Kansas City Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel, Local 691

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Update 11/17/2009

Dear Union Colleagues,

Paycheck Pickup
If you have any questions or concerns about the paycheck pickup, call James Amerison at 418-7202 or 418- 7520. If you are in more than one school next Monday, Nov. 23, you can fax your schedule to Mr. Amerison at 418- 7390.

Strategic Planning Committee
Dr. Covington has asked the Union for the names of 150 members to serve on the 500 people Strategic Planning Committee. I don't have the details, yet, but I do want to start collecting the names of people who are interested in participating. It is a volunteer position - no stipend. But, I do think it is critical that we are strongly represented on this committee. Email me back or call the Union office at 756-1818.

Safe School Campaign
With the media exposing incidents at Moore, Central, and Richardson, the District seems to be more willing to join us in our safe schools campaign. The District has agreed to give the student surveys. The staff surveys will be tallied this week. The next meeting of the Safe Schools committee will be December 1 at 5:00 p.m. at the Union office. All interested persons are invited.

December Membership Meeting - December 14th
The correct date for the December Membership meeting is December 14th. Immanuel Lutheran Church (our meeting place) is having their Christmas party on December 10th.

Retirement Seminar- December 5
KCFT & SRP will be hosting its annual Retirement Seminar on December 5th from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. This seminar is for those who are planning to retire, those who are thinking about retiring in a few years and those who don't plan to retire for a long time. There's always good information at this seminar. This year we are holding our seminar at the Kansas City Public School Retirement office at 4600 Paseo Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64110. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by responding to this email or calling the Union Office at 816-756-1818.

COPE - Thanks!
Thank you to everyone who signed a yellow COPE card, the building reps who signed up people for COPE in their buildings and the volunteers who worked the COPE phone bank. COPE contributions allow our Union to support candidates who support our issues.

1937: One Hell of a Year
If you haven't seen the play, 1937: One Hell of a Year, it's not too late. AFT Retiree, Judy Clause is the director. AFT past President Judy Morgan and her husband are part of the cast. It's a delightful play about labor history in Kansas City in 1937. Click here to buy your tickets now!

Paycheck Pick-Up

Dear Union Colleagues,

The payroll department gave us the following information regarding the paycheck pickup for teachers who are itinerant or on leave. Please call them if you have any questions or concerns.

Employees who work in more than one school will have their paycheck delivered to the school they work at on Mondays.

Employees who spend part of their day in one school and part of their day in another school, should contact payroll and let them know their schedule for Nov. 23.

Employees who are on health leave, but are mobile, can pick up their checks at Manual on Nov. 24.

Employees who are on health leave, but are unable to come to Manual, should contact payroll and make arrangements for their check.

The pickup at Manual will be from 7:00 til 12:00 noon on the 24th!

Phone Number for Payroll: 816-418-7202 or 7520

Valentine's Day Card Contest

AFT and Save the Children Partner to Fight Child Poverty

The AFT has partnered with Save the Children to engage students in their campaign to end child poverty. One featured activity will be a contest for students to design Valentine's Day cards; the winning designs will be made into cards and offered as part of a gift for donations to Save the Children's anti-poverty programs in the United States. The deadline for the designs is Dec. 1, 2009.

Use this flier to spread the word about the card design contest.

The theme of the effort is "uniting a generation" and students are instructed to design cards that incorporate the heart symbol and that represent one of these values: compassion, courage, honesty, loyalty or responsibility.

Each school may submit one entry for each of the following grade categories: PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12. In mid-December, select cards will be posted online where students can vote; the five winning designs will be used on Valentine's Day cards, which will be available in January and offered as part of a gift for donations made to benefit Save the Children's anti-poverty programs in the United States.

The AFT also has developed lesson plan activities and resources for pre-K through 12th grade teachers that echo Save the Children's core values of compassion, courage, honesty, loyalty and responsibility.

For information about the contest, go to www.savethechildren.org/cardcontest. For more details about the partnership and for activities to engage students in the values highlighted, go to: http://go.aft.org/contest.

