Members,
In the interest of keeping you informed, we would like to share this report with you:
On Tuesday morning, myself, Secretary/Treasurer Michael Iovino, Director of Communication Mike Maillaro and Staff Representative Michael Caputo had a productive meeting with Superintendent Cerf and his team regarding the Evaluation Framework. It was evident that this will be an ongoing and robust discussion, however, we did have some concrete results:
TARDINESS & ABSENTEEISM
The NTU, like our NPS counterparts, believes strongly that teacher attendance is important to creating success in the classroom. However, we indicated that the AIP (Attendance Improvement Plan) is in conflict with state mandates and the Framework and is often used inconsistently within schools and from school-to-school.
It was agreed that we will work collaboratively with the district to find reasonable solutions around attendance issues, and ensure there is a lot more consistency. We will be meeting again very soon and will keep you informed of our progress. Meanwhile, in those schools where you feel it is necessary to protect yourself with federal and state leave protections, please do so, and contact your building representative or the NTU. (973-643-8430)
EVALUATION DATA REPORTING
The NTU believes that for us to be able to assist in developing appropriate resources, workshops and professional development, as well as being able to defend members where potential misuse occurs, we need have the same data from the evaluations that NPS does.
To that end, the district has committed to ensuring the NTU will receive regular reports about the district’s implementation of the Framework, as is required by our contract.
TENURE CASES
In very good news, SAS Cerf has withdrawn some of the tenure cases that NPS had originally initiated. We will encourage SAS Cerf to continue to review cases and we hope to see more cases withdrawn. In addition, he has agreed to review other pending grievances and we look forward to the same positive results.
All in all, this was a positive meeting, and we hope it will lead to continued discussion and necessary changes in the implementation of the district framework. We will be organizing Evaluation Framework Workshops in the near future for new and veteran teachers. Please feel free to call us with questions or concerns in the meantime, at 973-643-8430.
In Solidarity,
John M Abeigon
President & Director of Organization
Newark Teachers Union, Local 481, AFT, AFL-CIO