediate Action by the Board of Directors on Resolution No. 2015/16-5 is in the best interest of the District.
Appalled.
This is from Q-13
The union representing Seattle teachers says the district has called an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss the option of taking teachers to court.
Teachers authorized the strike vote last week — something the district says opens the door for a lawsuit. If approved, the superintendent could take legal action against teacher in order to end a potential strike and get students back in class.
The school board will meet to discuss this option Tuesday night.
So for those Board members being an election year this should be interesting dependent upon the district and the feedback. Fun times ahead.
- Newser
I sincerely hope he is laughed out of court in the space of 10 minutes. That's the point of a union - the ability to collectively bargain, backed by the ability to strike. No injunction. They're not firefighters or air traffic controllers - people will be inconvenienced, yes, really seriously put out, by a strike - but no one's life is at risk, so yeah, they have the right to strike. Kids were not at school on Tuesday. They can all survive being not at school on Wednesday, even though it sucks for a lot of people. No basis for an injunction.
Requesting an injunction and failing just makes him look weaker - and the request itself poisons the negotiations - poor choice, if really happening.
If SPS doesn't want a strike then it should have negotiated earlier and better.
-- Math Counts
The teachers union in Pasco has voted to remain on strike going against the injunction this is from the Olympian
PASCO, Wash.
Teachers in Pasco have voted not to return to the classroom despite a court order to end a strike.
The Tri-City Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1LUs9jn ) that the issue was decided "overwhelmingly" by voice vote Monday night.
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article34304322.html#storylink=cpy
-Newser
Eric
The Superintendent will make his recommendation for Bell Times in October; more community meetings are on the calendar for end of September; the Board will vote by November.
The 30 minutes is more than is needed, as calculated by Lynn. I agree that this is all aimed at 1080/24 credits, so why go for 30 when much less is adequate? Is anyone reading serving on the 1080/24 credit Task Force and can enlighten us?
And again, Tolley stated at June 18th C & I that 15 minutes was all that would be needed get the block schedule they wanted.
Eric
Eric
Flummoxed Parent
The union makes it clear the Board is their ultimate employer. Where are these teacher-supporting board members like Patu, Peters, Blandford?
They are the elected officials who can fire the super if they want, so why are they silent?
lab rat
For the administration side in the tiny parking lot next to the cavernous SPS HQ: the handful of suits not afraid to step foot outside JSCEE into an open-to-the-press event, a couple of Repub legislators, the fake grassroots Excellence Now reformie set (numbering maybe 5 adults because the rest wouldn't deign to picket in front of cameras) and whatever resident meth dealers living near JSCEE happen to stroll through the parking lot at that time.
On the teacher's side: A sea of teachers at every high school and most k-8 schools in town. Minions of parents.Democratically active politicians. Neighbors. Kids, dogs, and my grandma.
Drops mic.
DistrictWatcher
I recall when Nyland was installed that I corresponded with a Marysville teacher who said that Nyland was not the nice guy he projects during their negotiations. (Some may see that as a plus but I am also hearing that he sometimes is more aggressive with some staff than others. Maybe we are starting to see his true face as an administrator.)
I'm not seeing the math as so clear. Our current 180 day, 6hr/day secondary schedule gets us exactly 1080hrs. An extra half hour per day for 4 days/wk would be fully offset by a 2-hr early release or late start each week, so we'd still be just barely at that 1080 minimum.
I think part of the problem is the lack of clarity in the WAC. A "day", for purpose of meeting the 180-day requirement, can be very short, so we end up with a lot of partial days. But the 1080 hour requirement is based on hours. I think I saw something about Dorn wanting to eliminate all those half days, so maybe this is about actually getting in the hours. Our current 180-day, 6hr/day schedule doesn't really get us all that close to the 1080 mark given all the official--and unofficial--short days, right?
HF
It's staff, not the board, isn't it? Staff put this on for board consideration. Could the board really just ignore it and not have the meeting? It would seem like they'd need to have something in place re: school security, etc. Maybe they will push back and support logistical plans for strike days (e.g, building closures, etc.), but not the injunction request.