1937: One Hell of A Year

1937: One Hell of a Year
Live Theater!

Featuring:
UAW Local 93 & 249
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
ILGWU
Ford Sit Down Strike
A. Philip Randolph
John L. Lewis
Henry Ford
Tom Pendergast

Written by Bill Clause, AFGE 1336 Retired
Directed by Judy Clause, AFT 691 Retired

Just Off Broadway Theater
3051 Central, KCMO

SPECIAL KKFI BARBECUE DINNER & SHOW
Sat. Nov 14th, $30 (One Night Only) Proceeds Support KKFI

November 13, 14, 20 & 21 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $17 Advance $20 Door

Update - November 8, 2009

Dear Union Colleagues,

To say this has been a difficult year so far, is probably an understatement. Chaos reigns in too many schools. Incompetent principals are using threats and intimidation to berate their staff. Pay issues are still unresolved. Positions are still being cut. Downtown administrators seem clueless about the needs of students and staff, and everyone is stressed.

But in spite of all the difficulties, Union members have not only stayed focused, but are stepping up to the plate to make life easier for all members. October was definitely a month of Union action.

Teacher Evaluation Workshops: Many thanks to Karol Howard who led two workshops to help teachers with the new Teacher Assessment tool. Over 100 members attended and went away with valuable information to assist them in understanding and utilizing the new evaluation document.

AFT's Education, Research & Development Program: Ali Johnston-Hull, Chair of ER&D developed a Teacher Evaluation Cheat Sheet with valuable tips that we emailed to members. More importantly, the ER&D committee is scheduling a series of workshops on topics such as Student Management and Differentiated Instruction to be held at the Union office. They have also been invited to McCoy School to present a workshop on Differentiated Instruction.

Safe Schools Campaign: The first meeting of the Safe Schools campaign was held, and individuals from the district, the community, parents and our Union outlined a proposal to immediately address the schools that are having the most difficulty with student management. Staff, student and parent surveys were developed. Unfortunately, the District has yet to act on the student and parent surveys. I will be meeting with District administrators tomorrow to see if we can get the surveys into the hands of students and parents.

Healthcare: As you probably know, the House passed their version of the health care bill. Thank you to all of you who took the time to email or call your Representative. Thanks also to Anne Pritchett, whose idea it was to show the movie, Sicko. We had a good turnout yesterday, and I think everyone left with a clearer idea on the need for healthcare reform. Now we have to convince the Senate to pass the health care reform bill. So please, email, write or call your senator. You can send a quick email to your Senator by clicking here.

PIP: Another of our members (whose name I'm not using because I haven't asked if I could) sent some research on how to write a rebuttal to a poor performance evaluation. It gave me the idea that the Union could do a workshop on the PIP (Professional Improvement Plan). If this is something you are interested in, please let us know.

Finally, I'd like to send out a few reminders so that members can avoid some problems:

Theft: We've had several cell phones and other personal items stolen from our members at various schools this year. Please keep these things locked up or at home.

Student fights: You do not have an obligation to stop a fight between students. Call the office. Call Security.

Disciplinary Action: If you are hotlined or become involved in a situation where you may be disciplined, follow the guidelines below:

Call the Union Office immediately - (816) 756-1818.
Do not provide any statement in writing until after you have consulted with your Union representative/Union attorney.
Do not discuss the events of the allegations with anyone.
Try to recall any events regarding the situation - for preparation for interview with the DFS/District investigator.
Ask for Union representation when asked to meet with the administrator.
Our Union attorney will be there for you and will schedule an interview with the DFS/District investigator.

I also want to thank all of our members who either joined COPE for the first time or upgraded their deductions to COPE. It is so important that our Union is able to support candidates that support us. If you haven't had a chance to sign the yellow COPE card, see your building representative or call the Union office at 756-1818.

Have a good week and keep on doing the good work.

