SB 264: This bill was introduced in the Senate by John Carey, a republican from Wellston, that Ohio mecca somewhere between the border and Columbus. I haven’t had the privilege of visiting. Anyway, the bill prohibits teacher strikes. As such, it would gut the centerpiece of the collective bargaining bill passed in 1984 which voided the archaic Ferguson Act which prohibited teacher strikes and resulted in teachers being jailed for striking. One of the co-sponsors of this bill is the self-proclaimed public school teacher advocate Kevin Coughlin.
HB 315: Nothing happening in the House yet on this bill to increase member and employer contributions to STRS for the purpose of establishing a fund dedicated to health care.
HB 190: As reported on earlier, this bill was signed into law by the governor and became effective immediately as emergency legislation. One provision of the new law required that the Professional Standards Board recommend a professional conduct code for teachers. The first draft of the code has been completed. It is still not clear in what capacity this code will be used beyond as a guiding document for use by the State Department in re-licensing, etc.
ULP: No new news. Still waiting for SERB to take action. So far, attempts to resolve our differences with the administration have not yielded any progress.
CATS Tix: Tickets are now available online for the Broadway hit CATS, one show in our Broadway in Akron series. Discounted tickets for the March 2, 2:00 p.m. show can be ordered through December 21. Sales for the next show in the series, Riverdance (April 1, 7:30 p.m.) may be ordered online throughout the month of January. Click on the Broadway in Akron link on our homepage and follow the instructions for ordering tickets. Our group password is listed in the instructions.
Printed contract: Final touches are being put on the contract. We expect printing to begin shortly after the first of the year. In the meantime, visit our website to access the Agreement and new contract language.
Superintendent Search: Nothing new to report here. Process probably won’t pick-up until after incoming board is seated in January. James Hardy will serve as the president of the board for 2008.
Health Benefits: The Advisory Committee has been meeting monthly and is nearing a recommendation for saving $1.5 million in health care costs as agreed to in out last contract. The Committee’s recommendation will become effective July 1, 2008.
New Board Convenes in January: This January will see two new faces on the Board of Education. Amy Grom and Jason Haas will join the Board as its newest members.
Thank YOU!: In spite of some bumps along the way and the usual smorgasbord of problems we face year in and year out, the first half of this year (July through December) has been very rewarding for us. We wrapped up a two year Agreement that included wage increases in each year and left our health care coverage intact. We’ve had a number of members move to new buildings where teaching is a whole new experience, even if the moving process was a pain in the backside. Thanks to many volunteers, we participated in a very successful fund raiser for a very worthwhile cause (breast cancer research). We honored those who completed their long careers with the district at a dinner in their honor, and just last week we shared a Saturday morning with members and their children, whose smiles (and in a few cases, expressions of complete terror) at Santa’s appearance were priceless. Thank you for your role and participation in the Association. Have a wonderful holiday season.