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July 30, 2020 - HCTA Bargaining Update

7/30/2020 - On Wednesday, HCTA and HUSW met in a joint bargaining session with the HCSD team at the request of HCTA to find five days during the first semester to exchange for the week of June 14-18. The proposal would have placed days of instruction where they are needed most--earlier in the year and ahead of the state testing window.

 

While HCTA and HUSW were able to find four mutually agreed upon days that would have ended the school year on June 14th (a definite compromise), HCTA was not able to sign the Memorandum of Understanding when the district team attached loss of pay and disciplinary action to any staff who took the four identified days off without an excuse from a healthcare provider.  The inability of HCTA and HUSW to agree to these penalties resulted in no agreement at the table on ending the school year earlier than June 18th.

 

The calendar committee will meet next week and will make a recommendation to the school board regarding the revised calendar, as the end of quarter timeframes still need to be adjusted. Regardless of recommendations from the calendar committee, final disposition of the school calendar is the decision of the school board.

 

HCTA and HCSD signed a memorandum of understanding regarding compensation and working conditions for teaching a hybrid class in which students would be physically present in the room and online simultaneously. The agreement allows flexibility needed to offer access to specialized courses and programs to students who cannot be on campus--with the intent to preserve FTE to protect teacher allocations--while limiting the implementation of hybrid model classrooms. (The signed agreement can be accessed on the HCTA website)

 

Additional discussion focused on the need for the temporary assignment of teachers to the e-school setting to provide instruction for students whose parents selected the Hernando e-school option. This discussion is still in progress.  If you indicated on the online survey that you would be willing to teach e-school, watch your district e-mail for information regarding these positions.  If you indicated your willingness to teach e-school, but there is not a position matching your certification, you will NOT receive the e-school email.

 

Many families did not respond to the district survey to choose brick and mortar, distance learning, or e-school.  If you are available to donate a couple of hours to your school to call parents regarding their choice, please reach out to your principal to find out if help is needed.  We need to alert parents to their options to reduce the likelihood of instructional positions lost due to parents not returning their children to school online or in person.  If overall enrollment declines, the number of staff needed also declines.

 

The next bargaining session will occur on August 6, 2020 at 9:00 in the HCSD board room.

Teacher Appreciation Week - May 4th-8th

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week! We know that Hernando teachers are working harder than ever to ensure learning continues during this time of Social Distancing and school closures. Here’s one way you can acknowledge and celebrate our educators:

Wear #REDforED on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

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Educators Rally in Tallahassee

JANUARY 13, 2020 - TALLAHASSEE, FL

The 2020 Legislative Session in Tallahassee kicked off with thousands of public education advocates converging on the capitol to send a very clear message: Fund Our Future! Support for the rallying cry was echoed around the state by thousands more imploring state lawmakers to prioritize our public schools as they never have before.

Even as the focus seemed 

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Governor Pitches $47,500 Minimum for Teacher Pay

October 7, 2019 - Governor DeSantis Pitches Increase to Teacher Pay -  From a schedule press conference in Jacksonville, the Governor released a plan to raise the minimum teacher salary in the state of Florida to $47,500 – impacting a little more than half of all of teachers in the state. Paired with the introduction of legislation by Sen. Rob Bradley to repeal the flawed Best and Brightest bonus scheme, the governor's announcement could be seen as evidence that the voices of FEA members and public education advocates are actually being heard.

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Inquiring Minds Want to Know

10 Questions to ask about the Governor’s Teacher Salary Proposal

For the past several months, FEA, our locals and our members have been bombarding media and elected officials with information about Florida’s national ranking in average teacher salary and that nearly 50,000 Educational Staff Professionals earn a poverty wage.

Clearly at least ONE politician is paying attention.

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FundOurFuture Bus Tour is Coming to Hernando!

See you at a bus stop!

Starting Oct. 21, FEA officers and staff will roll out on a statewide, five-week bus tour for public education. We will be on a campaign for our students, public schools and YOU. Please plan to come out and meet us at a stop.

The idea is to focus attention on public schools and build community support well before January, when the Legislature will be making decisions that affect all of us. If we are going to win in the next session, we need to be seen and heard now. 

The stakes are very high. We are fighting for improved funding for public schools and for better pay for all school employees. We want an end to the over-testing of students and a halt to the expansion of voucher programs that divert public money to private schools. We demand that this state support the schools that educate 90 percent of our students, and that lawmakers show proper respect to the people who devote their lives to Florida’s children.

In coordination with local unions, the Fund Our Future bus tour will make about 50 stops at events and schools from Pensacola to the Florida Keys. The first stop will be on Oct. 21 in the Panhandle, and the tour comes to a close on Nov. 23 in Orlando. 

The Hernando stop is slated for the afternoon of November 1st! More details are coming. Be sure to save the date!