[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke, President of the Teachers Union, sent this dispatch to his members yesterday.]
Hello all,
Let me clarify the process for the scheduling of the furlough days.
Casey Chabola from our bargaining team has taken on the thankless job of representing your interests on the furlough days. He will be meeting with Leslie Lockhart, who will speak to the District's concerns, and with Debbie Hamme, the president of ACE, the union representing our classifed employees.
Each group has its particular concerns.
Classified does not experience the furlough day pay deductions in the same way that we do. Our pay reduction is spread out over 10 pay periods, with each check being reduced equally to reflect the total furlough pay reduction. Classified employees experience the loss of pay in the pay period the furlough day falls. So, for them, two furlough days in one pay period creates a hardship.
The District's concerns have to do with educational issues —when are we testing, for example? — and the effect of the furlough days on student attendance, which affects revenues. They also need to be responsive to concerns expressed by parents regarding the calendar.
Teachers have concerns as well.
For many of us, the placement of these days affects testing, the flow of our curriculum, student (and teacher) fatigue —as well as personal preference.
The process, necessarily, will involve give- and-take from all three parties.
We are under some time pressure in that there may be a problem with teachers receiving a full-year's service credit if we do not have the days scheduled prior to July 1.
We want the days to be approved by the School Board at their next meeting later this month and then sent off to the County Office of Education prior to that date.
Casey doesn't know I'm going to write this next sentence, but here goes:
If you would like to send him your input, that he can take with him to those meetings, please do so, pronto.
He's at caseychabola@ccusd.org
Our team has already put together an outline of what we'd like to propose, based on the survey data you gave us last year. But I'm sure Casey won't mind additional input.
I'm leaving Saturday and will be gone until late in August. So you'll need to look for an update either from Casey or from the District.
I want to thank you, in advance, for understanding that in a collaborative process like this one, the only way to achieve consensus is for each group to compromise.
Have a good and restful summer. See you in September. dave
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
