The Martin County Education Association

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MCEA in Action

Mission Statement

MCEA is a not-for-profit professional teachers’ organization designed to advocate the advancement of a free public education for all; to empower and advance professional growth for educators; and to engage our members and our community in order to ensure that our students learn and succeed in a diverse world.

Mark Your Calendars!

Our next Negotiation Session is scheduled for Monday, November 25, 2013, at 4:30 PM. Your attendance is SO important! This should not be a very long meeting. We have to keep this momentum going!

Just an FYI - we only had about 40 teachers at tonight's meeting and the district team was counting. We need to pack the room - one more time.

November 16 Negotiaiton Update

Members,
First of all thank you to all of teachers who filled the board room this morning to watch negotiations! The team was pleasantly surprised!!! We understand how hard it is to give up a Saturday morning. As of right now, 12:47 Saturday afternoon, your team is here at the MCEA office looking over the district proposal and planning for the next session on Thursday, November 21, at 4:30pm.
The district brought forward a salary proposal today that is more in line with the expectations of MCEA. In brief, There is a Transition Schedule that would be used for the placement of new hires only. This provides for a $575 value between steps. Then there is a Movement of Existing Employees to Placement Scale that adds approximately $2000 to each step. The district did specify that there would be no requirement to surrender PSC/CC under this plan for 13-14. Those who currently receive the 6% salary supplement for advanced degrees ( Masters, Specialist, Doctorate) would be frozen at the current amount. Therefore, what you are getting for that degree now would no longer increase each year it would stay the same for the duration of your employment with MCSD.
Projections for 14-15 and 15-16 were given for illustrative purposes not as proposals. During those years salary adjustments for Grandfathered and Performance Pay Employees would be contingent upon available budget and not automatically guaranteed. Cost of Living % increases would also be subject to available budget dollars.
The district still wants to cut back the supplements for the Western Zone which would result in those 111 teachers receiving no increase on the Movement of Existing Employees to Placement Scale. Rest assured MCEA will never agree to that language. Those teachers work with a particularly challenged demographic and achieve amazing results. This is why the district wanted them to get these supplements to start with many years ago. MCEA maintains that the situation has not changed, therefore the supplement needs to continue.
We are certainly closer to settling than we were before, but we still have issues to iron out. As mentioned above, we will be back at the table on Thursday, November 21, at 4:30 pm and look forward to seeing you there! The presence of teachers today certainly had an impact!!!
You are more powerful than you think!!
Pam Kessler, MCEA President

November 12 General Meeting Documents

PowerPoint Presentation

FAQs Updated November 16, 2013

GENERAL MEETING SCHEDULED

If you haven't seen the announcement on the school email regarding the General Meeting, you might not be aware that it will take the place of the rep meeting next Tuesday. It is being held in the cafeteria at Hidden Oaks Middle School at 4:30pm. Cookies and drinks will be provided. The Executive Board felt that there is so much misinformation about salary proposals that it would be beneficial to hold a General Meeting. This is open to everyone in the bargaining unit regardless of membership in MCEA. Please encourage all of your teachers to attend. We will be presenting a program that includes the pros/cons and future impacts of both proposals.

We will publish the ChalkTalk after the November 16 negotiations session and send it out to your school sites via the Pony. I will let you know when to look for it.

Our next rep meeting will be December 10 and we will have our traditional holiday event! The Executive Board and I look forward to seeing you at the General Meeting and hope that this event will make your jobs as MCEA leaders easier. Hang tough!
Pam

November 1 Negotiations Update

Members,
The following is a summary of the November 1 negotiations session written by Karen Resciniti. I'd like to thank her for a great job of capturing the essence of the meeting.

On Friday, November 1st, your MCEA negotiations team met with the District for the 3^rd session of 2013/14 contract negotiations. It was evident that the district team was relieved that there were only about fifty teachers in attendance. Board member, Rebecca Negron, was also present. The session lasted for approximately 2 ½ hours. It was a heated session. Minus a few language issues, proposed by MCEA and seemingly amenable to the district team, we are at a standstill with the issue of salary and a new salary schedule. In a nut shell, the district does not want a clear schedule-- in other words, no transparency. Read on!

