Representing Teachers and School Employees in Northwest Louisiana
Who: Red River United members
What: membership meeting
Where: Red River United- 1726 Line Ave.
When: Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 5:00 PM
Why: elections, bonds, and pay raises
1. Call to Order
2. Prayer/Pledge
3. Secretary/Treasurer Report
4. 2019 – 2022 RRU Election- Nomination/Election Committee Approval
5. State Pay Raise Update
6. Caddo and Bossier Bond Initiatives Update
7. Staff Reports
8. President’s Report
9. Q and A.
10. Adjournment
Red River United has been visiting Bossier Parish Schools to present facts relating to the upcoming millage proposal.
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CADDO
The Red River United resolves to continue to advocate through the district and the court system to ensure NO EDUCATOR is penalized by the VALUE-ADDED MODEL.
The Red River United resolves to continue to advocate through the district and the courts to ensure all educators receive their STIPENDS/INCENTIVE PAY as outlined in the agreement between Caddo and the Louisiana Department of Education.
BOSSIER
The Red River United resolves to work for the SOMETHING BIG coming to Bossier employees this spring. We will be at the January 10th and January 17th BPSB MEETINGS. BOSSIER MEMBERS shall resolve to be there, too!!!
RED RIVER PARISH
The Red River United resolves to ensure the commitments made by Red River Parish School Board Members on DUTY-FREE LUNCH and the OPTION ON TWICE-MONTHLY PAY become policy.
If you do not receive TAP or incentive monies you believe are owed, please click on the link below in order for Red River United to best serve you.
BOSSIER
BOSSIER PARISH COURTHOUSE- 204 BURT BLVD – SECOND FLOOR-BENTON, LA 71006- 318-965-2301
* BOSSIER PARISH LIBRARY HISTORY CENTER- 2206 BECKETT ST- BOSSIER CITY, LA 71111- 318-965-2301
(*limited hours)
CADDO
CADDO REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICE – 524 MARSHALL STREET, SUITE 109- SHREVEPORT, LA 71101
DE SOTO
DeSoto Registrar of Voters- 105 FRANKLIN ST -MANSFIELD, LA 71052 – 318-872-1149
WEBSTER
WEBSTER PARISH COURTHOUSE-410 MAIN STREET -MINDEN, LA 71055- 318-377-9272
* SPRINGHILL CIVIC CENTER- 101 MACHEN DR-SPRINGHILL, LA 71075- 318-377-9272
(*limited hours)
LOCAL RACES
| Caddo Parish |
| Mayor City of Shreveport Ollie Tyler – Endorsed |
| City Council |
| City Council – District A Willie Bradford – Endorsed |
| City Council – District B Laura McLemore – Favorable |
| City Council – District B LeVette Fuller – Favorable |
| City Council – District E James Flurry – Endorsed |
| City Council – District F James Green – Endorsed |
| School Board |
| School Board – District 3 Terence Vinson – Endorsed |
| School Board – District 4 Kandee Kelley Flint – Endorsed |
| School Board – District 7 Raymond Green – Endorsed |
| School Board – District 8 Sumer Cooner – Favorable |
| School Board – District 8 Denise Locke – Favorable |
| School Board – District 10 Durwood Hendricks, Jr. – Endorsed |
| School Board – District 12 Dottie Bell – Endorsed |
| Webster Parish – Minden |
| City Council – District B Terika Williams – Endorsed |
| Red River Parish |
| School Board – District 5 Kasandria White – Endorsed |
| School Board – District 6 Andrè Cole – Endorsed |
|
School Board – District 7 Susan Taylor – Endorsed |
|
Secretary of State Renee Fontenot Free – Endorsed |
| U. S. Representative 4th Congressional District Ryan Trundle – Endorsed |
|
Constitutional Amendments |
||||
|
Y |
N |
|||
| 1. | Act 719 of 2018
Regular Session |
Amendment to prohibit a convicted felon from seeking/holding public office or appointment within 5 years of completion of sentence unless he is pardoned? | X | |
| 2. | Act 722 of 2018
Regular Session |
Amendment to require a unanimous jury verdict in all noncapital felony cases for offenses that are committed on or after January I, 2019? | X | |
| 3. | Act 717 of 2018 Regular Session | Amendment to permit, pursuant to written agreement, the donation of the use of public equipment/personnel by a political subdivision upon request to another political subdivision for an activity or function which the requesting political subdivision is authorized to exercise? |
X |
|
| 4. | Act 720 of 2018 Regular Session | Amendment to remove authority to appropriate or dedicate monies in the Transportation Trust Fund to State Police for traffic control purposes? |
X
|
|
| 5. | Act 721 of 2018 Regular Session | Amendment to extend eligibility for the following special property tax treatments to property in trust: the special assessment level for property tax valuation, the property tax exemption for property of a disabled veteran, and the property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a person who died while performing their duties as a first responder, active duty member of the military, or law enforcement or fire protection officer? |
X |
|
| 6. | Act 718 of 2018 Regular Session | Amendment that will require any reappraisal of the value of residential property by more than 50%, resulting in a corresponding increase in property taxes, be phased-in over the course of four years during which time no additional reappraisal can occur and that the decrease in the total ad valorem tax collected as a result of the phase in of assessed valuation be absorbed by the taxing authority and not allocated to the other taxpayers. |
X
|
|
| 7. | Act 322 of 2018
Regular Session |
Proposition to authorize Fantasy Sports contest. | No | Position |
| 8. | .83 Mills
|
Parishwide Proposition (Public Facilities Tax Renewal) |
X |
|
Check with your Parish Registrar of Voters for information regarding early voting in your parish.
