President’s Message
Oct. 27, 2015
My apologies once again for the fiasco lunch on Oct. 20 turned out to be. I appreciate how hard that was for many of you. Lesson learned. We will do better in March.
As you know I attend the Administrative Council meetings each week and meet with Jeff Baier regularly. I feel like I have been brutally honest with all parties with my communications. However, I remain a single voice. Consequently, our Representative Council has derived a plan to share all our voices with Jeff Baier and Sandra McGonagle. Therefore we have an ask of all of you.
Your site reps will be calling an LATA meeting before Nov. 9. Please make it a priority to attend. We want to know the top three things you’d like the district administration to know. The rep council will then organize that information and prepare a presentation for Jeff and Sandra (hopefully presented at our Dec. 14 mtg.) Your input and voice is extremely valued and important.
Education Effectiveness Grant:
$412,343 is coming to the district from the state. It may not be used for salaries – sorry! $20,000 comes in March the rest later. The district is seeking our input on how those dollars should be spent. Please share your ideas with your site rep and principal. It is likely the district will send out a survey of some sort. This is an opportunity – let’s take advantage.
Attendance at School Board Meetings:
Thank you to those of you who have attended thus far. Our consistent visibility and presence at the school board meetings this year is critical to our negotiations. Our bargaining team is already hard at work for us, but they need our support. We may have to purchase new T-shirts next year already because ours will get worn out this year.
Future Bargaining Dates: Please wear your T-shirts!
• November 19
• December 2
• December 17
• January 14
• February 4
• February 29
• March 21
Thank you for your continues support and words of encouragement. Hang in there. We will not give up -we will keep working towards common goals.
Website:
Please visit our LATA website. Have contract questions? The contract is on our website. http://losaltosteachers.weebly.com/
Your Union All Members One Goal
Laurel McNeil [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
LATA President
President’s Message
Oct. 6, 2015
Thank you again for your amazing support at our September 25 Professional Development day and the September 28 school board meeting! We are an impressive group that is being noticed. Let’s keep up the strong presence at the board meetings. Next one is Oct. 12!
Bits and Pieces:
Assembly Bill 1432 now requires that all teachers receive annual training on Mandatory Reporting. Marlene sent an email about it today. Some principals are giving a portion of their staff meeting for this some aren’t. Regardless – completing this is part of our state mandated professional responsibility. Please watch the video and take the quiz. We have so much on our plates right now this is not a struggle worth wrangling over right now.
Paycheck:
I want to remind everyone that since negotiations on the 3% have reopened we will receive no increase in our paycheck until this negotiation is complete. We also need to recognize that our STRS contribution has increased to 9.2% as of July 2015. Plus, a number of deductions like, LATA dues, medical shares, flex spending, and other voluntary deductions are only taken out Sept. through June.
Communication with Jeff and the district administration:
For the first time today at Adco (now called LC3) I felt a glimmer of hope. Principals should be presenting some reasonable options for reporting out in November at our staff meetings tomorrow. It won’t be perfect, but it is a beginning. Standards Based Grading here we come.
I do feel that our/my voice is heard in these meetings and is valued. That said, we have much work to do going forward; and as I know you all already know it is messy, challenging business. I will do my best to keep you informed and heard throughout the year.
Oct. 20 Learning Day:
LATA is providing lunch at your sites!!
Website:
Please visit our LATA website. Have contract questions? The contract is on our website. http://losaltosteachers.weebly.com/
Your Union All Members One Goal
Laurel McNeil [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
LATA President
Oct. 27, 2015
My apologies once again for the fiasco lunch on Oct. 20 turned out to be. I appreciate how hard that was for many of you. Lesson learned. We will do better in March.
As you know I attend the Administrative Council meetings each week and meet with Jeff Baier regularly. I feel like I have been brutally honest with all parties with my communications. However, I remain a single voice. Consequently, our Representative Council has derived a plan to share all our voices with Jeff Baier and Sandra McGonagle. Therefore we have an ask of all of you.
Your site reps will be calling an LATA meeting before Nov. 9. Please make it a priority to attend. We want to know the top three things you’d like the district administration to know. The rep council will then organize that information and prepare a presentation for Jeff and Sandra (hopefully presented at our Dec. 14 mtg.) Your input and voice is extremely valued and important.
