New High School Teacher Contract Times

[Anonymous]

Why do admins love meetings so much? Can't they just send emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do admins love meetings so much? Can't they just send emails.

It is a schedule filler. An email takes 10 minutes to write but a meeting is an hour. They have to submit schedules too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The key for success in teaching is flexibility.

As educators we are trained to approach instruction in such a way that all students can be reached no matter what their learning style.

Some have flexible seating. Many are willing to change due dates as they work on projects and nite that students need more time. Others realize that a student performs much better on assessments if questions are read to them.

This overly strict adherence to set contract times is an antithesis to flexibility. It makes teachers become mindless robots.

FCPS administration had better take a hard look at what they have wrought.

You’re joking right? If you’re upset by this, go talk to your union representative about the collective bargaining agreement YOU signed off on. FCPS administrators did not want this. YOU did. For months FCPS administrators have been told explicitly that work hours and work time are hands off because of the CBA. They have to follow it exactly or they will be grieved. There’s no more flexibility or “gift of time” or anything that would look like they’re not following the CBA.

You have every right to be pissed off. Change is hard. But, for the love of Pete, direct it at your union representatives and advocate for the change you want to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers in HS ever stay after school for study sessions and such or is that only in MS? Is that just done on teacher’s own time and not required if they do?

High school is supposed to stay after 1 day per week like middle school. It was always considered to fall under “other duties as assigned” in our contract. Unpaid, but “for the kids”.

With all the BS hall monitoring duty and forced contract hour stuff though, most of us have cut our after school time from 60/90 minutes to the 30 minutes after dismissal we are required to be there.

Middle School teachers are no longer required to stay past contract hours (nor any teacher). "Other duties as assigned" is supposed to be only for emergency situations or Back to School Night, not a regular duty.

None of our middle school teachers are staying this year once a week. I don't think the parents know yet (but admin does). It's going to be a rude awakening.

Can you cite the policy that states this?

Admin can hold staff for meetings twice a month for up to an hour each time.

I don't have the policy, I think it has been a clarification that Union reps have stated. The 2 faculty meetings a month (each up to an hour) outside contract hours has been in policy a long time.

Our (middle school) used to have once a month faculty meetings and once a month committee meetings (everyone was assigned a committee). Now that non-volunteer committees are gone (other than IEP and other legally mandated), we have two faculty meetings a month - one is all-staff and one is focused on a certain area led by an administrator, but most definitely "not a committee", even if it covers similar areas as the former committees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key for success in teaching is flexibility.

As educators we are trained to approach instruction in such a way that all students can be reached no matter what their learning style.

Some have flexible seating. Many are willing to change due dates as they work on projects and nite that students need more time. Others realize that a student performs much better on assessments if questions are read to them.

This overly strict adherence to set contract times is an antithesis to flexibility. It makes teachers become mindless robots.

FCPS administration had better take a hard look at what they have wrought.

You’re joking right? If you’re upset by this, go talk to your union representative about the collective bargaining agreement YOU signed off on. FCPS administrators did not want this. YOU did. For months FCPS administrators have been told explicitly that work hours and work time are hands off because of the CBA. They have to follow it exactly or they will be grieved. There’s no more flexibility or “gift of time” or anything that would look like they’re not following the CBA.

You have every right to be pissed off. Change is hard. But, for the love of Pete, direct it at your union representatives and advocate for the change you want to see.

Work times are 100% and admin decision. All the CBA says is that work days are 7.5 hours. Gatehouse knows teachers aren't going to show up at 8, so this new schedule ensures teachers are working longer days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have been told by their admin that this new set contract time is because of the collective bargaining agreement worked out by the combined unions. (FEU)

Teachers are told “you can come in as early as you care to but you must stay until the contract end time” - at many HS 3:30.

Students are told they must not come in before 7:45. No exceptions. And then when the weapon detectors are in place, go through them.

Teachers are frustrated and very unhappy.

Unions keep saying that they got the teachers a 6% raise -so hooray! But many ask at what expense?

Good. Too many teachers were waltzing out the door as soon as the kids left. There was no chance for a kid to even go get help or ask a question unless it was scheduled in advance. Now teachers have to stay after until 3:30 and I think that is ultimately better for the kids.

Ha ha ha ha ha! This is a hilarious take. Just because teachers are there until 330 doesn't mean they're opening their door to your kid to waltz in whenever they want during that time. If I worked at one of those schools, I'd close and lock my door, use the time to get my work done and be gone promptly at 330.

[Anonymous]

This year we are required to stay after once a week with kids until the end of contract hours. It used to be an hour.

The issue is any kid who rides a bus then has to sit somewhere for another 60-90 minutes until late buses come. I’m guessing kids just won’t stay since the amount of help they get won’t be enough to justify the wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why they changed the contract times for high school teachers? Depending on the school they were 7:30-3, 7:40-3:10, or 7:45-3:15. They are now 8-3:30. Teachers only have ten minutes to get ready for students in the morning. This is also going to put a lot of teachers coming into the school parking lot while students, busses, and parents are dropping their kids off.

