Article Corrections and Thank You for Voting

Corrections to Today’s Article:  As we’ve seen in the past, it’s tricky for anyone to get their heads around the technical points of teachers’ contracts and alternative pay systems.  The Star Tribune article in today’s North Metro Section (you can read it here: http://www.startribune.com/local/north/117766388.html) has a couple of errors.

The article states that it takes a 75% majority for any changes in our contract.  That isn’t exactly right – the 75% threshold only applies to a contract re-opener for an alternative pay system.  Also, the article states that the cost of the local levy for Q-Comp would have been $3 million, when it would have been $3.5 million.

Q-Comp garnered 58.8% of those voting, but when you consider that 72.4% of our membership voted, that translates to 42.6% of the entire membership actually casting yes votes.  One of the reasons we have super majority requirement was so we would get closer to a true majority when you factor in those who don’t vote. Also, we know that initiatives work best with wide buy-in.

Thank You for Voting: People have been asking me what I think of the results.  There were genuinely good reasons for voting either way. I believe the more voice teachers have in the decisions that affect our day to day work, the better those decisions will be.  I appreciated the level of discussion we’ve had over the past months.  People truly worked to figure out what would be the best choice for our profession, our community and our students.

Not everyone is comfortable with us having that kind of voice. You may see some unfair talk about our vote in the media or from politicians.  We at AHEM believe that you made your decision for good reasons and will proudly stand behind it.

I hope you have a restful spring break and thank you for casting the vote that was right for you.

Q-Comp Vote, Wisconsin Update, Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, Meet & Confer, Member Activism & the Media

Q-Comp Vote:  The unofficial results of our Q-Comp vote are as follows:

• Eligible Voters: 2811
• Votes Cast:  2034 (72% turnout)
• Yes Votes:  1197 (58.8%)
• No Votes:  837 (41.2%)

Because the number of yes votes was below the 75% threshold needed, we have not accepted Q-Comp.  We appreciate all those who turned out to make a decision on this important issue.

Wisconsin:  Last night, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker set in motion a set of procedural moves to push through the unpopular budget repair bill.  Using what’s being called “the nuclear option,” Walker and their state senate stripped out the financial components of the bill, which allowed them to vote on the measure without the presence of the 14 Senate Democrats who had fled to Illinois.  So, now this “budget” bill no longer has the budget components, only those that strip collective bargaining rights.  Rallies and other actions are planned for this weekend across Wisconsin.  For a complete list of events, or to sign up to take a bus to Madison Saturday, visit Education Minnesota’s site at http://tinyurl.com/4cc9u3e . 

Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy: District administration has responded to a letter we sent them asking for clarifications of the policy.  We invite you to help us review their response and decide our next steps.  We’ll meet at the AHEM office at 4:45 pm, Wednesday, March 30^th.  RSVP to ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us .

Meet & Confer:  Our next Meet & Confer with our school board will be on Thursday, March 31^st, from 5:30-7:30 pm at the SDC.  Our topics will be how teacher input leads to better district decisions and our ideas for the district budget.  If you would like to speak on either of these topics, email us ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us .

Member Activism and the Media:  With all the media attention our district receives on a variety of issues, we are offering a meeting for members to discuss how speaking out as an individual affects you in the classroom.  We’ll discuss options and tips to help you both take action and avoid difficulties at work.  We’ll get together Monday, March 21^st, 4:45 pm at the AHEM office.  RSVP to ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us .

Q-Comp Video and Discussion, Wisconsin Actions, Tech Focus Groups, AVMR Meeting

Q-Comp Information:  Now that we’ve wrapped up informational meetings around the district, we would like to fill in some information members have requested recently.  People asked for the 15 minute video about our plan that we used at informational meetings and for a place where they can share their comments and questions with other members.

• Video:  We’ve added the video at the top of our Q-Comp website at www.ahqcomp.blogspot.com with instructions on how to view it if it is blocked at school.
• Share Your Comments:  The second post on our website at www.ahqcomp.blogspot.com has been opened up for comments.  We ask that you use your real name and remember that the posts are public. 

Wisconsin Actions:  Lots of members have been asking when and where events are happening to support Wisconsin union rights.  If you are interested in attending the rallies, sending emails, or spreading the word, visit the Wisconsin Education Association Council’s site at www.weac.org.   The actions seem to be having an effect – a New York Times poll conducted over the past few days shows that a majority support public sector workers and their bargaining rights: http://nyti.ms/fmBPp2 .

Technology Focus Groups:  The district Technology Department is looking for educators to participate in afterschool focus groups about the Anoka-Hennepin Data Dashboard/Analytic System Initiative.  Four separate groups of 6-9 participants, representing elementary, middle, high school, and K-12 special education teachers will be created to get feedback to develop the project.  Interviews will take approximately one hour and will provide an opportunity for everyone to contribute. Participants will paid for their time. Email us AHEM at ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us  if you are interested.