Teachers' Evaluation Cheat Sheet

Dear Union Colleagues,

One of our union members, Ali Johnston-Hull, gave me a copy of the Cheat Sheet (see below) she developed to help new teachers with their evaluations. I thought she did a great job with it, and she gave me permission to share it with everyone. If you find it useful, let me know, and I'll share the feedback with Ali.

TOP TEN NON-NEGOTIABLES

· Are your objectives current, listed by subject area and time, and all begin with a verb? Do you begin each class by reviewing the prior day's objective and bring their attention to today's objective - revisiting it throughout the lesson

Example: SWBAT or TLW examine the parts to a plant cell and define their role in the development and growth of a plant.

· Is your room neat, organized, and conducive to learning? Do you have a word wall up that is current and referred to frequently? Are necessary materials made readily available for a child's success (calculators, manipulatives, supplies, etc...) with minimal disruption to the learning environment?

· Do you have current work on your bulletin boards with an appropriate scoring guide that illustrates differentiated instruction? Are any of your bulletin boards reflective of project based learning? Do any of your bulletin boards display the use of technology?

· Is their academic rigor present in your lesson? Are you asking questions at all levels when appropriate?

· Are the children on task and responsible for their learning? Is it evident that the children are aware of your expectations and procedures?

· Are the children engaged and attending to the lesson - beginning, middle, and end?

· Are you prepared with all necessary materials and supplies for the lesson? Do you have a plan B should the children not be engaged or attending to your planned lesson?

· Do you use data to drive your instruction? Is that evident in your lesson plans and goals for success for your children?

· Do you differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners? Is it visible in the children's independent practice, flex grouping, your guided practice, their projects, the bulletin board displays, and the children's portfolios?

· Are your lesson plans current, out, and visible? Do you state in your lessons your objectives and there is evidence that you have thoroughly planned keeping in mind the children and the GLEs?

· Do you share with the children your love of learning, especially through mistakes and perseverance?

Safe Schools Survey

Dear Union Colleagues,

The Safe Schools Committee met last week and developed a tentative proposal to address the immediate needs of schools that are having extreme problems with discipline. The proposal consists of developing a Support Team to assess, assist, and reassess the discipline concerns in the school.

We will get you more information once the details of the proposal have been worked out. In the meantime, we want to get the Staff Survey to you. This will help the committee identify the schools that are most in need of assistance.

You can take the survey online by clicking here or going to our website at mo.aft.org/691.

We are also sending hard copies of the survey to the Building Representatives to pass out to non-members and members who do not have personal email addresses. We want all staff members to take this survey.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Union office at 816-756-1818.

Healthcare Reform Bill

Dear Union Colleagues,

The Senate Finance Committee finally passed its version of the healthcare reform bill.

The bill "was developed with good intentions," says AFT president Randi Weingarten, "but it has serious defects that could jeopardize insurance affordability for both the insured and the uninsured."

The Senate bill's shortcomings are:

Failure to adequately address affordability. Even with subsidies for the uninsured, many families and individuals will not be able to afford the cost of health insurance. It also penalizes those who do not obtain coverage.
Proposed health insurance tax on employer-provided benefits;
Weak employer responsibility on coverage (or "pay or play");
Lack of a public option.

In an effort to ensure that the necessary changes are made, Oct. 19-30 has been designated an AFT healthcare mobilization period. During this period, the union has set a goal of five percent of our membership contacting their U.S. Senators and House members by phone, letter, e-mail and/or personal meetings.

Please contact your legislators today!

To contact your senator by email, click here.

To find your elected official or to visit AFT's Legislative Action Center for more information, click here.

COPE Drive

We are in the midst of our COPE Organizing Drive and we're asking for your support.

Every day in our jobs as teachers and school-related personnel we are impacted by decisions made by elected officials - from educational funding to our salaries and benefits.

The elections in 2010 (at the School Board, state, and federal levels) will have a major impact on us as educators and Union members. It's crucial that we elect candidates in 2010 who support us on our issues and it's just as important that we donate money to their campaigns.

