Such lack of Compassion

I now understand that our legislature is moving forward on removing heat assistance from the needy, removing medicaid from anyone who makes at least $100 a week, and seniority will be removed from public workers.  

This sounds like Marie Antoinette - "Let them eat cake!"  No compassion

***IMPORTANT***know your Weingarten Rights

In 1975 the Supreme Court of the United States set a ruling that stated "employees have a right to association representation during investigatory interviews by management.  These rights are called Weingarten Rights."

If anyone in a supervisory position questions an employee in order to get some information which could be used for disciplinary action, the employee must:

1.     Be informed that there is a possibility that disciplinary action may take place

2.     Be aware that the interview is of an investigatory nature

3.     Be given the right to receive representation

If we as employees are just being given instruction on how to improve our job, or how to implement some new protocol, then that is usually not an investigation into wrong doing and won't warrant representation.  

If the review has already taken place and the supervisor is just giving information on a decision that has already been made involving discipline, then representation isn't necessary.

When an interview which is of an investigatory nature occurs, there are 2 main rules which apply.

1.     The employee must make a request for association representation either before or during the interview.  Employers have no duty to inform workers of their rights.  Workers who fail to request association representation can be questioned at length.

2.     Once an employee makes a request, the employer must choose from among the following options:

a.   The employer may grant the request and delay questioning until the association representative arrives and has a chance to consult with the employee.

b.     The employer may deny the request and end the interview immediately (and possibly proceed with discipline based on other evidence).

c.     The employer may give the employee a choice of either continuing the interview without representation, or discontinuing the interview.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN AN EMPLOYER IGNORE OR DENY A WEINGARTEN REQUEST AND CONTINUE ASKING QUESTIONS.

look it up yourself for more info.  Be In The Know.

The Letter

                 Governor Christie’s Letter for Change

 

We received a copy of a letter sent out by Christie's office with the governors letterhead.  It starts out "Dear School Board Member"  and goes on to say.  " The time for reform is now...We must empower principals...We must...focus our efforts on teachers and children.  I propose that we reward the best teachers, based on merit, at the individual teacher level.  I demand that layoffs, when they occur, be based on a merit system and not merely on seniority.  I am committed to improving the measurement and evaluation of teachers...And perhaps the most important step in that process is to give schools more power to remove underperforming teachers."  He goes on after several 'fluff' paragraphs to say, "The seven bills I submitted to the legislature call for:

 

*     Implementation of a multiple measured statewide evaluation system by the 2012-2013 school year that required observation and evaluation of all educators at least twice per year with summative evaluation at the end of the school year using the rating categories of highly effective, effective, partially effective, or ineffective.

*     Tenure attainment only after ratings of "effective or "highly effective" have been received for the proceeding three years.  Tenure status is lost after an evaluation as "ineffective" for one year or partially effective for two years.

*Reforming laws governing reductions in force ("last in, first out") so that any layoffs are based on effectiveness--not seniority--and determined by an evaluation system established by the Commissioner of Education.

*     Mutual consent that calls for agreement by both the principal and teacher on all teacher assignments to schools.  Where a principal does not consent to a tenured teacher's placement inhis or her school, that teacher will continue to receive compensation for 12 months while searching for an assignment in the district, after which he or she will be placed on unpaid leave.

*     Reforming teacher compensation to focus on an educator's demonstrated effectiveness in advancing student learning, as well as whether the educator is teaching in a failing school or is teaching in a subject area that has been identified as a difficult-to-staff subject area.

*     Due process changes to eliminate a provision requiring a teacher against whom tenure charges were filed to begin receiving full salary and benefits after 120 days of start of the process as well as implementing a firm deadline requiring Administrative Law Judges hearing tenue revocation cases to render a decision within 30 days.

*     Allow for school districts to opt out of the Civil Service System."

 

He wrote the letter addressed to School Board Members to ask them for their support.  There is more to the letter. I didn't copy it all, because there was so much more fluff.  