It is the FCPS equivalent of when politicians vote in an unrealistic minimum wage increase, so the McDonald's cuts all hours by just enough so they are still paying everyone the exact same as they did before the raise.

This is the answer right here. Since administration has now been told they cannot have more than two after school meetings a month, they adjusted the hours so that staff has to stay 30 minutes after the kids leave and admin can sneak as many meetings as they want into that time without breaking the guidelines.

Teachers can still get there early like they always did in order to set up their room, beat traffic, and prepare for the day. HOWEVER, since the contract time now starts at 8 for schools where classes start at 810, what they need to do is leave their door closed and locked until that time. Admin is banking on teachers being nice and giving freely of their time like the always do. But now that they've been barred from doing that after school, they shifted that time suck to the front end of the day.

Or my school which had 0 after school meetings. But now requires 2 one-hour after school meetings every month. That just added 3 full work days and we didn’t even get our agreed upon pay increase.

They are not required to have two. It says up to two, which has always been the policy.

True. But they’ve been directed by the higher ups to stick to the contract precisely. So, the contract says they CAN do 2, so the bosses are making them do 2. If the union was worth anything, they would have renegotiated terms since the county didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain regarding the pay increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key for success in teaching is flexibility.

As educators we are trained to approach instruction in such a way that all students can be reached no matter what their learning style.

Some have flexible seating. Many are willing to change due dates as they work on projects and nite that students need more time. Others realize that a student performs much better on assessments if questions are read to them.

This overly strict adherence to set contract times is an antithesis to flexibility. It makes teachers become mindless robots.

FCPS administration had better take a hard look at what they have wrought.

You’re joking right? If you’re upset by this, go talk to your union representative about the collective bargaining agreement YOU signed off on. FCPS administrators did not want this. YOU did. For months FCPS administrators have been told explicitly that work hours and work time are hands off because of the CBA. They have to follow it exactly or they will be grieved. There’s no more flexibility or “gift of time” or anything that would look like they’re not following the CBA.

You have every right to be pissed off. Change is hard. But, for the love of Pete, direct it at your union representatives and advocate for the change you want to see.

Work times are 100% and admin decision. All the CBA says is that work days are 7.5 hours. Gatehouse knows teachers aren't going to show up at 8, so this new schedule ensures teachers are working longer days.

Your whining is tiresome. Go tell your union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key for success in teaching is flexibility.

As educators we are trained to approach instruction in such a way that all students can be reached no matter what their learning style.

Some have flexible seating. Many are willing to change due dates as they work on projects and nite that students need more time. Others realize that a student performs much better on assessments if questions are read to them.

This overly strict adherence to set contract times is an antithesis to flexibility. It makes teachers become mindless robots.

FCPS administration had better take a hard look at what they have wrought.

You’re joking right? If you’re upset by this, go talk to your union representative about the collective bargaining agreement YOU signed off on. FCPS administrators did not want this. YOU did. For months FCPS administrators have been told explicitly that work hours and work time are hands off because of the CBA. They have to follow it exactly or they will be grieved. There’s no more flexibility or “gift of time” or anything that would look like they’re not following the CBA.

You have every right to be pissed off. Change is hard. But, for the love of Pete, direct it at your union representatives and advocate for the change you want to see.

I thought the above post about flexibility was from a parent, not teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key for success in teaching is flexibility.

As educators we are trained to approach instruction in such a way that all students can be reached no matter what their learning style.

Some have flexible seating. Many are willing to change due dates as they work on projects and nite that students need more time. Others realize that a student performs much better on assessments if questions are read to them.

This overly strict adherence to set contract times is an antithesis to flexibility. It makes teachers become mindless robots.

FCPS administration had better take a hard look at what they have wrought.

You’re joking right? If you’re upset by this, go talk to your union representative about the collective bargaining agreement YOU signed off on. FCPS administrators did not want this. YOU did. For months FCPS administrators have been told explicitly that work hours and work time are hands off because of the CBA. They have to follow it exactly or they will be grieved. There’s no more flexibility or “gift of time” or anything that would look like they’re not following the CBA.

You have every right to be pissed off. Change is hard. But, for the love of Pete, direct it at your union representatives and advocate for the change you want to see.

Work times are 100% and admin decision. All the CBA says is that work days are 7.5 hours. Gatehouse knows teachers aren't going to show up at 8, so this new schedule ensures teachers are working longer days.

Your whining is tiresome. Go tell your union.

DP. I see no whining in the above post.

Are you an admin, “tell your union” PP? Just curious, as your posts seem defensive.

[Anonymous]

The post referred to WAS written by a parent! A former teacher! The comment to “go to your union rep to complain - you voted for them” is silly. Know that not everyone joins the union. It is not mandatory in VA. Find the actual numbers of members! You would be shocked!
However the leaders of the FEU maintain that the strict adherence to the contract times is not part of the CBA. It is strictly administration. They are correct.