Please Take SAISD 2011 Budget Crisis Survey

Since January, the SAISD administration and school board have been discussing what cuts will have to be made to the district budget due to the state funding crisis. The administration estimates the district will need to make around $52 million in cuts. To date, the Board has approved approximately $20 million in cuts. So, the administration and Board still need to find around $32 million more in cuts. The Alliance, in conjunction with its state affiliates, will continue to fight at the state level to minimize the cuts. While that fight continues, the district has to determine how best to proceed. In conversation with Alliance leaders, many of you have noted that you would be willing to make some sacrifice to help address the budget crisis. Please click here to take the survey

Survey: Should Teachers Be Allowed to Use FMAs as a Grade?

In ongoing discussions in Consultation and in the SAISD Policy and Procedures Committee, whether or not to count FMAs for a grade has been much discussed. Discussion in Consultation favored allowing the FMAs to count as a grade. Reasons included: kids don’t take things seriously that “don’t count;” some of the FMAs are lengthy and yet students don’t get any credit for them; FMAs are supposed to be based on district curriculum; FMAs are not any different than when teachers do assessments/monitoring via questioning, teacher-made quizzes, etc.; and FMAs assess student understanding rather than diagnosing. Please click here to take the survey.

Alliance President Addresses Administration's Proposed Budget Cuts with School Board

On January 11, 2011, Alliance President, Shelley Potter spoke to the SAISD School Board about Administration's proposed budget cuts.

Alliance Seeks Employee Input on Budget Cuts

The Alliance requests that you and your fellow coworkers take the time to fill out a survey. In January, the SAISD Administration brought forth a proposal to the SAISD School Board citing proposed budget cuts. The Alliance wants YOUR input on the things you would cut in the district to save money. Be as specific as possible with your examples. To fill out the survey, please visit http://tinyurl.com/25hb6vn.

SAISD Administration Proposes Potential Budget Cuts

As most of you know by now, there have been numerous School Board meetings regarding possible budget cuts in the district.  As always, your Alliance leaders were present at these meetings and spoke on your behalf. Read More.

State Budget Proposals Could Cut Thousands of Local Jobs

The budgets proposed by the 82nd Texas Legislature would cut thousands of jobs from Bexar County schools, and pull hundreds of millions of dollars from area districts, according to the bills' opponents.  Area leaders are calling upon the state government to look for other revenue options to help lessen the impact of the proposed cuts. Read More Budget Proposals Could Cut Thousands of Local Jobs - JT Street

2011 Legislative Session

The 2011 Texas legislative session began on Tuesday January 11. As the session continues, the Alliance encourages all Alliance members to sign up for e-Activist notifications from the Texas AFL-CIO. For those that already receive the notification, please return to the website to fill out contact information so that the Texas AFL-CIO can touch base with you as labor issues arise. To sign up, go to www.texasalfcio.org and enter the “sign up” box on the upper right side of the page. For those who already have signed up, please log in and add the contact information that is requested. As always, the use of the list is limited to issue of importance to the labor movement.

Don't Make Local Control an Excuse to Pass the Buck

The Legislature's budgetary choices during its upcoming session will be super-tough, but lawmakers must not pass the basic responsibility for educational quality to underfunded school districts. The temptation for more legislative buck-passing under the guise of “local control” will be strong, thanks to a revenue shortfall that could exceed $20 billion and a statehouse aversion to higher taxes. The Senate Education Committee has released an interim report advocating more local control, and some superintendents have been quoted in news articles requesting a relaxation of state mandates. Read More.

Don't Cut Kids Out April 2nd Rally: Educators & Parents Take a Stand!

The Texas House of Representatives’ budget cuts $30,000 out of every classroom. What do you think they will cut first? As the Texas Legislature puts the jobs of 100,000 Texas teachers and educators on the line, they put the future of our children on the line. It’s time to send a message: Texas teachers and parents won’t be ignored! Join the Alliance and the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) Saturday April 2, 2011 from 10:30am - 12:30pm and Brackenridge High School and take a stand for education! Click here to watch the video.

