Dear Colleagues,
Our February Executive Board meeting will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. This month’s meeting is virtual, and is open to all members of CHTU. You can join the meeting by clicking this link. Please read important updates as well as our committee reports below.
Independent Workday
This Friday, February 17 is an Independent Workday. Here is the language from our contract regarding independent workdays:
“In addition to Article 6.H.3., the Friday before Presidents Day shall be designated as an independent work day, where teachers work independently at their discretion at their location of choice as needed. No meetings shall be called during this day.”
Preference Forms
Look for assignment preference forms which were sent to members yesterday by Tikalah Dixon. The preference form is a google form. HR is not required to honor your request for a change in assignment, but it is worth making your wishes known. There are occasions when HR has agreed to teaching assignment changes based on these forms. Preference forms are due by March 15, 2023.
In Union,
Karen Rego
CHTU President
COMMITTEE REPORTS
ARC (Appraisal Review Committee): We have 5 members that have been put on intervention support plans. The next ARC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23.
ER&D: The deadline to sign up for summer ER&D courses is May 5. 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. Each course needs a minimum of 10 participants to run. Please sign up as soon as possible if you intend to take a course.
DISCIPLINE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT (SCOC): The discipline task force has the first meeting of this school year scheduled on Wednesday, March 1. This meeting has been rescheduled by the administration 3 times.
Heights Coalition for Public Education: The Heights Coalition for Public Education is hosting a forum on March 2 at Cleveland Heights High School to welcome and get to know public officials who were elected in November 2022 to newly drawn districts that represent the Heights Communities. They are: State Representatives Juanita Brent (District 22) and Daniel Troy (District 23), State Senator Kent Smith (District 23), and State Board of Education member Thomas Jackson (District 10). The purpose of the event is to build relationships with our elected officials so they can represent our interests and act on our concerns, and we can feel confident about advocating for our interests.Presentations will begin at 7:15 PM in the Heights High Cafeteria. Tours of the Heights High wellness center will be conducted between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. During this two-way conversation, sponsors and the invited elected officials will introduce themselves and share their interest in public education policy. Participants will have a chance to ask questions and so will our representatives.
INSURANCE: We still get quite a few questions regarding out-of-pocket expenses. Please visit the health corner on the CHTU website for all of your health care related questions. All members are encouraged to download the Medical Mutual app.
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: The annual Reaching Heights Spelling Bee is scheduled for May 10, 2023. CHTU will sponsor a team. Please contact President Rego if you would like to be on the CHTU team.
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: The February Summit was canceled. The next Summit meeting is March 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. Step 3 Mediation was held on February 1, and we were able to reach an agreement to settle this matter.
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. Step 3 mediation was held on February 1. We were unable to reach a settlement. We will ask the Executive Board to approve Grievance Step 4, arbitration.
A grievance was filed on Tuesday, January 10 by a member who was denied assault leave. A meeting was held on Monday, January 23. The grievance was denied. The member has waived their right to Step 3 Mediation. We will ask the Executive Board to approve Grievance Step 4, arbitration.
Fact-Findings/Discipline
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. The disposition was held on February 10, and the member received an official reprimand. The member will be filing a grievance.
A member was called to a fact-finding for alleged “Misconduct: District Policy Violations: Inadequate Supervision of Students” and “Misconduct: District Policy Violations: Inadequate Preparation for Employee Job Responsibilities” because the member did not write a referral after a fight occurred in their classroom. Administration was present and wrote a referral for the fight. The fact-finding was held on February 6. We are awaiting disposition.
A member was called to a fact-finding for alleged“Inappropriate Abusive or Offensive Conduct (Non-Criminal),” “Lack of Teamwork,” “Inadequate Preparation for Employee Job Responsibilities,” “Breach of Chain of Command Protocol,” and “Board Policy 3210 - Staff Ethics” based on an investigation done by an independent third party. The fact-finding has to be rescheduled, and we are awaiting a new date.
A member was called to a fact-finding for alleged “Inappropriate, Abusive, or Offensive Conduct (Non-Criminal)” and “Off-Duty Misconduct” for cursing at someone who called his personal cell phone that was hired by the district, but did not identify themselves. The fact-finding was held on February 2. We are awaiting disposition.
A member was called to a fact-finding for alleged “Inadequate Supervision of Students” and “Board Policies 4213 Student Supervision and Welfare” for leaving a student unsupervised while assisting with other students. The fact-finding was held on February 10. We are awaiting disposition.
A member was placed on paid-administrative leave for alleged inappropriate actions and judgment regarding interaction with students. We are awaiting a fact-finding notice.
A different member was placed on paid-administrative leave for alleged inappropriate actions and judgment regarding interaction with students. A fact-finding has been scheduled for alleged “Inappropriate, Abusive, or Offensive Conduct (Non-Criminal),” “Inadequate Preparation for Employee Job Responsibilities,” “Inadequate Supervision of Students,” and “Board Policies 4213 Student Supervision and Welfare and 5630 Corporal Punishment.” The fact-finding is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21.