Colleagues,
As the summer recess draws to a close, we want to welcome you back and provide a brief update:
– Projected Layoffs Restored. Last Spring, the District notified the RTA that 53 teachers may be laid off in the coming school year and would be placed on the Preferred Eligibility List. After consultations with the RTA, that number was soon reduced to 29 projected layoffs. As of now, all teachers who remained available to be recalled were already restored or are scheduled to be restored at the next Board of Education meeting. We are grateful to the District for the collaborative work to achieve that shared goal.
– Class Sizes Lowered. For the 2024-25 school year, as provided in the December 11, 2023 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between RTA and the District (see Section 4 in the attached MOA), maximum general education class sizes in Elementary Schools will be lowered from 26 students to 24. In Middle Schools, maximum general education class sizes will be lowered from 28 students to 25. The same section of the MOA calls on the District to also invest in additional safety and social-emotional supports at our schools. The intent of the agreement is to aid implementation in the initial year of the District’s ambitious school reconfiguration initiative.
– Initial Payroll Date and Stipends. The first paycheck is scheduled for September 6 – the Friday of the first week we’re back. On the same date, the District is expected to pay out the $500 “moving stipend” to eligible teachers. The original date for paying the moving stipend was August 23 but the District could not accommodate it because not all eligible teachers have completed the moving. The Middle School “Hard-to-Staff” Incentive payout ($5000 or $6000 for Bilingual, ESOL/ENL and SpEd) is projected for September 20 because the District is awaiting confirmation from the NYS Teacher Retirement System that this money could indeed be counted as pensionable – as agreed in Section 6 of the attached MOA.
– Teacher Leader Program. We are preparing to launch the second cohort of the AFT/RTA Teacher Leader Program. RTA members interested in participating must apply by September 20. Applications can be accessed by CLICKING HERE. You can also find additional information in the attachment below, on the RTA Website or by contacting Corrine Mundorff at <cmundorff@rochesterteachers.com>.
– Labor Day Parade. This annual event will be held on Monday, September 2nd. The parade begins at 11am, preceded by a press conference at 10am. This year we will join with our Monroe County sister teacher unions and gather near the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) building. Please join us, if you can, and bring your family and friends.
As always, please contact us if you need additional information, have questions or need assistance. Enjoy the last days of the summer break.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President