AVMR Meeting:  Advantage Math Recovery, used in our elementary schools, has been the focus of debate among educators and school board members since its first appearance in our district.  The potential benefits of the program are not in question, but there seems to be room for improvement in our delivery model.  We invite members to come to the AHEM office to discuss what’s working and what can be improved at 4:45 pm, Thursday, March 24^th.  Let us know if you plan to attend at ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us .

Wisconsin Rally, Deducting Dues, Q-Comp and Dayton's Budget

Wisconsin Update and Rally Tonight: This past Friday, public employees in Wisconsin agreed to the compensation cuts in their governor’s budget bill and asked that their collective bargaining rights be unharmed in return.  Governor Walker flatly refused.  It is clear now that his bill is not about balancing the budget, but about eliminating their collective bargaining rights. We are getting a lot of questions about how we can help our Wisconsin colleagues. There is a rally after school today in the Rotunda of our Capitol to support our Wisconsin colleagues - it starts at 4 pm, but even if you are at our late release elementaries, it’s worth the trip down.  Here is a map to the Capitol: http://tinyurl.com/4sus6aq .  About 1000 people have already RSVP’d on Facebook alone, I hope you can make it too.

Deducting Your Dues:  For those of you filing your taxes, remember that you may be able to deduct AHEM dues.  For your 2010 dues paid amount, go to myView and look at your last check from 2010.  Here are more detailed instructions:

• visit the district website, click the “staff” tab along the top, then click the “myView” link on the left
• Log in
• Click the payroll link, select detailed past payments
• Click on 12/31/10 payment date and scroll down to YTD AHEM Teacher Dues

TRA Elections:  Ensure we continue to have strong teacher voices on our pension’s board by supporting educators when you vote for two positions on the Teachers Retirement Association Board.  You will be receiving a ballot in the mail this month and you’ll see the candidate biographies on the back of the ballot to help you make your choices.  Mary Broderick (president of the St. Cloud Education Association) is up for re-election to the board and has done an outstanding job in her recent term.  Voting is quick and easy (I follow the directions on the ballot to vote online).  Please take a moment to choose those who will be making decisions about our pension.

Q-Comp and Governor Dayton’s Budget:  In governor Dayton’s budget proposal, Q-Comp participation would be capped at those whose applications were approved by the Minnesota Department of Education by February 1^st.  This would include our proposal and would mean we could be one of the last districts to be able to participate if we were to vote it in.  The bill proposed by Republican legislators to freeze school salaries would have frozen wage increases except for Q-Comp.  Together, this suggests that there is some level of bipartisan support for current Q-Comp funding, though we won’t know for sure exactly what the funding will be until the end of the legislative session in May.  We have agreement with the district that if the funding were cut, we would not be bound to participate.

Q-Comp Mtgs, Pay Freeze Bill, $20 from Medica

Q-Comp Member Meetings Start Tuesday:  Reminder, our first Q-Comp member information meeting is this Tuesday.  Here are the dates of all the meetings, you are welcome to attend any that fit your schedule:

• Tuesday, February 8:  Coon Rapids High School, Auditorium (enter door 13), 3:30-4:30 pm and 4:45-5:45 pm
• Thursday, February 10:  AHEM Office; 10:30-11:30 am and 1:00-2:00 pm
• Tuesday, February 15:  Jackson Middle School, IMC, 3:30-4:30 pm and 4:45-5:45 pm        
• Tuesday, February 22:  Blaine High School, IMC, 3:30-4:30 pm and 4:45-5:45 pm 
• Wednesday, February 23:  Anoka High School, Auditorium, 3:30-4:30 pm and 4:45-5:45 pm          
• Thursday, February 24:  Andover High School, IMC, 3:30-4:30 pm and 4:45-5:45 pm

Also, you can get more information on our Q-Comp website at www.ahqcomp.blogspot.com  or by emailing us at ahem@anoka.k12.mn.us .

Pay Freeze Bill: You have undoubtedly heard about the bills working their way through the legislature calling for a hard pay freeze for all educators.  Many have asked how they could share the sacrifices those of us in the classroom are already making with their legislators.  To send a message to your representatives, visit http://tinyurl.com/4uxozo4  .  You can use the provided pre-written bullet points, your own stories, or a combination of the two.  When you fill in your address, the site will look up your legislators and address your email to them automatically. In about 3 minutes, you can let your legislator know about the importance of local control in school decision making.

$20 Gift Certificate from Medica:  Grab your Medica card, visit www.mymedica.com , and sign in (don’t worry if you don’t know your password or username – it’s easy to set yourself up if you have your Medica card with you).  Click on the “Health and Wellness” tab and you’ll be asked to complete a short health survey.  Complete it and they’ll email you a link to choose a $20 gift certificate.  I know it works because I tried it a couple days ago and just downloaded my gift certificate (JCPenney was my choice).  From registering to use the site to finishing the survey took about fifteen minutes, and I found some interesting health information on the website to boot.