RRU’s General Membership Meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 5:00 PM due to the threat of inclement weather on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Red River United will host a general membership meeting Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 5:00 PM at the Red River United office. We welcome all members of Red River United to hear about the latest happenings in our districts!
CADDO RECOGNIZES NEWLY TENURED TEACHERS
RRU and the CAE, in conjunction with the CPSB, sponsored a reception for the newly tenured teachers. 38 teachers (majority RRU members) in Caddo met the target for tenure by being deemed Highly Effective for the past five years. As far as we know, Caddo is the only district to recognize this accomplishment. It was our pleasure to present each teacher with a Tenured Caddo pin. We look forward to making this an annual event.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER – A TEACHER’S OPEN LETTER
The biggest mistake of my professional career was dropping my membership in a Louisiana Federation of Teachers affiliate and joining A+PEL. I was led to believe by A+ PEL representatives that they were more familiar with local schools than the union. That was false.
I made that decision thinking I would never be accused of wrongdoing. I believe I am a great employee who follows all the rules and meets all expectations. Nevertheless, an incident occurred that threatened me with the loss of my career. Shockingly, A+PEL discouraged me from pursuing the issue.
I am so grateful that the executive board of the local Federation voted to grant my appeal to rejoin and save my job. The union did not have to do that – it was my decision to drop my membership. I have learned that just being a good employee and paying cheap dues does not guarantee safety in these times.
I love what I do, and I put my heart and soul into my job, working for the success of my students.
SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS WANT TO DRIVE SAFE BUSES AND BE TREATED WITH RESPECT BY ADMINISTRATION.
That continues to be the very clear message from RRU Caddo Bus Drivers.
After our last meeting over the break, the RRU Transportation employees identified three distinct areas for address. In those areas, bus repair, discipline and representation, we believe we have made progress in working with CPSB Administration. The RRU Transportation Representatives met with Mr. Woolfolk regarding the repair issue and the drivers’ concerns regarding unsafe vehicles. Mr. Woolfolk heard the drivers and has now provided a new work order form for the drivers’ review. Additionally, as two of items were deemed under the purview of Human Resources, we have had an initial meeting with Ms. Atkins and Mr. Graham. While we made progress on some of the issues regarding discipline and representation, we did not reach consensus. It will now be submitted the CPSB Transportation Committee for consideration in the next meeting. We will continue to work with the district and our members and will update as we receive new information.
The RRU is 18 members shy of having majority status in Caddo transportation employees. Just this year, over 30 new Transportation Employees have joined.
PARAPROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE REWARDED AS PART OF THE ACADEMIC TEAM
The position of teacher’ aide was created in WWII to assist the teacher. The aides were there to do such simple tasks as sharpening pencils, grading papers and making copies. Since that time, the role of the paraprofessional has morphed considerably to now being an integral part of the academic team. Paraprofessionals work as partners with teachers doing everything from a to z, from helping the classroom runs smoothly to working directly with students ensuring all students receive academic services. They even do duty.
As districts move forward into the budget cycle this spring, a line item should be added to reward the other part of the academic team, the paraprofessional. For example, Caddo has allocated funds for teachers at the TAP schools based on academic performance. That academic performance is also a product of the work of the paraprofessional. Additionally, since they are an integral part of the academic team, embedded professional development specific to their roles should be added.
TEACHER EVALUATION: THE FINE PRINT
Overall teacher evaluation in the state of Louisiana will be represented 50% by observations (entered into COMPASS or NIET), 15 % student learning targets (SLTs), and 35% the value added model (VAM) in grades 4-8 ELA, social studies and math. However, teachers who do not have VAM data will have a 50/50 breakdown of observation and student learning targets (SLTs).
| Effectiveness Rating | Composite Score Range |
| Ineffective | x<1.5 |
| Effective: Emerging | 1.5≤ x <2.5 |
| Effective: Proficient | 2.5≤ x <3.5 |
| Highly Effective | 3.5≤ x |
Observation Policies
Caddo Parish- All announced observations must have a pre-conference at least 24 hours prior to the observation. Once the observation is completed, the teacher must complete a self-observation form provided by the evaluator. The post conference must occur within 5 working days of the observation. The teacher has 48 hours after the post conference to complete and submit a NIET appeal form to his/her principal if there are areas in which the teacher determines are not an accurate evaluation of his/her performance. The teacher must be prepared to have documentation to support the area(s) in which he/she wishes to rebut.
Value Added Model (VAM)
For the 2017-2018 school year, teachers of grades 4-8 ELA, social studies, and math will receive 35% of their overall evaluation from state-wide standardized tests. VAM measures growth to mastery for individual students using data points from previous assessments, IEPs, IAPs, attendance, economic disadvantage status, English proficiency, and discipline history. Be sure to complete your CVR requirements this spring to ensure students you taught from October 1 to testing for year-long courses and October 1 to testing and January to testing for semester long courses are the ONLY students on your CVR. Additionally, students who had 20 or more consecutive absences or 10 or more unexcused absences should not be on your roster for VAM. If a teacher does not complete the roster requirements, there is a possibility student test scores that do not meet the above criteria could be reflected on your VAM score.
Student Learning Targets (SLTs)
Now is the time to reevaluate your SLTs from the fall. Consider student progress on similar assessments that you will use to determine achievement at the end of the year, attendance, and student discipline. Collect your data and confer with your principal about any changes you deem to be necessary. Yes, your school and district may define consistent learning targets, but they must ensure there is AMPLE FLEXIBILITY to address the SPECIFIC NEEDS of the students in YOUR CLASSROOM.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jordan Thomas at jthomas@redriverunited.org or 318-423-9423.
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