The district's draft calendar is posted to the school website: 
http://www.edline.net/ExtLink.page


The calendar is created each year in consultation with the BTA.  The parameters this year, were tight, and did not allow for much flexibility.  Our contract requires 185 teacher days and 182 student days to begin after Labor Day.  The state sets the regents grading day at June 21.  I welcome ideas you might have for changes in the calendar, and I will bring your ideas to the superintendent for his consideration.

Tenured teachers are required by contract to choose a professional development plan by January 31.  Go to MyLearningPlan – it’s easy!

According to an agreement between the BTA and the District:

1. Teachers, teacher assistants, and teacher aides who proctor mid-year or final examinations past three pm will be paid a class coverage stipend for each hour that the proctoring assignment is needed, prorated for time less than an hour.”
2. Teacher aides will continue to be paid their regular hourly rate for each hour or prorated hour that they participate in proctoring classes.
3. In each case of time prorated, the stipend will be rounded up to one-half hour of pay for partial coverage.
4. This provision applies to all cases where the scheduling of the exam is beyond the control of the school (either because of State requirements, as in the case of State testing, or the requirements of students’ Individual Education Plans.)  It is not the intention of this agreement to allow the District to schedule exams past 3 PM.

IF YOU PROCTOR PAST 3 PM, PUT IN FOR THE TIME.

Last week, Maggie Eller and I concluded our negotiations with the district regarding a new contract agreement with the district for teacher aides.  Aides have already received the details of that agreement.  A meeting and vote will occur from 3:00-4:00 on Thursday.

If you are a tenured teacher, you are not required to fill out the forms for a pre-observation or post-observation meeting with your supervisor.  These are the basis for the questions your supervisor will ask you in those meetings.  If you are untenured, you are required to complete the paperwork. 

I have been asked to clarify the new agreement in terms of the increases in salary and health insurance contribution.  See below.

Are there other aspects of the contract that need to be explained or clarified in the BTA News?  Let me know, and I’ll create more Handy Guides.

The teachers’ last contract expired in June of 2010.  The new agreement, to which we agreed in September, increases salary and health insurance contributions as follows.

2010-2011 – 0% increase, health insurance contribution of 10% + $200
2011-2012 – 1% increase, health insurance contribution of 13%
                      Addition of new steps at 9A and 12A
July 2012 – 1.25% increase, health insurance contribution of 15%
                   No step movement 
February 2013 – Step movement