The six conditions for Central Falls Teachers . . .

[mzteris]

Six conditions Central Falls High School teachers must accept

1. Increase length of school day by 25 minutes to provide more instructional time for students.

2. Formalize tutoring schedule so struggling students have extra help for one hour before and after school.

3. Agree to eat lunch with students one day a week to build stronger relationships.

4. Attend two weeks of professional development in the summer at a rate of $30 an hour.

5. Stay after school for 90 minutes one day each week to work with fellow teachers analyzing student work and test data and discussing ways to improve teaching at a rate of $30 an hour if Gallo can find grant financing.

6. Accept more rigorous evaluations by a third-party starting March 1.


http://www.projo.com/education/content/projo20100211_cfhighschool_keypoints.1094bb3d0.html



***** as a not-so-unimportant-aside ******

Budget plan would deeply cut aid to schools
07:18 AM EST on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 By Jennifer D. Jordan

The impact on communities would be severe. Providence, the state’s largest school district, would lose $7.1 million if the across-the-board education cuts are approved. Schools Supt. Tom Brady called the potential reductions “grave” and said they threatened his district’s ability to serve its 24,000 students. Providence schools have already lost $5.8 million in state funding over the past two years.

“Continued cuts in state aid to local school districts will further compromise our school district’s ability to deliver crucial educational services to our students,” Brady said in a statement.

Central Falls, which is financed almost entirely by the state, would lose $1.7 million.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/carcieri_budget_education_02-03-10_QHHAT02_v32.605f05.html

[baldguy]

1. The teachers were perfectly willing to do these things

but they weren't willing to do them for free.

[mzteris]

2. they weren't asked to do them "for free". . . n/t

[Hannah Bell]

7. catapulting the propaganda again? FALSE. FALSE. FALSE.

"Gallo said she could only afford to pay teachers $30 per hour for some of the extra responsibilities — $1,800 for two weeks of training in the summer, and POTENTIALLY $1,620 for weekly 90-minute afterschool sessions, IF SHE COULD SECURE GRANT MONEY.

Teachers, Gallo said, would not be compensated for the other changes: lengthening the school day by 25 minutes; formalizing a tutoring schedule; eating lunch with students once a week; and submitting to more rigorous evaluations starting March 1."

http://www.projo.com/news/content/central_falls_letters...

$30/hr for extra duties is already IN their contract - but for a 185-day school year.

Gallo wanted to add two weeks to the school year (two week training) + 3-5 additional hours/week to the regular school year.

The only guaranteed pay offered was the already-contracted $30/hour for a training session that added two weeks to the teachers' school year.

You're full of it.

[DontTreadOnMe]

3. They SHOULD be doing it for free.... otherwise they lose their jobs.

But on the other hand the list is missing #7.

7. Parents are required to spend 10 hours per week helping there children with their homework.

Any child who has incomplete homework, the parent needs to come in and explain it in person.

Where is the increased effort requirement on the parental side?

This is for the kids, right? I don't ACCEPT ANY EXCUSES. You want the teachers to make an extra effort, the parents should be required too.

[baldguy]

4. Would YOU accept a 50% additional workload for no additional pay?

[handmade34]

8. that is a moot point

the Central Falls teachers were not asked to accept an additional 50% workload for no additional pay.

[baldguy]

12. It's OK, really. Your boss says it's really just a 10% increase in the amount of work

And you should've been doing it already, anyway.

Oh, yeah- if you disagree, you're fired.



THIS IS WHY WE HAVE UNIONS!

[Hannah Bell]

13. you're right, it's only 5-13% mandated additional time for no pay.

plus two additional weeks in the summer paid at below straight time.

which = a 5% increase in days worked over their contracted term, in addition to the 5-13% added hours within the regularly contracted term.

IOW, about a months' worth of added work, all of it for free or less than straight time.

[ncteechur]

15. They are hired to teach the kids. They get paid to teach the kids. If the kids didn't learn it

they didn't do the job adequately enough. They shouldn't get paid more if they didn't do the job the first time.

[baldguy]

17. Standard Six Sigma management protocols: If it doesn't perform, get rid of it.

But you can't fire the students.

[amandabeech]

42. Or the parents.

Just ask any teacher.

[madfloridian]

19. And the kids are not held accountable at all.

Nor are the parents. Only the teachers are expected to perform.

[Hannah Bell]

21. Police are hired to eradicate crime. If there's still crime, they need to put in more free hours.

for free. in fact, about 15% more time for free.

[baldguy]

22. Maybe we should just fire all the police.

That'll surly end all crime.

