Ogden Teachers Rally for Collective Bargaining

Ogden Teachers Rally for Collective Bargaining

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

NEA Representative Assembly Begins

Both OEA and WEA have sent representatives to the NEA Representative Assembly in San Diego. Paul Fawson (newly elected Uniserv VP) traveled to San Diego earlier than the others to attend the National Council of Urban Education Association meetings. Mary Courney, Marlene Smith, and Christine Tea from OEA are traveling today to begin meetings tomorrow. From WEA Glen Larsen, Teri Maxfield, and Jerry Wilkins are also attending the RA. The NEA RA is the representative body of the NEA that will set the agenda for the following year, approve the budget and change the documents according to the 9000 delegates who attend, debate and vote.

Impasse countdown 23 days.

Stay tuned. Rick

Monday, June 29, 2009

Mediation Countdown - 24 days

OEA negotiations will continue under the direction of LaVonne Ritter, Federal Mediator, on July 22. Ms. Ritter will working with Jordan Education Association on July 20 and 21. Our negotiations team is meeting July 20 to discuss the upcoming mediation.

We are saddened to announce the passing of LaVon Grow, mother of Lynette Grow. Services will be at Lindquists Mortuary at 3408 Washington Blvd, Wednesday at 2 pm.

We want Lynette to know that all of her association brothers and sisters are thinking of her at this time.

Rick

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Mediation Countdown - 28 days

Only 28 days until Mediation Meetings begin between OCSD and OEA's Negotiation team on July 22. Lavonne Ritter, Federal Mediator from Las Vegas, will serve to mediate the contract impasse called a couple weeks ago. Stay tuned to this station for updates.

"Utah legislative leaders were told last Tuesday that tough financial times are still ahead", writes Bob Bernick in the Des News. Next year could be a worse financial year than this one was for public education. Tax collections are down 11.7% for the first 11 months of the fiscal year.

An Associated Press story last Friday, warned that the Dept of Education will withhold federal stimulus funds if states do not use them correctly.

Both Weber and Ogden School Districts have benefitted from stimulus money.

I will be on vacation until Monday. Rick

Monday, June 22, 2009

Transformation Team Meeting on Advocacy

I met for several hours Friday with the "Products and Services" subcommittee of the UEA Transformation Team and discussed several topics including: Political Action, Legal Services, Bargaining, Message and Visibility. The entire team will meet again July 13 to start preparing for our August presentation to Local Presidents at Council of Local Presidents.

Rick

Friday, June 19, 2009

OEA sets Negotiations mediation meeting

OEA sent out postcards Thursday notifying members of the upcoming mediation process. Both the district's team and the OEA negotiations team will meet with Lavonne Ritter, Federal Mediator, on July 22 at 10 AM at the district office to begin mediation. Ms. Ritter will meet separately with each group to address their concerns and work to find a common resolution. We will continue to update you during this process.

Lisa Vipperman, incoming Vice-President of OEA attended the Organizing Training at UEA Wednesday and Thursday. She reported that she learned a lot about leadership and organizing that will help our association.

Rick

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Peanut-Butter Politics: Newsweek June 15, 2009

Jonathan Alter writes about education funding in his June 15th article entitled, "Peanut-Butter Politics". He writes "...teachers can't be evaluated on whether their students actually learned anything between September and June" (referring to restrictions on evaluations in San Francisco). He lays the blame at the feet of the "teachers unions". It is an interesting read, but shows Alter's bias (I actually like his political writing) against the NEA and AFT. He sees us as stumbling blocks to reform. If perception is reality, we have some work to do to show that we aren't here to "protect bad teachers" , but to help improve the profession and protect due process.

OEA will be sending out postcards with info on the scheduled "mediation" in July. Look for a bright pink postcard coming soon.

Rick

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Breaking News: OEA Negotiations to start mediation

We received confirmation that the OEA Negotiations Team and the Ogden City School District will enter into mediation starting July 22 with Lavonne Ritter, Commissioner in the Las Vegas office of the Federal Mediation Service. Stay tuned for more updates. Rick

Background Checks for Teachers

Both the Standard-Examiner and the SL Trib weighed in on the benefits of requiring teachers to get a background check every five years when they relicense. Both newspapers had editorials in their opinion sections this week. This decision by the State Board of Education seems to be a reaction to the audit that showed a few employees with marks on their record. UEA will work hard to get the legislature to help subsidize this 65 dollar cost (on top of the regular fee for relicensure). Rick

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

USA Today: The Permanent Recession

Go to www.usatoday.com to read Laura Vanderkam's scathing indictment of our public ed system. She writes "Despite the roughly half a trillion dollars that governments lavish on education each year, it turns out that America's schools are inflicting on us the equivalent of a permanent recession-though at least one overdue reform might help pull us out." Read the rest of the article.

Rick

Monday, June 15, 2009

UEA Summer Leadership School

Six members of the Ogden/Weber UniServ leadership team is attending the annual UEA Summer Leadership School held in Midway, UT. . Representing OEA, Lisa Vipperman (incoming VP), Whit Freund (Exec Bd), and Stephanie McGaughey (AR at Dee) are attending leadership sessions. Attending from WEA are Mary Margaret Lyon (Exec Bd), Debbie Green (AR at Sand Ridge) and Barbera Wayment (UEA Board of Directors). The leadership school will continue through Tuesday, June 16.

