Speak Up for Specialists! Vol. 39

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Speak Up for SPECIALISTS

June 2021 Vol. 39

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Where Things Stand

As we are hearing the details for elementary PE, Music and Library deployments, there is some progress in some areas. Some of the 1.0 and .8 FTE positions have been returned to one person and are no longer split. There are some openings available due to attrition and FTE appears to be going up overall (not sure about enrollment). There are also lingering problems.

Some 1.0 FTE positions that are still split between 2-3 staff members.
Tacoma Online has multiple staff members assigned to teach PE, Music and Library. TOL FTE has been used to keep staff from having to travel to other buildings. This is both good and bad.
Several staff members are traveling during the day, reducing student contact time.
At least one staff member is assigned to 3 different schools.
Schools with 20 or more homerooms need more than 1.0 FTE to be able to provide planning time for all staff. If more FTE is not provided this will not work according to our CBA.
The expectation from TPS is that staff can teach 9 classes a day, which is over 200 students per day. The maximum number of students/day for secondary certificated staff is around 150-165, depending on grade level.
There is at least one librarian who is the primary librarian for 2 schools (double work keeping up 2 libraries).
There is intentional inequity with staffing between buildings and between staff. Examples: 17 homerooms is between .8 and 1.0 FTE depending on the building. 1.0 FTE positions have workloads between 17 and 22 homerooms. Music and PE are not staffed at the same levels within a building, despite having the same caseloads.

We do NOT have a complete picture of next year's deployments yet. This is based on staff being willing to share their deployments. We will be asking TEA for a complete list of deployments (which TPS should provide, according to our CBA.), But in the meantime...

Please fill out the form below and add your information to the database.

If you've already filled out the form, thanks!

We will be using this data to continue to work for positive change.

Where Will You Be in September?

Scheduling Guidelines

Many of us have questions about the assertion that we can fit 9 classes in a workday, 7 on Wednesdays.

While not ideal or equitable in terms of student caseload, it is mathematically possible, but not on a daily basis. The schedule that Christa attached to the assignment email is short 5 minutes of planning daily.

In order to meet the CBA, it is possible to have 9 classes 2 days of the week (per 1.0 FTE). We must have 30 minutes of planning daily, but the other 20 minutes can be combined on another day. Here is a sample schedule.

Tacoma Online

Many of us have been assigned classes at TOL, with the idea that this will be a part of our regular schedule. While this enables us to stay in one building, there are questions about the logistics of this.

How will scheduling be coordinated?
Is planning for yet another prep included in this allocation?
Are these synchronous or asynchronous classes?

One Job, One Educator

Equitable Access to

Quality Instruction

Open Positions

While each of us has been given an assignment, things are still in flux. In addition to possible district-wide enrollment changes and potential changes in public health policy, there are some issues with current assignments which, if addressed, could cause a chain reaction of changes. If not addressed, inequities for staff and students will be intentionally continued.

We hope that because there is time to avoid these inequities and improve instruction for everyone, that these changes will occur. Be sure to keep checking the postings.

At the time of publication, and to the best of our knowledge, these are the open positions we know about. Contact Christa Erolin if you're interested in any of them before they are posted to the public.

DeLong .4 Wed/Thu

Downing .2 Mon

Fawcett .6 Tue/Wed/Thu

Franklin .6 Wed/Thu/Fri

Lister .8 Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri

McCarver .8 DeLong.2

Pt. Defiance .6 Tue/Wed/Fri

Sherman .6 Tue/Wed/Thu

Music

Arlington 1.0

Franklin .4 Wed/Thu

Larchmont .6 Tue/Wed/Fri

Lister 1.0

Mann .6 Wed/Thu/Fri

Reed .6 Tue/Wed/Thu (this may now be .8?)

Roosevelt .6 Tue/Wed/Thu

TPS Open Positions

Ask TEA to seek Clear Contract Language for Specialists

As TEA continues to work on behalf of only some members, many specialists have been asking themselves whether or not to continue their membership in TEA.

We hope that you will stick with TEA for one more year so that we can work within the union during the 2022 open bargain. This year we have increased specialist representation in TEA-RA and have raised awareness of the issues of equity that we face. Change takes time. If we are NOT members, there is even less reason for TEA to bargain for better working conditions for us.

Please contact the TEA executive board and urge them to work on adding these points to the contract.

One Job, One Educator. When this is not possible, co-teaching language should apply.
Staffing Formula -- How many classes support 1.0 FTE? This is an issue of equity and access to quality instruction for both students and staff.
Caseload limit --There needs to be one. Currently we can be asked to serve over 250 students in a single day. This is more than anyone in the district.