Colleagues,
The payroll debacle drags on. Here’s a summary of the current status:
– The number of wrongful deductions for health benefits has diminished in last Friday’s payroll but some remain unresolved. Additionally, some deductions for the retirement system, Flexible Spending Accounts, tax-sheltered annuities, and other deductions are either delayed or do not reach their intended destinations.
– The District still has not prioritized payments owed for summer work. It is unconscionable that, four months later, more than 100 teachers who worked last summer still haven’t been paid for their work.
– The Oracle platform still cannot accommodate signing up for professional development and therefore teachers are denied the contractual benefit of the Professional Development Incentive (PDI) and are wrongly denied opportunities for ongoing professional learning. We are pressing the District to restore TrueNorth Logic and grant full credit for PDI to all qualified RTA members.
– Our litigation for an immediate injunction was denied because the court determined that we must first exhaust internal recourse (resolution of Class Action Grievances and arbitrations). We are seeking to place these on a fast track while exploring other legal options and strategies to remedy this festering predicament.
– We are in the final stages of Impact Bargaining to “make whole” our members who were adversely affected by the District’s payroll problems. Our final proposal was submitted on November 3, but we have not yet received a response from the District.
While the Oracle mess continues, other critical issues remain neglected and damage is caused to our schools, staff and students. RCSD’s staff still cannot safely expect that their paychecks will be accurate. Each day, the existing staff shortages are further exacerbated (nearly 80 teachers have resigned since July 1). Little attention is given to the fact that the curriculum is constantly changing without input from teachers. Special Education is in a dire situation and massively out of compliance. Most importantly, our students are not receiving the resources and support that they need and deserve.
The District must show a greater sense of urgency and decisive leadership to finally end the payroll dysfunction and to begin addressing the long-neglected needs of our schools. The future of public education in our city may very well depend on it. We remain determined to achieve this, and we’ll continue to keep you informed about the progress of our efforts on your behalf.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President