Minnetonka Teachers Association

Members of Education Minnesota, NEA, AFT, Minnesota Local #7173

 

Governance Board Meeting
District Service Center
 October 5, 2005

In Attendance:

Joseph Ricke, Jan Nelson, Mary Tingblad,  Susan Weber, Margaret Ruffino, Pam Wertjes, Heather Stowman, Debra Drexler, Anita Britton, Rhonda Lundgren, Jeri Goodspeed-Gross, Doug Kennedy, Ramona Anderson, Rachel Consdorf.

Absent: 

Sandy Gosen. There are vacancies on the Governance Board for a fourth MHS representative and Minnewashta representative.

Guests:

Anita Otten (Teachers’ Rights Co-Chair), John Borgen (Education Minnesota Field Staff Representative).

Call to Order:

4:45 p.m., by President Ricke. 

Approval of Minutes:

Motion by Goodspeed-Gross, seconded by Kennedy, to approve the minutes of September 21 and September 29, 2005. Motion carried. 

Treasurer’s Report:

This is tabled until the next Governance Board meeting. The Governance Board will elect a new Treasurer at the next meeting.

Open Forum:

Governance Board members shared positive comments and concerns regarding the start of the school year and the 6-period day. A concern about appropriate supervision of children will be addressed at Meet and Confer.

Teachers’ Rights Report:

Time Off: Elementary teachers have been told that when they want to take off one-hour for an appointment that they must take off ½-day. This will be discussed at Meet and Confer.

 

TIP Committee: Mike Lovett, Anita Otten, and Bev Ginther will go over the spring TIP surveys, and then will set up a TIP Committee meeting.

 

Communication: Whenever someone has a concern with another person, it is important that he/she speak with that person first, before talking about the concern with another person.

 

New Business:

Report of the Election Committee: Election to Ratify the 2005-2007 Master Agreement, October 4-5, 2005:

                                   

Number of qualified voters:                      522  

Number of legal ballots cast:                    441  

Number of illegal ballots rejected:                 3  

Number of votes necessary to ratify:         222  

Number of YES votes:                           343    

Number of NO votes:                                98  

Individual Building Results:

                                   

Clear Springs:               26 (YES)         14 (NO)                      

 

Deephaven:                  32 (YES)           2 (NO)                      

 

DEC:                            17 (YES)           0 (NO)                      

 

Excelsior:                      32 (YES)           1 (NO)                      

 

Groveland:                    19 (YES)           8 (NO)                      

 

Minnewashta:               37 (YES)          0 (NO)                      

 

Scenic Heights:            37 (YES)            0 (NO)                      

 

MM-East:                    42 (YES)          11 (NO)                     

 

MM-West:                   17 (YES)          33 (NO)                     

 

MHS:                           84 (YES)          29 (NO)                     

 

The 2005-2007 Master Agreement has been ratified by the MTA membership.

 

Balanced Perspective: President Ricke would like to present a balanced perspective regarding the start of the school year and the change to the 6-period day. The MTA will gather data using a Zoomerang survey in the fall and again in the spring. The survey will go to all E-12 members. Rachel Consdorf has volunteered to work with President Ricke to prepare the survey. If any other Governance Board members are interested, they should send an e-mail to President Ricke. He will also e-mail the membership asking for other volunteers.

 

Distinguished Educators Program: Last year President Ricke and Mike Lovett discussed and deferred this to this year. The money from last year was rolled into this year, and no new money was added this year.

 

Old Business:

MAPPS: President Ricke and Mike Lovett will send an update.

Meet and Confer Representatives: The Meet and Confer meetings have been changed to Thursdays. The Meet and Confer Representatives will be Margaret Ruffino (elementary), Mary Tingblad (middle school), Susan Weber (ECFE), and the high school will be represented by President Ricke and Vice President Nelson.

President’s Report:

Speaking at School Board Meeting: President Ricke will address  the School Board regarding gathering data using surveys about the start of the school year and the 6-period day.

Motion by Nelson, seconded by Britton, to adjourn. Motion carried.  Meeting adjourned at 6:06 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Tingblad, MTA Secretary
10/12/05, Approved 10/19/05