Special School Board Meeting to Discuss Privatization this Thursday January 27th

Join members of our SAISD community and "Say NO to Privatization" at Thursday's Special Called Board meeting to discuss privatization. The meeting will take place at Fox Tech High School at 5:30pm. If you are wanting to speak, please arrive a little before 5:30pm to sign up for "Citizen's Presentations". You will be limited to three minutes.

Where to Cut? Texas Lawmakers Target Government Workers, Teachers

The new year could bring big changes to state laws. Fewer government workers, fewer teachers, and fewer registrations of sex offenders are all being proposed by state lawmakers. With a projected state budget shortfall of $25 billion, one proposed solution is to get rid of the law that limits elementary class size to 22 students. Proponents say the change would give local school district more flexibility and could save hundreds of millions of dollars. However, teacher groups say it could come at the expense of thousands of jobs and of a child's education. Read More.

Comptroller's Idea To Gut Class-Size Cap Would Be A Giant Leap BACKWARDS In Efforts To Improve Student Achievement

A state official’s recommendation to scrap class-size limits and instead use an “average” class-size rule “will gut the intent of the law and will be a giant leap backwards in efforts to raise achievement,” said Linda Bridges, president of Texas AFT, which represents 65,000 public school employees statewide. State Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs issued a report—The Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) —Wednesday to rate school districts on their financial “efficiency” and highlight recommendations for cost savings. A prominent recommendation in the report is “eliminating the 22-student limit for each K-4 classroom and instituting an average 22-student class size instead.” Read More.

Watch the Video & Write Congress Today

Every second, more than one person loses his or her emergency unemployment benefits. Please take action: Tell Congress this is totally unacceptable.

Guidelines for Lesson Plans

Under state law, Texas Education Code 11.164, a classroom teacher may not be required to prepare any written information other than certain things that are specifically listed in the law. One of the written reports a teacher may be required to prepare is "A unit or weekly lesson plan that outlines, in a brief and general manner, the information to be presented during each period at the secondary level or in each subject or topic at the elementary level." SAISD Board Policy DLB (Legal) tracks this language from state law. Read More.

Learning Walks v.s. Walk-Thrus

There has been some confusion this year about the difference between a Learning Walk and a Walk-Thru, so in the November Consultation meeting, the Alliance team brought the issue to the table for discussion. The district began Learning Walks in the 2007-2008 school year as part of a leadership development initiative. Learning Walks are generally 2-4 minute informal observations focused on curricular and instructional decisions and looking for patterns across the campus and within departments, grade levels, etc. The focus is professional growth and development, not evaluation. Walk-thrus are a part of the teacher appraisal process, generally around 15 minutes in length, and can be used as cumulative data in that process. Read More.

Student Assault Against District Employee, At Least Mandatory DAEP Placement

The Alliance officers and staff have received a number of questions about what the appropriate consequence is when a student assaults a district employee. According to the SAISD Student Code of Conduct, a student must be placed in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) for certain offenses. One such offense is #27.DA – “Engages in conduct that contains the elements of assault by contact against a school district employee or volunteer where there is not bodily injury or harm.” Assault by contact is defined in the Texas Penal Code as: “intentionally or knowingly causing physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.” Read More.

Use your Union Benefits to Shop this Holiday Season & Save Big!

Let your Alliance dues pay for themselves and save BIG this holiday season! Visit the Member benefits page at AFT.org and TSTA.org to start saving today. Get deep discounts on: Clothing, Automotive Repairs, Electronics, Travel, Everyday Household Goods, Insurance (Health, Home, Vehicle & Pet), And much more! Click here for instructions on how to access your benefits.

Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Opportunities for High School Seniors

The Texas AFL-CIO is currently accepting scholarship applications for 2011. The deadline for scholarship applications this year is Monday January 31, 2011. Applications are available at www.texasaflcio.org or can be picked up at the San Antonio Alliance of Teacher and Support Personnel Office at 120 Adams Street. Only high school seniors are eligible to apply if he or she is an affiliated union member or if their parent of legal guardian is an affiliated union member. Each application must be completed and signed by their parent/legal guardian and the local’s Business Agent/President or Secretary/Treasurer. You must also include with the application the senior’s transcript and a current photo. Please contact the San Antonio AFL-CIO with any questions at 210-226-8447.

