Well, good afternoon everybody. I think it's for the record it's July 30th. We are just a couple of weeks out from our students returning to us, which I know everybody is excited about. It's a change in how things are going. Also, welcome to our believe what I have
a session three for the 26-27 school year. I'll let our folks introduce themselves. I'll go ahead and start. My name is Terry Harmon. I'm serving in the role as chief negotiator to the district. And in my
empty seat, I'll go I don't think anybody's to my left, so I'll go to where I would otherwise be seated to my right of the table with Mr. Raymond. >> Good afternoon, Jeff Raymond, executive director from Human Resources. >> Good afternoon, Raquel Queen, director of financial services.
>> Good afternoon. Hi everybody, Lauren Gifford, executive director of school improvement and leadership. >> Good afternoon, Todd Calderon, director of risk management and employee benefits. >> Good afternoon, Lisa Estevez, assistant superintendent of student affairs. >> Good afternoon, Mary Anne Glimes, MCEA.
>> Good afternoon, Leanne Pike, MCEA. >> Good afternoon, Joe Neary, MCEA. >> Good afternoon, Cody Wilson, MCEA. >> Good afternoon, Gary Simmons, chief negotiator for MCEA from FEA. >> Good afternoon, Kelly Coleman, president of MCEA.
>> Lonnie Burch, MCEA. >> Hi everyone, Kim Love, MCEA. >> Great. Well, welcome everybody. Welcome to those watching us on video. Just as I did the last meeting we had, I'll try to do it again for this one cuz
I thought it would be helpful, but where we left off our last session, I know we were able to complete an MOU as it relates to the specific to the TSIA funding. And we had started a preliminary conversation about the fact that we're
an open book. Um and so I think as we get to this meeting, we're only 8 days out from the last one having been done. Um you know, not sure how much progress or or information y'all have to share right now. I know again we're kind of early
early in the language season, so we'll see things develop possibly more as we go forward, but kind of here we sit. Wanted to see at least as the as we get ready to start school year whether you've got any preliminary um possible articles related to
language. Uh and I understand compensation is is a different tool, but just specific to language items for open book purposes, wanted to kind of turn the mic over to you and see if you've got anything you'd like to talk about at this time. >> Yes, so
thanks, Terry. MCA has um prepared um four proposals for consideration this afternoon. Um what we wanted to do was try to bring non-economic proposals for discussion at
this juncture. Although I I would be transparent and say one of these four fall four may fall slightly into economics, but not so much. Um I think it'll it'll make sense when I distribute it, but Terry, I already
emailed it to you, so you should should have it as I pass it to your team. >> [clears throat] >> So for um for record purposes, I'll go through each one of the proposals in your in your packet. We'll start off with the summaries of of
each proposal, and then you'll find the full proposal text with the proposed um language changes uh at the end of the packet. So, the first one uh well, for the record, we'll be opening Article 2,
Article 5, and Article 11 for the sake of of this discussion. The first proposal that we're making is is for the elimination of of conference night. And um the description of this proposal for the
record, it eliminates the two evening report card conference nights. In place of those evening obligations, parents and guardians will schedule conferences by appointment during Wednesday morning administrative time. Conferences could be held in person, virtually, or by
telephone. The proposal also adds one teacher work day to the calendar in October at the end of the semester with um hope to of not increasing the overall teacher work year. Why this change is recommended is because the current evening conference
model requires employees to work outside the regular day, and it often results in long hours, inconsistent family participation, and limited instructional value. Using existing Wednesday morning administrative time provides a more flexible and accessible structure for
conferences while preserving mean meaningful communication with families. Adding a teacher work day gives teachers focused time for grading, preparation, parent communication, and related professional responsibilities at a critical point in the semester. How does this change benefit the
district and its employees? Well, it supports work-life balance and employees' morale by removing mandatory evening conference obligations. It preserves family access to teachers through flexible conference formats, in person, um virtual or by phone. It uses existing
existing administrative time more strategically and predictably. And it provides a dedicated teacher work day at a high need point in the semester without increasing the work year. And it also can improve retention and reduce frustration associated with after hour duties. And finally, the impact on
students is that the students will benefit when teachers have additional focused time for planning, grading, and parent communication. Families would still have access to teachers, but through a more flexible appointment-based structure that can improve participation and communication
quality. And I know that um President Coleman wanted to speak to this issue as well. >> So, being a a 25-year veteran teacher in the district, this has been one thing that I've struggled with throughout my entire career. I was a single mom, so finding time to find babysitting, um
especially with frustrating during times when I would have the time scheduled and parents would stand us up and not show up. So, these are things that I feel that would benefit the district. The second thing that I also look at is that Wednesday, when I first became a
teacher, we always had a Wednesday work day at the end of the semester. It is the number one frustrated piece that I hear from especially new teachers that they lack that time to actually sit and meet and have get their grades finalized. So, bringing that back and finding the time to kind of replace it
within the schedule, um I feel would benefit, especially in today's day and age with the way Focus, the electronic communications that we have that all the schools are doing, um I feel that even offering the parents of the flexibility to do uh Zoom type
