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What is Red River United?
Still Working
During this time of school closure, Red River United is here for you. We are working to ensure you are treated fairly and that your voice is still heard even though you’re not currently in the schoolhouse. If you need us or have a concern, we will answer your call anytime of the day. You can also message us directly on Facebook. We’ve always had your back and we still do. Let’s all work for the common good. We are stronger together. We are Red River United 318-424-4579 redriverunited@redriverunited.org
Mandatory After-School Meetings
Caddo Policy: GCJ Professional Staff Time Schedule Faculty Meetings
Recognizing the importance of faculty/staff collaboration, it shall be the policy of the Caddo Parish School Board that school site administrators may call mandatory faculty meetings. Generally there shall be no more than one meeting per week. Faculty shall receive 24 hours notice prior to the meeting. In the event that a second meeting is necessary in the same week, the principal shall notify and receive written approval from their school director prior to calling the meeting. Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit the school site administrator from passing on significant information when time is of the essence. Adopted: November 15, 2011
Please read this policy carefully. It does not prohibit the call of the second meeting, but it must have prior approval by the director. Additionally, all meetings require 24 hours notice. This is a policy that Red River United knows very well, after all, we wrote the policy. Keep in mind that policies are only as strong as the employees who will fight to keep them alive. We will always have your back, because maintaining a work-life balance is of paramount importance to this organization.
If you have further questions regarding this policy or any other, such as, Personnel File Act, Excessive Paperwork, Duty Free Lunch, or Planning Time please do not hesitate to call. We are here to serve the best interests of educational professionals.
PS – Support personnel are not required to attend after school activities, such as faculty meetings or PTA meetings.
PSS – Interested in crafting similar policies in Bossier or Red River Parishes, give us a call.
Know Your Rights: Paras to be Paid as Teachers when Subbing
In fairness to school support staff who are called upon to act as substitute teachers, Red River United and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers worked for passage of Act 231, which requires school boards to pay employees at the substitute teacher rate if it is higher than their usual salary.
Do you feel you may be entitled to additional compensation, call Red River United, 318-424-4579.
Know Your Rights: My Principal is asking that I amend my SLTs!
Call us immediately at Red River United, 318-424-4579 (we may want to consider a grievance but must weigh the particulars of each individual’s case). SLTs are too important to take lightly.
Here are some basic facts on Student Learning Targets (SLTs) are a crucial part of a teacher’s COMPASS evaluation. To make sure that your evaluation is an appropriate, accurate and fair representation of your professional abilities, please review the following hints for writing your SLTs in collaboration with your principal.
- Set reasonable, realistic targets. Yes, they need to be rigorous but they must also be attainable.
- Consider including the stipulation that only the scores of students who took both the pre and post assessments will be included in the calculation.
- You might stipulate that a certain attendance factor will determine if a student remains in the SLT group. Refer to language for attendance requirements for updating students in CVR. The same rules should apply when writing SLTs.
- Students with high scores on the pre-assessment instrument may not be capable of achieving their targeted growth. Consider excluding those students from your group.
- SLTs should be written only for the students you teach, based on their specific past performance and pre-assessment data. Do not base them on the performance of the students in the entire school or school district.
- SLTs are intended to be a comparison of where your students were at the beginning of the year and how much they have progressed during the year, based on your teaching, just as a VAM score is based on the progress of only your students.
- Make sure your pre and post tests directly reflect your areas of instruction.
- Share your SLT drafts with your peers for wording and math calculations.
- Monitor and record student performance throughout the year.
- At midyear, check to see if you are eligible to make changes to your SLTs.
Red River United has received calls and emails about SLTs. Below are the most common topics and RRU’s position.
- SLTs may include an attendance component. There is no reason not to include attendance because even VAM sets attendance requirements (eliminate a student absent 20 consecutive days). Suggestion, include only students present for the pre and post tests and having 80% instructional class time attendance each semester.
- Growth targets and other parameters are not to be set exclusively by administration. Remember, an SLT should reflect rigorous but achievable growth targets and are to be agreed upon between the teacher and evaluator. Do not sign off on an SLT if you question its achievability.
- The percentage of students to be targeted can be less than 70%. The Louisiana Department of Education suggests 70% but it is not a requirement. The percentage depends on many factors, such as the number of students in the group, how the students scored on the pre-test, and the make-up of the group (regular ed, ESS, targeted intervention, whole group).
- You should only be held accountable for students that you teach. SLTs should not span entire grades or subject levels.
Know Your Rights- Impermissible Corporal Punishment
NO SCHOOL EMPLOYEE IS WITHOUT RISK. THERE HAVE BEEN 5 CASES JUST THIS WEEK.
What to do if an accusation is made against you?
- Immediately contact Red River United at 318-424-4579.
- Do nothing (say nothing) else until you have been presented the actual written statement from the child or the parent/guardian. Do not respond or engage in conversation with the child or parent/guardian.
- Your 24 hours to respond starts once you get the statement. Use this time wisely by seeking representation. From this point on, you have the right to representation in any further meetings. Always make sure you have representation!
- The written statement that you hand in must be carefully worded. A proper response takes time and patience to make sure that important facts are not omitted under pressure or in haste. Do not let yourself be pressured into making a written record right there in the administrator’s office.
- Make sure your Red River United representative reads your statement before you hand it in.
Click here for further information on Impermissible Corporal Punishment.
Have you been battered or assaulted? Know Your Rights.
Do teachers have a bill of rights? Yes! Know Your Rights.