Mobile Mansion Awarded to Alliance Member

An excited Hilda B. Cantu sported a t-shirt that exclaims, ““Yes!! I WON Gov. Rick Perry’s Mobile Mansion,” after Texas AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller and Secretary-Treasurer John Patrick announced the results of the application process during a news conference at the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel. Cantu is a highly respected activist in the union. Read More. Click here to view photos froms the event.

Texas Poll Shows Strong Public Support for Public Schools

The well-respected Texas Poll has come out with some timely information politicians should heed regarding public attitudes toward public schools. The independent poll tells us emphatically that the would-be privatizers, profit-seekers, and other critics of public education have not sold the public on their agenda. Read More.

Alliance President Addresses Upcoming Legislative Session

By Shelley Potter: With the recent elections, Texas voters have spoken and now school employees must brace for what will be, without doubt, the worst state legislative session that any of us currently in education have faced. Many state legislators who are strong supporters of public education were defeated.. The result is that the starving of public schools will only worsen. There is very little hope that the inadequate, inequitable school finance system will be addressed. This will leave low-wealth districts, like SAISD, and the children they serve out in the cold. With no new resources, school districts will be faced with no option other than cuts in programs and/or personnel. Read More.

New Discipline Referral Form: Must Be Returned to Teacher Within 5 Days

Through the Consultation process, district representatives and Alliance representatives agreed to revisions to the SAISD Discipline Referral Form. According to the SAISD Student Code of Conduct, a teacher is required to submit a discipline referral when the teacher believes a student has violated the Student Code of Conduct. The new form was to be presented to teachers by not later than the October 25th staff development day so that implementation could begin on November 1. Read More.

Grading Procedure Language - New Draft

Beginning last school year, in Consultation, Alliance representatives and administration representatives have been working on the details of a new grading policy for SAISD. A state law passed in 2009 states that school districts must establish a grading policy that requires teachers to grade students' assignments based on their relative mastery of the assignment. The law expressly states that districts "may not require a classroom teacher to assign a minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student's quality of work," as many districts, including SAISD had been doing. SAISD’s new grading policy has been approved whereby teachers give the actual grade that a student makes on an assignment or assessment rather than giving a minimum grade of 50. Read More.

SAISD Pay Dates

Click here to review bi-weekly and monthly pay dates.

2010 Educator & Support Personnel Breakfast, Big Success

The 2010 Educator & Support Personnel Legislative Breakfast hosted by the San Antonio Alliance, the Bexar County Federation of Teachers, North East Federation of Teachers, Northside Federation of Teachers and the South San Federation of Teachers drew in over 250 people. The breakfast was held on Saturday October 23rd at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio. Attendees were invited to come and have breakfast State Officials from Bexar County and have healthy discussions with our decision makers. State Representative Jose Menendez from District 124, State Representative Mike Villarreal from District 123 and State Representative Joaquin Castro from District 125 spoke with attendees about issues that mattered most to them. View Pictures.

In New EPI Report, Leading Educational Testing Experts Caution Against Heavy Reliance on the Use of Test Scores in Teacher Evaluation

Student test scores are not reliable indicators of teacher effectiveness, even with the
addition of value-added modeling (VAM), a new Economic Policy Institute report by
leading testing experts finds. Though VAM methods have allowed for more sophisticated
comparisons of teachers than were possible in the past, they are still inaccurate, so test
scores should not dominate the information used by school officials in making highstakes
decisions about the evaluation, discipline and compensation of teachers. Read More or read the briefing paper here.

Highland Park Elementary School Set to Become A Charter School

Highland Park Elementary School will join Travis Early College High School and Rhodes Middle School as the newest San Antonio Independent School District campuses to convert to charter schools next fall. The school board voted 6-0 Monday night to approve the change. Trustee Carlos Villarreal was absent from the meeting. Read More. Watch Highland Park's Presentation.

Nominate Your Custodian for the 2011 C.L.E.A.N. Award

The 2011 National C.L.E.A.N. (Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide) Awards application package is now available. Please click here for the package . The deadline for the application/nomination is December 1, 2010. The National C.L.E.A.N. Award will recognize the contributions that custodians make to public health in their schools, communities and their profession.

