Local News
Bargaining begins, but are you sure YOUR interests are represented?
Negotiations began last week as the SRPE bargaining team met with the District to address contract language and compensation. An association typically selects bargaining team members who represent a cross section of the employees. Upon seeing the list of SRPE negotiators for this year, however, it appears that only some of the membership is being represented. Did you know that the SRPE team:
- has two retirees who do not work in the district anymore?
- includes no middle school employees?
- has no Annual Contract teachers, even though approximately half the teachers are AC?
- includes no specialty school employees?
- is led by a president who left the classroom nearly a decade ago and hasn’t worked under the Marzano evaluation system or the damaging effects of SB 736?
The reason for having a diverse team is to be sure that ALL member needs are addressed. Without it, there is a greater chance that decisions will be made without the association team understanding or caring about the impact of the agreed upon changes. Chances are that with this team, you are more likely to be left out of the picture than included. It might be time for a change!
Completing this survey could win you a NEW TV from NTA Life!
Santa Rosa EA is seeking your feedback about what you want in your association. Your input matters! Complete this survey by October 12 to enter to win a NEW TV from one of our special benefit providers, NTA Life. For more information about NTA Life’s products, go to ntalife.com.
Benefits Corner – exclusively for Santa Rosa EA members
- Select two free magazine subscriptions from a selection of popular titles. Choose your magazines
- Receive a $25 Amazon gift card when you get an auto insurance quote through the NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program. Learn more
State News
Teacher shortage crisis looms in Florida, nation
For too many years, Florida’s political leaders have been undercutting teacher morale. So it is no surprise that a new study by the Learning Policy Institute warns that Florida could face a worsening teacher shortage. Consider some of the findings in the study, “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S.”
- Florida’s starting teacher salary was $975 below the national average.
- Nationwide, 77% of teachers said they had control over key aspects of teaching, such as selecting textbooks and materials, methods of student evaluation and maintaining discipline. But in Florida, just 58% of teachers felt they had such autonomy.
- Nationwide, 12% of teachers said they worried about losing their jobs because of student performance on high-stakes tests. In Florida, it is 25% of teachers had test-related job insecurity.
- A slightly smaller percentage of Florida teachers had left the profession than the percentage nationwide. But warning bells go off when considering the percentage of teachers who planned to leave teaching as soon as possible. It was 6.6% nationwide but 9.3% in Florida.
Read more about the report and its conclusions HERE.
National News
Is Middle School Too Early for Students to Lose ‘Top Dog’ Status?
According to a new study, 6th graders experience less bullying and do better academically at schools with wider grade spans.
U.S. Lags Far Behind Other Countries in Access to Early Childhood Education
Over the past decade, most industrialized nations, except the United States, have made great strides in enrolling children in early education programs.
Don’t forget: The big picture matters.
Until Next Week,
Santa Rosa Education Association