Colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that earlier today we concluded negotiations with the District on a revised and updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the reopening of our schools. The signed agreement is attached below. Here are some noteworthy adjustments:
– Teachers who do not have in-person hybrid students do not have to report to teach remotely from their classrooms. They can teach remotely from home. Any teacher who wishes to teach remotely from the classroom should contact the principal to make such an optional arrangement.- Teachers with less than a full in-person schedule, and must be at the work site for in-person instruction, will retain the option to stay remote and teach from home for the balance of their professional day.
– Teachers in remote-only mode will continue to exercise their own professional discretion to structure their instructional day – while working within the District’s established guidelines. Sample schedules, referenced in Section 4a of the MOU, will be updated and finalized in January.
– Protocols for virtual walkthroughs will revert to the customary practice that existed prior to the March 16, 2020 shutdown. Thus, although they do not require advance notice, they cannot be for more than 30 minutes and cannot be evaluative.- The Wednesday virtual office hours obligation will be reduced from two hours to only one hour. The virtual PD hours, the content of which shall be developed by each School-based Planning Team, will be increased from one hour to two hours.
The newly-negotiated MOU is effective immediately and remains in effect until June 30, 2021. It applies to all members of the RTA bargaining unit. And since not all the details about the District’s reopening plan have yet been worked out, we will continue our efforts to seek clarification and to advocate for you and our students. Meanwhile, please contact us with any questions or if you need assistance. Also regularly check the RTA website <www.rochesterteachers.com> for the latest news, updates and answers to frequently asked questions.
Thank you for always going above and beyond the call of duty to nurture your students’ academic and social-emotional needs during these difficult times. And thank you for your unswerving solidarity and continued confidence in our union.
Adam Urbanski
RTA President