Tacoma Specialists
news & updates
September 2020 Vol. 9 View previous issues 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Speak Up for SPECIALISTS NOW!
Hang on, everyone! Here we go!
We wish you all the best in meeting, greeting and guiding students through this week. Help each other any way you can, and don't be shy about asking for help or telling your story. You can send questions, triumphs and tribulations to tacomaspecialists@gmail.com.

Will we still be 100% virtual when we transition to the Hybrid model?

Will we be teaching our content area during the Hybrid model?

If deployments are going to be re-evaluated when we are face to face, why not do it now?

What is the school score and how was it used for specialists’ assignments?

Why are there such different schedules and teaching plans for specialists at different schools?

What about the inequity between specialists regarding student load?

What happened to K-3 funding? How is it being used?

Are Tacoma Online students enrolled in specialists classes?

Do you have questions?

Working for Solutions

After three grueling days of overwhelming, sometimes contradictory inservice and technological struggles it has become even more clear that yes, everyone is stressed and there are a lot of things we don’t know, can’t do anything about, and are nobody’s fault.

It's at this point that we need to start looking for things that we CAN fix.

Specialist redeployment is one of those things than can be changed to make a positive impact on students, and staff.

Changing assignments so that one school is the responsibility of one educator wherever possible reduces risk of infection, streamlines scheduling, and increases the quality of instruction across the district.

Peeling this layer of stress off the top of the already sizeable number of troubles we are all experiencing would help more than just specialist educators.

What CAN you do?
What can you help others see that they CAN do?

  • Ask your administrators to act on this issue.
  • Ask your union to address the issues surrounding this problem.
  • Represent your building staff and specialists across the district by being a TEA rep.
  • Focus on what you CAN do.
If you would like more information on how you can help advocate for our students and Music, PE and Library educators, please click to add yourself to our advocacy group.
A council representing PE, Music, and Library have been meeting to gather information, rally support and determine next steps for solving district-wide Safety, Quality and Equity issues for specialist programs, students, and staff.

Click below to join our mailing list and be kept in the loop as the situation evolves.
Your information will not be shared without your permission.
Specialists Represent!
TEA representatives are being chosen now.
Please throw your hat in the ring so that specialists can have a voice.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
We are all familiar with the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind”. The Specialist Advocacy Council has identified specialist concerns regarding safety, quality, and equity. TEA’s job is to advocate for Tacoma teachers during contract bargaining and throughout the year.
We are currently 'out of sight' regarding specialist representation on TEA. The formula for representation on TEA’s Representative Assembly(RA) is 1 rep. per 10 teaching staff. Given the formula, there should be 75 reps for elementary schools on TEA/RA. To the best of our knowledge only one specialist (1.3% of total reps) is on TEA/RA. Specialists make-up 12% of the total number of elementary school teachers, therefore we should have 9 reps on TEA/RA. That number would put us in plain sight and strengthen our voice so our concerns are heard and addressed. It is our job to educate TEA and fellow representatives as to the concerns we have as specialists and how it impacts our students’ academic, social, and emotional growth. If we remain out of sight, we will be out of TEA’s mind, and how will that benefit us?

Please sign up to become a building representative for TEA this year. We will make a difference!!!
Contact Christa Erolin and Forrest Griek, and your principals TODAY! to help them understand the advantages of beginning the school year with the students we know and will continue to serve as instructional models change. Decisions are being made quickly, so get this important information to the decision-makers in time to be a part of this year's plan.
If you receive a reply, please share it with tacomaspecialists@gmail.com to keep everyone informed of developments.
Advice From Human Resources
When there is a perceived issue from the point of view of the specialist, then the following protocol exists to ensure a timely response and remedy:
 
  1. Discuss with principal. If there is no resolution, then;
  2. The specialist and the principal work with level director. If there is no resolution, then;
  3. The concern is escalated to Human Resources and discussed with union leadership or during a labor management meeting.
You're invited to share your concerns
"Please communicate your concerns directly to myself or Christa Erolin. It is important that labor issues are addressed through the proper channels that the Union and District have established. This insures that concerns are addressed in a timely manner and the communication from both the Union and the District are in alignment."
 
Please feel free to call or email me directly if you have any questions.
 
Know Your Contract
Flawed Staffing Formula
The district has not done their homework on how many classes will fit into a school day.
Staffing levels are inequitable within buildings and across the district.
TPS uses a "school score" to determine need across the district. The score is determined using socio-economic factors, test scores, and various other indicators. Moving resources to where they are most needed makes sense. Is that what happened here?
*This document is dated 6/22/2020, but we are told it was used in making deployment decisions in May.
Instruction
Specialists and students are being set up to fail. Many teachers will be starting the school year doing distance lessons with students they have never met and who they might see once a week.
Where is Everybody?

Click below to see how your school and schools across the district will be impacted. Current as of 7/23
Please include your:
Name, Building (any you have connections with), and Role (Staff Position, Parent, Citizen, Student)
Tacoma Specialists Advocacy Council
Maggie Ross - Music, Fernhill
Matt Wood - PE, Stafford
Megan Oberfield - Music, Browns Point
Michael Caldwell -PE, Crescent Heights
Paula Greuling - Music, Birney
Penny Cramer - Music, Sherman
Rod Huskey - Music, Boze
Roxane Hreha - Music, Whitman
Steve Johnson - PE, Lowell