conference will also be a benefit where teachers and families can meet a lot easier um in that time. I know it says morning, I think that would be problem for the elementary because of the admin would be in the afternoon, so that would probably be the only thing I see on here that
>> [clears throat] >> might be different for the the different levels. I know the morning would definitely be for the high schools and for the middle schools. >> So, moving on to proposal number two, and I'll be more than happy to take questions after we go through all four of them if you have
any. But, proposal number two is proposing a virtual planning day. Description of this proposal, this proposal creates one virtual planning day each school year on a on a designated teacher planning preparation work day. On that day, employees may work remotely
from a location of their choosing and use the day for planning, preparation, grading, record keeping, parent communication, and other professional responsibilities. Required meetings would be limited and employees would not be required to report physically to a district work site. Why the changes
recommended? Teachers already perform significant professional work that does not require physical presence at the school site. A virtual planning day allows employees to complete those tasks efficiently and with fewer interruptions. The proposal preserves productivity while
acknowledging modern work practices and giving employees meaningful flexibility without diminishing accountability. How the change would benefit the district and its employees. It promotes employee morale and trust by providing a modern, flexible work option. It allows
teachers to complete planning and clerical work with fewer interruptions. Creates an option that can improve efficiency without adding cost or reducing work expectations. Supports recruitment and retention by offering a benefit that many professionals value and it maintains clear communication
expectations and limits unnecessary meetings. The impact on the students, the students benefit indirectly because teachers can use uninterrupted time to prepare instruction, review student work, complete records, and communicate with families. Better prepared teachers
are more accurate, record keeping strengthens um classroom effectiveness and school operations. Proposal number three would be for compensatory time. So, this proposal modernizes the compensatory time article by providing
that compensatory time is earned and used in 15 minute increments, requested electronically, and not unreasonably denied. It clarifies that earned compensatory time belongs to the employee once earned, carries over for the full year, and does not expire
because of district scheduling limitations. It also allows employees to apply 1.25 hours of compensatory time when taking a full sick or personal day to account for the duty-free lunch and planning time that are otherwise
embedded in the leave day. Why the change is recommended? The The present language leaves too much uncertainty regarding how compensatory time is earned, scheduled, denied, and carried over. Clearer language will reduce disputes and make the benefit
easier to administer consistently. The added provision on sick and personal leave recognizes the practical reality that a full day absence includes planning and lunch periods that employees would not otherwise have to charge fully against leave. How the change would benefit the
district and its employees. It creates a clear, consistent administrative process for earning, requesting, and using compensatory time, reduces misunderstandings and grievances by defining employee rights and district obligations more precisely, it improves accountability through
electronic requests and clear documentation, helps employees preserve leave balances appropriately when taking full sick or personal days. It builds goodwill by ensuring earned time is treated as a vested employee benefit and not lost due to scheduling limitations. While there's
no major impact on students, clear compensatory time practices can improve employee morale, reduce workplace conflict, and support a more stable and cooperative work environment that ultimately benefits students and schools. >> I just have one thing. This is probably
one area that I think that the language that's in the contract is outdated. It's very um vague, and sometimes I find myself and even with principals kind of going back and forth about the the language and what it means. So, this is basically being rewritten. It kind of
puts in that benefit of that 1.25 hours that employees are now allowed, but it's not really in the contract. So, this way it kind of solidifies that it's there. Um a lot of teachers, I feel, by putting this in the contract makes comp time more valuable. A lot of
times what I hear as a teacher and even as the union president, it's why do I care about comp time? It's it it's meaningless. Um I know from conversations I've had with the district and with teachers, it's to the benefit of the district for teachers to volunteer outside of the school hours and to have that comp time where it is
valuable, where they can see a reason that maybe they will go volunteer at a after-school basketball game or help chaperone something. Um and cuz we want the teachers there. That is part of building that school community and building that district that's strong district. So, I think that this is one area that since I've been a teacher here
in the district has always had the same language, and I do feel it needs to be updated. >> And the fourth and final proposal deals with bereavement leave, and this is the proposal that I wanted to categorize as um partially economic.
So, this proposal creates a new subsection titled bereavement leave and establishes up to three paid bereavement leave days following the death of a member of the employee's immediate family. The leave would be separate from sick leave and personal leave. It may be used
consecutive to consecutively or intermittently within 30 calendar days and may be used immediately before or after a paid holiday. The current agreement does not provide a clearly defined separate bereavement benefit. Employees [clears throat] facing the loss of an immediate family member
should not have to navigate uncertainty or rely solely on other leave categories during a difficult time. A separate bereavement provision is a humane and administratively clear response that aligns with basic employee support and professional dignity.
