Tacoma Specialists
news & updates
September 2020 Vol. 10 View previous issues 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Speak Up for SPECIALISTS NOW!
Take Action

Many of us are hesitant to make a stink when everything is in chaos. We are all stretched to the breaking point, scrambling to make things work. We're nice people who care about each other, and we're tired --- but now is the time for action.

When the smoke clears we need to have one educator in charge of one program wherever possible, and where not possible, there should be the possibility of co-teaching or at least the possibility of collaboration.This will greatly improve the quality of instruction, and will ease scheduling difficulties across the district.

With the myriad of impending schedule and infrastructure changes, this is the ideal time to make this change which will improve the safety, quality, and equity of instruction for students, teachers, and families.

Overloaded classes must be leveled by
September 29.

Staff redeployments must happen by
October 15th.

There is also talk of a rapid shift from remote learning to hybrid during this window.

Specialist redeployment is an easy fix in comparison to all of the work that needs to happen.

Encourage your administrators and union to make this change now so that we are not left sifting through the ashes of our programs, but can instead rise from this experience renewed.

Contact Christa Erolin and Forrest Griek, and your principals TODAY!
SAFETY FIRST!
Plans for transitioning to the Hybrid model are being accelerated.
Here's one point of view, and an excerpt from a letter to Dr. Chen at the Tacoma/Pierce Co. Health Dept. and the TPS Board of Directors.

As a parent I am concerned about my child being in school 4 days a week. As a staff member I am concerned about my colleagues.

I have grave concerns about Tacoma School District's plan to possibly reopen schools around September 28th. At this point as a staff member, I have received very limited information about what has been done in schools to prepare for students other than wear a mask and remove extra furniture. Staff had a video training on COVID and that's it. There are no clear protocols for students. We have classes that are 25-31 students per teacher and rooms that cannot fit those students with 6 ft distancing. How have the ventilation systems been updated? My classroom varied from 40-86 degrees last year in the middle of December. There is not proper ventilation in my classroom and I know that my situation is not unique. Are we supposed to just be sacrificial lambs, even though TPS is NOT following all the guidelines from TPCHD? Teachers, students and families are dying around the country after premature returns to school. What is the rush?

I am totally willing to go back to school and put my children in school when the Tacoma School District office and the School Board are in person, and the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department is fully open, demonstrating that it is truly safe.

Your circumstances and point of view may be different. We encourage you to share your thoughts on the transition with us, and also with your administrators, union reps, and the public. The union will be discussing transition issues at their Tuesday night meeting.

Click below for contact information.
Bargaining continues. We are still wondering:

Will we continue to be 100% virtual when we transition to the Hybrid model?

Will we be teaching our content area during the Hybrid model?

If deployments are going to be re-evaluated when we are face to face, why not do it now?

What is the school score and how was it used for specialists’ assignments?

Why are there such different schedules and teaching plans for specialists at different schools?

What about the inequity between specialists regarding student load?

What happened to K-3 funding? How is it being used?

Are Tacoma Online students enrolled in specialists classes?

Do you have questions?

Working for Solutions

After three grueling days of overwhelming, sometimes contradictory inservice and technological struggles it has become even more clear that yes, everyone is stressed and there are a lot of things we don’t know, can’t do anything about, and are nobody’s fault.

It's at this point that we need to start looking for things that we CAN fix.

Specialist redeployment is one of those things than can be changed to make a positive impact on students, and staff.

Changing assignments so that one school is the responsibility of one educator wherever possible reduces risk of infection, streamlines scheduling, and increases the quality of instruction across the district.

Peeling this layer of stress off the top of the already sizeable number of troubles we are all experiencing would help more than just specialist educators.

What CAN you do?
What can you help others see that they CAN do?

  • Ask your administrators to act on this issue.
  • Ask your union to address the issues surrounding this problem.
  • Represent your building staff and specialists across the district by being a TEA rep.
  • Focus on what you CAN do.
Specialists Represent!
Thanks to Matt Wood, Steve Johnson, Penny Cramer, Maggie Ross, Michael Caldwell, Rhianna Bedient, Roxane Hreha ...
for representing their building staff and specialists across the district. Please let us know if you are also a TEA specialist representative.
Contact Christa Erolin and Forrest Griek, and your principals TODAY! to help them understand the advantages of consistent instruction. Deadlines are approaching, so get this important information to the decision-makers in time to make a difference.
If you receive a reply, please share it with tacomaspecialists@gmail.com to keep everyone informed of developments.
Advice From Human Resources
When there is a perceived issue from the point of view of the specialist, then the following protocol exists to ensure a timely response and remedy:
 
  1. Discuss with principal. If there is no resolution, then;
  2. The specialist and the principal work with level director. If there is no resolution, then;
  3. The concern is escalated to Human Resources and discussed with union leadership or during a labor management meeting.
You're invited to share your concerns
"Please communicate your concerns directly to myself or Christa Erolin. It is important that labor issues are addressed through the proper channels that the Union and District have established. This insures that concerns are addressed in a timely manner and the communication from both the Union and the District are in alignment."
 
Please feel free to call or email me directly if you have any questions.
 
Know Your Contract
Flawed Staffing Formula
The district has not done their homework on how many classes will fit into a school day.
Staffing levels are inequitable within buildings and across the district.
TPS uses a "school score" to determine need across the district. The score is determined using socio-economic factors, test scores, and various other indicators. Moving resources to where they are most needed makes sense. Is that what happened here?
*This document is dated 6/22/2020, but we are told it was used in making deployment decisions in May.
Instruction
Specialists and students are being set up to fail. Many teachers will be starting the school year doing distance lessons with students they have never met and who they might see once a week.
Where is Everybody?

Click below to see how your school and schools across the district will be impacted. Current as of 7/23
If you would like more information on how you can help advocate for our students and Music, PE and Library educators, please click to add yourself to our advocacy group.
A council representing PE, Music, and Library have been meeting to gather information, rally support and determine next steps for solving district-wide Safety, Quality and Equity issues for specialist programs, students, and staff.

Click below to join our mailing list and be kept in the loop as the situation evolves.
Your information will not be shared without your permission.
Please include your:
Name, Building (any you have connections with), and Role (Staff Position, Parent, Citizen, Student)
Tacoma Specialists Advocacy Council
Maggie Ross - Music: Fernhill, Franklin
Matt Wood - PE: Stafford
Megan Oberfield - Music: Browns Point, Lister
Michael Caldwell -PE: DeLong, Crescent Heights
Paula Greuling - Music: Birney, Roosevelt
Penny Cramer - Music: Sherman, Jefferson
Rod Huskey - Music: Boze
Roxane Hreha - Music: Whitman, Franklin
Steve Johnson - PE: Lowell, Fawcett