But, it's against the law to use regular Union dues for political contributions.

The only way we can donate money to the candidates who support our issues is through COPE and to raise funds for COPE we must ask you for a voluntary contribution. We're encouraging every Union member to contribute at least $1.00 per pay period to COPE.

See your KCFT & SRP Building Representative today and sign up on the yellow COPE card!

COPE - Committee on Political Education

Early Childhood Paras - Release Time

Dear Union Colleagues,

Despite the Union's urging, the District has not yet set up an account code to pay Early Childhood paraprofessionals for providing release time for Early Childhood teachers.

We need to know what schools are affected by this.

If you are an Early Childhood paraprofessional who is providing release time for an Early Childhood teacher, please email or call the Union at 756-1818.

Thank you.

Safe School Campaign

Dear Union Colleagues,

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and cold to attend the general membership meeting last week. Janies is typing up all the questions that didn't get asked, and I will deliver them to Dr. Covington.

Safe schools, student discipline and abusive principals made up the preponderance of questions from membership, and for good reason. Many of our schools are in crisis; students assaulting other students, students assaulting adults, principals who refuse to follow the Code of Conduct.

The issue of safe schools can no longer be swept under the rug. The District must stop pretending there isn't a problem and address the issue. Our kids deserve a safe environment and so do the adults working in our school buildings.

Therefore, we, as a Union, have decided to attack this issue head on. A committee is being formed to outline our strategy. I will be speaking at this week's Board meeting on October 14th to announce our Safe Schools campaign, and both Board members and Administration will be invited to join us. But whether they decide to join us or not, our campaign will move forward. We will:

Identify the schools in crisis,
Identify the needs of those schools, and
Create and implement solutions.

I invite you to become an active participant in our campaign and if you are free Wednesday night, join me at the School Board meeting (6:30 pm. 1211 McGee).

DFS Hotline Tips

Dear Union Colleagues,

The Union usually sends out a flyer every year with DFS Hotline Tips, and we will do so again this year. But I thought I would pass these tips on to you early this year. Please take the time to read through them carefully.

Tips to avoid being hotlined:

Hands off - It is best to keep physical contact with your students at a minimum.

Let them leave - Hotline calls often result from incidents involving student discipline. For example, a student attempts to leave your room and you try to block it. The safer course of action is to tell the student not to leave, but to not take any physical steps to prohibit him/her from doing so. Then immediately call the office and fill out a conference card on the incident.

Pointers and Yardsticks - Although they can have a place in the classroom, discontinuing their use will decrease your chance of being the subject of a hotline call.

Report and Record - If you suspect that your students are engaging in inappropriate behavior between themselves including sexual behavior, you need to report the situation to your building administrator immediately, verbally and in writing.

Language - Keep in mind that there are times when staff members are hotlined or referred to a District investigation for inappropriate use of language.

Any questions or concerns about the above tips, please call the Union office at (816)756-1818.

If you are hotlined or being investigated by the District:

Call the Union Office immediately - (816) 756-1818.

Do not provide any statement in writing until after you have consulted with your Union representative/Union attorney.

Do not discuss the events of the allegations with anyone.

Try to recall any events regarding the situation - for preparation for interview with the DFS/District investigator.

Ask for Union representation when asked to meet with the administrator.

Our Union attorney will be there for you and will schedule an interview with the DFS/District investigator.

In Solidarity,

Andrea Flinders
President, KCFT & SRP

QuEST 2009 Highlights

Highlights from the recently concluded 2009 AFT QuEST conference in Washington, D.C., included AFT president Randi Weingarten's keynote address, a town hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a panel on community schools and remarks from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Daily updates from the conference, as well as video highlights, can be found on the AFT's QuEST 2009 Web site.

AFT Part of New Initiative To Promote Community Service

On June 22, President Obama announced a nationwide service initiative, United We Serve, which is the beginning of a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to meet community needs and make service a way of life for all Americans.