The final version of the Reopening Plan was posted on the PGCPS website on Friday, August 14. The plan was submitted to MSDE as well on Friday. You must review the document and know your responsibilities to the students, their families, and your coworkers. It is also important to have a copy of your Negotiated Agreement (contract).
Please send concerns to contacts@pgcea.org
Please note that you can choose whether you do Distance Learning from home or at your school. You do have to let your administrator know whether you are working from home or school. You get to determine where you teach. If you find you need to change you must alert your administrator. If you have any technology issues, contact the helpdesk@pgcps.org.
What is the Negotiated Agreement? Every three years or so, PGCEA members sit down with representatives of the Board of Education to discuss salary, benefits, planning time, classroom discipline, school safety, non-teaching duties, materials, and more. We are in the second year of a three-year agreement. Agreements reached as a part of these talks become the contract between the Board of Education and PGCEA members. The contract governs wages, benefits, and working conditions for everyone in our bargaining unit, which includes teachers, specialists, guidance counselors, speech and occupational therapists, pupil personnel workers, and psychologists.
As we are walking through Distance Learning and the Reopening Plan implementation, please understand the working conditions agreed to in our Contract are in place. The salary enhancements, the five days for Special Educators, and planning time have not changed. Faculty Advisory Councils and Building Representative elections should be held before September 15. The site elections will be virtual, and our Nominations, Elections and Credentials Committee has prepared virtual election procedures including nominations, balloting, and reporting forms. Building representatives from last year are being asked to organize an election at their site and will receive an email early this week with instructions. If you do not have a Faculty Representative to conduct an election, please email NECC Chair Lenora Scott neccchair@pgcea.org.
Faculty Advisory Council (FAC)
Elected by the faculty before September 15, the Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) is a contractually-mandated, school-based committee which serves to voice concerns of the general membership to the Principal, and acts, when needed, as an interface between rank-and-file members and the Principal to address issues of concern to the school community as a whole. (Regardless of the size of the worksite, the FAC shall have an absolute minimum of five (5) members, at the rate of one for every ten (10) unit members or portion thereof). The role of the FAC is to relay the legitimate concerns of Unit 1 members and to offer solutions to problems as they arise in a reasoned & non-adversarial manner. Meetings take place at the building/site level. Monthly meetings should occur at a mutually agreed to time with Administration and FAC leadership.
Faculty (Building) Representatives represent the faculty of each school at monthly PGCEA meetings. Their function is to pass the PGCEA annual budget, support local and state elections, and share information on political activities pertinent to our working conditions. The Faculty Representatives and the FAC are elected at the same election.
We can schedule a virtual meeting with a representative of PGCEA. Either I can come, or a member of the Board of Directors can visit. We will even set up the Zoom call!
Now the adventure begins!
Theresa Mitchell Dudley
