Hello colleagues,

Your CUTA bargaining team and the District met for negotiations on Thursday, October 11, to continue our ongoing discussions of a number of different topics in Chico Unified.
 
John Bohannon joined us to discuss how we can protect our members who provide special education services at charter schools. As part of the laws governing charter schools, the District to provide special education services if charter schools request them. We do charge the charter schools for these services, but our members are working on sites where they may not receive all the benefits of our contract. John explained the process for our members to get help if they have a problem, contractual or otherwise, at a charter school. Although CUSD is not “in charge” of any charter schools, they can mediate and solve problems for members at these sites, so for many problems, our members can go directly to Diane Olsen or John (or his replacement). For problems related to unprofessional conduct of a charter director/principal, our members can file a complaint directly with the School Board. Our members take these positions voluntarily, and the District’s current practice is to allow them to transfer to a CUSD position that becomes available. We are considering writing contract language that states that practice, but we will experiment with an MOU first. CUSD is only providing special education services to three charter schools, and these three may elect to forgo our services. If they do, we do not have to provide services for them anymore, which would solve the problem.
 
We then spent time crafting an MOU that will allow the high schools to continue to use a modified schedule for finals week and also allows for a two-week modified schedule for SBAC testing without violating the contract. Both the schedule for finals and the schedule for SBAC testing would be subject to a simple majority vote at each high school. Middle school is included in this MOU but are not currently using modified schedules. The MOU will go to E-Board for approval.
 
We moved on to finalizing an MOU that will allow the District to help our new teachers by paying half of the up-front cost of the BCOE BTSA induction program. The District still pays our new teachers a total of $3,000 for BTSA. This MOU simply shifts the payment to help new teachers faced with large up-front costs. We are exploring how units for salary schedule progression would be awarded for completing BTSA. The District feels that new teachers should receive 12 units of District-approved units for salary schedule progression, but these units would not “travel” outside the District if the teacher went to teach elsewhere. There may be a way for new teachers to buy these units so they would be durable. We are also looking into how mentor teachers could earn units. Mentor teachers are paid a stipend of $1,800 per year, so we will examine how that may impact receiving units.
 
Our next topic involved the assigning of work to students who have been suspended. Education Code says teachers may assign work to students who have been suspended, but local School Boards can expand student rights, and our School Board is planning to change that may to shall. Our discussions on this topic are not over, but one option would be to give teachers two choices. A teacher could either provide work for the student at the start of the suspension, and the work would be due upon return, or a teacher could allow the same number of days as the suspension length for the student to make up the work upon return. For example, if a student was suspended for 5 days, they would have five days after returning to make up missing work. We also said it would be very useful if suspended students could use their Chromebooks while suspended, because many teachers provide assignments through Google Classroom. We had some reports that students on in-school suspension were not allowed to use their Chromebooks, and the District agreed to look into that.
 
Diane Olsen joined us in the afternoon to discuss concerns counselors have expressed about the 504 process. The District is crafting a response to the counselors’ concerns, which we will be sharing with affected members. The District stressed repeatedly that they do not want counselors to feel alone or unsupported during the 504 process. They also emphasized that it was the job of administrators to make sure that implementation of 504s is happening appropriately in classrooms. In addition, Diane shared that the District is looking into a different platform to use for the online forms that will hopefully streamline and improve the functionality of filling out the extensive paperwork. More information will be forthcoming.
 
CUTA and CUSD then agreed to go through the full interest based bargaining process to address the practice of placing SDC students into RSP teachers’ classes. We have a disagreement about the implication of this practice for RSP caseloads, and we both feel that we need to use our IBB training to work towards a resolution. This process is scheduled for November 8.
 
Finally, we spent time discussing the future of the MAA program and how it might work in our district. Because there are so few members eligible for participating in the MAA program, CUTA suggested that eligible member groups (RSP, SDC, speech therapists, nurses, among others), receive a proportional part of future MAA funds to spend on needs within their member group. The District is looking into the feasibility of our suggestion. To be clear, there are no MAA dollars for distribution currently. The District has back payments they need to make to MAA before any of the above could occur.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed. Below is a link to our contract if you would like to learn more.
 
http://www.chicouta.org/contract.html

Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
Your CUTA bargaining team and the District met for negotiations on Wednesday, September 26. We discussed a number of issues, and both teams continue to work together in a very respectful, transparent and productive way.
 
