CNTA REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

May 18, 2010

CNTA 2^nd Floor Training Center, 1189 Mountain Avenue

Minutes taken and prepared by Beverley Rouse, CNTA Executive 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 4:08 P.M.

II.         AGENDA APPROVAL—Toni Sandell moved, and Maria Sarmiento seconded, to approve the agenda with flexibility to allow the guests to speak when convenient.

III.        NEW BUSINESS

A.     CTA Budget—Jim Rogers, Region 4 CTA director, asked State Budget Committee Members Mike Testo and Carol Bailey, our NEA Rep, to present the CTA budget.  He distributed a multi-page informational handout to describe the budget which will be voted at the next CTA State Council. 

1.   A dues increase of $1.80/month is being proposed, which is based on a three-year average of salary increases and takes into account the loss of 16,000 teacher jobs in California.  The formula for how the dues are figured is in the packet.  Because CTA needs to remain strong to help members, the dues increase is needed to maintain services.

2.   CTA cut $10 million out of the budget, including not filling ten vacant positions at the headquarters and keeping salaries for employees the same.   They will also combine several conferences into one to save money. 

3.   CTA is using a lot of advocacy dollars because of the RIFs, so the proposal is to split the amount with $15 for advocacy and $5 for the foundation, which does scholarships.  Teachers who wish to opt out of these voluntary contributions can do so on the CTA website.   

4.   When asked about the UniServ, Jim explained that a UniServ is a local division of CTA which pays for a CTA advisor, like Joe Krause, who has an office and is paid to help the local association.  The UniServ money is also rebated back from CTA to CNTA, so our dues come back to us both in money and in services. 

5.   The Budget Committee develops the budget and recommends it to the CTA Board of Directors, which sends it on to the CTA State Council for approval.  After the State Council, information sessions like these are held for locals, if they are requested.  Then our State Council Reps can vote, taking into account recommendations from our Rep Council.  Members who want their opinions heard should speak to our local elected State Council Reps. 

6.   In response to a question about increasing dues when salaries are being cut, it was stated that important services will be cut if the dues increase doesn’t pass.  Joe Krause has been very important to CNTA, especially when CNTA is negotiating the contract, as are other services to locals and political action.  John Davis moved to move the agenda along.  Brenda Tibbits seconded.  The motion passed.

B.  CNTA Elections Report

1.   The Elementary K-3 Director election is being redone because some who were not elementary were allowed to vote.  All elementary teachers should be able to vote for the K-3 director because elementary teachers may change grade levels.

2.   The vice president is appointed, according to the Bylaws, if the position is vacant.  The position is not vacant until the current vice president retires.  A new vice president will be appointed when there is a vacancy. 

3.   State Council Election—John Davis won a three-year State Council seat.  The other four seats are still being elected in the runoff.  Buzz Stryker won the one-year seat on State Council. A member asked for more information on what the CTA State Council Reps actually do.

4.  An election can only be challenged after it is completed, but we are still in the run-off stage.  When an election is challenged, the challenge goes to the Elections Committee, which reports to the Executive Board.  The board can then send the challenge to CTA.  The CTA Region 4 Director said that for a challenge to go forward, it must be done within ten days after the election is finished, but our election is still ongoing.   

5.   The board met to discuss proposed election changes from a committee, but there was no quorum, so the committee’s proposals will go to the next board meeting.  Karen Jones, Angela Genet, and Kristi Johnson were on the board committee.

6.   The board will give direction to the Bylaws committee, which will then bring back proposed language to the board, which then passes the proposed revisions on to the Rep Council.  

7.   John Davis moved that the CNTA president create a task force to work with CTA staff to create an election process from beginning to end.  Buzz Stryker seconded.  CNTA’s Bylaws say that the president appoints the committee.  Rep Council members will have the final decision about the task force’s recommendations.  The motion passed.  The task force will be created as soon as this election is over.   

C.    CTA-Sponsored Candidate for Riverside County Office of Education Superintendent Dale Kinnear—Dale Kinnear wants to refocus the County Office of Education on students.  He said the current superintendent, who was appointed, not elected, has never been a teacher or school administrator.  Kinnear’s goals are to (1) increase opportunities for career/tech education, (2) return to local control, (3) be a cheerleader for education, and (4) make education a key issue in our communities.        

IV.       APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Karen Jones moved to approve the minutes from April 20, 2010.   JoAnn Ritchie seconded.  The motion passed.

V.        REPORTS

A.     State Council Rep Mike Testo said the next State Council meeting is coming soon.  He is retiring.

B.    High School Director Julie Cooley is meeting with Bob Taylor about getting classroom aides for high school classes.  Teachers who request subs must ask for the subs in sevenths, as in 4/7 or 3/7, since they can’t do “half day.”  Principals can ask you to do things for free, but use common sense.  Teachers are concerned about availability of copiers if there is only one prep day.

C.    Support Services Director JoAnn Ritchie said the PTT survey that Elementary K-3 Director Angela Genet is designing will include questions for support services.  She has sent information about the new requirements to all sites.

D.    Vice President Toni Sandell announced that she will be retiring at the end of June.  She started being active in 1982.  She reminded members about our history, including marching on the school board with black balloons.  She said that Bill Hedrick and Jose Lalas urged school board members, CNTA officers, and CNUSD administrators to go through special training in using collaboration rather than adversarial bargaining.  Because of this, CNTA and CNUSD worked together to negotiate a contract that both feel good about.  Because of the collaborative attitudes, CNTA can get a lot done by contacting district administrators.  She has learned that working toward a win-win solution has benefits for everyone.  She asked members to remember, when voting, who has voiced opinions that represent the overwhelming majority of members.  She pointed out that CNTA is a volunteer organization and that volunteers who have worked hard should be acknowledged when voting for leaders.  She encouraged all members to vote in every election so that our voices will be heard.  She wants us to have a strong organization that is not weakened by internal bickering.  A member asked Toni to publish her speech for the entire membership.

VI.       OLD BUSINESS

A.     Member Faire Report—Because Anne Freeman, the Faire organizer, has pneumonia, President Bill Fisher reported that this first Faire was a great success, with over 600 teachers and many children attending.

B.  Other Old Business—None.

VII.      NEW BUSINESS, cont.

D.  Work Calendar Status—The five student days will be after the winter break.  Three of the teacher days for year-round will be at Thanksgiving, which means the entire school district will be closed.  Other days will be at the beginning of the school year and the day after Veteran’s Day.  The goal is to shut down the entire district for as many days as possible to save the money, though different tracks might have different days off.  The school board will discuss it tonight.  As soon as the calendar is available, it will be available to members at cntaonline.org.

E.  Safe School Committee Report—CNTA and CNUSD will have a joint training for those on Safe Schools Committees.  Since the committees must be set up within the first 30 days after school, the training will be after that.

F.   American Fidelity Insurance—They did the dependents audit, but the results on savings aren’t be available yet.  The representatives explained the new Section 125, Flexible Spending Accounts.  They distributed flyers about the times they will be available to answer questions and sign up for the Section 125 or various insurance plans.  The new location for insurance sign-up is the Learning Center Building I, not the main district office building. 

G.  Aflac Insurance Presentation—Bill Newberry, the Aflac representative, encouraged members to apply for grants from the Foundation that is earning money to help education.  Aflac is a new insurance vendor for the district.  He distributed packets with information about available policies.   

H.  Other New Business—None.

VII.      ADJOURNMENT—The meeting adjourned at 5:50 P.M.

VIII.     BREAKOUTS—Reps met for breakouts with the Elementary K-3, Elementary 4-6,  Intermediate, High School, and Support Services directors.