[Hannah Bell]

28. thumbs up on that. let all those police compete as private contractors to the rich.

[Iggo]

47. No. They need to be fired for not eradicating crime. (n/t)

[soleiri]

48. Then they can hire Cop For America!

:sarcasm:

[Hannah Bell]

9. I think the police should be required to put in another 5 hours per week in addition to their

contracted time -- for free.

plus take 15% off their contracted vacation time & get paid less than straight time for it.

I'm sure they, and you, will support me in this demand -- or have them fired.

I don't know about your town, but mine is not yet crime-free.

They need to work harder. for free.

[handmade34]

10. apples and oranges

and is this a police vs teacher thing? I respect both that do their job well and wish that the ones that don't do their job well, would find other work.

[Hannah Bell]

11. they're both public employees who haven't "succeeded" at their jobs.

no apples & oranges about it.

sauce for the goose, etc.

they need to work harder, for free. they haven't done the job.

[handmade34]

18. both police and teachers

work within systems (communities) that are sometimes healthy and sometimes dysfunctional and unhealthy. It can be very easy to work, in either position, in a, say, mid-size monied community. Not so easy in a place like Central Falls. I was a licensed teacher until recently and my daughter is a police officer. I know many of both and it is difficult and unproductive to make blanket statements about the actions and responsibilities of either. I don't believe people should be required to work without pay and I generally support unions. This issue of the Central Falls teachers is not black and white and there are not easy answers. That's all.

[Hannah Bell]

20. if it's good for teachers, it's good for police. they're FAILING. THERE'S STILL CRIME!

They need to work harder, for free. Who do they think they are, not willing to contribute to the common good?

For that matter, I think our dear leaders should put in more hours, for less pay. we're in a recession, after all. why won't they sacrifice for the common good?

i hear municipalities are laying off people; i think our dear leaders should each donate an unpaid hour or ten to collect garbage or something.

[handmade34]

5. I am familiar with Central Falls and

I used to be a teacher. I believe that too many people have jumped on this without fully understanding the situation. Thanks for the links.

[mzteris]

30. thanks.

People are to quick to point fingers at anyone but their own "group". Why that is, I don't know? Fear? Guilt by association? Afraid of "guilt by association"? What, exactly?

It's gotten to so one can't say much of anything around here or you're accused of teacher bashing and hating schools or being a republican antiunion troll. It's quite irritating, frankly.

[Hannah Bell]

38. because it's true, maybe.

[femmocrat]

6. RE: No. 6--- Just who is this "third-party"???

Did they elaborate?

[Chemical Bill]

14. That one looks big to me too.

The teachers I know already put up hours of free time to help their students. I did when I was a teacher (but I taught in a private school, so I wasn't getting much money anyway, and no bennies). When I was in high school a teacher offered to let me help him make nitroglycerine after hours and blow it up. Talk about a helpful teacher!

This whole thing of judging teachers by their students' performance stinks to high heaven.

Bill

[Hannah Bell]

23. some kangaroo court controlled by the super & her catholic school minions.

gallo's entire teaching experience was in suburban private catholic schools.

her husband is a catholic deacon.

they fund private catholic schools.

she's a recent hire for her position.

she's a planted privatizer.

and the providence journal is a house organ. of texas-based belo corp: exec/owner moroney

[ipaint]

34. As always, follow the money.

In this case all roads lead back to the charter school gravy train. Another scam to make money on the backs of underfunded schools in poorer neighborhoods. Go for the easy pickings first and then work their way up the class ladder. They created the whole premise for their definition of failure out of thin air and lies during reagan's disastrous reign and like vultures swoop in for the kill now.

I can't believe people defend this crap. Here no less. A 1980's republican wet dream is now democratic policy.

[Richard Steele]

36. Yup: that's a huge red flag right there, IMNSHO!

Teachers must agree to abide by "conditions to be named later".:eyes:

[ncteechur]

16. Those conditions are expected and reasonable. If they can't accept them, fuck em.

[baldguy]

24. Reality check: a teacher can do everything he's supposed to do and a kid can still fail.

A teacher can do everything he's supposed to do & and an administrator can still be a fucking ignorant incompetent asshole.

[Hannah Bell]

25. The conditions are NOT "expected". They're in violation of contracted conditions.

I'm sure you'd be fine with a mandatory 15% increase in your time on the job. Without pay.

Not just some volunteer time when you feel like it. Every day, + a loss of 20% of your lunches & 13% of your vacation time.

[Quantess]

26. They have to eat lunch with students?

Is that really going to help anything?

