AFT-CFT AFL-CIO Local 1936
		February 20, 2004 Volume 8, Issue 9

CCR Accolades for District Schools!
To old timers, CCR might bring to mind Credence Clearwater revival lyrics pouring out of the radio about a bad moon rising or a boy born on the bayou. The California Department of Education defines CCR as Coordinated Compliance Review. The CCR sent a team to Hall District and Freedom Elementary Schools, Watsonville High, and Adult Education to evaluate their success and progress.

The CCR team acclaimed Hall District Elementary for offering a data driven, standards based and child centered curriculum resulting in the school meeting all school-wide and subgroup API goals. They also complimented the extremely hard-working administration and staff. They applauded the consistent use in many classrooms of strategies such as word walls and student-based rubrics.

Freedom Elementary earned kudos for their Success for All reading program, developing student leaders, ELD instruction and for using the Baldridge education program. They focus on their data-driven mission and help children know what they are learning and why they are learning it. The CCR team noted that Freedom's dedicated hard-working teachers keep children involved in their own education.

The CCR team commended WHS for creating a standards-based curriculum with a learning environment where students feel safe, where they know caring adults are available to help them. The team noted that students are proud to go to WHS and they feel that teachers "... teach with their hearts." The CCR complimented WHS and the district for developing and supporting the Equity Team.

The CCR representatives saluted the Adult Education teachers for their commitment to serving the educational needs of the community. They noted that their program provides services to the community by their organized policy, measurable goals, proficiency levels and strategic plans for student goals across the board.

PVFT congratulates these sites for their hard work as confirmed by Coordinated Compliance Review representatives. We are proud of our teachers' commitment to quality education for our students and their dedication to excellence in our programs.

Restructured protection
If your administrators require you to spend more than one monthly restructured day in staff development, stop the grief. File a grievance. The contract allows additional days only if your staff agrees. See your building rep or call the union office to obtain the form. Use the grievance procedure to end contract violations.

Article IV.D.3 (amended in 2003) reads: "One of the restructured days per month...may be utilized for such purposes as staff development, curriculum coordination. Any additional directed staff development days for that month must be approved by the School Leadership team, after surveying the staff, prior to implementation."

Know your contract. Protect your rights.

News for you - Medication Caution
Teachers by law are not allowed to administer medications to students. All medications must be stored under lock and key in the office and dispensed by the school nurse or other designated school personnel. Please refer any student who requires medication to the office. Only parents may bring medicine to school. (California Ed. Code §49423)

Last call for candidates
You can run as an Exec. Board candidate for Treasurer, Central Zone elementary VP, North Zone middle school, or Aptos HS VP. Yes, you can serve as a PVFT officer. Call 728-1936 for information to submit your name for the slate.

Taxing situation
Your copy of the current Educators' Tax Guide, awaits you in the union office for only $10. Call 728-1936 to reserve yours.

PVUSD Trustee meetings: Who's in charge?
The PVUSD Board of Trustees meeting on February 25, 2004 was a fiasco. The Board President either could not, or worse yet, would not take control of the meeting so that the community could share their thoughts and opinions regarding district reorganization with the Board in a safe environment. It is the President's role to facilitate meetings to enforce Board procedures in a fair and equitable manner to allow for the free exchange of ideas on the subject under discussion.
At Wednesday's meeting, President DeHart did not perform her duties at all. She allowed the time limit for speakers to be ignored by some but not all. She did not put an end to ridicule, insults, and threats to speakers and fellow Board members. She appeared to be laughing at some of the insulting behavior and certainly did nothing to stop it in spite of pleas from her fellow board members to do something. The situation became so menacing and insulting that the Board halted discussion and tabled the rest of the meeting agenda items.
This was the most disturbing, embarrassing meeting that I have ever attended, and I've been to some pretty intense ones. The lack of control was a disservice to the eloquently prepared statements of many of the speakers. It was disrespectful of the audience who had come to plead their case. When the passion surrounding an issue is allowed to degenerate into catcalls and insults, the forum is disrupted and the integrity of the discussion is jeopardized for all parties involved. I call on the President to take charge of future meetings, to see to it that all members of the community and the board have a safe environment to air their views, have a meaningful discussion, and come to a reasonable decision in a civilized, respectful manner. That is her job and she needs to get it done or step down from her position.
-Carolyn Savino