The session started with a presentation by Director of Finance, Helene DiBartolomeo. It was an overview of the Fund balance status, including projections of expenditures and revenue. Although the audit is not yet complete, the projected fund balance shows a shortfall somewhere around $500k. She provided a breakdown of "functions" showing the projections. DiBartolomeo was questioned regarding various scenarios of the Restricted, Committed and Non-spendable accounts, specifically as it pertained to projections with expenditures and revenues. MCEA also requested a copy of the final audit which should be forthcoming. Kim Sabol questioned Helene about the district's ability to hide or shift around funds. Ms. DiBartolomeo assured the audience that it could not be done. So, the district does not have any more money to add to the Gov. Scott TEACHER salary raises. This little tidbit of information could be interesting when things are finally settled.

As far as the salary schedule is concerned, the district's amended proposal of $2,100 for all teachers, regardless of employment status and evaluative rating, is respectable. However, this is only for this year. In order to get this $2,100 MCEA has to agree to a total restructuring of how teachers are paid. There will only be a "launching pad" for new hires but not a regular salary schedule for personnel already employed by the district. It is the district’s intent to do away with any type of regular salary schedule. No one will be able to "see" where they (or anyone else for that matter) are situated financially nor be able to easily project their monetary growth in the future. Each “salary schedule” will be individual. Each teacher will have to keep track of their salary and any increases each year and hope that the district is calculating correctly. How exactly will any salary increases be calculated? Well, the district has come up with an algebraic formula to facilitate this....Actually the district tooted that the algebraic formula was originally developed and is being used by the #1 district in Florida, St. John's County. MCEA quickly squashed that piece of information, stating that it has been thrown out! So the county that originally developed the algebraic concept scrapped it when their teachers protested!! I believe the district’s negotiations team was in shock that they were not privy to this "recent" development. Nevertheless, the district is insistent that we use this "orphaned" plan of St. Johns. They further stated that three other districts were going to implement it. We only know for sure that one county, Wakulla, has adopted it. For some reason, the other 64 counties are not so impressed! Hmmm....

MCEA responded that a salary schedule was, in fact, necessary in order to cost things out from year to year. Dianne Falvo further stated, "The teachers want a clear schedule"! They want the MCEA proposal!” (Negron was taking notes...) The district informed us that there was another Executive Session scheduled for November 5th. The proposals for both sides will be presented.

** Somewhere in all this salary schedule discussion, Kim asked if MCEA took into account administrative raises and AFSCME from the Governor’s money in our proposal. Dianne gave a definitive, "NO!" MCEA does not bargain for administration nor AFSCME. It is not what our members pay for. Sabol insinuated that MCEA was being greedy in leaving out the others. Kim stated that other districts are giving raises to AFSCME and administration as well. MCEA said that perhaps they are, but the money is coming out of the districts' coffers--not necessarily out of the Governor's money and certainly not being bargained for by the teachers' union... Silence is golden!

** Some administrators are thinking they are getting $3,400...Hmmm, I don't think they got the district's amended proposal! An MCEA team member asked for clarification--Does the dollar amount of $2,100 stand for administration as well? The answer was that it would be $2,100 for all teachers and administrators.

There are a few other language/salary issues at hand:

Western Zone Supplement- MCEA rejected the District's amended proposal for cutting the WZS. Dianne stated that the quality of teachers in place is the reason for the schools' success. Reducing their supplement could cause movement of personal. The team stressed the necessity to keep the supplements as is.

Advanced degree supplements- The district proposed to reduce these supplements. MCEA team members argued that reducing supplemented for advanced degrees, in an educational institution, is hypocritical. Furthermore, those with advanced degrees will leave and go to other districts, where higher education is valued! In addition, the point was made that our district will be less attractive than other districts across the state; it will be more difficult to attract critical needs teachers with high credentials. The district MUST think about the impact of their proposal and its long term effect on the district and our students.

So, will the district maintain a salary schedule as demanded by the teachers' bargaining unit??? Will administration and AFSCME get a raise?? If so, where will the money come from as the district says there is no additional money to be found in the fund balance?? Will the district reduce the supplements for WZ and for Advanced Degrees?? Stay tuned....Same BAT time, same BAT channel.....

NEXT NEGOTIATIONS SESSION SCHEDULED FORNOV. 16TH AT 10:00 AM IN THE SCHOOL BOARD ROOM....BE THERE!!