We first worked on modifying contract language related to how CUTA is able to provide release time for members who are conducting union work. The existing contract language was unclear, and the District wants to make sure that it is following any applicable laws relating to STRS. We cleaned up the language and clarified the amount of release time that is allowed and who is responsible for paying for different expenses related to the release time. We are very close to an agreement on this issue.
 
We also came to an agreement on an MOU that will allow the District to help our new teachers who are going through the BTSA induction program at BCOE. We had already negotiated contract language in the past in which the District would reimburse new teachers up to $3,000 for BTSA induction programs. This new MOU expands how the District can help our new teachers. BTSA is now a two-year program again, and the BCOE BTSA program is $6,000 total ($3,000 each year). It is a serious hardship for young teachers to come up with $3,000 at the start of the school year for two years in a row. The District worked out an agreement with BCOE in which the District pays BCOE $1,500 at the start of each year, and the new teacher is responsible for the remaining fee in monthly payments, which are much more manageable. This is an example of the District coming up with a way to help our members, and we appreciate it very much. This is available this year to new teachers. Contact the District office to find out the details.
 
We then moved on to discussing a potential MOU that would allow the high schools to continue to use a modified schedule during SBAC testing and both finals weeks. We are still getting all the details worked out, but the impression we have from the high schools is that our members want to be able to use a modified schedule during these times, and this MOU would allow it to happen without violating our contract.
 
The bulk of our morning and afternoon was spent discussing concerns raised by counselors about the 504 process. Based on the information we had gathered in advance from counselors, it appears that the concerns are mainly with how the 504 process works at the secondary level. CUTA provided the District with a list of very specific concerns, and we had a healthy discussion about the 504 process. We reviewed the District-mandated process for 504s from start to finish, and we examined some of the forms in use. The District is preparing a response to the concerns which will be designed to clarify certain parts of the process and also to alleviate some of the concerns expressed by the counselors. CUTA will work with the District on this response, and we will share it when we have it completed. The District emphasized that it does not want counselors to be fearful or to feel alone in the 504 process. We will provide more information soon.
 
Diane Olsen will be attending at a future date to discuss RSP caseloads and other issues relating to special education.
 
John Bohannon will be attending at future date before he moves to his new position in Oroville to discuss how our members that are assigned to charter schools can have their contractual rights protected.
 
Kevin Bultema will be attending a future session to discuss the current status of the MAA program. The District owes a large back payment to MAA, and until that is settled, we are in limbo. We may modify our current contract language to reflect the new reality of the program. Both sides have ideas about how we could most effectively utilize this program in the future.
 
Lastly, we spent time examining the current language related to return rights in the contract. CUTA has an interest in allowing members who go on leave to return to the same site they went on leave from, but depending on the length of the leave, the District has an interest in not disrupting the site climate. Currently, members have the right to return to their site after maternity leave up to 130 days. CUTA is interested in expanding this right to other types of leaves. Military leave is an exception, because it is governed by other laws.
 
In case you want to learn more about our contract, the link to our contract at the CUTA website is http://www.chicouta.org/contract.html.

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
Your CUTA bargaining team and the District met on Thursday, September 13, for the first negotiations session of the 2018-2019 school year. We began the session by reviewing the wage agreement ratified last spring. Based on the agreement and the numbers from the state, the wage increase for this school year will be 6.98%. The District contribution for health benefits will also increase by 6.98%, which means it will be approximately $1,196 per month. This increase will be adopted by the Board on Wednesday. These changes will appear on the paycheck you receive at the end of September. In addition, the District will be issuing a retro check in mid-October to make up the difference for your August check, which did not have the wage increase for this year.