HF
Nyland has completely mishandled these negotiations and is provoking a strike that the community does not want. This proves it was wrong of Peaslee to force him onto the district last fall, and suggests he needs to leave his job as soon as possible.
A school that currently has a 3:00 ending time would go until 3:30 for four days and until 1:30 the other. That's an additional .5 instructional hour per week. Why are they doing this? The state used to allow waivers of instructional hours for professional development/district training so they could be offered within the 180 school days. This will be changing. The district is essentially asking teachers to work 18 hours more per year (likely attending trainings) without additional pay. I don't think the state has increased the salary schedule for this yet because the change isn't required to happen within the current two year budget.
The union's idea of going for a two year contract with no increase in the school day is a good one. That will allow them to see what the state will provide for the extra time.
I don't know who Tapestry is, but he/she needs to get their facts straight. Larry Nylnd and legal have put forth a BAR, and the board will vote.
The board has NOT put forth a proposal and they have NOT taken action.
The BAR is here:
http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/School%20Board/15-16agendas/090815agenda/20150908_Action_Report_Resolution.pdf
reader47
Lawyer Mom
The board can and should split the difference: All directors can speak up tonight saying they support Supt. Nyland while saying in the spirit of partnership they do not wish to file the injunction at this time. They can also say that they will revisit this issue at/before their next meeting and that they expect both sides to come to terms in short order.
I doubt Supt. Nyland wants a fullblown strike on his watch. I expect there will be a strike tomorrow and possibly for the rest of the week as talks continue and that at latest it will be back to school on Sept. 14. Unless the SEA is backed against the wall with an injunction and decides fighting is more important than bargaining. That's why the injunction is a bad move.
EdVoter
I agree that the District FAQ sounds like an infomercial; I've noted a substantive increase of people selling me marketing when they should be giving me neutral information. I hate it so much; makes me not trust anything anyone says.
Also, the permanent substitute pool is the right answer to staffing needs in a district as large as Seattle. How many subs are needed on a given day? There should be permanent subs for the majority of those positions.
zb
For our family, success means pairing school with other activities of importance - learning, family, extracurriculars, etc. Which means that every day tacked onto the end of an already-long school year to make up the strike days will be days my kids don't attend. Many families make plans a year in advance. On June 23rd their summer starts. Unexcused? So be it.
North Mom
"It's staff, not the board, isn't it?"
Do some of you actually think the board works for Nyland?
Nyland's job is to do what the board tells him to do. He works for the school board. He was hired by them and he can be fired by them. Agreed that he is living up to his Marysville reputation as being confrontational.
The board has received regular updates on negotiations -- sometimes even daily updates and has been asked for their approval on several compromises which they have rejected. The board is asking for the longer school day without pay, the pathetic raise offer, etc. etc.
If you want to see a tentative contract and avoid a strike then let the school board members know how you feel.
I urge everyone to let the Board know how they feel about this - parents/community has been pretty effectively left out. Remind them we count too ;)
reader47
And yes it is typical to get the injunction now, just pro forma. I don't really see that as pressure (and I doubt SEA does, either- there are no actual penalties associated with violating the strike law. This is just people making sure they look like they did due diligence, no real threats.).
Older parent
Wow. Did you even read your own link? It says right in the resolution he's asking for authority to take legal action.
"taking legal action to address any strike or concerted activity."
Please... think before writing.
"A school that currently has a 3:00 ending time would go until 3:30 for four days and until 1:30 the other. That's an additional .5 instructional hour per week"
All I can think of is that this is a back door tactic to kill the bell time reforms. The survey showed strong support from students, teachers, principals, parents, nurses, staff, community- pretty much everyone except downtown admin. But moving HS an hour for bell time reform and then adding another 30 minutes will kill it- and that is their plan, along with making the district seem totally disfunctional, and ripe for Mayoral control.
I agree with Lynn that a two year contract without an increase in the school day is what is called for.
Longhouse, please name your sources for this information. I have no doubt the Board receives daily updates but asked for approval on compromises? I have never heard of that happening.
