CNTA REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
November 17, 2009
CNTA 2^nd Floor Training Center, 1189 Mountain Avenue
Minutes prepared by Beverley Rouse, Secretary
 [Minutes are not official until approved at the next Rep Council.]

I.          CALL TO ORDER—President Bill Fisher called the meeting to order at 4:00 P.M.

II.        APPROVAL OF MINUTES—Kristi Johnson moved to approve the minutes from October 20, 2009.   Karen L. Jones seconded.  The motion passed.

III.       REPORTS

A.    Vice President—Toni Sandell has been solving various problems at a variety of schools.

B.     Secretary—Beverley Rouse said abbreviated minutes will be sent to all members, not just the reps, as in the past.

C.    Elementary Director—Angela Genet said that because Kindergarten and first grade have a lot of individual assessments, teachers are wondering if these assessments will still be mandated when class size reduction is eliminated. 

D.    State Council Representatives—Kristi Johnson said CTA is developing a policy about seeing eye dogs and other helper animals in the classroom.  She said CTA is involved in working on issues dealing with the federal Race to the Top funding.  Karen L. Jones said the Civil Rights Committee worked on policy issues.  Mike Testo said the budget committee is dealing less income because of CTA’s loss of about 16,000 members this year due to RIFs.  When the budget is finished, it will be voted in June, 2010.  Kelly Fisher said her committee is also working on policy.  She said David Sanchez, CTA President, is trying to get teachers on the priority list for H1N1 flu shots.

E.     High School Director­­—Julie Cooley said that CNTA has dealt with the stipend issue for coaches whose teams go on to the next level.  Teachers are interested to see whether attendance will be improved because of the week off at Thanksgiving.

F.     President—Bill Fisher said the credential verification letters from the district went out to teachers hired since 2001.  He wants to make certain as many teachers as possible are involved in the process of making decisions in CNTA.  He has been helping another local association get involved in organizing.  He pointed out the notes on the walls that were posted during the recent organizing training.  He wants to have a way to get information to members and get their opinions back as quickly as possible.  He wants to broaden the base by getting more people involved in this training. 

G.    CTA Staff—Joe Krause said the federal government had planned to give about $4 billion for Race to the Top if the state agreed to evaluate teachers partly on test scores, but CTA has fought this.  The legislature has adjourned, and the deadline will pass before they reconvene, so teachers won’t be evaluated by test scores.

IV.       OLD BUSINESS

A.    Negotiations Update

1.   Stipend MOU Passed—Mike Testo referred members to the handout that showed the votes that passed this MOU. 

2.   Modified T Calendar—This is still being negotiated.

3.   Banked Minutes for Intermediate Schools—This is still being negotiated.

B.  Other Old Business—None.

V.        NEW BUSINESS

A.  Election Results—Elections Chair Suzie Farrell said that Toni Sandell was elected Vice President and Anne Freeman was elected Treasurer.  There will be a run-off between Jerry Goar and Kelly Fisher for the State Council position because no one received more than 50% of the votes.  She asked for volunteers to help with preparing the ballots to be mailed.  When a rep asked if the ballots could be sent to the schools to save money, the answer was that the bylaws state that ballots must be sent to home addresses.  A runoff must be done the same way as the original election, which was a paper ballot because one of the candidates had requested that, which is allowed according to the bylaws.  When a rep asked about the cost of the election, Toni Sandell described the details, which totaled $3,466.  The four elections may cost $21,436 by the time the run-off is finished, if everyone votes.  CNTA may consider revising the bylaws to allow the ballots to be sent to the schools instead of the homes. 

B.  District Boundary Committee Update—CNTA pushed the district to have a committee to work on this.  The committee advises the superintendent, who will make the recommendation to the school board, which will make the final decision.  Toni Sandell, a committee member, said that the goal is to change boundaries so that schools can switch to single track or modified T track to help eliminate some transportation costs.  Eastvale schools are still growing, so they aren’t being considered now.  She identified some schools that could have boundary changes to decrease bussing costs.  If K-3 class sizes increase, most of the schools, excluding Eastvale schools, may go to the modified traditional track.      