This is a sizeable raise, and it shows that the District and the School Board were willing to put employee compensation at the top of their list of priorities. The District took a risk by making a generous multi-year wage agreement with us, and, unfortunately, their worst case scenario is unfolding right now. First of all, their predicted enrollment increase for this year has not materialized. More students would have meant more money, and that would have given them more financial flexibility. In addition, the District was counting on approximately $4 million in one-time money this year. The state legislature decided to instead give that money as ongoing dollars. Although that sounds like good news, and it was for our raise, it means that the $4 million became part of the employee compensation agreement, and the District could no longer use it for other financial needs.

As employees, we need to understand the position the District is in. They will be looking for ways to save money across the district. As we negotiate this year, we have to be realistic. We will have to choose carefully as we look at our agenda for negotiations. The District made a serious commitment to its employees with this wage agreement. We need to respect the position they are in this year.
 
We also began our discussion on contract language for all-day K, which is meant to represent the current MOU language. We will be moving slowly on this so that we can get feedback from teachers and administrators on how the MOU is working.
 
In addition, the District shared with us changes to the BTSA program. It is returning to being a two year program, and the Butte County Office of Education (BCOE) will be offering the program for $3,000 annually ($6,000 in total). The District understands that coming up with $3,000 “up front”, so to speak, is a hardship for beginning teachers. They have worked out an arrangement with BCOE in which the District pays $1,500 up front each year, and the beginning teachers are responsible for the remaining $1,500 in monthly payments. We have contract language that the District will reimburse up to $3,000 for BTSA, and this would help beginning teachers manage the annual cost by providing the money as a down payment to BCOE. We will develop an MOU to this effect in the coming weeks.

Other topics we discussed included:

• Class sizes at Shasta
• Hours and duties for Title 1/After school coordinators
• RSP caseloads
• RSP/SDC Scheduling
• AB 119 - Union rights to member contact information/new hires
• Language covering CUTA members at charter schools etc. 
• Return rights/leave policies
• Classroom coverage for teachers for IEP's during the school day
• Child Bonding Leave as a distinct event from Maternity Leave
• PD for special education on DWSD504 and 504 process
• SBAC and finals testing schedules
• Leave and rights upon returning

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.

Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,

Your CUTA bargaining team and the District met for negotiations on Thursday, May 10, to begin discussing issues for next year. We covered a wide range of issues, with most of the time being spent on the potential scheduling changes for RSP and SDC secondary teachers and on the finer points of the MOU for independent study programs at secondary sites.
 
Scheduling Changes for RSP/SDC Teachers
Last year, a group of secondary SDC teachers approached CUTA to share their concerns about the increasing challenges they faced in their job. CUTA and the District worked with the SDC secondary teachers to put together a list of challenges and possible solutions. Despite a lot of time and thought, we were unable to find solutions that appealed to the majority of the SDC teachers who were in contact with CUTA.
 
We felt stuck and unsure of how to proceed. The District, separate from CUTA input, decided that one solution would be to utilize current, existing resources available at the secondary level to mitigate the challenges faced by the SDC secondary teachers. One current, existing resource that the District identified was the assessment period, sometimes called the case management period, that is a part of RSP secondary teachers’ schedules. Secondary RSP teachers currently teach four classes, have a class prep period, and have an assessment/case management period. Secondary SDC teachers teach five classes and have a class prep period.
 
The District feels that the secondary RSP assessment/case management period is problematic in two ways:

1. They believe that it creates a disparity between RSP and SDC jobs
2. They believe that there is a district-wide perception of inequity created by the RSP assessment/case management period, which leads to teachers wanting to leave SDC positions for RSP positions

 
The special education teams at PV and Chico High, and specifically the RSP and SDC teachers at those sites, were presented with the District’s concerns and asked to come up with a solution. Diane Olsen, Director of Student Services, came to the negotiations session on Thursday to share what has come thus far from this process. At this time, the teams at PV and Chico High are still working to come up with solutions that may or may not include sharing the assessment/case management periods between RSP and SDC teachers. There are a number of options being looked at, and Jim Hanlon emphasized that the District would much prefer a teacher-generated solution.
 
