Panorama

A publication of the East Side Teachers' Association

May, 2009

President’s View By Marisa Hanson       The hearings for the laid off teachers took place on April 29 and April 30 at the district office in the board room.  120 teachers were an attendance to find out their fate for the 2009-2010 school year.  Many of them sat by colleagues they knew from their school site or who taught the same subject.  I, also, had the chance to talk to many of them as well. During the times when we were not in session, which was several hours each day, many found ways to keep busy by visiting with each other, doing lesson plans, playing card games, knitting, reading a book, sending text messages, listening to IPODs, etc…  Even with all these distractions, the expressions on everyone’s faces saddened me to see.  It was obvious that these 120 teachers were feeling lost and confused as to why they were asked to attend these hearings.  I had tried my best to prepare them, but it was too unpredictable to know what was going to happen as every year’s hearings are unique and this one was no different.                      As we left after the first day, I announced for everyone to come back the next morning, which everyone knew would lead to another long day of sitting around.  Many could not see the point, but agreed to be back as they said their goodbyes to me.  The second day, at least, had more direction. Two members were placed on the stand and then the judge made two different rulings. One member who taught a summer program with students would have her hire-date moved.  The other member’s hire-date would remain the same, even though she believed that she needed to attend a workshop for a class she was to be teaching.  Then the judge made a blanket ruling that anyone who had taught summer school before teaching that school year could have their hire-date changed.            Our attorney found this unusual, but required the district to provide lists of summer school teachers for the past two summers, so that we could make sure we found all eligible teachers for this unexpected ruling.  It did create a lot of confusion for the group, as we were originally arguing about the fact that many members attended the new teacher in-services before the start of school and thought that that should be their hire-date.  The judge did not agree. By 4:00 PM on April 30, it was decided that 55 teachers’ lay-off notices would be rescinded and the names were then  read off.  This created mixed emotions for those who were called off, as they told me they struggled with being happy for themselves while still feeling sad for the people sitting around them, who were still laid off for the next school year.              So, although 55 notices were rescinded, 74 teachers are still going to be receiving a lay-off notice on May 15.  ESTA believes that we need these teachers in order for our class size language to be honored.  It seems that five more people have recently told the district, or me, they are retiring or resigning this year – so there is still some hope that more notices will be rescinded after the May 21 board meeting. On May 12, there will be a special board meeting, with the main purpose to approve the laid off teachers.  May 21 is the regularly scheduled board meeting and ESTA’s biggest concern is the petition for a Charter School called Downtown College Prep.  The result of this charter school being approved would be a loss of around 300 students and 5 teachers.  Not a good thing to have happen right now considering our current situation.  When this group comes to the board for approval, they will try to convince the board that this charter school has more to offer than our high schools.  It would be great if as many ESTA members as possible could send as many current students as possible to this board meeting to share their positive experiences in our high schools.  I know we have many excellent students who could share their story in two minutes to the board.           This board meeting should be flooded with parents and students, if only in attendance, to give support for a “No” vote.  This will make this board meeting another one that will end passed 10 PM for the rest of us, as I expect the charter school group will speak for two hours.  In contrast, I would love for the board to hear two hours of our own students speaking about the good things we provide them.  Can you send a few students to the May 21 board meeting? Lastly, I hope you enjoy May 13, Day of the Teacher.  Each site will have a special luncheon hosted by the ESTA Site President and the ESTA leadership as a special thank you for all the work you do.  Enjoy your meal with fellow members and I hope you get a chance to talk to another member you have not talked to before.  Use this day to get to know each other a little bit better.  We really have a great group of teachers here in ESTA and I hope to get to know more of you in the future myself.  I thank you for all of your support in these troubling times and ask you to please continue to support each other as we continue this fight. - “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success!” – Henry Ford Board Hearings By Alanna Callaway, James Lick  On April 29th and April 30th, I spent sixteen and a half hours of instructional time with 129 of my fellow teachers in the ESUHSD boardroom. While I enjoyed visiting with colleagues from my site and meeting new faces from across the district, the event was bittersweet. I never would have had the opportunity to visit with my colleagues without the R.I.F. resolution adopted March 10, 2009. Though my notice was not rescinded, I am tied for dead last as a certificated hire for this year, I felt victorious walking out of the boardroom on Thursday afternoon; about half of the notices were rescinded by the end of the day. When I returned to school on Friday, May 1st, my students were concerned, not just about me and my position, but about all of their teachers. They wanted to know what they could do to help. We read the ESTA Organizing Committee flyer about the May 19th Special Election. This flyer, as you may remember, detailed the “proposed” cuts: ·No