The OTHER issues

CEA is negotiating with CUSD on Salary and Health and Welfare.  What must not be forgotten is that there are other issues besides money and health that CEA has wanted to talk about. 

I am sure everybody has seen the signs "Status Quo has got to Go".  The reason for that slogan is the district's unwillingness to negotiate anything with the teachers at the bargaining table. 

CEA has brought to the table concerns and ideas that would make CUSD a better place to teach and make CUSD a more attractive place for parents to send their children.

Item #1            5 year evaluation item (No cost to the district)

                                    The 5 year evaluation cycle is way to help overloaded site administrators spend more time in the classroom with teachers that need their help.  Only teachers that have taught for more than 10 years and have at least two consecutive satisfactory evaluations could go on the 5 year cycle.  This new evaluation cycle will help 1st and 2nd year teachers by increasing their supervision and support.  This can only make them better teachers for the children and help retain them in CUSD for the future.  The districts response to this idea was "Status Quo".

Item #2            4^th and 5^th grade substitute planning days ($55,000 cost to the district)

                                    CEA proposed language that would allow 4^th, 5^th and ¾ combo teachers the ability to take a substitute day and work on report cards, plan as a grade level and collaborate with other grade levels.  The substitute days would be taken by all the 4^th and 5^th grade teachers together at one school site and the teachers would work at the school during the day.  The use of these days will hopefully keep experienced 4^th and 5^th grade teachers from moving down to the primary grades where class sizes are at 20 to 1.  This idea would recognize the fact that upper grade teachers face class sizes of 34 to 1 and can only improve the education for the students in CUSD.  The districts response to our proposal was "Status Quo".

Item #3            Designation of the Tuesday after the close of semester/trimester/quarter shall be scheduled for the compilation and completion of report cards and will be credited from the "early Tuesdays" scheduled for staff development. (No cost to the district)

                        CEA proposed language that would give all teachers the ability to complete some of their report cards during the day.  The districts response to this proposal was "Status Quo".

Item #4            SLP and Psychologists shall have control over their own calendars. (No cost to district)

                                    CEA proposed language that would give Speech Language Pathologists the control over their calendar.  This would allow them the ability to block out time to finish some of the massive amount of paperwork that they must finish each month.  The districts response was "Status Quo".