District Reopeners with AEA
The District proposed the following changes to the contract in May 2003.
Article 2: Negotiation Process
The District will seek greater flexibility, cooperation and collaboration in the negotiation process. This would include, among other things, a return to CFIER interest-based bargaining methods, which includes the creation of a common record of the negotiations.
Article 3: Association Rights
The District will seek changes to this article that will make it easier for teachers and site administrators to identify and apply the Association's rights; and that will balance those rights against the District's need for prudent financial management.
Article 4: District Rights
This article should be re-written to identify explicitly and clearly management accountability and the means and methods by which management can achieve its responsibilities.
Article 5: Leaves
The District will seek changes to this article to bring in line with the requirements of the Education Code and applicable law, to streamline the leave taking process by using paid time off and similar approach to leaves, to reduce administrative burdens and costs, and to clarify management accountability.
Article 6: Grievance Procedure
The District will seek a more precise description of the circumstances udner which a grievance may be filed and a more carefully delineated grievance process. The District desires to eliminate unnecessary grievances, to reduce the number of grievances that must be filed and to find efficient and cost-effective ways to resolve grievances.
Article 8: Teaching Hours
The District wishes to comform this article with article 14; to ensure that teachers have adequate time for curriculum development, collaboration, professional development and other professional duties that will benefit the District's school children; to develop an alternative to in lieu time; and to make changes that reduce administrative burdens and costs and increase efficiency.
Article 9: Class Size
The District wishes to re-visit average and maximum class sizes; to confirm class size reduction with the law; and, generally, to attain flexibility in the staffing of the classroom so that the greatest benefit can be provided to students.
Article 10: Transfer
The District wishes to make changes to this article that will enable it to meet its obligations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and that will calarify the rights and obligations of teachers and administrators. The District's goal is to bolster management accountability under the law and to provide its students with the best classroom experience within the District's fiscal constraints.
Article 11: Evaluation
The District will seek to clarify the application of this article to non-instructional positions, to clarify the evaluation process, and to ensure that the process complies with District's legal obligations.
Article 12: Health and Welfare Benefits
The District wishes to continue to provide teachers with a benefits package that is extensive but fiscally prudent so that is can continue to attract and retain good teachers.
Article 13: Teacher Safety
The District will seek admendments to this article that will continue to promote teacher safety without creating redundancies and excessive financial and adminstrative burdens.
Article 14: Salaries
The District wishes to continue to provide its teachers with salaries and other compensation that will allow it to attract and retain the best teachers possible within the bounds of fiscal prudence.
Article 15: Early Retiremnet Incentive Program
The District seeks to ensure that this article complies with existing law and provides adequate but fiscally prudent incentives for early retirement.
Article 16: Child Development Center
The District intends to seek modifications to this article that will provide its Child Development Center teachers with the benefits and recognition commensurate with their position.
Article 17: Mentot Teacher Program
The District will propose to eliminate this article.
Article 19: Summer School/Intersession
The District will propose the eliminate the class size restrictions in this article.
Article 22: Adult School
The District will seek modifications to this article that will provide for appropriate evaluations and conform to other provisions in the agreement.
Article 23: Year Round Edcuation.
The District will propose to eliminate this article.
Article 28: Peer Assistance and Review Program
The District will seek to bring compensation for consulting teachers participating in this program in line with its fiscal goals and define more clearly the roles and obligations of the program.
In addition to the above, the District intends to propose changes to the language of theses and other articles that will not change the substance of the agreement but will make it clearer and easier to understand.
The Board approved the reopeners.