Libraries ·Fewer Elective Courses ·No Career Center ·Huge Class Sizes ·No Receptionists Fewer Custodians I asked students to write down what they thought about the “proposed” cuts and to write down their recommendations for voters. Here are some of their answers: ·“Vote “yes’ because we need those things to graduate and go to college.” ·“I think people should choose “yes” because it is unfair to not have all that when it is a part of school in every high school. The STAR test, CST, and CAHSEE scores will go down and [we will] fail to go to college. It is unfair for that to happen to us, we should all vote “yes” to not make this happen to us.” ·“Cuts hurt students. I would vote “yes”!” ·“Vote “yes” on everything.” ·“We should still have those [things] because those [things] help us.” ·“Yes, we should keep these things.” ·“Yes, because the children are the ones who get hurt. Because they won’t be able to get research for a project. And if a parent needs to tell their child something important they won’t be able to. The school would always be dirty. The classes are already crowded as it is. And there is not that many desks so where will all the students sit?” “Yes, we should keep them because all these things are good for us.” One of my students stopped by my room after 6th period on Friday. “Ms. Callaway,” she said, “the issues we talked about today are important, but they don’t mean anything if we don’t have good teachers, and if we don’t have enough teachers.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.     Panorama VHS COLLECTORS:  FOR SALE $2.00 EACH A TON OF VIDEOS , ALL IN CASES, GOOD TO EXCELLENT CONDICTION. CALL OR EMAIL FOR A LIST OF TITLES. pennypen@comcast.net.  408-440-1001  Marlene Penrod. 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Were you Heard? By Kathy Lair,  WCO     Having been one of the 80 teachers who received a pink slip before the March 15 deadline, I can assure you that we just wanted someone to hear how we felt; what we had to offer the district; and how unfair we thought the process was. All the paperwork; meetings; emails; and phone calls culminated in two days spent before an Administrative Law Judge. That hearing over those two days – April 29 and 30 – was our attorney’s opportunity to demonstrate that the district had not followed guidelines or our bargaining agreement when they decided who was getting the pink slip and who wouldn’t. Did he convince the judge? We know that some people got that notice rescinded on the spot so for them the answer is a resounding YES. For the rest of us, those two days were an emotional roller coaster where we heard our names called and our fate placed in the hands of people who had never seen us teach. Isn’t that how our process is supposed to work? Being evaluated by people who come into our classrooms and see what we do that sets us apart from everyone else? Isn’t it about our principal seeing how we interact with students, parents, colleagues, classified staff, and administration and then making the decision about keeping us at the school? Instead of an evaluation determining our efficacy in the classroom we were reduced to dates of seniority; points system; tie-breaking issue date of credential; and how many FTE you had.        Our attorney spoke passionately and decisively about the injustices of the pink slip process. He demonstrated the inequities in who stays and who goes while the district made a cavalier offer to flip a coin to decide one position. To the district’s attorneys we were just dates and categories on a page – “English –--- tie breaker--Credential issued July 05.”  For two days the district board room was transformed into a courtroom. The American judicial system guarantees that all who submit themselves to the process will be heard. Were we heard? I don’t feel like we were because there are 16 administrators who know their fates and they weren’t even there by representation or actual presence – they are going back to the classroom and each one is bumping one of us. There isn’t a final decision for the rest of us yet because we are still awaiting the numbers game to determine our fates.        We may be still waiting at graduation because the district is only required to get contracts or offers in place by June 30.  That’s an excruciatingly long period of time to wait.  The election of May 19 now becomes even more important to all of us. That’s where we all need to step up and BE HEARD – at the polls. Let everyone know how important this is and get out the vote.   About the Sick Leave Bank Tricia Bolster, PHHS   I bought into the sick leave bank years ago.  As all other members who opted in, I donated 2 days of sick leave at that time.  Over the years since, I have also donated one additional day.  I had occasion to ask for a withdrawal of 2 days a few years into my membership and after providing documentation & an explanation of why I was out of sick leave, my request was granted.  This past year has been very difficult.  I am teaching a new prep, and I am also doing drama: teaching 3 classes and directing 2 productions.  I came into the school year with only 10 days of sick leave.  My typical school day this year started at 7 am and went on until 7 pm.  On December 3rd, I literally could not function.  I could not breathe.  I went home sick and then went to the doctor.  She told me that I was ill, and that I had to take off of work for the next 2 weeks.  I ended up being out of work for 10 days.  I had already used up all of my sick leave.  I applied for disability coverage through the union provider and asked for a withdrawal of 10 days of sick leave from the sick leave bank, in the event that the disability coverage fell through.  It turns out that there is a 10 day waiting period for the disability coverage.  After I received this news, I asked about my status with the sick leave bank and was told that they needed more documentation from my doctor.  After providing this, I was told that the sick leave bank committee felt that my illness was mental in nature and that they do not cover mental illness.  