November Newsletter

Ask BESE for an Instructional Minutes Waiver for 2020-2021

A few members have questioned why 30 minutes are being added to the school day. Here’s the reason: Louisiana law requires all school districts to have a certain number of minutes of instruction each year.

Last school year, those requirements were waived because of COVID, but so far this year, the State has not issued any such waiver. You can help address this issue by sending an email to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Superintendent Brumley to ask them to waive the traditional instructional minutes requirement for this year.

Click here to send an email now!

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Agency Non-Compliance of Telework Orders

 

MPEC is working to address agency non-compliance with the Governor's telework orders on November 10th. (Click here to download the letter sent to Governor Hogan and Secretary Brinkley) The Dept. of Budget and Management has allowed each agency to interpret and implement policies and mandates that are intended to protect employees at the manager's discretion. The difference in implementation that we are experiencing has certainly revealed the value of human life as very subjective to individual personalities. We are thankful for the managers whose actions clearly display respect and appreciation for the life of others. However, the managers whose actions indicate otherwise, creating gratuitous risks, will certainly be addressed to the greatest extent possible.

Sadly, this difference in implementation has been an on-going issue since the beginning of the pandemic. We are speaking with lawmakers to pass legislation that will eliminate subjective loopholes in policies and mandates intended to prevent or mitigate harm to state employees. We will post updates on the MPEC website and Facebook page.

In solidarity,

Jerry Smith, President

Proud to Represent Citrus County Support Professionals

Education staff professionals –identified as Classified and Professional Technical Support in Citrus County-- are valued and critical members of every public school community.

They meet the needs of the whole student, promoting quality education and fostering positive learning environments.

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OPINION: Seattle Colleges in Crisis, but Harmful Budget Cuts are not the Answer

"According to the District’s audited financial statements, six years ago, the District spent 51% of its budget on instruction and by 2018 instruction funding fell to 41% of the budget. Now, Seattle Central has announced that 75% of 2020–2021 anticipated cuts should come from instruction. If North and South take the same path, instruction could fall to barely a third of the District’s operating revenue."

https://southseattleemerald.com/2020/11/06/opinion-seattle-colleges-in-c...

Finally—it’s President-elect Biden

Patience—counseled by former Vice President Joe Biden all election week as Americans waited for votes to be counted—finally paid off Nov. 7, four days after Election Day, when Biden won in Pennsylvania and gained enough Electoral College votes to acquire a new title: president-elect. AFT President Randi Weingarten says the union’s leaders and members “can’t wait to get started” on the work ahead “with an administration that will embrace and fight for the values we hold dear.”

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Safe School Reopening Press Conference

AFT-Maryland Locals and Other Union Leaders Join for Solidarity Press Conference on Safe School Reopening.

Leaders from AFT-Maryland's Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) Local 340 and City Union of Baltimore (CUB) Local 800 joined with leadership from AFSCME Local 558 in protesting the planned reopening of Baltimore City Public Schools. The leaders each expressed their concern for the safety and welfare of students, staff, and families should any city schools reopen on Monday as proposed.

CLICK TO READ

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PFT President Jerry Jordan on School District of Philadelphia’s Announcement to Remain Virtual

November 10, 2020

In response to the School District of Philadelphia’s announcement to remain virtual, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement: “The decision to remain fully virtual for the foreseeable future will save lives. The science of COVID-19, paired with the massive ventilation and other facilities issues throughout the District, makes it clear: returning to school buildings, in any capacity, is unsafe right now."

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