Think about it

Well, with the new proposals looming over our heads, teachers who can retire, or who are considering retiring are wondering what to do. Every situation is different. Don't allow yourselves to be bullied. I hear that you only need one day to post your retirement. You need more to resign or transfer. If you hear of job openings, let me know because there are people looking for one. (no, not me) Let's make sure we remain one unit, one family of educators. Don't resort to witch hunting and looking for who "should" retire. Let's all rise together or we may all lose.

Does moving equal thinking or is it the threat of elections looming?

The New Jersey Democratic Assembly moved its State Convention to a different hotel in order to avoid a picket line by union workers. I love it when we send a message to the wallets of people who think workers don't count and don't deserve consideration for pay increases or benefits. At least our Dems in the assembly are listening and are thinking.

Assembly Dems appear to be taking a stand

The pension/healthcare package being introduced by Senate president Sweeney is not popular with the Dems in the Assembly. YEA!! We all await Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver's leadership on the matter in the assembly. The bill may pass the senate, but perhaps will get bogged down in the assembly. Many of the assembly Dems think our medical benefits should be negotiated at the bargaining table. That rolls in our favor. It's good to hear.
Also, YEA for Assemblyman Tom Giblin. He is afraid of very little and is a personal favorite of mine. He along with several others really do believe in standing up for the middle class. We who actually work for a living and pay taxes are the real employers for all politicians. Funny how they seem to forget that once they get into office. Sometimes they play their own agenda and then say that its what we the people wanted. What a bunch of !!!!####***

Keep Living, Keep Loving, Keep looking up in prayer!

The Latest 5/1/11

Pink slips came out this week in Belleville. All non-tenured and supervisors were handed their RIF papers. Let's all keep them in prayer that they will be called back to work.
It seems that Sweeney has decided that his bill which I detailed in an earlier April blog, will be passed by the end of June. The primary races will be over, but the general elections won't happen until November. Let's keep our eyes open. Be alert and watch to see who votes for you. They don't deserve our votes if they can't find their way to support us. Apparently the healthcare and pension will be joined together in his bill. A two-fer I guess. How much money will we who are public workers lose from our paychecks. It will be a financial loss no matter how you look at it. Will it affect the amount of pension public workers will receive? You betcha!
There was another bill passed on to the governor's desk for his signature which says that if you are a public worker and you work in Jersey, you must live in Jersey. It's only fair. It's a tax thing you know. Otherwise it wouldn't matter where you live.

KEEP LIVING, KEEP LOVING, KEEP PRAYING, KEEP LOOKING UP!

talking to Trenton

WEll, it appears that there will be some form of tenure change. Many of the politicians who say they "serve" us have said it's a wrap. It is certain. When we tried to inform them that tenure just gives a teacher due process, the response was -it's time for a change. Tenure protects teachers from nepotism and anger firings due to personality clashes and petty administrators. Many businesses put their new people on probation for 30-60-90 days. Teachers are on probation and unprotected for 3 years. How many of us have seen a new teacher fired because someone in the district needed a job, or because the administrator got haughty? It's a shame.

Whatever the agenda is, public workers, especially teachers, seem to be the target. To all our detractors, if the shoe were on the other foot, you'd be singing a different tune. Someone needs to tell the politicians that public workers pay taxes...ie. their salaries.

The msnbc news show reported that the Republicans are targeting unions because they are large supporters of the Democratic party. The Dems support public schools. Their (the Republican Party) premise is that if the Democratic Party doesn't get financial support from the unions, the Dems won't have a chance. This plan came about when they (The Republican Party) lost the house, the senate, and the presidency. Well, chances go around. That happens on each side of the aisle. The attempt to create a one party system should be stopped at it's core. Educated people don't vote according to party like cheerleaders in a high school, they vote according to the character of the people and their platform. The political party should not be the only factor.