School Board Approves Two Internal Charter Applications

During the Monday October 18th, 2010, SAISD School Board Meeting, Alliance President, Shelley Potter, and three SAISD schools spoke to the School Board about Internal Charter School Applications. Currently, SAISD has eleven in-district charter schools. Under the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) Innovation Fund Grant, the Alliance is focused on Internal Charter Schools as a way to grow student enrollment and improve student achievement. Read More

Reducing Bullying & Cyber Bullying

This fall, there are new and revamped laws in many states that address K-12 bullying and cyber bullying. In Massachusetts, we have one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching laws in the country. As in many states, K-12 teachers in Massachusetts have new responsibilities to respond to, report, and address bullying and cyber bullying. Read More.

Administration Revives Objectionable Employee Leave Policy Language

Last school year, the Alliance successfully worked through Consultation and through presentations to the School Board to have objectionable language removed from proposed changes to the Board Policy on use of leave days by employees. The administration has now revived some of that language in its proposed language for the SAISD Administrative Procedure on use of leave days. Administrative procedures give further details regarding implementation of Board Policy. Administrative procedures do not go to the School Board for approval. It appears in this case that the administration did not feel they could get Board approval for the language and so chose to wait and try to put it into administrative procedures instead. Read More.

Stop Trashing Teachers!

Obama’s misguided policies and the overhyped doc Waiting For "Superman" have turned America against its teachers. Education expert Diane Ravitch on why the vitriol is so dangerous: For the past week, the national media has launched an attack on American public education that is unprecedented in our history. NBC devoted countless hours to panels stacked with "experts" who believe that public education is horrible because it has so many "bad" teachers and "bad" principals. The same "experts" appeared again and again to call for privatization, breaking teachers' unions, and mass firings of "bad" educators. Oprah devoted two shows to the same voices. The movie Waiting for "Superman", possibly the most ballyhooed documentary of all time, explains patiently that poor test scores are caused by bad teachers, that bad teachers are protected for life by their unions, and that the answer to our terrible test scores is privatization. Read More.

Not Waiting for Superman

As teachers and school employees, we share a commitment to opening the door to a brighter future by providing a great education for the students we serve. As public school educators, our life's work is about ensuring an excellent education for all children-not just a few. The idea that all children deserve great schools and a high-quality education is just one of the missing pieces in a soon-to-be-released documentary film, "Waiting for 'Superman.'" The film fails to tell the real story about public schools and it does not offer any real solutions. Read More.

School Board Unanimously Votes to Support SAISD Nurses

At the end of the 2009-2010 school year nurses throughout SAISD learned of an inequity in pay among SAISD nurses. For nurses hired during the past three years, the district credited the nurses for their prior non-school nursing experience.  However, the district did not credit nurses who were already in the district for their prior non-school nursing experience.  After several meetings with Alliance leaders to discuss the inequity, nurses united and created the Nurses Task Force. Read More.

When Lanier High faculty and staff received TEEG Grant proceeds, there were concerns about the equity of the distribution of those funds.  Members and non-members responded to questionnaires and participated in a series of meetings led by Alliance leaders.  While other groups were invited, the Alliance was the only organization to unite with Lanier employees to fight for fair distribution of the TEEG Grant monies. Read More.

Alliance Participates in KSTX's Town Hall on Standardized Testing

Texas Public Radio, KSTX, presented a solutions-based conversation on standardized testing in Texas at Family Service Association's The Neighborhood Place. The free, open-to-the-public forum took place on Wednesday, September 29. The KSTX Town Hall: Standardized Testing will air on The Newsmaker Hour on Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 8 p.m. Read More.

Feedback Needed for Grading Procedure Language

Beginning last school year, in Consultation and in the Administrative Procedures and Policy Review Committee, Alliance representatives and administration representatives have been working on the details of a new grading policy for SAISD.  A state law passed in 2009 states that school districts must establish a grading policy that requires teachers to grade students' assignments based on their relative mastery of the assignment.  The law expressly states that districts "may not require a classroom teacher to assign a minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the student's quality of work," as many districts, including SAISD had been doing.   State law also says that district policies may allow students a "reasonable opportunity" to make up or redo an assignment or test if they received a failing grade. Read More.

Three SAISD Schools Submit Internal Charter School Applications