The assessment/case management period is not in our contract, but it has been District practice for as long as thirty years, so CUTA would have a case to argue that it represents past practice. We represent the interests of all of our members, and we don’t believe that solving a problem for one group of members at the expense of another group is the best option.
 
We are going to wait and see the results that the special education groups come up with at PV and Chico, and we will revisit this very important issue at our last negotiations session this year on May 31.
 
Independent Study MOU
Chico Unified has expanded its independent study options for our students in recent years, and we are currently operating under an MOU that dictates the caseloads for these programs. We have had the teachers working in these programs visit negotiations sessions to explore how the current caseloads are working. We have made adjustments to the caseloads for the traditional independent study program, and we are continuing to examine the caseloads for online independent study. We also heard from one of the teachers handling short term independent study for students at Bidwell and Marsh who miss 5-15 days during the school year. We plan to finalize an MOU for 2018-2019 at the final negotiations session.
 
All-day K MOU--65 minute prep sessions
We shared concerns we had with the District about how the 10 half-sessions (65 minutes each) would be delivered at all-day K sites. Some K teachers were alarmed, because they were under the impression that these sessions might be increased in number but halved in length to 30 or 35 minutes. The District assured us that unless K teachers at specific sites asked for this change, the 10 half-sessions would be delivered by prep time specialists in 65 minutes periods.
 
AB 119
We explored adding language to the contract relating to Assembly Bill 119, which entitles CUTA to a variety of information about our members and specifies timelines for when and in what format this information will be delivered. AB 119 also gives CUTA the right to attend all new employee onboarding meetings. We are exploring what this would look like with the District.
 
Language covering CUTA members at charter schools
As a future topic for discussion, we shared our concern that our members employed at charter schools--for instance speech therapists and RSP teachers whose time is purchased from CUSD by charter schools--don’t appear to have the same contractual protections at those sites. This is a complicated issue which we will be looking at further in 2018-2019.
 
Return rights
We also spent more time discussing return rights for members who go out on leave. Specifically, we are negotiating whether or not a member has a right to return to their site and/or exact position after a leave of absence. There are various types of leave, and we need to identify which leaves have return rights and which do not, if any. We also need to determine how the length of leave impacts return rights.
 
Thank you for support during a very positive year of negotiations. We will continue to keep you up to date with the progress of future negotiations.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
On Wednesday, April 25, your CUTA bargaining met with the District for continued negotiations. This session was different, because we received a refresher training on the interest based bargaining process.
 
Some of you will remember that three years ago, CUTA and CUSD agreed to change from traditional bargaining, sometimes called positional bargaining, to interest based bargaining (IBB). Those of you that have worked in Chico Unified for more than a few years will remember how confrontational our former bargaining relationship was with the District. When we nearly went out on strike three years ago, both sides felt something needed to change, and one of our School Board members suggested we try IBB. Chico Unified had experimented with IBB in the nineties without much success, but CUTA and CUSD were willing to try it again. The results have been very good.
 
Interest based bargaining works when both sides are willing to be open and transparent about their concerns. On any given issue, small or large, both sides develop a list of interests. Generally, we find that we share many of the same interests. We then go through a non-judgmental brainstorming session where we try to come up with many different options for achieving compromise on the issue at hand. We then work hard to clarify and understand the import of the various options. After we have gathered as much information as we can on our various options, we work to achieve consensus through the unanimous agreement of all members on both bargaining teams. Sometimes this process can be very slow, but it has allowed us to be much more open and honest with each other, and IBB is what made this year’s TA possible.
 
Our refresher course on Wednesday was designed to keep us on the right track and provide training for some of the newer members of the bargaining team. We spent the morning reviewing the process and procedures of IBB, and we spent the afternoon practicing IBB on a real issue: return rights. Specifically, we are negotiating whether or not a member has a right to return to their site and/or exact position after a leave of absence. There are various types of leave, and we need to identify which leaves have return rights and which do not, if any. We also need to determine how the length of leave impacts return rights.
 
