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| LEA ProCom ProCom (Professional Committee) is a joint committee, established by the Professional Agreement, of the school district and the Association. ProCom continues the commitment to meet regularly to discuss overall relations between the parties, exchange information, receive suggestions, consider problems and discuss improvements. The district shall have five to eight persons appointed by the Superintendent, one of which shall be the Superintendent and including one principal from each educational level. The Association shall have five to eight persons appointed by the Association, one of which shall be the President of the LEA. Currently, the members are Jenni Absalon, Doreen Ainslie, Marcia Benner, Dr. Nancy Biggs, Bill Bucher, Dr. Susan Gourley, Matthew Hoffman, Dr. Marilyn Moore, Dr. Pat Hunter-Pirtle, Jim Rea, Arlene Rea, Daniel Ross, Dennis Van Horn, Ruth Ann Wylie, Resa Wiltse. |
ON EDUCATOR WORKLOAD
Distribution Date: August 1, 2008
INTRODUCTION
The LPS and LEA Bargaining Teams that negotiated the Professional Agreement for 2006-07 and 2007-08
deferred to the Professional Committee (ProCom) the task of addressing the issue of how to ease the
workload of educators. In December 2006 ProCom began meeting to receive input on events and issues
that are adding to the workload of educators and to explore ideas for reducing that increased workload and
the related stress.
ProCom devoted many meetings to the presentation and detailed discussion of data and anecdotal
information. Discussions centered around events and situations both within and outside the district which
either impacted workload or were illustrative of increased workload. The types of events and situations
reviewed included: federal and state requirements, public expectations, reduced financial resources, internal
and external communication practices, review of current literature of best instructional practices, increasing
complexity of the needs of students, changes in assessments, record keeping, technology, reduced staffing,
meetings and student discipline.
As a result of this gathering of data and all related discussions, ProCom agreed on three premises:
• The certificated staff of Lincoln Public Schools are producing excellent results with student outcomes
despite the increased workload and decreasing resources.
• The workload for all District employees has increased substantially because of the increased
demands and the reduced resources that are available to the District.
• It is in the best interests of all students and staff of Lincoln Public Schools to work collaboratively to
reduce the stress experienced by staff.
In the fall of 2007 ProCom began to focus on discussion of suggestions to streamline the work of educators
and to help reduce the stresses related to the changes in workload and identified job expectations.
ProCom has agreed to implement the following immediate, near future and longer term actions:
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
ProCom agreed that the following actions are now being taken:
1. The District Print Shop will print all district-wide assessments as quickly as possible to reduce the
need for educators to make copies.
2. The District and Association will develop and host a website for educators to share “Ideas That Work”
for streamlining any aspect of their work.
3. The District will develop building Flex Time plans for 2008-09 by the end of the current school year.
4. All 2008-09 requirements for District Flex Time will be available to staff for individual planning
purposes by the end of the current school year.
5. There will be options for District Flex Time for 2008-09 in most curriculum areas or specialty areas
during the summer of 2008.
6. The parties agree that it is permissible to use building Flex Time to extend Professional Learning
Community time.
7. District Office personnel are reviewing the composition of and meeting plans for Professional Learning
Communities for subject areas with unique needs. Changes will be made for the fall of 2008 as needed.
8. To allow for planning and preparation, District Office personnel will dispense by the end of the school
year information on everything that will be new next year in such areas as curriculum, Student Services,
Federal Programs, special education, construction and renovation and Human Resources.
9. District Office personnel will continue to maintain on the District website a calendar of all district
assessments for the entire school year to aid educators in planning.
10. The parties will recommend to their respective bargaining teams that they seriously consider
including in the next Professional Agreement additional compensation and/or time for increased workload.
[Note: The salary schedules for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 reflect additional compensation.]
ACTIONS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
1. Additional information and direction will be provided to Professional Learning Communities for the
2008-2009 school year that will help them plan, carry out and review their own work as it relates to District
expectations.
2. The parties commit to using carefully planned, joint communication to make sure all staff receive timely
and accurate information, especially about any major changes in law, policy, curriculum or instructional
practice. The parties are developing such a plan.
3. The parties agree that there will be a building plan for student discipline in place in each building, that
the plan will be consistent with District policy, that the plan will be consistent with the jointly developed and
adopted “Best Practices in Student Discipline Handbook” and that the plan will be implemented as intended.
The staff of each building will review the building discipline plan annually within the first month of the school
year.
4. The parties will identify the sections of the Professional Agreement that relate to educator workload
and to arrange to separately review those sections of the Agreement with their respective constituent groups.