C.  District Budget Committee Update—The committee worked on ranking things that could be cut to save $18-23 million from the budget.  The committee reports to the superintendent, who makes a recommendation to the school board, which makes the final decision.  People on the committee were able to vote on a secret ballot.  Eliminating class size reduction would cut about 220 teachers, but that would save only $4 million, because those teachers can substitute, but after 20 days of subbing, the teachers get retroactive full compensation.  Because of this, they would have to RIF about 400 teachers to get the $8 million savings they need.  Most likely cuts, called Level 5,  include the secondary counselors, elementary counselors, and elementary band teachers.  Next most likely cuts, called Level 4, include some of the high school class size reduction teachers, student advisors, and certificated librarians.  Other possible cuts include eliminating summer school and cutting supplemental interventions, eliminating computer techs at the sites, eliminating  GATE magnet programs and speech aides, moving the district newspaper to an online edition, and  cutting the head security people.  Other cuts could involve cutting library tech hours to eliminate benefits, eliminating some administrative positions, reducing custodial staff, eliminating high school transportation, or even cutting all transportation are possibilities to save money.  A member asked when we find out about cuts at the district office.  There has been no talk about cutting industrial arts, home economics, special education, etc.  The state is considering eliminating the penalties for dropping CSR.  Normal annual attrition, which is often about 80 per year, but was only 30 last year, might help save some jobs.  Bill said that Dr. Bechler really wants to try to save every worker.  The district might look at retirement incentives, which could save jobs.  One thing CNTA needs to watch is whether the district is planning on cutting a higher percentage of teacher costs than administrator costs.  A member said that the district could incur more substitute expenses when they eliminate the year round teachers’ ability to trade days, which has no cost.  A teacher who has used up sick days could still end up getting difference due and the district would pay for subs.  

D.  CNTA Organizing Plan—The organizing plan will help CNTA get information from teachers and get information back to them again quickly as budget decisions are being made.  Reps were asked about having the CTA organizing training again for those who missed it.  A member who attended the training said that more questions must be asked, beyond those asked in the first meeting, if we are to be ready to deal with the district’s budget-cutting proposals.  Another member said we need to focus on the issues at hand and the time-frame.  One way to do this is to work with small groups at the sites, and then give the feedback to CNTA.  A member pointed out that if we do the training at the December Rep Council, we’ll have the information back in January, which may be too late.  A member pointed out that this is a way to try to involve every member so everyone feels that all voices are heard.  We need to begin talking to members with bridge-building questions and then move to more focused questions, such as how people feel about furloughs.  The training meeting will be December 3 and will take about an hour and a half.  Then reps can go to the schools and do the information gathering.    

E.  Year Round School Calendar Committee—The committee has sent the calendar to the district, but it hasn’t been voted yet.

F.     John Tavaglione Endorsement—John Davis moved, and Mike Testo seconded, that CNTA endorse John Tavaglione for Riverside County Supervisor.  The motion passed.

G.    Modified T Calendar Process—The process involved a committee with CNTA members.  The school board discussed the issue several times as a cost-saving measure and disseminated information through the district’s website, newspaper, etc.  Though the district has the legal right to develop the student calendar,  CNTA can use the political process to influence the process.  A member asked if the teachers and parents on the committee were from schools that would be affected, but CNTA didn’t know.     

H.    Standard Disability Campaign Extension—The deadline has been extended.  CNTA will send out an e-mail blast to members letting them know that if 150 people enroll, there will be no questions asked about health.  Reps asked that blasts identify whether they are being sent to reps only, all teachers, committee members, etc.

I.       December 15 Rep Council—CNTA doesn’t usually have a December meeting, but we will have one this year. 

J.      Grievance Committee Training—These trainings about representing members will be open to all members.  The Grievance Committee will train reps on December 8, at 4:00 – 5:00.

K.    Other New Business—None.

VI.       BREAKOUTS—Reps met for breakouts with the Elementary K-3, Intermediate, High School, and Support Services directors.

VII.     ADJOURNMENT—The meeting adjourned at 5:40 P.M.