AEA BUILDING REPS’ NEWSLETTER
February 10, 2005
I. Negotiations: AEA and the Board have agreed to retain the services of mediator Rob Stein to facilitate negotiations. The Board will not employ an outside law firm for our negotiations, but will with at least two other bargaining units. Contracts for all units expire this year.
A pre-negotiations meeting is scheduled with the mediator on February 17. Actual negotiating sessions will not begin until after March 1.
II. Negotiations Survey: We are asking members to return surveys to you by Thursday, February 17. Please return them to the office by Monday, February 21.
III. STRS Board Election: We are supporting the candidacy of Mary Ann Flanagan. She is running for an open active member seat. Mary Ann is a guidance counselor at Oregon Clay High School in the Oregon City School District. She is also Vice President of her local and legislative chairwoman.
IV. Highly Qualified Teachers: Principals will be asking teachers to complete forms verifying credentials. Letters will be sent to parents of students whose teachers are not highly qualified. For this year and next, the only consequence of not being highly qualified is the letter home. We are working with the University to assist those who are not highly qualified to become so.
V. Master Cohort Program: Teachers interested in the Akron U./APS/AEA Master Cohort Program (mentioned recently in Random Notes) are invited to attend a meeting at North High School on Thursday, March 3 at 4:00 in the auditorium. Dr. Zac from Akron U. will present.
VI. Curriculum Visits: Announcement of the visits caused quite a bit of anxiety. Bottom line is that the visits are not evaluations, but are intended merely to provide feedback to teachers.