Vol. 4, December 2004

The Professional

A Publication of the Minnetonka Teachers Association

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

http://www.minnetonkateachers.org

Editor, Mary Tingblad, mary.tingblad@minnetonka.k12.mn.us

MM-West, 6421 Hazeltine Blvd., Excelsior, MN 55331

 

         

2004-2005 Minnetonka Teachers Association Governance Board

~ President Joseph Ricke ~ Vice President Jan Nelson ~

~ Secretary Mary Tingblad ~ Treasurer Melanie Casiday ~

~ DEC Linda Morantez ~ Deephaven Margaret Ruffino~ Groveland Pam Wertjes ~

~ Excelsior Sara Macke ~ Minnewashta Melanie Casiday ~

~ Clear Springs OPEN ~ Scenic Heights Anita Britton ~

~ MM-East Sandy Gosen & Rhonda Lundgren ~

~ MM-West Mary Tingblad & Jeri Goodspeed-Gross ~

~ MHS Doug Kennedy, Mike Cutshall, Miles Mortensen & Jean Peebles ~

         

 

~~ From the President ~~

MTA President, Joseph Ricke, joseph.ricke@minnetonka.k12.mn.us

Greetings! I trust that everyone is looking forward to the holidays and a well-deserved winter break. We all know that we must recharge ourselves after the rigors of our fast-paced workdays.

No More. The theme that permeates all levels of our teaching community is the inescapable fact that the current workload is causing stress and many are quietly and sincerely saying, “No more!” As I have listened to many teachers throughout the district, I have observed a common thread of concern: Please do not add any more to my plate. Teachers are feeling as though they would be satisfied just to be able to maintain their current workload. The catchy phase of “doing more with less” now seems to be an insult to one’s sense of propriety and professional dignity. 

This is not to say that teachers are not working at the highest level of performance in the classroom, but that trying to take on more of any other type of work activity is causing stress. It is a concern that anything more will compromise more of our personal lives and our ability to keep up in the classroom. And everyone knows that any activity that affects one’s sense of control and success in the classroom is in conflict with the prime directive—to do what’s best for students.

The Strategic Plan. What is at the heart of a teacher’s anxiety? The idea that there are more district initiatives forthcoming; trying to just cope with current daily maintenance of classroom work; getting up to speed with the new grading system; learning Blackboard; not having systems work when one does take time to get up to speed; not being able to get answers to system issues when one needs them, or learning that the system is too big to be responsive to individual needs; parent and student expectations to have more information available; and the realization that we do not know what is going to happen with cost containment decisions. It is clear to me—and what many teachers echo—that it is time for a moratorium on implementing more action items per the Strategic Plan. Let us work on implementing the action items already in place and establishing competency that reflects our sense of professionalism. No More!

The MTA is working with the Superintendent, Administration and the School Board to assure all teachers have fair workloads and the support they need to be successful. The stress of the upcoming budget containment is the main topic of our ongoing meetings with administration.

May all of you have a joyful holiday and a well-deserved winter break. I wish you and your families the very best and that you embrace the New Year with a sense of hope and fulfillment. Season’s best!

 

 

~~ A Note From the Negotiators ~~

MTA Negotiator, Anita Britton, anita.britton@minnetonka.k12.mn.us  

Hello everyone! I thought I'd take a few of your reading moments to introduce myself, in case my name is new to you. My name is Anita Britton. I earned my Bachelor of Education degree from Southwest State University (go Mustangs!) and my Master of Education from California State University. I am entering my 18th year of teaching (eight years out of state and ten years in Minnetonka).  I presently teach third graders at Scenic Heights and have also taught at Clear Springs and Groveland. While teaching out of state, I had the opportunity to work as a negotiator for two contracts (one fairly easy, the other very difficult). This will be my first negotiating experience in Minnetonka. I look forward to the opportunity to represent our membership this year and to be involved in the process of moving our organization forward.

                Your input is very important in the process. We encourage you to complete the survey that will be coming out soon and also to join us on the Negotiation Council. Your input will help to guide us in the negotiation process. We wish you lots of rest over Winter Break!

 

~~ Teachers’ Rights Review ~~

MTA Teachers’ Rights Co-Chair, Mary Benson and Anita Otten

mary.benson@minnetonka.k12.mn.us, anita.otten@minnetonka.k12.mn.us

Another wonderful month has gone by. Hopefully everyone is doing well. Please have a very safe and stress-free winter break! All of you really do make a difference. The Teachers’ Rights column will continue with the article that went out last month: “Effective Communications in the Era of the Consumer Parent,” given by Paul C. Ratwik, an attorney for the Ratwik, Roszak and Maloney Law Firm.

 

Reduce the likelihood that inappropriate behavior will occur by establishing and maintaining expectations for appropriate behavior (continued).

·        Make it clear that your time is limited and must be respected. 

o       Use the course outline or syllabus that you provide to students at the start of a semester to set out your expectations as to the manner and frequency with which you can be contacted and how you will respond to phone calls, faxes, and e-mails.

o       Be prepared to say that the degree of contact or nature of response which a parent expects exceeds that which you are able or willing to accept.

o       Establish a reasonable time period in which you will respond to parent communications and stick to it.

·        Do not ignore violations of district or building rules regarding the circumstances under which visits to classrooms are allowed.

o       Parental visits to schools and to classrooms are subject to legitimate regulation by schools.

·        Be familiar with your school district’s policy regarding classroom visitation.

·        No one has a “right” to enter the classroom merely by virtue of being a parent.

·        Make it clear that the rules and procedures governing the class do not change merely because a parent is present.

·        Visits which, intentionally or unintentionally, have an adverse impact upon the educational environment in a classroom are unacceptable.

o       Example: Asking questions or demanding attention which divert a teacher’s attention from teaching.

o       Example: Distracting student’s attention from tasks a teacher expects them to carry out.

·        The mere presence of a parent in a classroom gives that parent access to educational information about students other than his or her own.

o       Create an expectation that education information gained through a visit will not be discussed outside of the classroom.

o       Inform a visiting parent that if circumstances require, such as a disciplinary incident or a student discussion that is sensitive in nature, you will require that they leave the classroom quickly and quietly.

·        Recognize when the frequency of visits by one or a series of parents adversely affects the learning environment of a classroom. The fact that other parents have previously visited a classroom is not a justification for allowing such a condition to be created or to persist.

·          If it appears that parents are visiting a classroom not to observe their own student, but rather, to observe another student, advise the administration immediately.

 

Look for the continuation of this article in upcoming issues of the newsletter.

 

~~ Membership Information Reminder ~~

MTA Membership Chair, Mary Kay Burmesch, marykay.burmesch@minnetonka.k12.mn.us

Please contact Mary Kay Burmesch at any time during the year whenever your information changes—name change, address change, phone number change, or contract time change. It’s important to keep your membership information updated. Thank you!

 

      

 

~~ News From Education Minnesota ~~

 

Teacher Working Conditions = Student Learning Conditions

            Many schools consistently struggle to address critical teacher working conditions. Teachers report feeling isolated in their classrooms, needing more basic materials to do their jobs, feeling inundated with work, lacking input into the design and organization of schools, and facing minimal prospects for career advancement and professional growth.

To address the issue, the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality (with support from BellSouth) created a new website as part of a working conditions project in North Carolina. It’s a major find for anyone interested in strategies to address persistent problems in schools that block teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Resources are organized around five key recommendations based on the Center’s extensive research. Check it out at www.teacherworkingconditions.org/index.html.

 

~~ New Website to Help Job-Seeking Teachers ~~