How the change will benefit the district and its employees? It provides a clear and compassionate leave benefit during one of the most difficult circumstances an employee can face. It creates consistency in administration and reduces ad hoc decision-making at the school or district level. It
supports employee well-being, retention, and morale by demonstrating institutional respect and care. It allows employees to address funeral, memorial, and family obligations without depleting other leave banks. And it can reduce confusion by establishing a
dedicated contractual provision >> [clears throat] >> for bereavement. There's no direct impact on students instructional program. Indirectly, the proposal supports a stable and respectful work environment by allowing employees to return to work better able to focus
after a period of a family loss. The file >> I only have one thing to say about that. Um, I had two teachers last year reach out to me um, after they lost their husbands suddenly. And the struggle on the phone with them, I was listening to them trying to figure
out how they were going to navigate the time. One of them did not have any time, so she was trying to figure out what they were going to do and asking about other teachers donating. I feel like this is something that I'm seeing across the state that this is becoming more popular to be added in.
Um I just think that it kind of gives something for the employees to fall back on. And a lot of the employees are surprised when they find out there is no bereavement leave like days included. So, I just think that this is just a good gesture towards all the employees that they know it's there
through one of their most difficult times. And speaking to two employees this past year and listening to their struggle on the phone and the shock of it and having to find time to figure out what's this on top of when they should just be worrying about um their family at that that difficult time. So, that's
how this I this came up. It's actual circumstances that did happen within the district with employees that I dealt with and my heart went out to them. And um it was one of the things that just kind of stuck with me for since I've been in this role that I think will make a big difference in the district
for the employees. >> So, that concludes the four proposals that MCEA has um brought for the district's consideration today. I do want to add that um proposal number one with the elimination of of conference nights. I think for the
record I want to make it clear that our expectation is that if this is accepted it would start next school year. We already understand that we have the calendars established for this year already. But um I I wanted to add that caveat to it. But so at this juncture we'll be more than
happy to field with any questions um prior to us turning it back over to the hands of of turning it back over to Terry. >> Yeah, and and unless anybody I think if anybody has a question from our team
my my inclination would be to give us a maybe 20 minutes to start to go back and kind of talk through some of the proposals. I know we're really early on and between the last session on the 22nd and this session today, uh
you know, not a lot of passage of time within there, so we've been hustling. So, let us talk um maybe 20, come back at 4:15 to see if we have any follow-up questions. We'll see what we're going to do with the proposals, but thank you for
putting it all together for us. >> No problem. >> And so, for our team, we'll just we'll talk separately and maybe revisit checking in at 4:15. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> We can hear it out there, so it's it'll be best if um >> Oh, no, we can I can um >> You can cut the feed. >> I cut that one off, and then we have a
different link. >> Yes, yeah. >> Okay. >> We are set, Terry. >> Ready? >> Yes, sir. >> Great, thank you, everybody. So, thank you for the time. I think it's the first time we've all been on time when it comes from our attorney from our office,
but uh we tried to breeze through everything as quick as we could. Um I think our main goal through our caucus was to identify whether we had any questions or if anything is confusing about your proposals. I think it's at
least from the context of what you presented, all fairly straightforward. So, I think we kind of understand uh why it's being asked and what's being asked. I think we just need a little time to go back and take a look at the CBA since it's open book. Is there any
other articles that interrelate with these? Just to kind of do our checking, but I do think we'll be easily in a position at our next session to have a response to all four of these. Um again, I think they're pretty straightforward. Uh so, that would be our hope is at our
next session, we can give you an answer to all four. >> Okay. >> So, I think maybe with that, it would probably be best if we can identify when it would be good scheduling our next session. Um I know with the school year starting, I don't know if that's going to impact
your team, but what's Mr. Raymond, I'll have to make sure we are able to have the time that we need to have to be able to finalize everything. So, you looking at some dates in mid-August, does that seem early mid-August seem doable, or is that
too quick? >> For our side? >> Yeah, I just want to make sure we >> Oh, yeah. No, I think um when we were breaking for caucus, we shared that um you know, we should definitely um suggest some dates today, and then we
could look at if venues are available, if we have opportunity to have an executive session. So, I don't see why um mid-August would not be attainable um if the two of you are available. >> We are. >> Yeah. >> That's what I was thinking as well.
>> Um do we want to talk dates on camera, or keep it going? Okay. >> Um I think it's probably, just for the record, we could probably go off camera to talk about dates, but we're pretty much concluded with any offers or proposals at this point, if that's [clears throat] okay with your team. >> Mhm. >> Mr. Santos.
>> Yeah, that's what I was >> Okay. So, then um as of 4:21, we'll conclude tonight's or this afternoon's session number three, and then um reflecting in the minutes, we will show um our proposed dates for session number four,
dates and time.