The Death and Life of the Great American School System

For immediate release
For More Information,
Contact Kaleena Berryman, at 973-353-3560

The Coalition for Effective Newark Public Schools presents nationally acclaimed authorDiane Ravitch, author of the book
“ THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM”, at a forum entitled, “Wake Up Newark: Pushing Back to Save Public Education”, to be held at Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Newark NJ on May 17, 2011, from 6 to 8pm.

Diane Ravitch is Research Professor of Education at New York University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. From 1991-1993 she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. President Clinton appointed her to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees federal testing. She is the author or editor of over twenty books and her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines.
Diane Ravitch will speak about her views on education reform. Writing in the Wall Street Journal (March 9,2010), in an article entitled “Why I Changed My Mind About School Reform”, she concluded, “What we need is not a marketplace, but a coherent curriculum that prepares all students. And our government should commit to providing a good school in every neighborhood in the nation, just as we strive to provide a good fire company in every community.
“On our present course, we are disrupting communities, dumbing down our schools, giving students false reports of their progress, and creating a private sector that will undermine public education without improving it. Most significantly, we are not producing a generation of students who are more knowledgeable, and better prepared for the responsibilities of citizenship. That is why I changed my mind about the current direction of school reform”.
The Coalition For Effective Newark Schools is an organization that advocates school reform emphasizing the needs of all children in Newark through improved teacher training, improving curriculum to make it interesting and less tied to standardized tests, more parent and student engagement in schools, and more accountability from school officials. Members of the Coalition include the City-Wide Parents Organization, Abbott Leadership Institute, Secondary Parents’ Council, Teachers as Leaders in Newark, One Newark Education Coalition, NAACP – Newark Chapter, Newark Teachers Union, Education Law Center, City Association of Supervisors and Administrators, and People’s Organization for Progress.

The Death and Life of the Great American School System

Pushing Back to Save Public Schools
Featuring
Dr. Diane Ravitch Nationally acclaimed author of
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM:
How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education
(Books will be available for sale)

Tues., May 17, 2011
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Bethany Baptist Church
275 West Market St.
Newark, NJ 07103(Doors will open at 5:30pm. For more inform

State testing is taking place in many of our schools right now.  Good luck to everyone!  You know that our governor wants to tie our salaries to these test scores along with some other indicators of  student progress.  We shall see what we shall see.  

As we move toward the end of the school year, keep your eyes and ears open.  Share information.  You never know who may need a position in another school system.  Feel free to share any projects or strategies that you found helpful this year. 

     Also we need to stand up for ourselves and speak to people in our circle of friends and in our communities about what we really do, what our hours really are, and how much we really care about our students.  

  

Congratulations to the districts that got their budgets passed!  

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

The complaints that are currently being made, are comments about poorly performing teachers.  In that we are all professionals who have dedicated much of our lives, including extra hours, holidays, and  weekends to our profession, none of those comments could possibly be about us.  We use our own resources and our own money to give our students the supplies and tools that they need to make their education more exciting and successful.  We create projects and we use technology in our classes to keep our students involved, sharp, and up to date with technological skills.  New Jersey has been rated 5th in the nation in successful education.  A large percentage of our students go on to college and complete their degree.  

We care.  We work.  We strive for excellence.  We are teachers and we aren't afraid of the big bad wolf.

Health Insurance for the poor to be cut

The families with the most "at risk" children are in danger of losing their Family Care health care because they make more than $18,000 a year.  Have any of the politicians tried to live off of $18,000 per year?  That is not a living wage for a family of 3.  The Children's Health Insurance Plan - CHIP - is a healthcare plan provided by Medicaid.  It's given to families with children who don't have access to affordable insurance through their employer.  If you only make $18,000 a year, private insurance is  almost an impossible thing to get.  The newspaper reports that the state will save about $300 million by making these cuts.  Is the health care of our poorest families worth it?   

JUSTICE.....finally

Osama Bin Laden has been killed today by American troops.  He was found in a mansion.  He has finally paid.  The payment wasn't enough for the 3,000+ people and their families who were devasted by 911, but justice is always sweet.