Other issues we will be discussing in our final two negotiations sessions of the year include, but are not limited to:

• ​Independent study caseloads
• Scheduling changes for secondary RSP teachers
• PD for special education on DWSD
• Classroom coverage for teachers for IEP's during the school day

​Lastly, I want to encourage you to sign up for income protection through the Standard, if you have not already done so. The practice of being able to solicit for donations of sick leave is against IRS rules, and the District will no longer allow the practice. A member could find him or herself in serious financial trouble without this safety net. The District has agreed to continue the current practice of donated sick leave through September 30, which allows members the opportunity to join the Standard during open enrollment, which runs from September 1 through September 30. Much more information about the Standard will be coming from CUTA.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

Hello colleagues,
 
We have continued negotiations with the District as we look towards next year. Our interest based bargaining process has allowed us to explore issues throughout the contract, and we have also opened Article 10: Leave for 2018-2019.
 
The first topic we covered on Thursday was return rights. We are exploring contract language that describes how long a member can be on different kinds of leave and still be entitled to return to the same position and assignment. For example, if a person went on medical leave for an entire school year, should they be entitled to their same position and assignment upon return? What if the leave bridged school years? We are gathering information now, and we will continue this discussion in two weeks.
 
We also spent time discussing the District practice of asking for volunteers and/or selecting members to attend elementary professional development during the school day. Teachers are expected to prepare half-day sub plans, and they may or may not have the choice of whether to attend or not. Since this is a relatively new practice, we have agreed to review this topic as issues arise.
 
We again brought up the issue of job sharing at elementary schools. Usually, members want to job share so that they can spend more time with their own children when their children are young. Unfortunately, the District does not want to award elementary job shares at this time. They feel that elementary job shares can result in an inferior educational product, and they have had numerous parents express the desire for their children to not be in a job share classroom. We are still searching for a model that would allay the District’s concerns, but we have not made progress.
 
In addition, we spent time discussing a potential new schedule for secondary RSP teachers at the high schools for next year. We don’t have all of the information yet, but it appears that the District will be removing the assessment/case management prep period from the schedule of secondary RSP teachers and instead asking them to teach in some capacity during that period. Diane Olsen will attend our May 10 negotiations session to explain the new scheduling. We are examining the issue, but until we have a firm grasp on what is being asked of the secondary RSP teachers, we don’t know whether this is a bargainable issue.
 
We also worked on a number of MOUs for 2018-2019, some of which are continuing on from this year. The MOUs include (but are not limited to):

• Class Size MOU: secondary class size is capped at 38, and teachers can voluntarily go over their caseload of 175 and be paid $500 per student, per semester for each student over 175; elementary teachers who are selected involuntarily to go one student over their class size will also receive $500 per semester
• Oak Bridge Online School MOU: this MOU details the hours and caseload for teachers at the new online school that the District is opening in a location at the mall
• K ½ Day MOU: this MOU will say that a K ½ day for purposes of prep or PN/sick days will match the actual time of day as the 1st grade ½ day; these times vary from site to site; if a 1st grade morning ½ day ends at 10:50 am, the K morning ½ day will end at the same time at that site; if a 1st grade afternoon ½ day starts at 11:00 am, the K afternoon ½ day at that site will also begin at 11:00 am; this is to take into account the (roughly) hour long professional work time built into extended day and all-day K schedules; if this doesn’t work at your site, consider a waiver
• Independent Study MOU: we are still finalizing the details of this MOU; the District listened to its teachers and adjusted the caseload and student definitions for traditional independent study, and we will be working out the final details for the online independent study
•  at a future session so that this MOU can continue for 2018-2019

 
Lastly, the District has been informed that the current donated sick leave practice is running afoul of IRS laws. Our lawyer has confirmed this, and we are going to have come up with a new approach. As of now, we don’t have a good idea for how to replace this program. This is potentially dangerous for members. If you were unable to work for an extended period of time and ran out of sick days, you would not be paid.
 
