Just in from NTA president Mike Zilles:
Dear Colleagues:
Thanks to all of your incredible work supporting our union, today your NTA bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the School Committee!
We will be sharing more information as soon as possible about the terms of the tentative agreement. What we can say now is that we have earned the respect and due consideration that we have been fighting for. We believe this agreement is a major win for all members of the NTA.
The contract campaign can now end. Members can now again participate in faculty meetings, department meetings, and voluntary committees. No more silent meetings!
Most importantly, we can again turn our undivided attention back to where we most want to put it–educating our students. And we can do so knowing our union is strong, and that our solidarity has won us the respect we deserve!
I look forward to sharing with you the details or our agreement!
In solidarity,
Mike Zilles, President
Newton Teachers Association
Likely a positive development.
The big question that reporters often fail to ask the union and the school committee is, “What is in the contract that benefits the students and parents? Our attention lapse is likely the source of early release days and 15-minute parent-teacher meetings during the workday.
Jeffrey – Neither are contract issues.
Teachers’ working conditions are a students’ learning conditions.
“Most importantly, we can again turn our undivided attention back to where we most want to put it–educating our students.”
Fantastic news, so happy for our teachers and our students.
Hopefully this bodes well for the other 16 unions operating without a contract.
This is an exciting development and I look forward to learning more. Our teachers are so amazing and such an important part of what makes Newton schools so wonderful.
Jane, I am glad an agreement is in the works and I look forward to learning about how it affects students. Certainly, I have heard that the contract determines when teacher meetings are held. Perhaps early release days are not a contractual issue, in which case the school committee can take full credit. Maybe they can stamp on their election lawn signs, “Vote for me if you love early release days.”
A late high school start is paramount and shown to be associated with health and educational benefits. So, if both parties are on the page, we will see a clause that enables this. I am crossing my fingers…
JP,
What is your grievance regarding half-days? To my knowledge, this is a statewide practice. Jane, is this a union issue? Seriously though, what is your hangup? I grew up in the Worcester area in the 80s, and we had half-days. The data is dubious regarding a late start time. Students will merely reconfigure their days and be busy as beavers on social media.
Jason:
I don’t think the practice of Tuesday half days are uniform across the state. Certainly the occasional professional development half day. But the Tuesday half day I’ve always thought is unique to Newton.
Could be wrong. Happily, Jane can set us all right.
Happy the contract is being resolved. Let’s resolve the others.
Wayland gets out earlier on Wednesdays. They have done so for at least 40+ years. From talking to parents in other local towns what seems to be unique to Newton are the other early release days that occur for staff development that don’t follow a pattern but are on the schedule NPS puts out for each year.
As far as late start time the benefits are because when kids hit high school their body clocks change. They just can’t go to bed early. It is fighting the tide. @Jason Colet to state that teens will just shift their social media usage reflecting a change in schedule is a bit dismissive of the benefits of making this change.
Wellesley has a weekly early release on Wednesdays.
For me as a parent, the early Tuesdays are something I can live with. The early release floating Wednesdays (sometimes Thursdays), always puts a wrench in my plans from elementary school to high school.
I am so happy that more than a year of negotiation have finally resulted in a tentative contract that encompasses the respect our teachers deserve and is “a major win.” I’m looking forward to learning more and to a signed contract.
I know many teachers have disliked being a part of “silent meetings” because it thwarts their spontaneous participation. Glad that’s over.
As Jane says, “teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.” What a great quote.
As for the other stuff on this thread, teachers’ contracts include things pertinent to teachers – not the many things that the superintendent ’s department and the school committee decides.
I can certainly understand that the “early release floating days” are a hindrance to parents who need to be able to plan ahead.
Okay, I’m really dating myself here. I grew up in Andover in the 50’s and we had Early Wednesday every week and students went home at noon. That dates back to 1954.
When I first changed systems in the 80’s, Newton had early release on Tuesday and Thursday. Everyone assumed teachers would be unhappy when the system removed the Thursday early release, but in fact, teachers were uniformly thrilled to reclaim the teaching time and be able to deliver curriculum at a more relaxed pace.
