Colleagues,
Here’s a brief update and some timely reminders:
– 100th Episode. This week’s Rochester Teachers Care video <https://youtu.be/vO1UyogbLDM> represents the 100th episode of the series that began in March, 2017. It features the work of Jen Finewood, a Reading Intervention teacher at Wilson Foundation. The series is generously funded by our statewide union, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). Highlighting the dedication and excellence in teaching serves not only as a well-deserved recognition of our colleagues but also as a reminder to the Rochester community that Rochester teachers really care about their students and are the unsung everyday heroes of education. If you wish to nominate a deserving candidate for a future weekly video, please email either Aimee Rinere <arinere@rochesterteachers.com> or Matt Lavonas <mlavonas@rochesterteachers.com>.
– Reorganization of Schools. Superintendent Dade proposed last week that Monroe HS be reorganized into two separate schools at that campus: Monroe Lower and Monroe Upper. So also with the two schools housed at the Franklin Campus: Vanguard as well as Integrated Arts and Technology would be closed and new Upper and Lower Franklin schools opened. He also recommended that Schools #44 and #57 be closed and “repurposed” as Pre-Kindergarten Centers. No details have yet been provided to us but the proposed changes, if approved by the Board of Education, would be effective in September. While school closings and reorganization are a matter of management prerogative, the District is obligated to negotiate with the RTA the impact of such changes on affected teachers’ terms and conditions of work. We have requested such impact negotiations and expect to meet with them soon.
– Teacher Transfers. While the exact dates for the voluntary teacher transfer application period has not yet been determined, we anticipate that it will begin sometime before the February recess and last until four to six weeks thereafter. We will notify you about the exact dates as soon as we know. We will also post that information on the RTA website <www.rochesterteachers.com>. All voluntary transfer applications can be completed online. Elementary school teachers may apply to as many as seven schools; Secondary school teachers to a maximum of three schools; teachers certified K-12 in Special Subjects or Special Education may apply to as many as ten schools (Section 24 of the RCSD/RTA contract). Teachers are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity and are not obligated or committed to accept a transfer just because they’ve applied.
– No More SLO’s. Finally! The RTA has signed off on the Rochester City School District’s Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plan or 2019-2020 and you may have noticed that the District has not required teachers to submit Student Learning Objectives this school year. The New York State Education Department is expected to grant formal approval to this plan soon.
– Sabbaticals. Planning to take a sabbatical next year but have not yet submitted an application? You have until Valentine’s Day to do so. The RCSD’s Director of Human Resources, Mr. Maurice Snipe, must receive your completed application by 4:30 pm on February 14. Here’s the link < http://rochesterteachers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/20-21-Sabbatical-App.pdf.> to more detailed information and to access the application on the RTA website.
– Job Sharing. If you are currently job-sharing, you must notify the District’s HR office by March 1 whether you plan to continue or discontinue during the next school year. If continuing, the proposal must be submitted prior to your school’s final School-based Planning Team meeting in June. For new job-sharing proposals, you must notify the Superintendent of Schools by May 1 and submit the proposal prior to your school’s final School-based Planning Team meeting in June. Additional information can be found in Section 51 of our contract. If you want help with finding a potential job-sharing partner, please email RTA’s Martha Keating <maskerade6@aol.com> the following information: your name, telephone number, email address, tenure area, current school, how much time willing to work, whether willing to change schools.
We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of our efforts on your behalf. Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or if we can be of assistance to you.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President