The first reading of the Leave Policy, (DEC) Local, took place on Monday May 17, 2010, at At the SAISD School Board Meeting on June 21, the Leave Policy DEC (Local) went through its second and final reading and was approved. The Alliance team was able to work with administration through Consultation to change the wording in the “Prohibited Days and Exceptions” section so that the policy emphasizes the importance of attendance on certain days, but does not prohibit the use of personal leave on those days.
Previous policy stated that employees could not use personal leave on certain test days. With the changes brought forth by the Alliance, that limitation has been removed. The Alliance team noted throughout the discussions that the vast majority of employees use their leave days in a prudent manor and should not be subjected to onerous restrictions. Policy will continue to state that the use of discretionary leave days in a manner that negatively impacts the students or mission of the District may be addressed through the District’s disciplinary procedures.
Under the administration's proposal, employees would not have been allowed to use personal business days:
On the first five and last five teaching days of each school year;
On the day before or after an extended break consisting of three or more consecutive days (excluding weekends);
On assigned professional or staff development days.
After extensive conversations with SAISD Administration during Consultation, and after speaking at the May School Board meeting, the Alliance was able to have the proposed policy modified to emphasize the importance of attendance during the above days without prohibiting the use of discretionary leave on those days. Under another positive change to the policy, any employee who has joined the sick leave bank program may now request leave from the bank if s/he has exhausted available leave not only for his/her own catastrophic illness/injury but also for that of an immediate family member.
During Consultation meetings regarding the leave policy, the Alliance successfully worked with Administration to address several other concerns. Early drafts of the policy would have required employees to submit a written request to the principal or supervisor at least five days in advance in order to gain approval to use discretionary leave days. Another provision in an earlier version of the proposed policy would have required that leave be recorded in half-day increments, for positions for which a substitute is normally required, even if a substitute is not employed. The Alliance team as well as principals on the Policy Review Committee argued against this proposal, saying that it was better to have a teacher in the classroom as much of the day as possible rather than requiring him/her to take a half day or full day. This section of the proposed policy was eliminated.
The Alliance was the only organization to attend both School Board work sessions and meetings and speak on behalf of SAISD employees about the Leave Policy.
Copyright 2010 San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel