Teachers Association of Long Beach

Update, Friday, November 13

Eight months ago, on the last Friday the thirteenth, we were all in shock at what we thought was going to be a two week closure. Now, EIGHT MONTHS later, the trouble that started back then is getting alarmingly worse. A week from now, we’ll be starting the Thanksgiving Holiday break. We know it has been a very tough year and our hearts would be lifted by seeing friends and family. Please be thoughtful, mindful and careful. The phases of reopening our schools are dependent on infection rates going down, not sky-rocketing up. There is fatigue with this pandemic. Encouraging news of effective vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 are on the horizon and if they are as good as they sound, normalcy is not too far away. What we do right now and over the course of the next few weeks will have a dramatic impact on the health of family, friends and absolute strangers living in our community. We ALL have a responsibility to stop the spread of this scourge. We can do this, hang in there!

COVID-19 Hotline – (562) 204-6075  If you SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.

On Monday, November 16th a COVID-19 hotline will be active. Cathy Coy, Long Beach Unified School District’s Emergency Preparedness Program Manager will be monitoring the hotline. Compliance to COVID-19 safety and sanitation protocols are not negotiable, they are to be followed religiously. If you are aware of safety and sanitation procedures that are not being followed please call Cathy Coy at 562-204-6075. If you see individuals disregarding mandatory health and safety measures please call Cathy Coy at 562-204-6075. If you are fearful of retaliation, please call the TALB office at 562-426-6433 and we will convey the information to Cathy Coy. Compliance to simple safety protocols will reduce the overall infection rates in our communities, allowing for schools to fully reopen. The current trajectory of infection rate casts many doubts on whether our schools will fully reopen. Everyone has a responsibility to do their part. 

Quick Hits

Bargaining continues on Monday, November 16th. Topics included:

Phases of reopening our schools.
Schedules
Student Assessments (Grading, Equity, & Resources)
District’s Financial Standing
Safe Protocols (Employee training, contact tracing, and compliance)

The Bargaining Team is working with the Advocates committee on a survey covering the current MOU and site/administrator climate. The teams are being mindful on how much time rank and file can commit to a survey. Reports from the District indicate less than 1/2 of surveyed personnel responded to the most recent survey. This is worrisome. We know people have quite a lot to say and haven’t been bashful with letting us know. Is there not enough time to take a survey or have people given up on the hope that their input will effect change? 

TALB Bargaining Team
Bargaining Chair – Corrin Hickey, Lakewood H.S.
Gerry Morrison – High School Representative, McBride H.S.
Sybil Baldwin – Child Development Centers (CDC)
Maria Garcia – Head Start
Kevin Quinn – Los Cerritos E.S.
Maritza Summers – Mann E.S.
Mark Ennen – Middle School Representative, Newcomb K-8
John Kane – Special Education, Jordan H.S.

Veteran’s Day, November 11th – Please take some much needed time off. We have suggested to the District that every Wednesday be an “asynchronous” learning day. Students could catch up on any missing assignments and teachers could plan. We hear you, people are exhausted.

Virtual Site Visits – continue – We have been holding site visits virtually, if you have not received an invitation to attend please be sure to contact Blanca Paredes – bparedes@talb.org

Monday, November 16 – Avalon, Cubberley, Gompers, Hudson, Muir, Newcomb, & Robinson – Virtual Site Visit
Tuesday, November 17 – Bancroft, Franklin, Hamilton, Hoover, Hughes, & Jefferson – Virtual Site Visit | School Psychologists & Counselor Forum
Wednesday, November 18 – Adaptive Physical Education – Virtual Site Visit
Thursday, November 19 – Speech Language Pathologists Forum | CDC – Head Start Rep. Council

Thanksgiving Break – November 23-27

Phases of “reopening” of schools continues. Rising cases of COVID-19 may stop or reverse course.
July 1, 2020 – Preschool Early Education – Child Development Centers & Head Start
September 28, 2020 – Preschool Assessments
November 3, 2020 – Elementary School Assessments
November 16, 2020 – High School Assessments
December 1, 2020 – ACT & SUCESS – Hybrid – Student instruction
January 28, 2021 – ETK-12 – Hybrid – Student instruction

Please continue to lift up your voices. Continue to share your successes and struggles as we navigate education in this global pandemic. Board of education members and executive staff need to hear from you! Collectively our voice will bring change. 

School Board Election – District 2
WE DID IT! My team and I are projecting a WIN for the Nov. 3rd election!

From the first ballot count on Election Day, we established a lead and have not relinquished it. Though there are still a few more ballots to be counted, our percentage of support has held steady through multiple counts and we feel confident that this will continue until the final count is announced.

Thank you all for your patience over this past week as we awaited results. For me it was important to be sure of the outcome before this announcement.

I couldn’t have done this without all of you! Thank you to: the volunteers who talked to voters, the financial contributors who generously gave to our campaign, and to the voters who cast their ballots.

I am excited to get to work on behalf of the parents, students, and LBUSD staff. I LOVE LONG BEACH and look forward to being part of the infrastructure that makes this one of the best cities to live in.

Erik Miller
LBUSD Board Member – Elect

Schedules / Screen Times

Dr. Christopher Lund – Assistant Superintendent Middle Schools
“We are working hard to adjust to our online environment, which should include the balanced use of instructional time—teacher directed lessons, collaborative work/discussion, and independent work time.  Although teachers need to be available to students during the 50-minute class period, there is great flexibility on how teachers utilize the instructional time, which could include giving students time to complete their homework during the independent work portion of the class period.”

Dr. Lund clarified with the following information:
1. Schedules: The District is looking at several options. Each option has positives and drawbacks. For example, a block schedule, while it provides fewer classes and longer periods per day, eliminates a conference period, and usually requires the content of two lessons per class due to fewer meetings.
2. Flexibility: Teachers are empowered to manage their class time. It is OK to give students worktime during class.
Some suggestions made were to turn work over to students, you can divide by levels. Do a 20-minute lesson and then send students off telling them, “the next 30 minutes of work time are yours”. The use of your time is flexible. You control how to utilize it. Use different breakouts, form feedback slides.  It is OK to sit back and observe. Class periods can be used for independent or collaborative work with students released to breakout rooms. Release the main class and keep a small group behind. Allow students to decide which breakout room they attend based upon the amount of support they need. (i.e. Independent, work with a partner, work with a small group, need teacher assistance) The student or the teacher can decide the level of support needed. Have students do more of the work as opposed to being passive receivers. Have students share screens to collaborate. Use a private chat to check in on students not showing their faces or who seem to be having trouble.
3. Grading: use authentic assessments. Give assessments that you score or make comments, but do not grade.
4. Survey: Please complete the survey that the District sent out. It will be used in planning adjustments to current schedules at all levels. This is your opportunity to provide feedback.
5. Check out district resources. District offices are working hard to provide resources for teachers. There are not as many teachers as there are subjects so this may feel a bit sporadic, but our teachers (these teachers are us) are working hard to support you.

Work to rule?
ARTICLE V –  Days and Hours of Employment

WORKDAY:
1. It is agreed that the professional duties of employees require both on-site and off-site hours of work, that the varying nature of such professional duties may not lend itself to a total maximum daily work time of definite or uniform length, and that such duties are normally expected to involve no fewer than eight (8) hours of total effort each workday for both classroom and non-classroom employees. 

Translation = You are paid for 8 hours a day. 
You are not earning bonus pay, credits or points by working 12-14 hour days. 

You will not make it to Thanksgiving, let alone January 28th if you are working 60-70 hours a week. Stop. We are all replaceable. Set boundaries with how much time you are willing to go above and beyond your contractual duty time.

Take it easy on yourself! 

Evaluations

The bargaining team really pressed hard to have evaluations waived for the 2020-21 school year. The District adamantly refused to entertain the idea. All temporary/special contract and probationary teachers will be evaluated this school year. Teachers who are eligible for the 5 year evaluation cycle should inquire with their administrator. Eligibility for the 5 year alternate evaluation cycle is below. The contract allows you to do your evaluation in “hard copy” or “electronically”. Essentially you have a choice. There are no “pilot” or “non-negotiated” evaluation forms or procedures. Why would one want to do an evaluation in hard copy vs. electronically? There is still a concern for the safety and security of LBUSD’s networks. If someone were to hack the network it is conceivable all of your evaluation records could be stolen.

5 Year Evaluation Cycle Contract language, Article XII – Section A
Effective with the 2008-09 school year, unit members with permanent status shall be evaluated at least every five (5) years if they have been employed by the district for ten (10) years or more and if the evaluator and the unit member consent to such time line. In order to be eligible for the five year cycle a unit member must be deemed to be “highly qualified” as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act (20 U.S.C. 7801) and his/her most recent evaluation must contain an overall rating of at least Satisfactory or Effective. For eligible unit members who do not teach in “core academic” subjects, qualification requirements shall be the same as for teachers of “core academic” subjects. For eligible unit members who are not classroom teachers the District and Association shall review and agree on appropriate comparable criteria.

Either the evaluator or the unit member may withdraw from this cycle at any time and such withdrawal shall not be subject to the grievance procedure. Upon request the evaluator will meet with the unit member to explain the reasons for withdrawal.

Evaluation Forms Contract language, Article XII – Section A
Evaluation and assessment of the performance of employees shall be made on a continuing basis at least once each school year for temporary and probationary personnel and at least once every other year for employees with permanent status. Employees may elect to complete their evaluation forms either manually or online. The district and TALB will assess the online evaluation usage and select the best option for future years based on the evaluation usage, security, and effectiveness.