One thing that association leadership–be it the president, vice-president, or a building rep–hears a lot is: well, what if? What if my building leadership thinks I can’t handle x because I said y? What if my building leadership thinks I am unprofessional because I said I didn’t want to? What if I say no, and there is retribution? First off, the latter is unprofessional on their part. Two, it’s also an unfair labor practice and a huge red flag for the union. Three, it’s okay to have boundaries. In our profession, our contract can help us set those boundaries so we don’t burn out.
Student Discipline
Article 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement clearly states that your school should 1) have a discipline plan in place at the beginning of the school year, and 2) it should be developed in concert with building staff (teachers). The procedure should include the following points:
- The teacher’s right to remove disruptive students from their classroom,
- Notification of disciplinary action taken by administrators, if requested by the classroom teacher
- Physically aggressive students can be removed from the room, and if the student is not already on a behavior plan, a conference should be held between the teacher and administrator prior to the student returning to the room.
- A teacher can appeal their administrator’s disciplinary decision to their director (superintendent’s designee) with the support of the association.
The last point is especially important. If you disagree with how a disciplinary situation was dealt with, please let your building representative know.
Meetings, Meetings Everywhere
Article 18 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement provides guidelines for meeting frequency: a monthly average of 3 days per week will be free of any required meetings; meetings will be limited to thirty minutes after the regularly scheduled workday a maximum of twice per month (excluding IEP meetings); time spent in required meetings can be flexed according to your building principal’s policy; and most importantly, if more than two meetings are required, the member should coordinate with their principal to prioritize meetings. Members should be able to talk to their administrators about setting priorities for meetings without fearing retribution or recrimination. If you feel that you cannot say no without reprisal, speak with a building representative at once.
Employee Assistance Program
Have you heard of the EAP? If you are struggling with stress, need health coaching, a childcare referral, or other help, the employee assistance program is available at no cost. Go to MyRBH.com and enter in the access code “OEBB.” You can also call them at 1-866-750-1327. There are a variety of services included as part of this employee benefit.
Opportunities
| Third Thursday Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday for a successful Third Thursday! Did you miss it? It’s okay–we’ll be doing it again next month. Join us on December 19th at No Rails Ale House for a nice, relaxing time with fellow educators. Snacks are on the association. Don’t drink? That’s cool, too. We’re working on some family-friendly socials. Stay tuned. Play Bingo with us! Our early career educators received Bingo cards at our New Teacher Luncheon. Regardless of how long you have been in the profession, you can play GAEA Bingo too! Cards are available at the UniServ office (2885 Cedarwood Ct SE), as well as meetings, trainings, and socials, so be sure to pick one up and join the fun. Wear in the World is GAEA? Follow our Instagram at @greateralbanyea, Twitter at @albany_teachers, and like our Facebook page, wear your GAEA shirt on your fall adventures, and share your pictures with us to win prizes! Contest is open to current members only. Important Dates Governance Council, Dec. 4th, 4:30pm, UniServ office School Board, Dec. 9th, 7pm, UniServ office Executive Board, Dec.18th, 4:30pm UniServ office Third Thursday, Dec.19th, 4pm, No Rails Ale House Next week, the weekly newsletter will take a break for Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy the holiday! |
Greater Albany Education Association 