Taking a Baby Break? Having Issues with Maternity Leave?
Taking a Baby Break?
Have you had a difficult time receiving maternity leave?
Are you about to give birth to your second child within the last six years?
If so, email Red River United at redriverunited@redriverunited.
Discipline and Referrals – Know Your Rights
Discipline and Referrals – Know Your
Rights
Red River United has received numerous calls about appropriate student discipline and referrals. We understand the purpose behind increased student behavior modification, however no school should suppress teacher referrals if it negatively impacts instruction or safety. Ultimately, parish policy for progressive discipline should be followed regardless of whether you are in an academically unsuccessful or “zone” school”.
If you are concerned about school discipline, referrals, or the consistency and equality of these procedures please contact Red River United at redriverunited@redriverunited.
Lastly, it is imperative that all school employees know their rights when in comes to Assault & Battery on a school employee. See below for a short, must read article.
Louisiana Revised Statues 14:34.3,
14:38.2, 17:416A
According to state law —
“Assault on a school employee means an attempt to commit a battery, or intentionally placing the school employee in reasonable apprehension of receiving a battery, or making statements threatening physical harm to a school employee.”
The criminal definition of a battery is the intentional use of force or violence upon the person of another; or the intentional administration of a poison or other noxious liquid or substance to another. The civil definition of a battery is physical contact without the victim’s consent.
Louisiana Revised Statue 17:416 says that the student formally accused of committing a battery or an assault on any school employees:
- Must be suspended immediately and removed from the school premises without benefit of the usual initial suspension procedures.
- Cannot be considered for readmission to that school until all hearings and appeals associated with the alleged violations have been exhausted.
- After the student is found guilty, the student cannot return to the same school where the employee is located unless it is the only place where her/she can receive services.
What must support personnel do in these circumstances?
1. You must write a referral, which is the formal complaint. You may also press criminal charges, but this is not required.
2. You must turn in an accident report if you were the victim of a battery, or if you suffered emotional trauma if you were the victim of an assault. Be sure to clearly state the nature of the student’s act (such as — “The student punched me (battery),” or “The student committed an assault by making statements threatening me with physical harm (assault).”
3. You should absolutely contact Red River United — 318-424-4579.
What if you suffer physical or emotional injuries because of the assault or battery?
1. You must receive sick leave without reduction in pay or sick leave days. You must present a certificate from a physician certifying that you are disabled because of the assault or battery.
2. You have the right to press criminal charges against the person who committed the battery or the assault, but you are not required to do so.
3. You have the right to file a civil suit for money damages against the person who committed the assault or battery, (or against the parent / guardian, if the person is a minor – here learn about powers-santola.com service). But you are not required to do so.
What if the student is a special education student?
If the student is a special education student, there are state and federal laws and regulations that must be followed. Don’t be discouraged by this, just recognize that it becomes an IEP issue as well as a discipline matter. You still have the right to press criminal charges (unless the child has a disability that prevents him / her from understanding his/ her actions (such as some forms of autism). Call Red River United for help 318-424-4579.
What if the student is under ten years old?
You may still proceed with suspension and removal from class, but criminal authorities may decide only to prepare a report and not arrest the child.
Need Assistance
Call Red River United
318-424-4579
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All observations which will be scored MUST Be Announced — It’s the Law!!!
Observation and conferencing. The evaluator or evaluators of each teacher or administrator shall conduct a pre-observation conference during which the teacher or administrator shall provide the evaluator or evaluators with relevant information. A teacher shall provide information concerning the planning of the lesson to be observed as well as any other information the teacher considerspertinent. The observation shall occur at a time and place established in advance,shall be of sufficient duration to provide meaningful data which, in the case of a teacher, shall be not less than the duration of one complete lesson. In the case of a teacher, the observation shall be conducted using the components of effective teaching, as well as any additional local board criteria included in the job description. (page 13, lines 27-30 and page 14, lines 1-6 of Act 54 0f 2010)
No matter what you are being told, ANY observation which will be scored must be announced — that means a pre-observation conference must occur in which you and your observer discuss the lesson plan being evaluated. If this is not happening, they are in violation of the law. You have a right to rebut ALL Observations. Call Red River United immediately after receiving an observation result. You only have 15 business days to turn in a rebuttal (grievances must be fliled within 5 buisness days). Our mantra: SEE – SIGN – REBUT.
- You must be given a pre and post observation conference
- You must be evaluated for an entire lesson
- You must be given a post observation conference within 10 days of the observation
- You must be given a copy of the paperwork
- You and the evaluator must both sign and date the paperwork
- You always have a right to a rebuttal, regardless of the score
- You have 15 working days to respond to your evaluation
- Your rebuttal must remains affixed to your evaluation
- You have a right to request another evaluation (under certain conditions)
- You have the right to request another evaluator (under certain conditions)
Despite many claims to the contrary, educational professionals CAN earn a 4.0. There are a lot of factors, some highly subjective, that go into an evaluation. Don’t let yourself be burned by a poor evaluation. Red River United is here to help.
When Should You Be A Whistleblower?
When Should You Be A Whistleblower?
Red River United’s in-house attorney recommends prior to getting caught in an investigation, it is to your professional advantage to come forward and speak (privately) with legal counsel at Red Rive United. Too often we have seen professional reputations tarnished and jobs threatened when a person lacks representation, or seeks counsel late in an investigation. We will not tolerate illegal and unethical actions in the schools BUT you must speak up. Whistleblower protections cover an employee from retaliation.
• Grade changes
• Testing irregularities