PCSSD eliminates agreement with employee unions

PCSSD just cant get right....no matter what they "try". Maybe they should take some pointers from the surrounding school districts (Cabot). Its always PCSSD in the news...sad...so very sad!

As a PCSSD teacher and a PACT member, I am very concerned about the cuts the ADE and our administration are trying to implement. These cuts will have a negative effect on learning and student safety. One change will result in larger classes. If you think there is not much difference in having 24 versus 28 students in a classroom, you need to volunteer in your local school for a few days. They are now cutting special education and gifted teacher positions, and asking the classroom teacher to meet their needs in a much larger class. They are also having teachers teach/plan for 3 or 4 subjects and grade levels, rather than focusing on their area of expertise. And all of this is supposed to occur as we implement new national Common Core standards. So far, the administration has cut custodial staff, security officers, and support personnel. I work lunch and bus duty with 2 other teachers. Three of us watch over 400 students. We have one principal and one security guard outside with buses, and prior to the cuts, we had 2 more officers inside with us. If a fight were to break out, we would quickly lose control. Teachers watch the halls, but without the extra staff, there are places in the building without supervision. There are only 2 custodians in a building with over 1000 people. Last year, we had a beautiful building. Now the custodians work non-stop, and never have enough time to get it all done. Not to mention supplies that are lacking--no paper towels for weeks, running out of toilet paper in restrooms, etc. Teachers work long hours, give up time with their own families, and miss their own children's conferences, etc. We stay late, take work home, and make sure we are providing the best possible education for your children, in spite of being given less than 7 minutes per day per subject to plan/grade papers/talk to parents/complete other duties as assigned. It is an insult that PCSSD wants to take benefits/pay that we work hard to earn.

Protector 20...Agreeing to waive or otherwise not collect on items obligated to be paid to them in the 2012-2013 Budget that came to a collective almost 2.4 million on nine separate items. Interestingly enough, one concession alone alone appears to have covered a 1.4 million cut to Professional Growth Education...not accepted by the district for reasons I suspect have to begin with not wanting to acknowledge the concessions PACT/PASS were willing to make. They just want to phase that out over three years.

Protector 20...Agreeing to waive or otherwise not collect on items obligated to be paid to them in the 2012-2013 Budget that came to a collective almost 2.4 million on nine separate items. Interestingly enough, one concession alone alone appears to have covered a 1.4 million cut to Professional Growth Education...not accepted by the district for reasons I suspect have to begin with not wanting to acknowledge the concessions PACT/PASS were willing to make. They just want to phase that out over three years.

Protector 20...Agreeing to waive or otherwise not collect on items obligated to be paid to them in the 2012-2013 Budget that came to a collective almost 2.4 million on nine separate items. Interestingly enough, one concession alone alone appears to have covered a 1.4 million cut to Professional Growth Education...not accepted by the district for reasons I suspect have to begin with not wanting to acknowledge the concessions PACT/PASS were willing to make. They just want to phase that out over three years.

Hombre- Think they may be using this that is in the Omnibus Quality Education Act of 2003 "Waive the application of Arkansas law, with the exception of 14 the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act of 1983, § 6-17-1501 et seq. and the Public 15 School Employee Fair Hearing Act, § 6-17-1701 et seq. or department rules and 16 regulation" Of course, just because you can do something, doesn't mean it is the right, effective or smart thing to do!

Hombre- Think they may be using this that is in the Omnibus Quality Education Act of 2003 "Waive the application of Arkansas law, with the exception of 14 the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act of 1983, § 6-17-1501 et seq. and the Public 15 School Employee Fair Hearing Act, § 6-17-1701 et seq. or department rules and 16 regulation" Of course, just because you can do something, doesn't mean it is the right, effective or smart thing to do!

Interesting Watchdog but two things. What's in the PNA's was negotiated by two groups of folks, agreed to by two groups of folks, and approved, ratified. or whatever by two groups of folks. Saw an editorial today that talked about severance for retiring teachers as if that was some Union demand. Hummmmmm, Agreement, two parties agreed. Second, the root causes of fiscal distress are caused by the abhorrent management practices of previous Boards and Administrations. I'm more concerned about the "academic" distress that will require a great deal of school level investment that never makes it's way to the building level. How does disregarding the PNA's keep folks from dropping 2 grand plus on some wings? 36.00 for an Essense Magazine subscription, paying the Superintendent for mileage, particularly if he has or may be using a PCSSD gas card. Not saying he is...will add that to the list of questions to ask though. This isn't spending done by anyone other than the current administration. Busting unions changes these types of expenditures how again. Kiki's Catering? 65.00? Curious annotation saying "Prepared food for apartment? These types of expenditure are beyond many yet, this spending does what to increase school level capacity? The true definition of insanity was what again?

I tried to find it but I couldn't find where in Arkansas Code says the Arkansas Department of Education can ignore labor laws, the Labor Union and the contracts they were given just months ago?

I think everyone needs to take a breath. My wife is a teacher and she put in as many hours at home as she puts in the classroom. Take it from someone who understands that teachers don't get paid a lot but, think of the pay over 9 1/4 months of classroom pay. Unions are one the way out, now there are only about two districts in the state that has a union. If you read some of the fillers in the previous PNA agreement you will notice a lot of overages that put the district in fiscal distress. Not to mention, the $30,000+ car with leather, sunroof, satellite radio and rims that the previous super purchased with district funds. Also, mileage reimbursement is not out of the ordinary when you drive your own car for school business. Let's wait and see how this is going to turn out before we put all the blame on one person.