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New Laws Impacting Our Classrooms

Know your rights: #TeachTruth

We believe that students need to be taught our nation’s full history. By learning the good and the bad, students can gain the knowledge they need to help create a better future as we continue to strive towards a more perfect union. 

This guide created in partnership with AFT and NEA makes clear what your rights are and provides answers to frequently asked questions about teaching history in the light of recent legislative attempts to censor the full truth of our nation’s past. 

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Meet the HCTA Local Elections Endorsement Committee

Meet HCTA’s 2022 Local Candidate Endorsement Committee

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Stacey Donohue (JDFES), Pamela Gauvin (SHS), Mike Bainum (HHS), Fawn Renczkowski (FCMS), Beverly Bushell (NCTHS), Lisa Masserio (NCTHS)  -  not pictured: Nancy Jacobs (HHS) and Roni Smith (EES)

 

The volunteer members of HCTA’s Local Elections Endorsement Committee provide a balanced representation of our HCTA membership.

  • All levels and multiple disciplines, including CTE
  • Experience ranging from 6 to 30 years, and a cumulative total of 138 years in teaching
  • Ages ranging from 29 to 65
  • Most with children attending or having graduated from HCSD
  • All residents of Hernando County
  • All actively engaged in community and/or union leadership
  • Balanced representation of party affiliations (R, D, I and NPA)

Through an open and non-partisan process, this committee endeavors to identify candidates for local offices who most align with the values and priorities of our membership. All candidates for the offices being reviewed will be invited to participate in the screening process to be considered for endorsement. To ensure recommendations of the committee best reflect the interests of members, participating candidates will be vetted using tools created from input provided through recent survey of HCTA members. Endorsement and recommendations for support will be announced at the conclusion of all screenings.

School Board candidate screening timelines:

4/15/22 – Invitations and candidate questionnaires forwarded to all candidates

4/25/22 – RSVP & completed questionnaires returned to committee

5/14/22 – Candidate interviews

5/24/22 – Recommendations announced

 

 

Board of County Commissioners screening timelines:  TBD

HCTA 2022 Student Scholarships

The 2022 HCTA Scholarship Application window is now open!

Deadline to submit your child's scholarship packet is April 29th, 2022.

Any 2022 graduating members child/ children may submit an application.

In order for your child/children to qualify you must have been a member of HCTA from January 2021.

Scholarship documents may be downloaded here:

Applications can either be mailed to the HCTA office at the address supplied on the Scholarship Application  or dropped off at the HCTA office. If no one is present at the office, there is a mail slot in the door you can slide the application through.

Member parent will be notified via email that the application has been received.

Scholarships are awarded based on the Scoring Rubric tabulations by the HCTA Scholarship Committee.

Current Issues: Teacher Workload

On February 1st, HCTA Exec Board members had the opportunity to meet with the Superintendent regarding concerns for teacher workload challenges. The conversation focused on three key areas: 'paperwork' tasks, facilitated planning, and communication. It was an encouraging discussion with impacts discussed at all grade levels and across content areas. Some specific areas that were identified for further problem-solving include expectations around D/F reports, support for management of ELA Writing portfolios, and improving communication and buy-in with the implementation of new initiatives.

Our CBA allows use of up to 20% of teachers' planning time for directed work such as SWAP meetings and facilitated planning. The Superintendent reiterated the District's commitment to these practices as vehicles for engaging teachers in the kinds of discussions that keep us focused on improving instruction. It was agreed that team/collaborative planning--done well--can be a powerful tool for community building and professional growth. Still, HCTA asked to explore aspects of directed work that can offer greater flexibility and support while reducing the feeling that teachers are being micromanaged.

The main concern that seemed a common thread throughout the discussion was communication. It is difficult, if not impossible, to create collective buy-in around anything if the purpose is either unclear or uncompelling. To that end, HCTA welcomes opportunities to be more directly engaged in proactive conversations before and during implementation of District initiatives. It was shared that our members want to know the “why” behind what their administrators are telling them to do.

With growing interest in the School Board's consideration of camera and mic systems in the classrooms, the Superintendent did offer to arrange a presentation by the vendor specifically for HCTA leaders. We anticipate something to be scheduled in the very near future and will bring the information back to our members. If you have specific questions that you would like addressed, please communicate them to your worksite leader as soon as possible.

Respectfully Your,

HCTA Executive Board