At Long Last Capistrano Unified School District To Vote On Tentative Agreement With Teachers Union for Current School Year

See: April 22, 2015 Board Meeting Agenda Item #4
http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/1396051293097603850.pdf
The total fiscal impact of the agreement for 2014 -2015 is approximately $4,292,000 an increase of about $2,000 per employee.

The current CUEA contract expired on June 30, 2013 as did a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties.

See: The Contract: http://www.cuea.org/information_v2/ContractToJun2013.pdf
The MOU can be found at the end of the Contract on Page 93.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE LAWS

Public Disclosure laws are intended to ensure that the Public is informed of the issues that are being negotiated, and to ensure that the Public has a full opportunity to express their views on the issues to Trustees who were elected to represent the interests of taxpayers and students at the collective bargaining table. (see California Government Code Section 3547)

During tough economic times; when the interests of employee groups are at odds with those of the students, district finances and the collective bargaining process take on special importance.

When disclosure laws are complied with, interested parents have an opportunity to influence negotiations. When disclosure laws are not complied with, what is left is a group of adults conspiring to maximize employee compensation with no representation for what is in the best interest of students.

The Public has not received any information from the District regarding the substance of contract negotiations. The District adopted a 2014-15 budget that changed class sizes, increased teacher compensation and restored the school year to 180 days. These are all negotiated items that have been materially changed without the adoption of a new contract and without any public input.

Since the District has failed to disclose any information regarding contract negotiations, I am publishing CUEA’s bargaining up-dates so that the public has some understanding of what is being negotiated.

Teachers are again getting compensation increases at a time when students continue to attend school in over crowded classrooms, in buildings that have not been maintained in 7 years. The District has cut $157 million from its budget since 2006 and there has not been any restoration of programs,

Now is not the time to increase salaries. Now is the time to use that money to hire additional teachers to reduce class sizes and restore programs.

CUEA provided its teachers with bargaining up-dates. CUSD has not provided the public with any information regarding contract negotiations. CUSD’s failure to comply with Public Disclosure laws places the interests of students and taxpayers at a great disadvantage. The public has not had any influence how district funds should be spent.

CUEA Up-date to Rep Council January 13, 2015
http://www.cuea.org/a_Version_03/negotiations/2014_15/150113_UpdateToRepCouncil.pdf

CUEA Up-date February 24, 2015 New State Funding Model
http://www.cuea.org/a_Version_03/negotiations/2014_15/150224_BargainingUpdate.pdf

CUEA Bargaining Up-date March 5, 2015 State Budget Improving
http://www.cuea.org/a_Version_03/negotiations/2014_15/150305_BargainingUpdate.pdf

Bargaining Up-date March 13, 2015 Where We Stand In The Country
http://www.cuea.org/a_Version_03/negotiations/2014_15/150313_BargainingUpdate.pdf

Lets have an honest discussion about CUSD Teacher Compensation

Hours of employment are on page 7 of the contract- as you read this, keep in mind that the Average Teacher Compensation in the Capistrano Unified school District is $105,000 per year for 183 days of service.

ARTICLE 5 - Hours of Employment

5.2 Classroom teachers are to be present at their respective assignments and to remain on duty to the District a minimum of time as follows:

5.2.1 In elementary schools, grades K-5 and Special Day Class/ Infant/pre K Programs: Seven hours per day, inclusive of a minimum 35 minute duty-free lunch.

5.2.2 In middle schools, grades 6-7-8: Fifteen minutes prior to the commencement of the first period of the day, excluding zero period, to 15 minutes after the dismissal of the school day.

5.2.3 In high schools, grades 9-12: Fifteen minutes prior to commencement of the first period of the day, excluding zero period. Seven hours per day, exclusive of the 35 minute duty-free lunch period and inclusive of passing time.

Elementary School Teachers:

On Campus: 7 hours per day including 35 minutes for lunch

Instructional Classroom Time:

Kindergarten 292 minutes = 4.8 hours
Grades 1-3 285 minutes = 4.75 hours
Grades 4-6 292 minutes = 4.8 hours

ACE days 203 minutes = 3.83 hours

MINIMUM days 180 minutes = 3 hours

First Day of School 73 minutes = 1.2 hours

Middle School Teachers:

In middle schools, grades 6-7-8: Teachers must arrive Fifteen minutes prior to the commencement of the first period of the day excluding zero period, to 15 minutes after the dismissal of the school day.

