PCTA ACTION 5/28/10

VOLUME XXXVI  Number 11                                                                                  May 28, 2010

Deadline for PCTA Bargaining Survey Extended

The PCTA bargaining Survey deadline will be extended through June 6th in order to give members added opportunities to provide feedback. While the PCTA/PCS Agreement does not expire until the conclusion of the 2010-11 school year, there is need for your input related to the negotiated items in the Race to the Top Phase 2 Memorandum of Understanding, plus our planning towards the successor agreement next school year.

The survey will take just a few minutes to complete. By going to the link below, you can provide your valued input. Thanks, in advance, for your thoughts on issues of importance to you!

Survey URL: http://.leadernet.aft.org/surveymaker/take/survey.cfm?id=5f7e2abf-5056-b94b-113f-cac3febcfa5c

Update: Instructional Personnel Assessment Instrument

On May 25th, the Pinellas County School Board approved a request from the Superintendent to pilot the revised Instructional Personnel Assessment Instrument at 15 schools for the 2010-11 school year. The schools are the same schools identified by the district and agreed to in the stipulation to align a transfer process with the state required Differentiated Accountability plan. The schools are identified as Correct 2 and Prevent 2 in the Differentiated Accountability model, high schools in the lowest performing 5% of high schools in the state and the feeder middle schools for those high schools. The schools are High Schools: Gibbs, Dixie Hollins, Boca Ciega, Lakewood; Middle Schools: John Hopkins, Azalea, Bay Point, Pinellas Park and Elementary Schools: Campbell Park, Gulfport, Lealman, Melrose, Sandy Lane, New Heights, and Walsingham.

The Superintendent will submit the instrument to the Florida Department of Education for assistance in developing, improving and/or reviewing the District’s assessment system.

Prior to the School Board action, it was anticipated that the revised assessment instrument would be used and developed for all schools during the 2010-11 school year. Both parties acknowledge that the teacher evaluation instrument currently used by Pinellas County Schools is out of compliance with state and federal expectations. By piloting the assessment instrument, the district and PCTA will strive to align the new instrument with current state statute, district strategic directions, professional development initiatives, Differentiated Accountability mandates and the Race to the Top Phase 2 Memorandum of Understanding. The new assessment system will be tweaked and modified during 2010-11 to form the basis for a district-wide Instructional Personnel Assessment System in 2011-12. Note: There will be a number of assessment instruments which are aligned with the responsibilities of personnel who are specialists or not directly in the classroom.

PCTA Performance Review Team Recommendations

On May 18th, the PCTA Performance Review Team met to review the proposed assessment instruments and to provide recommendations as we move forward in developing the new assessment instrument. The team included representatives from elementary and secondary levels in addition to ESE, guidance and a few other specialized areas.

Priorities/Recommendations that are Essential to System’s Effectiveness:

• Communication is key for system’s effectiveness and buy-in! Evaluation Systems are much more likely to be supported when everyone understands the process and believes it to be fair. How will this information be communicated to all stakeholders?
• Professional Development – Embedded, ongoing and effective principal/administrator and teacher professional development must be developed and executed prior to implementation of new instrument.
• The district must stress that 2010-11 will be a developmental year as we work towards a successful and effective product. All elements of the proposed evaluation system that require collective bargaining are to be addressed by the bargaining teams. Consider phasing in the evaluation within the school.
• Identify if problems are with the appraisal items or with the process.
• Successful plan must also include Peer Assistance and Review. Requesting district’s commitment to a site-based process that will be used starting in 2011-12. (Principals are accountable for ensuring this process is carried out consistently. Develop a data collection process throughout the 2010-11 developmental year.)
• The group formed over the summer must be a part of the ongoing process of improvement and development.

Some Overall Concerns regarding Proposed Instruments:

• Effective peer-evaluation process - development of a site-based process on all campuses created by teachers.
• PLCs – difficult to have peer evaluators for counselors, media, etc. if one position per school.
• Staff turnover (new teachers, new hires, consistency).
• Administrator understanding of process varies within schools and at different schools.
• Role of walkthroughs in the future.
• Principal training should define terms (formative, summative).
• Will there be a specific expectation that Administrators observe during an entire class period?
• Number of observations?  Number of evaluations? Need for a uniform standard.
• How will administrators be held accountable for holding timely and consistent pre- and post-conferences?
• How do we account for new measures under the RTTT2 MOU that affect student achievement such as: parental involvement, student attendance and poverty?
• Is the process reliable and valid? – Not set up to be punitive
• Create a process to surface professional developmental needs.
• Will there be an observation checklist? Rubric?
• What is the difference between effective and highly effective? Who determines?
• What is the process for developing the final point totals for the final “Performance Review Instrument” and who will be involved in that process?
• What is “lesson study” and how is “lesson study” related to a “peer review” process instead of the “professional development” category?
• How do we ensure a process to account for teachers with exceptional circumstances, including teachers with no permanent classroom, classroom space/size challenges, multiple preps, etc.?

Magnet Teacher Supplements

The issue of magnet school supplements has been written about in the St. Petersburg Times for several weeks as part of the budget cut discussions. Supplements are part of the PCTA/PCS Agreement and appear in the district Compensation Manual. The Agreement cannot be unilaterally changed. Any supplemental pay issue requires negotiations with the PCTA. PCTA has clearly stated that position to the District and will be working to resolve this unilateral decision.  Affected teachers, who are members of PCTA, are encouraged to submit their personal email address to PCTA, as we will need to communicate with you throughout the summer.