CHTU Updates

Dear Colleagues,
You may have noticed little increase in take home pay on your new stub compared to last year.  If you look at the "gross" income instead you will see a higher amount.  With a 1% raise and an additional 0.5% or so extra money for working an extra day you may be wondering why your net is not more.
The answer lies in the increase that STRS is taking out.  We are in the second year of the four 1% increases from our portion of pay that goes to STRS. 
This year we pay out 11% to STRS (shows up as "STRSAnn" on the stub) . 
The Board pays 14% to STRS (shows up as "*STRSbrd"). 
The Board

Dear Colleagues
Happy end to the first day of school.

In June, over $100,000 in retro pay was awarded to 6 pre-school teachers after we signed an agreement making them part of local 795.  Most people did not know, but there were some pre-school teachers who were part of the Cleveland Heights Teachers Union and others who were part of OAPSE 100.  We had tried for years to get these teachers to be part of our local, but protections put into place by the State Employees Relations Board (SERB) make it difficult to switch bargaining agents.  We were only successful because of the Board’s willingness

Dear Colleagues,

 Dear Colleagues,

If you did not get an email from me to your home email then please send us an email address to:  office@chtu.org

The end of the school year was a flurry of activity.  The High School faculty voted to accept conditions around a new schedule.  Our Security Monitors voted to put a Catastrophic Leave section in their contract that replicates the teacher contract.  We are still trying to make sure that a few of our colleagues are recalled, Alternate Learning Centers are created in each elementary, Home Instruction as well as Before/After Lead positions are modified to reflect the

To All CHTU Members:

Ohio Voters Bill of Rights

We Need Your Help -Sign The Petition

You are probably aware of the recent battles over changes in the regulations governing voter registration, voting dates and times, and voter identification.  Recently enacted restrictions have placed an additional burden on voters and potential voters due to partisan politics in Ohio.

Several groups have coalesced to circulate petitions to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot for this November which would:

• permit online voter registration
• sets early in-person absentee  voting hours just prior to

Dear Colleagues,

Many of us volunteer for a variety of activities and causes; helping with a food bank, your kid's little league, at your church, etc.  However, volunteering for your employer becomes problematic.  Ours is a helping profession, so we sometimes take on a task or feel guilted into helping with some school-related event or activity, then all of a sudden it is an expectation for you or whoever takes your place. 

In no way am I saying we should not all be "team" players and "go the extra mile" in the service to our students.  What I am trying to get across is that as soon as we

May 20, 2014

To all staff:

The Master Teacher Program is a portfolio-based assessment that allows teachers to demonstrate excellence according to these five criteria:  Consistent Leadership, Focused Collaboration, Focus on Students and Environment, Focus on Content, Instruction and Assessment, and Continued Professional Growth.  Teachers work diligently to compile their portfolios by reflecting deeply on their teaching practice.

Three of our colleagues have fulfilled the requirements for the Master Teacher Designation. This entitles them to receive a senior professional educator license within

Dear Colleagues,
As many of you know this week marks the 60th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education.  It is distressing to see much of the progress that was made possible by this decision eroding before our very eyes through a concerted effort to destabilize public education.  If the education profiteers who mask their agenda as "reform" continue to have their way we will see public school systems like ours become the last choice parents use if they can't find anywhere else to send their children to school (not that we don't cherish these children.  Our District has close to 20%

Dear Colleagues,
Last night the Board acted on two important issues for us.  32 of our colleagues (see list below to congratulate them in person) will start next year with a continuing contract - tenure.  Tenure gives the right to due process that a limited contract does not.  Tenure also means that is there is a layoff that all of the limited contract teachers will have to be let go first. 
The other order of business at the meeting was lay-offs due to a reduction in force.  Technically retire/rehire teachers do not need to be RIFd because they are on one year contracts.  Our contract states