PCTA Action

LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS 

Before they could do further damage to the state of Florida, the legislature ended its 60 day session on Friday May 2. Left in the detritus was the largest cut to public education in the state’s history, crippling cutbacks in health and human services, and, ironically, 300 million for new prisons.

BOARD TAKES PAY CUT OFF TABLE (FOR THE TIME BEING) 

The Pinellas School Board was able to take the issue of pay cuts off the table at a workshop Thursday, May 29. The casualty of this decision was a return to the current busing schedule rather than the two tiered busing plan that had been advanced. Nevertheless, the savings of more than three million dollars was sufficient to cover the pay cuts. This was the latest stop in the agonizing process of trying to find money to cover the 30+ million dollar hole put in the budget by the Florida legislature.

DR. WILCOX TO RESIGN JUNE 1 

Dr. Clayton Wilcox has announced plans to leave Pinellas County and join Scholastic Corporation. Subject to School Board approval, his last day will be June 1. The School Board will meet this Friday to determine what course of action to take.

LEGISLATURE AT THE HALF WAY POINT 

Proposals in the House and Senate appear poised to take some one billion dollars from Florida’s already strapped schools. The amount to Pinellas would total almost $40 million below last year’s appropriation. “This is a direct result of a tax and spending policy that can only be described as ludicrous,” said PCTA Executive Director Jade Moore.

 STATE CONFRONTS HUGE BUDGET SHORTFALL 

Pinellas schools have received word that their budget for this year will be cut by an additional $10 million with additional cuts coming next year. This, despite the promise that education would be “held harmless.”

Referendum Results, Middle School Restructuring, Transfer Rules and More...

  REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN IN THE FINAL STRETCH

Thanks to so many of you who have been taking it to the streets, waving signs and encouraging our community to get out and vote.  Due to intensive efforts by our PCTA Faculty Representatives, 3500 yard signs (paid for by our members) left the PCTA building and are popping up in neighborhoods all across our district. Dozens of teachers, support professionals and their children targeted four main intersections this week just as the major networks opened their 5:00 p.m. news programs with the referendum campaign.  Members handed out 9000 "Vote-YES!" pencils at the Martin Luther King parade on the 21^st.  As we head into the final lap of the campaign, we continue to need your help.

Happy New Year!

REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING

It's the new year and attention now focuses on the referendum campaign. Every school marquee in the county had this ‘holiday' message during the break: "Our dollars for our schools. $42 million a year for our kids. School Board Referendum January 29^th." It is a powerful reminder of the important vote coming up in just three weeks. As an organization, PCTA has put considerable resources behind the campaign including the posters in every school, mailing to absentee voters and polling support. In the weeks to come, Association members will be asked to do even more as efforts are expended to get out the vote.

SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERS DELAY IN ASSIGNMENT PLAN

Even after significantly slowing down the implementation of the new student assignment plan, the School Board, on Tuesday, failed to adopt a plan, possibly delaying implementation for another year. "This is totally unacceptable," said PCTA President Kim Black. "Our position is that we have to get out of ‘choice' as soon as possible so that we can begin spending the transportation dollars on student achievement, not busing. We have been encouraging teachers to call (588-6300) or e-mail (Board@pcsb.org) with a simple message - ‘We can't afford to delay the new plan any longer. Teachers need to know who and where we'll be teaching next year!'

  CONTRACT RATIFIED BY WIDE MARGIN

In voting Wednesday, October 24, Pinellas teachers ratified the 2007-2008 economic package by a vote of 4264 in favor to 508 against. The 87% margin of victory reflects the overwhelming support for the agreement since the infusion of "referendum" money three years ago. "I'm pleased this is finally done," said PCTA President Kim Black. "Our members haven't had to wait this long for a raise in modern history." The lengthy delay was caused by the failure of the legislature to reach agreement on filling a one billion dollar hole in the state's budget. "Isn't it ironic that half of our budget loss was made up by the delay in implementing the Merit Award Program (MAP) and also by the money Pinellas and 48 other counties sent back to Tallahassee," Black added. "I want to thank the Association leaders, staff, and district who patiently worked to put this together."