Dear Santa, Message from Pres Sasanecki (remix from Dec 2020)
Once again, the educators in Springfield have been very good this year, just as we are every year! Even through these unprecedented times during the COVID 19 shut down of the entire world we continued to plunge ahead. We continue to work hard every day, very often many of us work through the nights and weekends just like your elves. We continue to do more with less, we meet the endless and useless demands that are made of us, and we continue to educate and care for our students and families all year long!
This year our wish list is short, just as it was last year All we are asking for this year from our school committee members is retention bonuses from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds that have been made available to the Springfield School Department. “For all of our worthy members who have ensured that the students in our school system have been able to be educated on an ongoing basis over the past 20 months. Our members have kept the schools healthy and safe; made sure that children are safe going to and from school; provided millions of meals; ensured that over 30,000 students and staff have workable computers; have supported educators; have taught remotely and in person; provided medical care while taking on COVID testing; and handled calls from families for 25,000 children and their families through this unprecedented time” (taken from a letter recently submitted by all of the unions representing SPS employees to School Committee members)
Thanks Santa, on behalf of our educators and beyond!!
May you all have a restful, joyful and wonderful holiday break!! Happy New Year's!!!
Tracy Little-Sasanecki
President of the SEA
Know Your Contract
One of the most asked questions is, “Can administration tell me what to do during my prep?” To answer this question, we must look at the two and one half contracts in place today. They are:
1. The “Standard” contract which covers most of SPS
2. Level; IV agreement which covers only those schools under the “Standard” contract who have been designated as such (the terminology has changed at the state level, but Level IV contract differences have not).
3. The SEZP contract which covers the “Zone”
Standard contract:
Under Article 5 of the standard contract, most educators are guaranteed a MINIMUM of forty minutes of prep, on a DAILY basis. So, every day you have a prep scheduled. Under certain circumstances driven by the building schedule, the guarantee is a MINIMUM of 200 minutes per WEEK. The only school that currently qualifies for the latter is Central High School. Central’s building schedule is different than all other schools under the standard contract. Its schedule satisfies the contract language to veer from the daily prep. This contract specifies that prep time is to be determined by the educator – no one can tell you what to prep, how to prep, etc. There is one caveat: once a week administration can tell you WHERE to prep, but still cannot direct your activities or request a product. If your prep time is taken for class coverage, IEP meetings, or other emergency situations, you will be compensated for that time.
Level IV language:
Level IV language allows administration to direct 2 of the 5 daily prep periods, NOT 3, not 4, not 5. All else regarding prep is the same as the standard contract.
SEZP contract:
The SEZP contract states, in Article 24, that educators “…be afforded regular preparatory time during their work week.” This can include common planning time and PD. For those of you in the Zone, you must read your School Operational Plan to determine if your school has written into its working conditions, more specific prep language. Examples would be agreements to have daily prep periods of a certain duration, totally teacher-determined work, compensation if the prep is taken, etc.
My advice to those of you in the Zone, is to make sure your Teacher Leadership Team is fighting for unencumbered prep of sufficient time that is equitably distributed for all Unit A staff.
If you believe your prep is being usurped, please reach out to me.
Peter J. Reese
Professional Relations Associate, SEA
413-297-3031
Upcoming Winter-Spring SEA/MTA Deadlines
By-law changes are due to the By-Laws committee by January 15, 2022. A copy of the bylaws are available here. Any proposed changes may be sent to [email protected] with by-law change in the subject line. Members are welcome to call the SEA office and speak to Tracy about any ideas they have about changing the bylaws, prior to written submission.
Massachusetts Teacher Association (MTA) Annual Meeting and the National Education Association Representative Assembly self nominations will be due on February 10, 2022. The forms will be posted on the website on January 13, 2022.
The MTA Annual Meeting will be held in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center on Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st. The SEA will pay for a shared room on Friday night, mileage, self-parking and meals.
The Annual Meeting, generally with more than 1,000 delegates present, provides an amazing opportunity to experience the democratic process at work.
Delegates to the Annual Meeting vote on the budget and resolutions, approve new business items and changes to the bylaws, and elect representatives to the MTA Board (including the President and Vice President of the MTA). Most delegates are elected by their local members. In addition, there are statewide retiree and regional ethnic minority delegates. SEA members and retirees are also encouraged to run for those positions. The deadline for submitting nomination forms for the retiree and regional ethnic minority seats is January 14, 2022. The forms can be found here: MTA Governance Structure (massteacher.org)
All members are welcome to self-nominate. Whether you are in your 1st year or 27th year of teaching, you will find the Annual meeting to be an opportunity to get to know other SEA members and work together to make decisions that will impact our work lives and our students’ lives for years to come. Examples of Business items that SEA has proposed and advocated for that have led to the MTA pushing for changes in state policy are:
1) Changing the funding formula for state support to poor districts that led to the passing of the Student Opportunity Act in 2019 which, it is estimated, will increase the amount of additional state funding the district gets by $180 million/year by 2027, and
2) Developing an alternative pathway for licensure that will eliminate the barriers for educators of color that currently exist. This is a work in progress. The Annual Meeting decision made this a priority for MTA governance and policy staff. The issue is being dealt with both in legislation filed this year and in committee work at DESE.