That being said, the Tuesday early release is critical to education in this day and age. The ability to collaborate with colleagues, inclusion facilitators, literacy specialists, math coaches, the principal, resource teachers, social workers, specialists, etc. is an essential part of an excellent school system that aims to meet the needs of all students. Not having a designated time when that collaboration can take place is not just an inconvenience; it means it can’t happen. Many of these professionals work in multiple schools or may not be available on a particular before or after school day/time. Having that designated time to collaborate means that it can happen on a regular basis.
In addition, Tuesday afternoons are used for PLC’s (professional learning communities). A PLC is a team of teachers who work together to integrate and improve curriculum and instruction, and share best expertise/best practices. PLC’s have been a game changer in terms of focusing collaboration so that it’s effective and produces real results.
I agree with Jeff Pontiff that the combined number of weekly half-days and early-release days in Newton Public Schools is unreasonable. I recall a few years ago that the MA Dept. of Education cited at least one Newton elementary school for failing to comply even with the bare minimum of instructional hours required by law. When I complained to school administration about this, I was told that the teachers’ union had written all the half-days and “professional development time” into its contract. Perhaps somebody here can confirm or refute that.
Professional development is important, but half days and early-release days inevitably come at the children’s expense. They are disruptive to families and have a disproportionate adverse effect on low-income families.
The public schools that I attended in Appalachia provided 7 solid hours of school 5 days a week, with only occasional half-days for teacher development. And the teachers were terrific.’
Newton Highlands Mom,
As I stated in a previous discussion, I know a teacher at one of the high schools. The person had candid conversations with a variety of students. The students articulated that they would merely alter their schedule about the change in start time. In other words, they would go to bed and wake up later. One has to understand that we are talking about teenagers. Are they going to look at this change as though it will be life-altering? I would vote no. Is it going to be different in Newton because of the students that are committed to performing at a high level academically? Maybe for some, but certainly not all. I’m a firm believer that studies can be highly subjective. Jerry, I stand corrected regarding my statement about Tuesday half-days. I was not aware that this is the practice, and I see why this is a source of stress and frustration. Does the NTA play a role?
This is what the contract that expired on 8/31/19 said about working hours, professional development, and an often overlooked section on health and safety:
Work Year, Teaching Hours, and Teaching Load
Section 1: It is the intention of the Committee to maintain the existing practices with respect to total teacher hours of employment, length of school day, and work load. If considerations and circumstances warrant a change, the Committee will notify the Association of the contemplated change. In making its decision, the Committee will attempt to reach a decision that is mutually satisfactory.
Section 2: To provide for greater flexibility in scheduling the school calendar, the parties agree that the two (2) conference days for teachers at the beginning of the school year may be scheduled on the Wednesday and Thursday before Labor Day. The work year for teachers will end one day after the last day for students but not later than June 30. Each year at least fourteen (14) days prior to the adoption of the
school calendar for the following year, the President of the Association will be
given a copy of the proposed calendar. If the Association does not agree with the
proposed calendar, it may submit recommended changes to the School
Committee, which will consider the recommendations prior to final adoption of
the calendar by the School Committee. The number of scheduled days in the work year shall be no more than 188 days, which shall include:
A. One hundred and eighty-five (185) scheduled school days, less those days
that school is canceled because of inclement weather. Such canceled days
will be deducted, up to a maximum of five (5), from the total number of
scheduled school days; however, in no event will employees be required to
be present for more than one hundred and eighty-two (182) school days.
B. In addition to required or maximum school days set out above, there shall
be three (3) conference days during the school year to which employees
covered by this Agreement shall be required to attend.
C. In addition, the last student day of school prior to the summer break will
be a half-day.
Professional Development and Mentoring
Section 1: It is the Committee’s policy to allot substitute days for purposes related to
instruction, such as visits to other schools and attendance at conferences. A
teacher or group of teachers may apply to the school Principal or the Office for
Curriculum and Instruction the use of these substitute days.
Health and Safety
Section 1: The Committee will continue its best efforts to provide and maintain a healthful and safe workplace, with adequate heating, ventilation and lighting.
The early release days would be much more palatable if the city was better equipped to handle after school programs. The school ones have long waitlists, the B&GC and the Y only have transit from some schools and at least the B&GC buses are often at capacity. I’m lucky enough to have a flexible job, but for some people this is a huge problem.
Awesome news!!!