In middle schools, grades 6-7-8: Instructional time shall not exceed 1400 minutes weekly, exclusive of the preparation/ conference period. Teachers teach five periods daily. 1400 minutes is 23 hours per week or 4.6 hours per day.

High School Teachers:

In high schools, grades 9-12: Fifteen minutes prior to commencement of the first period of the day, excluding zero period. Seven hours per day, exclusive of the 35 minute duty-free lunch period and inclusive of passing time.

In high schools, grades 6-7-8: Instructional time shall not exceed 1400 minutes weekly, exclusive of the preparation/ conference period. Teachers teach five periods daily. 1400 minutes is 23 hours per week or 4.6 hours per day.

An honest Discussion about Teacher Compensation

$105,000 per year for 183 days of work- 7 hours per day where class room instruction is limited to 4.5 hours per day + minimum 35 minute lunch + what are they doing the other 2 hours per day while on campus?

That is a 35 hour work week with 23 hours of actual teaching for a 9 month work year that pays an average of $105,000 per year with cadillac health care and pension benefits.

Employee Compensation is 92% of the District’s budget. In 2012 CUSD implemented an early retirement to bring down employment costs.

*NOTE:The District has cut $152 million dollars from its budget since 2006 (a 31% cut). Teachers have taken a 1.2% reduction in salary schedule through out all these budget cuts. The District is currently working without a new contract and has done so since July 2013.

Class Size/Release Time/Leaves

Teachers get “release time” if their class sizes exceed the maximum. See section 8.5 of the contract on page 20.

Release Time is not good for Students or the District’s Budget. Release time is one more day when a student is not getting instruction from their teacher. Release time gives a teacher a paid day at school but releases them from classroom instruction- so the District is required to hire a substitute teacher. The students loose another instructional day with their teacher because they have a sub that day in the classroom, and worse- the contract requires the District to hire a laid off teacher at their normal salary rather than hire a sub which is paid a set daily rate. The District budget suffers because the District has to hire TWO teachers at very expensive rates for every release day. This is not a financial savings to the District, it cost the District double in salaries, and takes additional instructional time from students by forcing them to have a substitute teacher.

Personal leave days (10 without being required to provide any reason for missing work on 5 of the 10 days) are additional days that students have a sub and are not with their teacher.

The entire system is designed to protect adult salaries and jobs and not to educate students.

Before there are any employee compensation increases, CUSD should consider restoring programs and hiring additional staff. CUSD is on of the most underfunded school districts in the United States. Until the District receives adequate funding from the State there should not be any employee compensation increases. If you want to understand CUSD’s financial position please see:

California’s Local Control Funding Formula- A Parents Perspectivehttp://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2014/11/re-research-brief-toward-grand-vision.html

CUSD has cut $152 million from the District’s budget since 2008 – Restoring Budgets to 2008 levels will not begin to provide adequate funding for students now and certainly not in the year 2021

CUTS TO STAFF AND PROGRAMS SINCE 2006
2006-2007 & 2007-2008 - $10.5 million

• Classified Support Reductions (CSEA) (Eliminated 94 positions)
• Classified Support Reductions (Teamsters) (Eliminated 52 positions)
• Program and Service Reductions
• Reduced home-to-school transportation from 47 to 18 routes operated under a “parent pay” program

2008-2009 - $20.5 million

• Management Reductions (Eliminated 26 District-level management and confidential positions and 5 site-level positions)
• Classified Support Reductions (CSEA) (Eliminated 42 positions)
• Classified Support Reductions (Teamsters) (Eliminated 2 positions)

2009-2010 (April 2009) - $25.6 million
2009-2010 (September 2009) - $7.8 million

• 2009-2010 Reductions $33.4 million ($25.6 + $7.8)
• Management Reductions: (Eliminated 21 management / confidential positions at the District level and 11 elementary assistant principals)
• Classified Support Reductions (CSEA) (Eliminated 55 positions)
• Increased Class Sizes: (Increased class sizes in 2nd and 3rd grade from 20 to 31.5 students)
• Reduced Instructional support services: (Reduced Counselors, elementary music teachers, psychologists, and resource teachers on special assignment)
• Program and Service Reductions: Eliminated or reduced many programs to utilize categorical flexibility including:

This article is to long for the Patch. To complete this article please go to:http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2015/04/at-long-last-capistrano-unified-school.html