BOSTON TEACHERS UNION, LOCAL 66, AFT Non-Profit Org. Proposed Changes to the 180 Mount Vernon Street U.S. Postage Boston, Massachusetts 02125 PAID Pension System 3 Boston, MA Permit No. 52088 Find Out About a Pre-Tax Benefit for BTU Members 5 BTU Says Welcome Back with a Breast Cancer Walk Fundraiser 12 BostonBostonUnion Teacher The Award-Winning Newspaper of the Boston Teachers Union AFT Local 66, AFL-CIO • Democracy in Education • Volume XLIV, Number 2 • October, 2011 This isn’t Wisconsin… Please Keep Reminding Us! By Richard Stutman, BTU President But the news is overwhelmingly unfa- Legislature ‘Reforms’ he governor has said it. Speaker DeLeo has said it. vorable, at least in the senate’s proposed Our Schools We heard it from many quarters this summer when pension reform version, and in watching T And then there was Ed Reform. the legislature cut our health insurance and we heard it this huge step backward – the first one in Granted, the assault on teacher unions again two weeks ago when the senate proposed cutting more than half a century – one has to think was not quite Wisconsin-like in breadth the pensions of all state employees hired after 12/31/11. that ever so slightly of Wisconsin. After all, or severity. And it did take place before Had Wisconsin happened before the state passed the Ed Wisconsin was just another step though a Wisconsin. But somehow I do not feel Reform legislation 20 months ago, we probably would significant step in the growing legislative relieved. Let’s look at some of the re- have heard it then, too: “This isn’t Wisconsin.” But if it movement to eat away at employee rights forms… double the out-of-district char- isn’t Wisconsin, then what is it? Whatever it is, it cer- and benefits. And if we think the attacks ter schools in Boston and others places, tainly isn’t very healthy today for public employee unions against Massachusetts public employees a move that will cost city schools an in Massachusetts. are not related to the assault in Wisconsin, estimated $50 million per year and an Consider this. we’re fooling ourselves. estimated 500 teaching positions, And Ditto on attacks on our health insurance. the forced implementation of Turn- Senate Proposes Cut in Pensions Richard Stutman around schools, 11 in Boston, each set A few weeks back the state senate proposed cutting Legislature Cuts BTU President up under the heavy-handed tactics of pensions for all new employees and forcing them to Health Insurance the state. work longer and harder for less money. The proposal Last summer the legislature, with the blessing of the No matter how one looks at it, the teachers at the 11 would mandate that a five-year average – not the current governor, dramatically altered our collective bargaining Turnaround Schools (the 12th, the Agassiz, was closed) three-year average – be instituted for all new employees. rights on health insurance. Fortunately, Boston city have lost many of their collective bargaining rights. BTU What’s more, new employees will have to work longer unions had previously agreed to a 4-year deal that staff now work under an imposed agreement sanctioned and later, as both the maximum pension age and the protects our health coverage with minor changes. But at by the state that gives administrators superpowers, while vesting age will be pushed further out. The news isn’t all the end of the 4 years, in July 2015, the protection ends, removing many items and the authority to negotiate bad, to be sure. Some slight favorable pension changes, and we will face a certain reduction in benefits and an over teaching conditions from the process of collective too, will be enacted. Retirees will now see a $30 boost per increased cost. No, this is not Wisconsin, but it is getting bargaining. (The current law has ‘room’ for 35 more year in their pensions. That’s $.08 per day. closer. (continued on page 2) BTU Members On the March for Labor From left to right: Steve Tolman, candidate for Mass. Retired teacher Martha Cotton AFL-CIO President; Jeff Crosby, North Shore Labor and BTU Political Director Council President; BTU members Jared Kaiser, Angela Angela Cristiani on the picket line Cristiani, Garret Virchick, Natalie Isbitsky, Dari Ann with Verizon workers. Holland, Marjie Crosby, Maura Hughs, LauraLee Johnson, See article on the Verizon workers and Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach at the North struggle on page 9. Shore Labor Council’s Legislative Dinner that honored the Wisconsin senators who stood against Governor Scott Walker’s assault on collective bargaining rights. Riana Goode from the Boston Teachers Union School marching in a Labor Day rally with brothers and sisters from Unite/HERE. Know Your Rights: