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Good Evening NAEA Members!
Below is an update containing information on what is occurring within your local Association. This originally started for Site Representatives at your schools, however, upon learning most of it was forwarded on to members anyway, we all agreed it is more efficient to email you directly. Please remember if you have concerns relating to a grievance or violation of your rights, you need to contact our Grievance Chair, Nathan Dutton ([email protected]), Hedy, and myself. In the interest of solving your issues at the lowest level possible, start with your Administrator and Site Representative. Involving your Site Representative is crucial to ensuring that our Negotiated Agreement is equitably enforced districtwide. Have a great evening, Tracy Bell NAEA President --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COVID-19 It is important as we are traveling for whatever purpose, we are aware of the latest mandates. When traveling out of the region, travelers are to be aware they are to be adhering to guidelines from the State of Alaska -> Northwest Arctic Borough-> City of Kotzebue -> Specific Village State of Alaska: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/travel.aspx Northwest Arctic Borough: https://www.nwabor.org/village-travel-restrictions/ City of Kotzebue: http://bit.ly/FebruaryMandate The CDC released their updated guidelines for COVID transmission mitigation, specifically to help prevent spread among adult school employees. For more information please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-staff.html Public Health recommendations for Vaccinated Persons: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html#phrecs Testing, Isolation, and Quarantine for Persons Who Have Recovered from Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/faq.html Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants (Information) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/scientific-brief-emerging-variants.html GOING REEN We have been in conversations with NWABSD Leadership about moving into the Green Operational Zone. They are doing this in response to the lowering number of positive cases in the region. In discussions with HR, they have asked that if there are concerns about reopening, please contact your Site Administrator and Site Representative. Your Administrator is in active communication with the District Office staff and this will help the District accurately assess the needs and concerns of their staff. The District has changed their COVID-19 protocols, they have adjusted it under the advice of Maniilaq and the Association. They are not using the previous method of counting positive cases. Instead, they have moved towards a community transmission model where Maniilaq would determine the severity of the impact the positive cases have on the community. At the beginning of the Smart Start planning process, they made it clear that protocols and policies would change as the school year progresses. Our biggest ask has been that they make sure to actively communicate the changes to teachers and explain the rationale behind their decision making and be responsive as we raise safety concerns with them. Again, if you have safety concerns at your Site, please inform your Site Administrator and Site Representative. Protocols for the exposure of staff is unknown at this point and something we are heavily advocating for and watching. At this time we have yet to have staff members exposed this quarter and are watching closely to see how the District responds. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contracts We have been receiving a decent number of inquiries regarding contracts and with specific questions relating to “Can I sign my contract with NWABSD and look for other jobs?” Our Negotiated Agreement States: Individual teacher contracts shall be issued in accordance with AS 14.20.130 and 4 AAC 18.010. Individual teacher contracts for tenured teachers, with the exception of tenured teachers being considered for dismissal or nonretention, shall be mailed or delivered within a thirty (30) day time period. Should the individual teacher contract be arbitrarily terminated by the teacher as provided in 4 AAC 18.010(d), the teacher shall be deemed to have breached the contract and to have resigned with prejudice. The teacher shall pay to the District an amount equal to ten (10) working days salary as provided under the breached contract. Such amount may be deducted by the Superintendent from any compensation otherwise owed to the teacher from the District for services performed prior to the effective date of the resignation. In addition, upon the arbitrary termination of the individual teacher contract by the teacher, the Board may recommend to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (hereafter referred to as the Department) that the teacher's certificate be revoked in accordance with 4 AAC 18.010(d). When you sign a contract, you are signing it in good faith. NWABSD by law has to give you 30 days to sign your contract. After that 30 days, they can begin hiring for that position. If you forget to sign your contract or don’t complete it within that 30-day timeframe and turn it in any time after that, they have a right to say no to your contract. Teachers cannot be under contract in more than one district at a time. If you decide to attend an interview, you need to be honest with the interviewing district that you are under contract in another district and would need to resign and wait for that resignation to be accepted before accepting the job. If you choose to resign and break your contract this year prior to June 30th. The Professional Teaching Practices Commission is unlikely to sanction your license. If you break your contract after June 30th it is likely they will sanction your license. Social Media Usage There has been an increase in social media usage during our contract hours. It is not the role of the Association to act as the Professionalism Police regarding social media use, and we will not be contacting anyone directly about this. However, I would highly advise against any social media activity during the workday, especially conversations that are discussing/disagreeing with NWABSD policies. This sets up the Association to defend you in an area that is indefensible. Furthermore, when we approach the District about additional planning time or additional time for remote teaching, this visible, timestamped behavior puts us at a disadvantage. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEA-Alaska Updates The Alaska Division of Agriculture has announced that they have opened the application process for the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program. Alaskans can apply for up to $5,000 to help them grow more nutritious food and become food secure. See the attachment for more information. If you're serious about pursuing this grant, please make sure you are including your Administrator in the discussion so this does not impact our grant funding from other sources. Registration is now open for the Human Rights Campaign Time to THRIVE conference, supported by the NEA. The Time to THRIVE conference focuses on promoting safety, inclusion, and wellbeing for LGBTQ youth. · This year’s conference will be held virtually on February 9-11. · You can register here and is FREE to all NEA members. Association Early Enrollment The Early Enrollment Program begins April 1st. This program allows someone that has never been a member of NEA to join the Association, receive benefits, and pay no dues until the fall. Please promote this opportunity to nonmembers at your site. This month, we celebrate Black History. NEA has a variety of tools and resources for you to use to promote the cause of racial justice and celebrate Black History Month. o There is a racial justice webinar on Wednesday, February 17th at 3 PM AKST o Here are other resources from NEA Ed Justice: https://neaedjustice.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Things we are Discussing with HR Nathan, Hedy, and I meet every other week with Janice Hadley and Karl Kowalski. We hope you pay close attention to this list and if anything is unfolding at your Site, please contact your Site Representative with specific concerns. They will bring them to our attention and if need be, we will follow-up with you to see if there is any further information needed. Also, issues at your site are not limited to this list if there are things that need to be addressed or if you need support.
Important Local Information Our Website: https://www.nwarcticea.org/ The next NAEA Site Rep meeting is: February 22nd @ 4:30 PM (AKST) The next NAEA Executive Board meeting is: March 22nd @ 4:30 PM (AKST) Grievance & Rights Committee meets the first Tuesday of every month. They will next meet on March 2, 2021, and discuss specific rights issues. Next School Board Meeting:
How to listen to School Board meetings: All Regular School Board meetings are available telephonically. When you call in to listen, please state your name and location for the record. For Call-In Information, contact: Paula Octuck-Viveiros, ([email protected]) Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education
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