CHTU Updates

Dear Colleagues,

State of the Union March 2014

By our constitution I am obligated to report out on the state of our Union.  In terms of our operations, services to members, solvency, activity in the community, and possible influence in our local and state affiliates, we would rate as strong.  Our office works hard on matters concerning our members, processing retirements, resignations, leaves of absence, helping with tough medical claims, helping solve sticky situations, updating members on important activities, and living within our budget.  We appoint members to serve on a variety of committees important for

The group of local citizens that is evolving from the Reign of Error (Diane Ravitch) book discussion group is interested in learning about high stakes testing in our schools.  They are interested in collecting first-hand accounts of how testing affects you, your students and how you teach.  The overall goal of this group is to find actions that can be taken that are generally in concert with Ravitch’s ideas and that improve our schools and support public education.

Members of the group are proposing to interview teachers individually, using questions similar to those I have copied below. 

Hello all:

The OFT Convention was held in Cleveland recently and several of our members attended.  These are some of my thoughts about it:

One of the highlights for me of the OFT convention is the chance to hear from people who hold or aspire to public office.  We get to see their soundbites on television but seeing them in person is different.  Sometimes it is possible to interact with them personally but even without that it is interesting.

I know many of our membership have little or no interest in politics.  Sometimes I think that some of us feel that politics are beneath us.  What we should

Remember those calamity days we used?  Well, we are probably going to have make them up.  The state allows for school districts to use 5 days, but anything over that needs a plan.  The good news is that we have a plan, the bad news is that no one will like it.  As far as I know the plan has never been used, but there is always a first time.

The plan we have always had in place has always appeared on the District calendar.  It states that days to be used to reschedule classes are Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Spring Break Recess Compensatory Day (which is the Monday after Easter)

Click here for a report from the 2014 OFT Convention:

Summary of events

Appendixes (resolutions and such)

Dear Colleagues,
Here are several events and activities to consider participating in coming up.  There is something for everyone here.
Fraternally,
Ari Klein

March 21 - Union Banquet.  Info to come in hard copy for banquet reservations soon, BUT if you want to stay overnight there is a block of rooms available for $119 (plus taxes).  Includes a full cooked-to-order breakfast.  Reserve your room by February 28  by calling Embassy Suites 800.317.1960.

March 5 - Action Session follow up from our Community Book Discussion.  Help decide what we are going to do with our coalition partners to support

Dear Colleagues:
A few updates:

-Community Book Discussion - the second session to discuss Ravitch’s Reign of Error is set for this Wednesday (hopefully we will still be able to hold it even if school is closed).  Last week there were almost 100 people attending.  Fascinating discussions.  Great teachers facilitating at each table.  If you teach high school please feel free to encourage interested students to attend.  More info at chtu.oh.aft.org/news

-SLOs - I had a chance to read your feedback around SLO training.  It confirmed what I suspected; this is new, difficult, cumbersome, and in most

Hello High School Staff:

On Wednesday evening this week the Board met with architects, construction managers and owner’s representatives to exchange information and establish procedures for moving forward with the high school building project.  (I sat next to the door so that I could make a quick exit if things got boring but ended up staying for the whole three hours.)

The tempo of the project will be set by the Board but the entire design team wants to get off to a quick start.

Here is what I think you should know:

The first part of the Design Phases is called Program of Requirements (POR). 

Dear Colleagues,
Last night at the Board of Education meeting I presented two items:
-The Principles that Unite Us is the resulting document that came out of a conference with a large coalition of public school allies in October.  Both AFT and NEA were involved as were numerous other groups.  The document, if you link to it, states what it is that we believe.  The Local 795 Executive Board voted to endorse in November.  I asked the Board to consider being the first school district to adopt it.  They will discuss this issue in January.
-Community Book Discussion - as I reported yesterday, our own