News And Important Dates
Site Representative Council Meetings 23-24 School Year Dates
4:15pm at AFE, Branciforte Small Schools
Sept. 11
Oct. 2
Nov. 6
Dec. 4
Jan. 8
Feb. 5
March 4
April 8
May 6
After productive negotiations this Spring, and going into the month of June, we reached agreement on our Contract. Highlights include a 5% raise beginning in the 22-23 school year and a one time $1000 bonus. We also negotiated the first ever stipend for 4/5 teachers’ parent conferences and a stipend for teachers who are asked to move rooms during Summer. The details of the agreement were sent in an email to all GSCFT members. If you didn’t receive this email, please contact Casey at ccarlson@gscftunion.org. The Tentative Agreement was approved by over 99% of the members voting. Benefits are looked at separately through the Benefit Study Committee that meets mid-year.
The new pay rate and retroactive pay will kick in at the end of March, 2022.
Our membership ratified our Tentative Agreement for a salary increase and three years of calendar. We also got into the Contract the beginnings of an article on Digital Teaching and Learning. We are adding 2.75% to the 2% we had previously negotiated for this year for a 4.75% wage increase. We will negotiate again later this
Spring for the 22-23 school year. We are appreciative of the straightforward negotiations with the District. We know, however, that this raise doesn’t even keep up with inflation and isn’t adequate for living in Santa Cruz County. The fault lies with our State; with the continuing inequity of education funding from district to district, and the preference at the State level to fund special programs rather than funding the base. Our State Union, CFT, continues advocating at the State level to: Fund the Base!
Please fill out the preliminary survey on the substitute teacher shortage so that we will have data for discussion and negotiations. Check your personal email for the link and complete by 12/14/21.
Happy Autumn All,
RETIREMENT AND LEAVE FORMS: An email went out yesterday that informs us about leaves, retirements, Reduced Teachers Workload. Please read this and return the forms to HR by 1/31/17.
ENDORSEMENT FOR SANTA CRUZ WOMENS' MARCH: At our December meeting, the GSCFT Reps. council endorsed the Santa Cruz Women's March on 1/20/2018. See our Events page for ongoing updates, and our Facebook page (there is a link to our facebook page on our home page).
BENEFIT SURVEY RESULTS: Thank you to the 211 of you who completed the Benefit Study Survey. The survey was designed to get a better profile of our members' benefit needs, especially in the area of dual benefit coverage and the possibility of an opt-out option. Casey has emailed the results to all members. If you did not receive this email, please contact Casey to update your non-work email.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FEEDBACK: In addition to the Listening Session we held at Gault regarding elementary PD and PLC work, Casey has met with SCHS and SHS English Departments to get their feedback prior to a meeting we will be having with Julia Hodges and Mary Ann Robb on November 17th. As management and labor look towards working together more cooperatively on issues, PD and PLCs will be one of the areas that we want to begin planning together.
NEGOTIATIONS: In October, the District Management Sunshined their 3 Negotiation Items: Evaluation Process, EXCEL Schedule at SCHS, and Restructured Wednesdays for Elementary School. GSCFT held a Listening Sessions for the Restructured Wednesdays prior to negotiating, on October 16 at Gault. EXCEL will now be looked at by the SCHS faculty and administration.
Our next negotiation session was on 11/2. We will have a working group with the District to look at the evaluation cycle. Sara Hapner from Westlake, and Martha Dyer, from Mission Hill, will be helping with this effort, as well as an elementary and secondary principal.
NEW: On 11/2, we placed our salary demand on the table along with a demand for a higher hourly rate for "other duties as assigned." Management gave us a new proposal for increasing time for PLCs at elementary school and we informally discussed that, including a discussion of a counter proposal from us. We also requested a flowchart for maternity and childcare leaves, because our contract is pretty confusing to follow in that leave section.
Originally, GSCFT sent our Sunshine Letter to begin negotiations to SCCS and it was accepted by the School Board on Sept. 13. We began negotiations on Sept. 12 with an informal session. Our GSCFT team is:
Casey Carlson, President/ Helayne Ballaban, Vice President Elementary / Matt Bruner, Vice President Secondary/ Mark McConnell, Chief Negotiator and Treasurer / Martha Dyer, Secretary/ Sarah Rominger, Negotiator. Check this space and check in with your GSCFT Site Reps. for updates.
School Board Vacancy Filled:
At the School Board meeting on October 11, GSCFT endorsed applicant, Cindy Ranii was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Alisun Thompson moved to Portland. We thank all four applicants, Rob Morrow, Linnea Holgers, Olga de Santa Anna and Cindy, for coming forward for our schools. Cindy was sworn in at the SCCS Board meeting on October 18th.
NEW ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY: On 8/23, Our SCCS board will be considering a revised Board Policy on electronic communications, "Access to District Records, " in accordance with a recent court ruling: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/02/san-jose-californias-top-court-to-decide-if-government-emails-sent-on-private-devices-are-public-record/ . The court decision states that using a personal account or device to send or receive communications regarding public business does not exclude those records from public disclosure. Please be very careful about what you write in your electronic communication as it pertains to work, even when using your non-work email or texting on your phone. This is especially true in the case of discussion regarding students. Sometimes a phone call or personal conversation is preferred. Ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this email being read in court or published in the paper.