Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 8, 2002 FIZZLE...NOT SIZZLE

Well, the new year did not begin with a bang! Negotiating teams for the Board of Education and the Cairo Association of Teachers met last night and spent two hours discussing Section 2.10 and Section 2.17, with no agreements forthcoming.

SECTION 2.10 - EVALUATION

Both teams did agree that the purpose of teacher evaluation should be the improvement of instruction - not a "gotcha" by an administrator with an axe to grind. The Association is seeking contractual guarantees that the teacher will receive input/feedback on what is expected of an excellent/satisfactory teacher from the principal PRIOR to the (final) observation.

SECTION 2.17 - PUPIL DISCIPLINE

With respect to pupil discipline...the Board is concerned about students being denied instructional time by being sent to the office for the lack of a pencil, for chewing gum, etc. The Association expressed the concern of teachers that disruptive students returning to the classroom during the same period (secondary) or without an adequate "time out" (elementary) tended to enter with an "attitude", causing further disruption of the educational process. The Board team does not want to tie the hands of its adminstrators who are being asked to "handle the teacher's problem" - that if the adminstrator feels that he/she has solved the problem, then the administrator should have the discretion of returning the student to the classroom. The Association reminded the Board team that the current language existed because teachers felt that in the past many administrators just wanted to "clear the office" without addressing the underlying concerns.

Both teams agreed to revisit these two sections based upon the concerns expressed at the table prior to the next meeting. That "next session" is scheduled for Wednesday, Janaury 16, 2002 at 5:30 p.m.