Lot’s of things happened (or started happening) at last week’s School Board meeting.  Let me give a brief summary here (not necessarily in the order in which they occurred):

1. Bargaining Chair Polo Marquez presented LTA’s initial bargaining proposal to the School Board.  Basically, the Association will be reopening Articles 7 (Work Year and Hours of Employment) and 18 (School Leadership), and reserves the right to reopen one more article at a later time.

LTA 2013 Initial Bargaining Proposal

2. The Board approved an early retirement/voluntary separation program that will be rolled out starting this week.  The LTA Bargaining Team actually met the district last Thursday to iron out a few details and work on the timeline.  Unlike last year’s offer, this one will provide plenty of time for people to consider and talk to STRS counselors.  There will be an orientation meetings Thursday, 3/7 at 3:30 at Moffett and final decisions won’t be due until after spring break.

District’s Early Retirement/Release Orientation Flyer

3. The Board approved a number of annual notifications for various positions in the district.  These notifications happen every year and do not necessarily mean that these positions WILL be cut or those who currently hold them WILL be reassigned, but serve as legally required warnings that they MAY be cut or reassigned.

•    Notification to the principals, asst. principals, and counselors that they MAY be reassigned next year.
•    Notification to SDSs and other TOSAs that they MAY be reassigned next year.
•    Notification to temporary contract teachers that their contracts MAY not be renewed next year.

4.  The Board also approved a reduction in force resolution that will give 22 permanent/probationary teachers preliminary lay-off notices by March 15.  This number may be reduced, depending on the outcomes of the early retirement/voluntary separation offer.

[Note: I haven’t had a chance to scan the notification letters, the RIF resolution, or the tie-breaker language yet, but I will post it here as soon as I can.  BG]