The NEA Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly
The Representative Assembly (RA) takes place during the final four days of the Annual Meeting usually over the 4th of July holiday. It is the primary legislative and policy making body of the Association and derives its powers from, and is responsible to, the membership. As of this writing, the location of the 2022 meeting is to be determined, with the Representative Assembly happening on July 2 - 6. Delegates are reimbursed for their expenses by the MTA and SEA. Delegates vote by secret ballot on proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. Those delegates with full voting rights elect the executive officers, Executive Committee members, and at-large members of the NEA Board of Directors, as appropriate.
The SEA office accepts nominations for the NEA RA at the same time as it accepts nominations for the MTA annual Meeting. There are also MTA regional and statewide delegate possibilities. The deadline for those nominations is January 14, 2022 at 5pm. The information is located here: MTA Governance Structure (massteacher.org)
SEA College Scholarships
The SEA offers seven scholarships each year. It is not too early to be thinking about deserving seniors who may be able to take advantage of one of our scholarships!
- The Joan Cormack Scholarship is available to any Springfield public high school seniors or graduates who are currently enrolled in a college or university with a good academic record, having no less than a 2.8 GPA. One $1,000 scholarship is available.
- The Meline Kasparian Scholarship is available to relatives of SEA members who are seniors or who are currently enrolled in a college or university. Five $1,000 scholarships are available.
- The Peter Dupuis scholarship is available to graduating seniors at a Springfield Public Alternative High School who will continuing their education or training. One $1,000 scholarship is available.
Watch for details in future updates. Applications are usually due mid-March and will be available on our website - seateachers.com
Making Your SPS Experience On-line More Secure
A message from the IT Department: Additional Security for your SPS Account
In the new year, the IT Department will be enabling a new security feature on your SPS account called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). You have probably used a feature like this if you engage in online banking or shopping. Periodically, when signing into your email, OneDrive, or Office365, you will be prompted to enter a verification code that will be sent to you via text message, phone app notification, or personal email account. You will most often be prompted if you are accessing your account from a different device or from a different location.
The purpose of this feature is to protect you, your password, and your files from hacking and phishing scams. With this feature, if your password becomes compromised, the attacker still won’t be able to access your account because they won’t receive the verification code.
Before this feature is enabled you will have to set up your verification method.
You will be able to choose from:
1) receiving a text message on your cell phone;
2) using an authenticator app on a smartphone; and,
3) receiving an email to a personal email address. Importantly, you will be able to log onto your SPS computer, without a verification code, to access your personal email account and receive the code.
The dates for this change have not been determined, but the IT Department will send multiple messages after the first of the year and you will have three or four weeks to set up your verification method before MFA is turned on. The IT Department will provide instructions on how to set up your verification method.
New COVID REPORTING PROCESS
(Updated 11-29-21)
There are now two different reporting processes for reporting COVID related illness and close contact.
There is a new process for reporting when:
1) an employee is designated as an out-of-school close contact, or
2) an employee becomes symptomatic for COVID when not at school.
There continues to be the old process for when:
1) an employee is designated a close contact at school, or
2) an employee becomes symptomatic for COVID while at school.
Both processes are covered below.
The new process is related to COVID-19 reporting processes and forms required when an SPS employee becomes symptomatic or designated as an out of-school close contact. Specifically, the change requires staff to self-report to Human Resources using the forms (on the SEA website, emailed to all staff, or available from Human Resources) if they become symptomatic out-of-school or are designated as an out-of-school close contact.
Previously, school-based nurses were responsible for completing those forms for the employee and submitting them to Human Resources.
Please note, the only change at this time is the employee self-reporting requirement in the cases of becoming symptomatic or designated as an out-of- school contact.
All other reporting procedures remain the same. As a reminder, both the new and old reporting processes are listed below.
• If you become COVID-19 positive: report immediately to your principal/supervisor
- Submit a copy of the COVID-19 test result to principal/supervisor along with the best phone number to contact you at.
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The principal/supervisor is to submit your name, number, and positive test report to the SPS Contact Tracing Mailbox [email protected] if after/hours or holidays, or the school nurse if during the school day.
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A nurse will follow up with you to complete a HR Positive COVID19 report and
provide isolation guidelines and building specific contact tracing.
- Notify principal/supervisor of absence
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Submit this form to your principal/supervisor and to [email protected]
- A human resource representative will follow up with next steps and be available for guidance.
• If you are designated a close contact in the community* complete the Self-Report of
- Notify principal/supervisor
-
Submit this form to your principal/supervisor and to [email protected]
- A human resource representative will follow up with next steps and be available for guidance.
*close contact in the community is defined as being on the infected person’s close contact list and having a letter from DPH designating you as a close contact based on the infected person’s reporting.
• If you are designated a close contact in school by the school nurse
- School nurse will follow up with you to complete a HR in school close contact report and provide quarantine and possible testing guidelines
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School nurse will submit this form principal/supervisor and to: [email protected]
If you have any questions on how to obtain the required documentation requested, submit concern to the [email protected] mailbox.
