COMMITTEE REPORTS
ARC (Appraisal Review Committee): We have 5 members that have been put on intervention support plans.
Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus Events: The Art of Community Weekend is being held Thursday January 26 - Sunday, January 29. The event celebrates our creative and diverse community that has supported the P.E.A.C.E. Campus through the years. The weekend’s activities include both free and paid events which are open to all ages, and support Coventry P.E.A.C.E initiatives and our member non-profit organizations. View the informational poster (featuring CHTU’s Andrea Briggs) by clicking this link.
ER&D: Spring and Summer course offerings were emailed on January 12 to all members by ER&D Director, Monica Rogers. ER&D courses earn 2 credit hours each and are offered at a rate of $155 per course. Course offerings and information can be found here.
DISCIPLINE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT (SCOC): The Administration has yet to schedule the first meeting. We have reached out again to Reggie Williams, BOE attorney, to get a meeting scheduled.
INSURANCE: As expected, the employee contribution to our insurance plans increased slightly this month. For more information, view the email from Mr. Gainer or the update from President Rego.
MOBILIZATION: The Cleveland Heights Teachers Union is happy to announce that Quata Tucker is the new Political Director for CHTU. Look for updates and mobilization requests that require action from our members on legislative issues that affect our profession.
OFT (Ohio Federation of Teachers): The Ohio Teacher Leadership Summit will be held June 14, 2023 at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. The goal of the summit is to build a statewide network of teacher leaders and administrators to promote and strengthen teacher leadership in Ohio.
VESi Offers Credit Hours to OFT Members at a Reduced RateOFT has partnered with Ursuline College and VESi to offer members a yearly subscription to online graduate courses for $225 per year. You can enroll in one course per term, or two courses during the summer (if you skip fall or spring), for a total of 3 courses per year. Choose from 30 online courses for recertification or pay raise purposes. Learn online at your own pace from the convenience of your home. Three graduate courses (nine credits) per year for $225 -- a savings of up to $1,700 per year. Read more information and purchase your annual subscription here.
Reaching Heights: Reaching Heights welcomes parents and community members to join the Many villages Tutoring program. Sign up to be a classroom Role Model Speaker, or tackle one event at a time by volunteering with the One and Done project. If you know someone who would be interested in volunteering please send them this link.
STRS News: There will be an STRS election for an ACTIVE [contributing] seat for the STRS Board this spring. Arthur Lard is the incumbent. He rarely speaks at Board meetings and is chair of the Health Committee. He has been challenged by another Board member to call a meeting of the Health Committee but stated that health plans at STRS are fine and there is no reason to have his committee meet. OFT and ORTA have endorsed Pat Davidson, an active teacher from the Berea City School District.
SUMMIT: Summit met on Friday, January 13. We discussed Elementary Report Cards, Secondary Conferences, and Everyday Labs. Our next meeting is Friday, February 10.
Grievances and Unfair Labor Practices:
A grievance was filed on Friday, December 2 by a member who received excessive discipline (suspension) for an alleged false statement and dishonesty. The grievance meeting was held on Tuesday, December 13. The grievance was denied. We will be going to a Step 3 mediation on February 1st.
A grievance was filed on Tuesday, December 20 by a member who received excessive discipline (suspension) for “Inappropriate Abusive or Offensive Conduct (non-criminal),” “Inadequate Supervision of Students,” and “Inadequate Preparation for Employee Job Responsibilities.” The grievance meeting was held on Tuesday, January 10. The grievance was denied. We will go to mediation.
A grievance was filed on Tuesday, January 10 by a member who was denied assault leave. A meeting has been scheduled for Monday, January 23.
Fact-Findings/Discipline
A member was called to a fact-finding on August 23 for alleged “Inappropriate and Offensive Conduct (non-criminal)” based on accusations made by a parent to the Ohio Department of Education. This false accusation resulted in the member’s license renewal being delayed by the ODE Office of Professional Conduct. We received a disposition notice, and the outcome was “no finding.”
A member was called to a fact-finding on November 15 for “Inappropriate Abusive or Offensive Conduct (non-criminal) for allegedly advising a student not to come to school. A disposition meeting was held, and the member received an official reprimand.
A member was called to a fact-finding on December 8 for alleged “Attendance, Punctuality, or Contract Day Policy Violation” because the member exhausted sick leave while dealing with a serious family illness. We are awaiting a disposition.