PAJARO VALLEY FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP & Building Rep MINUTES
December 13, 2004

Chaired and facilitated by Carolyn Savino
Approval of minutes of November 8, 2004. Lynn Cordova moved, Leigh Hill, seconded. All approved as written.

Old Business

NCLB
RSRA Restructuring model: Last year PVFT and PVUSD reps went to observe RSRA in ABC District. Proven AFT model approved by Feds and State. We are participating in an RSRA training on Feb. 10-13 by sending 13 people to New York, including a union teacher and a principal from the year-four schools. PVFT went to a union-district retreat to observe how to implement this cooperative relationship. We are sending more teachers to D.C. for ER and D training in the summer with a check-up in January. We are looking into setting up trainings near us, perhaps at Asilomar.

Year-four schools are being looked at by the COE at nine criteria:

  1. Instructional strategies in reading and math (adopted series and a book for each student, per Williams law: teacher, texts, toilet—not yet funded)
  2. Instructional minutes mandated
  3. Principals' leadership training
  4. Highly-qualified teachers
  5. Student achievement monitoring system
  6. On-going instructional assistance and support for teachers (coaches, content experts)
  7. Monthly grade-level collaboration with the principal
  8. Lesson-mapping schedule
  9. Fiscal support for English language arts and math

The year-four schools will network together with a committee composed of: Chris Chatsworth, Connie Benson, PVUSD's Cindy Cordova and Carolyn Savino. They will assure the application of these components.

Tentative agreement
Thanks to the help of building reps, the site-based voting doubled the number of votes cast. This also helped for non-members realize that they need to fill out the form in order to be a member of the union.

The prescription plan should go into effect on January 1, 2004. You should not be charged for formulary drugs. Go to www.bluecross.com in order to see the list of formulary drugs. Chiropractic should take effect mid-January. Acupuncture coverage will cover 18 visits at $40 each. What is the status of Workers Comp?

New Business

School Board structure
The newly-elected Trustees took their oaths at the last Wednesday meeting. Rhea DeHart President, Sharon Gray as VP-clerk, and Karen Osmundson as South Zone

Negotiations update
New link on website for negotiations.

Negotiators working to get Title II monies into year-three, year-four schools.

Website
We get updates on site within 24-hours.

Under bylaws you can find policies and procedures.

We now have a Forum on the site for sharing ideas. This is a better way to share ideas instead of using the district email.

You can find most necessary forms at the Forms link.

Good of the Order

At the beginning of the new year we should look into forming a sub-committee for solutions to teacher hiring and transfer procedures.

AFT needs our feedback on NCLB. Go to www.aft.org , click on “Teachers” section, select “NCLB Feedback Survey 2004.”

Accrued sick days can now be used to compensate service credit, up to 2/10 of a year (SB 102).

Hiring freeze should end by first of the year.

Are mediation trainings available?

Adjournment at 5: P.M
Frank Dunbar moved; Eileen Fernald, seconded. All approved.