I found this bizarre on many levels….firstly, my illness was physical in nature, not mental and secondly; if I had been suffering from a mental disorder, under The Americans With Disabilities Act, refusing me due to a mental disorder would be discriminatory and illegal.  This entire thing upset me quite a bit.  At this point, I was down by $1,500.00 for the 10 days I missed.  I wondered…should I have continued to work until I dropped dead?  I was not asking for a hand-out, I was merely requesting a withdrawal from what I had been paying into: from a sick leave bank that had ostensibly been set up to help out members in my very situation.  I got sick again, in February.  I got bronchitis/walking pneumonia.  I went to the doctor.  She insisted that I take at least 3 days off of work.  She told me that I had to, I was contagious.  I took the 3 days off and then went back to work on Thursday, 2-12.  I was still sick but I could walk and function.  Again, I applied for 3 days withdrawal from the sick leave bank.  When I made my application, I was told that I would “probably” get these 3 days, since the SLB board had approved withdrawals for other members with bronchitis.  I was again denied.  First I was told that “the committee believes your application does not meet the criteria of the sick leave bank.”  When I asked if the committee felt that I was committing fraud or that these were absences of convenience, and then asked what specific criteria was used in evaluating my application, I was told, and again, I quote “if the bank gave out days for every illness, then we would be out of days within a few months.”  Serously??  I was also told in December that the SLB committee feels that I should not take on extra work, such as doing drama, if I am going to get so sick.  Wow.  How helpful.  I will not do drama next year, for other reasons, but in December I was already in the midst of a commitment and I do not walk away from my commitments.  So…why write Panorama about this?  Well, I could not feel less supported by my union at this time.  I know that we are fighting for our lives here, but does that mean that we turn on each other?  I know that I personally shall not donate again.  I have no idea what criteria is being used  to award days to sick members, but clearly reason and common sense, not to mention decency and compassion have nothing to do with it.  It has all been a fascinating learning experience.  I know that frequently the media demonizes us teachers as people who want entitlements: the assurance of a job and benefits for the supposedly “cushy” job that we do: off by 3 pm, summers & school holidays off and all of that….but when I sit in a union meeting (which I did in January) and hear member’s concerns dismissively referred to as a “sob story” I can’t help but wonder where our priorities truly are right now.  I was recently notified that the SLB would grant my last request.  The kindness and reasonable behavior of the E-board does not do away with the cruelty, lack of feeling,  harshness and just general overall smallness of spirit demonstrated by the original ruling from the SLB board...I really think we need to shine a light on these individuals and question their decisions: to honestly and openly ask upon what criteria their decisions are based.  They are trusted servants who are supposedly representing all members of the sick leave bank; we are trusting them to be honorable and humane caretakers: stewards who look out for the best interests of all members of the sick leave bank.  This is an issue I want to bring to the attention of entire membership of the union, certainly to those of us who are members of the sick leave bank.  It is a lot to ask of someone, when he or she is truly very ill, to appeal a decision 2 times: once to ask the SLB board to reconsider, and then to have to bring all the documentation to the entire Executive board, which is the procedure for appeal.  That is a lengthy and time-consuming action that should not have been necessary in my case, at least not from where I sit.  I was honestly too ill, too overworked, too chagrined and too wounded in spirit to even consider bringing the first issue (denial of the 10 days) to the Executive board.  At this point (the 3 days), I finally felt well enough to be able to advocate for myself...not to mention the extremely fatuous nature of the final reason given for denying my February claim...yeah...I have issues...                         Classifieds Fancy a nice cuppa tea? Invite family and friends to enjoy an English tea in the comfort of your home! Contact Jan Treadgold (IH, ret.) at 916-691-9725 or email: jteatime@frontiernet.net for details. FOR RENT:  Home in north San Jose, 3 bedrm, 1 1/2 bath w/attached garage. Minutes from 87, 880, 101. Walk to lightrail. Corner lot with fenced area for boat/rv storage. Very pleasant, single-family neighborhood.   $1,800 per month (incl. lawn service, washer/dryer, alarm system) Available May 1st.  Call Barbara Uchiyama STHS at 347-6226 or email uchiyamab@esuhsd.org 2GB Flash Drives for sale for $15 each. Buy as many as you can; this is a scholarship fund raiser. Make checks payable to Yerba Buena High School/RUC. Contact person: Mr. Ortiz Remember Spirit Demerson? Spirit has created an online 100 percent renewable energy website for  Green Glamour!  Teachers will receive 10 percent off on all purchases on top of other great savings on organic and eco-friendly beauty products and lovely accessories and handbags - all researched for re-cyclable and organic content.  Just enter Teach20 at checkout!  www.spiritbeautylounge.com  And check out her interview with the Today Show editor at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27283097/from/ET/ TRAVEL:   Traveling to New York City.  Call the expert.  Flat fee for 2 hour consult on all things NYC (cheap eats,sights, shows, etc). Call Silvia Amico for appt at 510-552-2276 or e-mail at gregandsilvia@sbcglobal.net.  Notary Service Discount to ESTA members and family. Contact Chris Tsuji, 408-226-0674,notarychris@cheerful.com. Wedding/Event DJ. $120.00 per hour. We are a husband wife team that will work very hard to make your special day perfect. Contact Anthony Kudsi (IHS) at (408) 858-4555 for more info or to make an appointment.