Eastlake School Community Council

I attended the Eastlake School Community Council meeting tonight.  I was there to show the UEA TEF DVD and spread the message about making quality public schools a priority now.  See Utah's Future for more information.  The group seemed receptive to the information.

Slower Time

Things at the office have been pretty quiet the last couple of days.  I have been answering e-mails and preparing for upcoming meetings. 

Governor Herbert called a Special Session of the Legislature for Wednesday, November 17 to vote on accepting the Federal Jobs Fund Money.  Watch for more information after Wednesday's vote. 

Association Elections

I know we just finished statewide elections, but the deadlines to declare candidacy for UEA and JEA positions are coming shortly. 

UEA Board of Director Positions


Any member is able to run for the following UEA Board of Director Positions. All positions start July 15, 2011. The date by which you must declare your candidacy is January 10, 2011 to Mark Mickelsen by completing the Declaration of Candidacy form found at myUEA.org.
 
NEA State Director on the UEA Board of Directors (3-year term)
NEA State Director on the UEA Board of Directors (1-year term to finish a retiring member’s term)

Ethnic Minority Director on the UEA Board of Directors (3-year term)

These three positions are statewide elections. The two NEA State Director positions involve going to Washington D.C. four times a year to meet with NEA leaders and Utah Members of Congress to lobby for education. All three positions attend the NEA Representative Assembly annually and the UEA Board of Directors meetings held monthly, usually on Friday evenings.

Jordan Director on the UEA Board of Directors (3-year term)

Jordan NEA-RA successor Delegate (3-year term)

These two positions are Jordan UniServ (Jordan and Canyons) elections. Both attend the NEA Representative Assembly, and the first also attends UEA Board of Directors meetings held monthly, usually on Friday evenings.

JEA Executive Board Position


The JEA High School Representative on the Executive Board will be the only JEA position for election this year. Candidacy is declared in February, usually during the Legislative Council (AR) Meeting. Inform your building AR of your interest in running for the Executive Board.

November Council of Local Presidents

This morning was the Council of Local Presidents, where all the local association presidents meet to discuss statewide issues. Your membership card should arrive in the mail by Thanksgiving.  Please watch for it and do not throw it away.

Legislative issues that are being discussed already include merit pay, property tax equalization, grading schools, retirement, funding student growth, funding charter schools, orderly termination, full-day Kindergarten, non-partisan school board races, trimester schedules, and ESEA. 

Educator Day on the Hill is being planned again.  They will most likely fall on Wednesdays and Fridays.  I will keep you posted on when those days are being held.  It is an interesting experience to spend a day talking with legislators and seeing how the process works.

UEA will have some of the sessions from Convention available for you to watch to earn relicensure points from your own home.  When that technology is ready, I will let you know.

November Jordan Education Foundation Meeting

This morning I attended the Jordan Education Foundation (JEF) Meeting.  They reported that every school had applications for Mini Grants submitted with 197 total applications.  This is the first time all schools were represented.  JEF does not have the money to fund all grants.  Awards should be presented before Winter Break.  The JEF Board loves to hear back from teachers about how the items purchased through the grants enhanced learning for students.

Amber Barron, a student at South Hills Middle, presented about the MESA Program she started there through help from a JEF Special Grant.  You can read more about Amber at Utah Mama.

JEF is hosting their annual fundraising breakfast on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at the Gathering Place at Gardner Village.  The breakfast is free; however, attendees are asked to donate to JEF.  If you know a business owner or community leader who should be invited, please contact me.

Superintendent Newbold discussed the 2020 Vision of the Governor's Education Excellence Commission.  "By 2020 and thereafter, at least 66% of Utahns ages 25 to 64 will ahve a postsecondary degree or certificate, ensurinag a well-educated workforce that meets the needs of Utah employers leading to great economic prosperity and a better quality of life."  The strategic imperatives to reach that vision are:

1. Bolster early childhood education
2. Improve instructional quality and curricular alignments
3. Strengthen postsecondary education
4. align educational attainment and vocational training with economic development
5. Utilize technology to effectively and efficiently accomplish strategic imperatives

First Negotiated Meeting with Superintendent Newbold

I attended my first meeting with Superintendent Newbold per our negotiated agreement.  We discussed several issues, but I believe two of them are most pertinent for teachers.

I asked about the possibility of additional year-round schools being moved to a traditional calendar for next school year.  The Year-Round Policy Manual states that principals will be notified of the possibility eight months in advance, which is this month.  Superintendent Newbold stated that the District looked closely at all year-round schools last year, and he doesn't think there are any that have the housing capacity to sustain the move to a traditional calendar.  He said that if there is a "significant budget deficit" again and the District does have to move school schedules, schools may not find out until the spring.  He also stated that this would not be the first place the District would look for money to fill a deficit hole.

The other issue relating directly to teachers working conditions is on meetings with angry parents.  Superintendent Newbold recognizes that these types of meetings are more likely to occur due to the social environment in which we find ourselves.  If parents do not like what they hear from a principal, they will often go to their School Board member.  The School Board members wonder why teachers will not meet with parents and then tell the teacher to meet with the parents. 

A couple of suggestions for these types of meetings.  If you know in advance, ask to meet with your principal for five minutes prior to the meeting.  Ask your principal about the following:

• What does the parent wish to discuss?
• What is the objective of the meeting?  What is the intended outcome?
• Are you (the principal) on my side?  Will you support my position?

Parents need to hear that the principal supports the teacher's position.  Sometimes, if the teacher's position is opposed to the school position or the District position, the principal should tell you that before the meeting with the parent.

If you are called to the office to meet with an angry parent without notice, you have the right to ask for the meeting to be rescheduled for another time.  You also have the right to take JEA representation with you to the meeting.  The representative could be your building AR, another teacher who is a JEA member, or someone from the JEA office.  Laura and Cindy will be presenting helpful information on this topic to AR's at the next meeting on November 17.

Superintendent Newbold and I have scheduled these meetings through May, though I will start meeting with the Interim Superintendent in January.  In addition, the new committee negotiated will begin functioning in January with the Interim Superintendent.

Disappointing Elections

Gary Herbert will continue as Governor.  Only one of JEA's recommended candidates won, Jim Bird in West Jordan.  In addition, some key education supporters lost their State Legislative seats.  It is going to be a very difficult year at the State Legislature come January.  Teachers are going to have to fight just to maintain what we receive from the State Legislature.