October 22, 2013 Negotiation Documents

MCEA Salary Proposal

MCEA Salary Concept

Appendix B

Martin County AFR

DISTRICT'S PROPOSAL

October 22 Negotiations Update

Members,
If you were unable to join us at negotiations yesterday you missed an interesting exchange. The session began with contract language regarding the calendar and moving Workdays around. MCEA is still unclear on exactly what the proposal is and asked for a draft calendar so that we could more readily see the implications of the changes. Then the district asked to make an amended salary proposal even though it should have been MCEA's turn to present ours. We were told that the first proposal from the district was no longer valid and they needed to make the new presentation first. The new presentation was given by Kathie Ritch of Payroll. She explained some of the guidelines on the use of the Governor's money. The actually salary proposal was to give each teacher $2103.00 raise and along with that would come the old proposal ( exchanging psc/cc for a raise) for next year. There would be no assurance of teachers receiving steps from year to year, no guarantee that there would be money next year or in the future. Teachers were reprimanded by Kim Sabol for reacting to the districts proposal.
Dianne Falvo presented for MCEA the proposal for a schedule that included "fractional steps." Please see the MCEA website for the details of that schedule along with the districts. Both should be there by 8:00pm today. MCEA called for a caucus and President Pam Kessler answered questions from the teachers who were present. An informal survey was done with the attending teachers regarding their initial response to both proposals. The MCEA's schedule was unanimously supported by the group. Our proposal was to be presented to the school board in Executive Session today at 8:00am by Kim Sabol. Many teachers voiced concern about her ability to accurately explain our proposal. MCEA explained that it was not something we could attend, but two school board , Marsha Powers and Rebecca Negron were present at the session. Hopefully they will be able to enlighten the other board members. When the district team returned there were some clarifications offered, requests for information and times and dates set for the next session.
Currently the next session is set for November 1 at 5:00 pm. As usual this is open to the public and we encourage everyone to put this on your calendar and plan to be there.

A BIG THANK YOU!!!

Members!!! You are amazing!!!!

Last week's rally was fantastic. There were approximately 250 in attendance that walked from Memorial Part to the front of the School Board Office. There the crowd waved signs, got drivers to honk for teachers, and put the final touches on speeches.

At 5:15 pm everyone moved into the School Board Room and filled all of the seating that was available, lined the walls, stood in the hallway and in the lobby. The teachers that spoke during Open to the Public gave amazing speeches that were well prepared, factual, and delivered professionally. MCEA would like to thank each one of the speakers listed below for stepping out of their comfort zone and taking a risk by speaking out publicly in support of thgeir colleagues.

Standing in front of your employer and telling them what they are doing wrong takes passion and intestinal fortitude.

A HUGE Thank You goes out to:

* Robert Hall

* Natalie Walters

* Amy Robertson

* Terry Dooley

* Linda Montessi

* Marcia Scheppler

* Donna Jacobson

* Nancy Clark

* Joy Dorman

* Carol Roberts

* Deb Warmuskerken

* Tom Pelly

* Linda Stitely

* Lucinda Swinehart

* Susan Lockhart

* George Bittenbender

* Pat Chen for Vanessa Little

Letter from your MCEA President.

Members,

Many of you have expressed your outrage at the information that Eve Samples brought to light in her column on Sunday in the Stuart news. Well I hope so!!! I would like to correct one of the points made by Mr. DiTerlizzi. He pointed out that teachers are expected to get a boost from raises proposed by Gov. Rick Scott. That is not the proposal that the district brought to the negotiating table last week. Instead they proposed a pay for performance schedule that would only boost the salaries of teachers that are willing to give up their professional services contract!!! They did not offer to give teachers across the board raises as did St. Lucie and West Palm. Either he doesn't know how he has directed his negotiating team or the team isn't telling the board!

Please note also, that those board members willing to give up the raise were willing to do so ... for a year! Nice!!!

So bottom line is they are all getting a 3.8% raise and Martin County teachers have never gotten a 3.8% raise!! This should infuriate you!!! Do something about it!!!

This is why unions exist!!! We have to stand together and demand we receive what we have earned!

Do all of the below:

1. Write to the school board.( they all have email addresses in the Address Book at your work site. Email it to your home address and mail from there!)

2. Send a letter to the Editor of the Stuart News. ( address on the website and in newspaper)

3. Write to Eve Samples and explain how you feel and how this impacts you!!! ( address on the website and in newspaper)

Don't be the victim and just complain!!!

You are MCEA, do something!

Pam Kessler

Proud President MCEA