Me, I'd much rather see them add a couple weeks to the school year than make the days longer. All the data Nyland cited in his PR piece on increasing instructional time was about longer school years, not longer days. And since summer learning loss impacts low income students much more, a slightly longer school year might help reduce the achievement gap, too.
HF
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Marysville-schools-boss-apparently-ousted-1138555.php
http://old.seattletimes.com/html/education/2001927491_marysville13m.html
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130612/NEWS01/706129953
Hopeful
Lawyer Mom
I did not know that Donaghy had been president of the Highline teachers union and had negotiated previously with Nyland. I'm not saying there's anything nefarious about that, but I wonder if he'd say the same flattering things about Nyland now?
No evals, no parent issues, no overtime, what's so bad about subbing? My subs don't even correct papers anymore. And teachers hate to write plans! Most of us have many hours of sick leave to avoid having to write plans for subs. My best times were subbing many years ago because I learned so much - that as a young new teacher. Our retired teachers come in, earn some money, stay in touch, and go home smiling.
Maybe you should retire and let someone else smile and teach kids. Wow just wow how you treat your colleagues. Civics I assume not on your lesson plans either. I support the sub in this case versus the teacher. I would rather have my kid learn from him.
- Parent
Having spent time teaching in really rural Nevada with really long days but only 4 days a week. The data reveals that more days (but shorter) produces better test results than fewer days (but longer).
Perhaps WA State needs to fund more instruction school days per year and fund PD days outside of the instructional days... stop the late starts and early releases.
How about a two week longer year ... 5 more instructional days and 5 PD days sprinkled about. The state is not yet funding McCleary -- go big or go home!!
I taught in Fife which had 90 minute periods (4 period day) and West Seattle 85 minute (4 period day).
I would really like it if the SPS would make a major overhaul at the high school level to something like Vashon Island's HS schedule of trimester classes on a 5 period day.
Garfield HS runs 6 - 55 minute classes with day start at 7:50 and end at 2:20
55 minutes x 180 days = 9900 minutes of actual in class instructional time
165 hours per class
165 hours per class x 6 classes = actual 990 hours in class for the year.
Teachers have 1 period of 55 minutes for planning and preparation = 165 hours per year.
====
5 period day of 70 minutes per class for the year, would produce 210 hours per class per year and 1050 actual hours in class over 180 days. (Which should satisfy Olympia)
Teachers would have 210 planning hours per year.
====
To accommodate such a plan would likely require a bell schedule like this, where teachers offer 5 more minutes per day of instruction than currently:
Start Time: 7:50 am
End Time: 2:35 pm
Period Time
1st 7:50-9:00 am
2nd 9:05-10:15 am
Break 10:15-10:25 am
3rd 10:25-11:35 am
Lunch 11:35-12:05 pm
4th 12:10-1:20 pm
5th 1:25-2:35 pm
While students would only take 20 year long course credits per 4 years.
This trimester schedule allows courses to be presented in trimester increments rather than semester increments. So Algebra I might run for 3 trimesters (210 hours) but some electives might be 1 trimester (70 hours).
Teaching 5 at 55 minutes = 275 minutes instruction per teacher per day
with 55 minutes for planning
Teaching 4 at 70 minutes = 280 minutes instruction per teacher per day
with 70 minutes for planning
About staffing and class sizes:
with a 1200 student high school to have an average class size of 25 requires
48 sections at a time. On a 6 period day only 5/6 of teachers are teaching during a period. 1/6 of teachers are planning at any given time. So 58 teachers needed.
On a 5 period day 4/5 of teachers are teaching. Thus 60 teachers are needed.
What about the 24 credit graduation requirement?
Excellent question. I wonder what Vashon will do if they are still using the 5 seventy-two minute periods?
To get the 4 extra credits in 20 classes offered over 4 years means each class needs to be worth 1.2 credits per year or each trimester is worth 0.4 credits. That is not too unrealistic as current SPS semester classes are worth 0.5 credits.
-- Dan
-- Dan