One option is to join the Standard, which is an income protection insurance program of which many of us are currently members. The next open enrollment for the Standard runs from September 1-30, and the District has agreed to extend the donated sick leave program until September 30, which would give members the time to join the Standard and get guaranteed income protection. We will have a lot of information coming out about this program. Please consider buying income protection from the Standard. It ranges from roughly $27-$45/month depending on your income level.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

As you all hopefully know, last night the School Board approved our tentative agreement with the District. It was a very positive meeting and many members attended to thank the School Board in person. Tanner Johns’ student jazz band performed “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and they were terrific.
 
The District now has 60 days to issue our retro checks, which will include:

• 2.46% increase to wages (back to July 1)
• 2.46% increase to the District health benefits contribution (about $320)
• One-time money ($638 prorated for FTE; a 0.5 FTE employee would receive half of the $638)
• 2.46% increase to any paid work you did for the District (stipends, hourly work, etc.)

After issuing the retro check, the salary schedule will be increased by 2.46% for the remaining pay periods of this year. The District health benefits contribution will also increase by 2.46% ($1119 per month, which is up from $1093).
 
Next year, our paycheck for August will be paid on this year’s salary schedule (including the 2.46% increase). In September, the District will look at the per ADA % increase (which is projected to be 5.91%), and they will increase the salary schedule and the health benefits contribution by the per ADA % increase. That means the health benefits contribution is projected to be $1186 per month. They will then issue a retro check for August to make up the difference. We will follow the same procedure the following school year.
 
In addition, next year, the transition to all-day K will begin. Schools currently on all-day K waivers will become permanent all-day K sites. These schools (Citrus, McManus, Chapman, Little Chico Creek and Rosedale) will receive the $1300 budget for one more year. The timeline for schools transitioning is listed below:
 
2018-2019: all current schools + Hooker Oak (6 schools)
2019-2020: all current schools + Emma Wilson and Sierra View (8 schools)
2020-2021: all current schools + Shasta and Parkview (10 schools)
2021-2022: all current schools + Marigold and Neal Dow (all 12 school)
 
CUTA and the District will be writing the contract language that reflects the MOU we developed with the District for all-day K. It is very important that K teachers contact us and let us know how the transition is proceeding so that we can address problems as they arise and make sure that the final contract language is as effective and complete as possible. The paragraph below describes the minimums the District has agreed to meet at all-day K sites.
 
All-day K will follow the extended day schedule and teachers will be responsible for 250 daily instructional minutes. Additional minutes that kindergarteners are at school will be covered by aides. All-day K classrooms will have 2.5 hours of aide time per day to be used in the K classroom. Teachers will receive a $1300 classroom budget for the first two years to supplement their classroom materials for the longer day. Kindergarten teachers will receive prep time comparable to a first grade teacher in terms of minutes: 18 half days for prep and 10 sessions (65 minutes) of prep time delivered by a prep time specialist.
 
Additionally, next year, many members will have new prep time protection. The language states that these members (including, but not limited to, counselors, nurses, SLPs, teacher librarians, elementary resource teachers, and Title I teachers) will receive prep time comparable to site colleagues without using a sub. If a member is unable to schedule prep time because of schedule constraints, he or she should talk to his or her administrator to fix the problem. If the administrator cannot fix the problem, the member needs to contact CUTA.
 
We are continuing negotiations currently. Topics we are discussing include, but are not limited to:

• Maternity leave/child bonding leave
• Elementary PD during the school day
• Independent study
• Caseloads
• New District off-campus online school working conditions
  
• Special education
•  titles in contract
• Return rights after a leave
• Donated sick leave
• PN days

 
It was a very productive year in negotiations. We plan to continue the positive relationship with the District. They have been generous, honest, and open partners in negotiations.
 
Thank you for taking the time to stay informed.
 
Charlie Snyder
Bargaining Chair
Chico Unified Teachers Association

The votes have been counted and the results are in. Thank you so much to all of you for your patience and understanding this last year as we went through this process as a union.

The results are:
Composite-416 votes (wins)                                     Tiered-99 votes
Pool-289 votes (wins)                                                 Pass-227 votes

My sincere gratitude to so many of you who worked so hard and spent so much time on all sides of this issue.
​
Take Care,
Kevin