Colleagues,
Here’s a brief update on some current issues as well as a few timely reminders:
– Negotiations. We urge you to respond to a Negotiations Survey emailed to you today. Your input is crucial to the development of our negotiations proposal. We plan to exchange proposals with the District before the end of this month and hope to conclude negotiations before our current contract expires on June 30th.
– Layoffs. Because of an overwhelming response to the 2019 Teacher Retirement Incentive (176 colleagues opted in), the RCSD is saving millions of dollars on an ongoing basis – not just next year. This will also reduce their structural fiscal deficit and avoid most, if not all, of the 194 teacher layoffs initially projected. Currently, the District expects fewer than 20 teacher layoffs and many of those may be restored before the beginning of the next school year.
– New APPR Law. The NYSUT-sponsored legislation on APPR has finally been signed into law. This legislation eliminates the mandate that school districts use state test scores in teacher ratings. Instead the new law returns that decision to local school districts and requires that any teacher evaluation system be a subject of collective bargaining. We plan to include this as part of of our negotiations proposal during the upcoming bargaining for a successor contract.
– PD Opportunity. This summer you can earn up to 20 hours of PD credits if you participate in RTA-sponsored Action Research on “Mindfulness to Improve Teacher Well-Being and Student Outcomes.” The attached document provides details. If you have questions, please contact Annamaria Manso <Annamaria.Manso@rcsdk12.org>.
– RTA at Red Wings. Join your colleagues on June 1 at Frontier Field for the annual RTA get-together at Rochester Red Wings baseball game. See attached flyer for all the details. Contact RTA Treasurer Aimee Rinere <arinere@rochesterteachers.com> with any questions. It should be lots of fun!
More soon but that’s it for now. Other than to thank you for all that you do for your profession and for your students every day. I hope you’re hearing lots of expressions of appreciation during this National Teacher Appreciation Week. Your union certainly appreciates you!
Adam Urbanski, RTA President