Caren Carew, BTU Secondary Field Representative How many personal days do teachers get and how do we take them? enerally, teachers are entitled to four development (P&D) per week. The con- teacher and the administrative head dur- priately identify- G(4) personal days per school year. tract reads, [Secondary] “Teachers will ing the last two weeks of the student- ing and address- There are specific provisions for bereave- have planning and development time each teacher training period. In cases of con- ing the needs of ment in addition to these days. Requests day and will be scheduled in blocks/ flict, seniority shall prevail in the selec- our students, it to take a personal day should be submit- periods of continuous time that are no tion of days.” This coverage was designed is incumbent upon us to advocate for the ted to the building administrator as early less than 40 minutes in duration.” P&D’s to be given by having the student teacher appropriate placement for said child to as possible prior to the day requested off. cannot be chopped up or segmented into cover for the days so that it is a no cost achieve their potential. We are all sensi- Except at the discretion of the building smaller aggregates of time. If a teacher item for the BPS. If a cooperating teacher tive to budget constraints and in some administrator (such as a school emer- unavoidably loses a P&D period due to does not arrange for the coverage while cases a rush to utilize inclusion, often gency), not more than 5 % of teachers are coverage issues and the like, the adminis- the student teacher is still in the class- without adequate planning, contractually eligible for a personal day at one time. No tration should make every effort to free room, the cooperating teacher loses the mandated votes of effected staff, and al- teacher may take a personal day on both them up on their administrative period or benefit. It’s a use it or lose it scenario. ternatives for those students for whom the day before and the day after a school on another agreed upon time. If the the inclusion model of service delivery is vacation, including the Thanksgiving re- teacher does not receive the time off, they Do performing arts teachers inappropriate. We are the ones in the cess. Personal days not used each year must keep good records of when, date get compensated for putting classrooms, working with the students are rolled into your accumulated sick and duration of the missed P&D and on productions? day to day and we are also the ones whose days. submit this info to the school secretary voice should be heard when it comes to The contract does provide for compen- for inclusion for compensation on the placement recommendations. sation if it meets the following param- “Class Coverage” form. This form is to be Many parents rely on our expertise to How long is a Secondary eters. “Effective September 1. 2005, per- submitted twice a year for the reporting determine the correct course of action for teacher required to work forming arts teachers, including theater, times (9/1 – 1/31) and (2/1 – 6/30) to their kids. Reaching out to and involving without a break and how music, dance, drama, and choral group BPS Payroll Department, 26 Court Street them proactively will help to establish teachers, who conduct regular after school much P&D time do they get? 5th floor. Pilot, Horace Mann Charters & ongoing communication and forge a for- rehearsals and practice culminating in Secondary teachers (grades 6 – 12) in Innovation Schools must refer to the lan- midable child-based alliance. Let’s keep final productions and/or festivals shall be traditional schools, are not required to guage in their Election to Work Agree- in mind why we entered education, and compensated for such after school time teach more than 160 minutes in a row ments concerning these work conditions. hold fast to our passion to do what is right with a stipend of $1,600.00 per year.” This without a break, a minimum of a 25 minute for each and every child in our charge! money comes from each individual duty free lunch, a planning and develop- They are depending on us to do no less. Do I have to accept an intern school’s budget. Please discuss this with ment or administrative period. Teachers or student teacher? must get a minimum of 240 minutes of P your administration and document re- What is the policy on schedul- & D time per week in no shorter than 40 No. The contract clearly states, “Any hearsals, etc. in order to qualify for the minute blocks. The maximum teaching teacher requested to accept a trainee shall stipend. ing individual parent/teacher time on the secondary level is 240 min- have at least one week’s advance notice, conferences? utes per day.