Education Effectiveness Grant:
$412,343 is coming to the district from the state. It may not be used for salaries – sorry! $20,000 comes in March the rest later. The district is seeking our input on how those dollars should be spent. Please share your ideas with your site rep and principal. It is likely the district will send out a survey of some sort. This is an opportunity – let’s take advantage.
Attendance at School Board Meetings:
Thank you to those of you who have attended thus far. Our consistent visibility and presence at the school board meetings this year is critical to our negotiations. Our bargaining team is already hard at work for us, but they need our support. We may have to purchase new T-shirts next year already because ours will get worn out this year.
Future Bargaining Dates: Please wear your T-shirts!
• November 19
• December 2
• December 17
• January 14
• February 4
• February 29
• March 21
Thank you for your continues support and words of encouragement. Hang in there. We will not give up -we will keep working towards common goals.
Website:
Please visit our LATA website. Have contract questions? The contract is on our website. http://losaltosteachers.weebly.com/
Your Union All Members One Goal
Laurel McNeil [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
LATA President
President’s Message
Oct. 6, 2015
Thank you again for your amazing support at our September 25 Professional Development day and the September 28 school board meeting! We are an impressive group that is being noticed. Let’s keep up the strong presence at the board meetings. Next one is Oct. 12!
Bits and Pieces:
Assembly Bill 1432 now requires that all teachers receive annual training on Mandatory Reporting. Marlene sent an email about it today. Some principals are giving a portion of their staff meeting for this some aren’t. Regardless – completing this is part of our state mandated professional responsibility. Please watch the video and take the quiz. We have so much on our plates right now this is not a struggle worth wrangling over right now.
Paycheck:
I want to remind everyone that since negotiations on the 3% have reopened we will receive no increase in our paycheck until this negotiation is complete. We also need to recognize that our STRS contribution has increased to 9.2% as of July 2015. Plus, a number of deductions like, LATA dues, medical shares, flex spending, and other voluntary deductions are only taken out Sept. through June.
Communication with Jeff and the district administration:
For the first time today at Adco (now called LC3) I felt a glimmer of hope. Principals should be presenting some reasonable options for reporting out in November at our staff meetings tomorrow. It won’t be perfect, but it is a beginning. Standards Based Grading here we come.
I do feel that our/my voice is heard in these meetings and is valued. That said, we have much work to do going forward; and as I know you all already know it is messy, challenging business. I will do my best to keep you informed and heard throughout the year.
Oct. 20 Learning Day:
LATA is providing lunch at your sites!!
Website:
Please visit our LATA website. Have contract questions? The contract is on our website. http://losaltosteachers.weebly.com/
Your Union All Members One Goal
Laurel McNeil [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
LATA President
President’s Update/Correction
April 21, 2015
My deepest apologies for leaving our incredible John Beeman off of our Teacher of the Year list!!! John was chosen as the District Office representative. He is a remarkable teacher who loves music and our students.
Bargaining/Negotiations:
Survey should be out next week. Please take a few minutes to fill it out. We need your input.
Elections/Executive Board for Next Year:
Voting should be taking place this week. Please help your site reps out by voting when they ask. It will take you all of two minutes. That’s up from last year because we have more than one person running for more than one position. Thank you!
Donor Money up in the air:
Apparently our mysterious donor either never gave the thumbs up in the first place or has changed his mind. Either way things have changed. So the whole idea of coaches may be off the table. I will keep you informed as I receive information.
New LATA Office:
We are established in our new shared office space at:
948 Dolores Ave.
Los Altos, 94024
April 21, 2015
My deepest apologies for leaving our incredible John Beeman off of our Teacher of the Year list!!! John was chosen as the District Office representative. He is a remarkable teacher who loves music and our students.
Bargaining/Negotiations:
Survey should be out next week. Please take a few minutes to fill it out. We need your input.
Elections/Executive Board for Next Year:
Voting should be taking place this week. Please help your site reps out by voting when they ask. It will take you all of two minutes. That’s up from last year because we have more than one person running for more than one position. Thank you!
Donor Money up in the air:
Apparently our mysterious donor either never gave the thumbs up in the first place or has changed his mind. Either way things have changed. So the whole idea of coaches may be off the table. I will keep you informed as I receive information.
New LATA Office:
We are established in our new shared office space at:
948 Dolores Ave.
Los Altos, 94024