Rick

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Deseret News: Ogden teachers, district at Impasse

Go to www.deseretnews.com to read Amy Stewart's story on the OEA declaration of impasse in negotiations. We are the second district (Jordan) to declare impasse. We are working with the district to agree on a mediator. We have suggested Lavonne Ritter, Federal Mediator out of the Las Vegas office. Mary Courney said, " In the past few months, counter proposals have gone back and forth. The OEA believes involving a mediator will help resolve some of the issues identified during negotiations." Keep watching for updates. Rick

Friday, June 12, 2009

OEA Asks for mediation of contract negotiations

State law allows for either the OEA or the OCSD to declare an impasse after negotiating for 90 days. According to the law we notified the school district and the Utah State Board of Education in writing. We will work with the district to agree on a mediator. The OEA has recommended requesting assistance from the Federal Mediation Office in Las Vegas. We have communicated that request to the Federal Commissioner, Supt. Zabriskie and Supt. Patti Harrington. If for some reason we can't agree on someone, the State Supt. would appoint someone. Jordan Education Association is the only other district at impasse that I am aware of. They have already agreed to the Federal Mediator and will begin in late July. If the mediator is unable to resolve the impasse, a Hearing Officer would be appointed to hear the case.

OEA will issue a press release today concerning our request for mediation. We appreciate your support and the OEA Negotiations Team is working hard to preserve salary and benefits that are so important to our teachers.

OEA Negotiations at Impasse

OEA's Negotiation Team notified the OCSD and the State Supt. of Instruction of their intention to ask for a mediator to help resolve the impasse in negotiations. The OEA and the district will choose a mediator to come work with the teams and resolve the impasse. We look forward to beginning the mediation process. Stay tuned.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Jordan Teachers Attend School Board Meeting

Between 75 and 100 Jordan Education Association members jammed the School Board meeting this week to protest the cuts in steps and lanes to their salary schedule. Not only are they losing steps and lanes, but also Quality Teaching salary because of the legislature's cuts to the budget. The JEA has declared impasse in their negotiations and they await mediation to resolve this impasse. Any association or school board can declare impasse after 90 days of bargaining. At that time Supt. Harrington is contacted to find a mediator to resolve the negotation impasse.'
You can read the article at www.deseretnews.com (Amy Stewart: "Jordan Teachers Grim as Board Votes on Cuts")

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Deseret News article disputes Graduation Rates

Go to www.deseretnews.com to read Wendy Leonard's article entitled "Graduation Findings Disputed". According to Education Week Magazine Ogden has a 40.3% graduation rate and Weber has a 67.9% rate. Utah ranks (according to this same article) 26th in the nation with a 72.2% rate which is above the national average of 69.2%. Brenda Hales, associate state superintendent disputes the numbers.

Rick

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

NEA Foundation offers grants

Here are some grants offered by the NEA Foundations:
  • Student Acheivement Grants- $5,000 - Promotes classroom innovation
  • Learning and Leadership Grants - $2,000 for individuals - $5,000 for groups - Support high-quality professional development opportunities
  • Who can apply? Pre K- 12 teachers. When do I apply? Throughout the year.
  • Books Across America Library Book Awards - For Librarians, teachers or other school employees - Accepted in November

Go to www.neafoundation.org for application information.

Thanks Rick

Monday, June 8, 2009

OEA Negotiations Summary

OEA signed off on a few proposals today and countered the District's proposal on salary. We will know more after Wednesday's school board meeting.

OEA Negotiations Resumes Today

OEA's Negotiations Team resumes meeting with the District team this morning at 10 am. Check this site later today for a report. Rick

Friday, June 5, 2009

Cassie Cox-Two Rivers Selected for Holocaust Event

Cassie Cox was selected as 1 of 5 teachers selected to be part of the Holocaust Remembrance Project in Chicago. She will leave June 22 for a five day visit with Holocaust Survivors and visits to the new Holocaust Museum and other sites. We congratulate Cassie for this honor.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Discount available for A Cappellastock Concert

Karsten Longhurst has offered the following discount: "As a teacher and member of the a cappella group T Minus 5, I would like to invite you again this year to A Cappellastock August 22nd at the Ogden Amphitheater. Now in it's sixth year, this night of diverse a cappella music from around the world continues to be the largest event of it's kind and has become a tradition for many inside and outside of Utah.

The members of T Minus 5 would like to offer a 10% discount to employees of the Ogden and Weber School Districts. Call the A Cappellastock ticket hotline at 801-452-1481 and us the code "Teacher" to receive the discount.

Enjoy. Karsten Longhurst and T Minus 5

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

SL Trib writes about pilot performance pay schools

Go to www.sltrib.com to read Lisa Schencker's article on a pilot program approved by the Legislature (evidently $300,000 not needed elsewhere) to pay 5 schools to try performance pay using evaluations and test scores.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Utah to Join tougher Federal Standards

Ledyard King writes in June 2 USA Today that 46 states (I believe Utah is one of those 46) have "agreed in principle to develop a set of rigourous criteria to prepare high school graduates for college and the workplace." "This is a giant first step in the right direction", U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says. Read the entire article at www.usatoday.com

Rick

Thanks to Negotiation Teams

A big thank you to WEA's negotiation team: Kirk Ottley, Marlene Irons, Shari Combe, Terie Maxfield, Brent Ludlow, and Lee Claycomb. They spent many hours working out this years agreement.

Also, a big thanks to OEA's Negotiation team as they continue to meet to come to an agreement: Mary Courney, Bonnie Darlington, Jenny Venegas, Doug Stephens, Whit Freund, Sherrie Dame, and Christine Tea.

OEA's next meeting with the district is June 8. Rick

Monday, June 1, 2009

OEA Negotiations to meet June 8

OEA Negotiations with the district will resume June 8 at the UniServ office. That will allow the district to prepare the information requested at our last meeting. We look forward to seeing what the district has to present. We were of course happy to see the district's willingness to help with insurance premiums in this tough budget year. Davis is close to settling their negotiations along with Granite and others along the Wasatch front. Weber ratified their contract a week ago. Most districts are working hard to limit the cuts and make sure they are equitable. Rick