[Hannah Bell]

27. oh, yes. it will bring their scores up immediately.

& it will let them layoff some lunch aides.

[hayu_lol]

29. A contract is a contract...

this will be a most interesting lawsuit.

Very few people in this country work for free. The teachers should just walk out now and not wait for the end of the semester. They conceivably vote to strike which would justify the walk out.

The school district in this case is wrong.

[mzteris]

32. Here's a copy -

Contract between the Central Falls Teachers’ Union Local 1567 Rhode Island Federation of Teachers American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO - September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2011

AGREEMENT

This agreement made and entered into effective as of September 1, 2008 by and between the Central Falls School District hereinafter referred to as the District and the Central Falls Teachers’ Union, Local 1567, RIFT, AFT, and AFL-CIO, hereinafter referred to as the Union.

http://www.ntlongcber.com/cber/docs/_CF.htm


Some interesting reading there . . .

[Hannah Bell]

40. why don't you tell us where it says: teachers & principals agree to do whatever the super says or be

fired.

[mzteris]

31. getting to know them -

outside of the classroom was, I think, the purpose.

Having better relationships between teachers and students would improve the experience for everyone.

[Hannah Bell]

39. yes, i'm sure that 30 minutes in the lunchroom will help everyone "get to know" the students they

teach & bring up their scores immediately.

not. it's an additional 30 minutes of mandatory labor, not a social hour.

[handmade34]

43. yes

eating lunch with their students potentially can help.

[TwilightGardener]

33. I don't think those conditions are unreasonable. And before anyone jumps

down my throat about "how would YOU like to have to blah blah for blah hours per week for the same pay blah blah"--fuck, many nights I felt lucky to have a chance to sit on the goddamn toilet when I was a nurse. I don't think I've ever taken more than 5 or 10 minutes to wolf down something in the lounge no matter the "official" length of the lunch break I was supposed to take. Sometimes I had to take more patients than I was supposed to, or I had to float to a unit I was totally unfamiliar with. I sometimes went home two hours late, making my shift 14 exhausting hours instead of 12. I know many salaried people (husband included) who stay late and come in early during busy seasons at their various jobs, no bitching allowed. I understand that there is a union involved here, which is perhaps a buffer from the reality of the work world for the rest of us (non-union) folks, but I am here to tell you, most jobs have some really sucky aspects to them. If you want to stay employed during a bad time for the organization you work for (like, half the kids in a school not graduating), you should expect to kick in some extra time and effort. It's just the way it is.

[Hannah Bell]

37. it's not about what *you* think, it's about what they contracted for.

[TwilightGardener]

44. No, as far as I'M concerned, in this day and age, they were lucky to have

decent-paying jobs and benefits at all. If they're primarily concerned about the terms of their contract above all else (even above the students' performance), then maybe being shitcanned is what should have happened to them. Other teachers will take their places, and be happy for the employment.

[Nikki Stone1]

35. There's a real hatred of teachers, and I think misogyny underlies a lot of it, since

the majority of teachers are perceived to be female.

[mzteris]

41. don't be ridiculous -

i hope you aren't directing that at me - and the others who think the error falls squarely in the lap of the union "negotiators".

While I think part of the problem with pay in the past was the fact that they were "just women" - I think part of the 'stigma' now is that people do still think of teachers as "part-time" employees - whether that's true or not. The PERCEPTION is there.

While I've always said teachers should receive higher pay, I've also said I think that if they're going to receive "comparable pay" - they need to give the appearance of "full-time". While yes, I know, teachers "take home work" - so do other 40/hr-52/wk employees. People just don't see it. Staying IN the work environment is what would translate.

Not saying I totally agree with that - I'm trying to explain how some people see it.

[DontTreadOnMe]

45. bullshit

playing victim will never win an argument!

And may I remind you I am pro teacher union and for raising the salaries of ALL teachers.

The woman, I didn't remember her name, who was "lead representation" of the teacher's union appeared on CNN yesterday should be fired as well.
She could not speak coherently and could not make the case for the teachers. Her replies were "we ARE (teachers) doing it for the children" and "we are ready to negotiate".
That one appearance was all I need to see to have her replaced with someone competent to represent ANY Union.

There was a black representative for private Charter Schools, and he was kicking her ass in making his argument. I wanted to throw something at the TV I was so mad.
The woman representing public schools had very weak arguments and came across as not having any solutions.

the country NEEDS better representation from Union Leaders AND better teachers. I can fix the latter in one year. Pay teachers higher salaries and the better teachers will come on day one.

[Iggo]

46. Why do I suspect it all boils down to #6? (n/t)