5. The parties will develop and advertise a streamlined way for staff to request resources or support to
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of any major district initiatives.
LONGER TERM ACTIONS
The parties agree that the following actions will be undertaken, but will take more than a few months to
conclude:
1. ProCom acknowledges the critical role of technology in the work of educators. The parties will jointly
explore ways to provide the technological resources, including but not limited to hardware, software, and
training and technological support personnel needed to support that work.
2. In the meantime, an electronic system for efficiently recording student progress in math and reading is
being developed.
3. Also, the parties will jointly address ways to assist educators with assessments of students with
disabilities for progress reports on IEP goals.
CONCLUSION
ProCom will meet and report on progress on the implementation of this Action Plan in January and May of
2009.
LINKS (The following links will be available soon.)
Documents presented during the review
Data showing improved outcomes for students
Minutes of ProCom
Summaries of meetings of ProCom during the development of this report
Summaries of PLC Sharing Fairs
On-line “Ideas That Work” site
Distribution Date: August 1, 2008
INTRODUCTION
The LPS and LEA Bargaining Teams that negotiated the Professional Agreement for 2006-07 and 2007-08
deferred to the Professional Committee (ProCom) the task of addressing the issue of how to ease the
workload of educators. In December 2006 ProCom began meeting to receive input on events and issues
that are adding to the workload of educators and to explore ideas for reducing that increased workload and
the related stress.
ProCom devoted many meetings to the presentation and detailed discussion of data and anecdotal
information. Discussions centered around events and situations both within and outside the district which
either impacted workload or were illustrative of increased workload. The types of events and situations
reviewed included: federal and state requirements, public expectations, reduced financial resources, internal
and external communication practices, review of current literature of best instructional practices, increasing
complexity of the needs of students, changes in assessments, record keeping, technology, reduced staffing,
meetings and student discipline.
As a result of this gathering of data and all related discussions, ProCom agreed on three premises:
• The certificated staff of Lincoln Public Schools are producing excellent results with student outcomes
despite the increased workload and decreasing resources.
• The workload for all District employees has increased substantially because of the increased
demands and the reduced resources that are available to the District.
• It is in the best interests of all students and staff of Lincoln Public Schools to work collaboratively to
reduce the stress experienced by staff.
In the fall of 2007 ProCom began to focus on discussion of suggestions to streamline the work of educators
and to help reduce the stresses related to the changes in workload and identified job expectations.
ProCom has agreed to implement the following immediate, near future and longer term actions:
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
ProCom agreed that the following actions are now being taken:
1. The District Print Shop will print all district-wide assessments as quickly as possible to reduce the
need for educators to make copies.
2. The District and Association will develop and host a website for educators to share “Ideas That Work”
for streamlining any aspect of their work.
3. The District will develop building Flex Time plans for 2008-09 by the end of the current school year.
4. All 2008-09 requirements for District Flex Time will be available to staff for individual planning
purposes by the end of the current school year.
5. There will be options for District Flex Time for 2008-09 in most curriculum areas or specialty areas
during the summer of 2008.
6. The parties agree that it is permissible to use building Flex Time to extend Professional Learning
Community time.
7. District Office personnel are reviewing the composition of and meeting plans for Professional Learning
Communities for subject areas with unique needs. Changes will be made for the fall of 2008 as needed.
8. To allow for planning and preparation, District Office personnel will dispense by the end of the school
year information on everything that will be new next year in such areas as curriculum, Student Services,
Federal Programs, special education, construction and renovation and Human Resources.
9. District Office personnel will continue to maintain on the District website a calendar of all district
assessments for the entire school year to aid educators in planning.
10. The parties will recommend to their respective bargaining teams that they seriously consider
including in the next Professional Agreement additional compensation and/or time for increased workload.
[Note: The salary schedules for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 reflect additional compensation.]
ACTIONS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
1. Additional information and direction will be provided to Professional Learning Communities for the
2008-2009 school year that will help them plan, carry out and review their own work as it relates to District
expectations.
2. The parties commit to using carefully planned, joint communication to make sure all staff receive timely
and accurate information, especially about any major changes in law, policy, curriculum or instructional
practice. The parties are developing such a plan.
3. The parties agree that there will be a building plan for student discipline in place in each building, that
the plan will be consistent with District policy, that the plan will be consistent with the jointly developed and
adopted “Best Practices in Student Discipline Handbook” and that the plan will be implemented as intended.
The staff of each building will review the building discipline plan annually within the first month of the school
year.
4. The parties will identify the sections of the Professional Agreement that relate to educator workload
and to arrange to separately review those sections of the Agreement with their respective constituent groups.
5. The parties will develop and advertise a streamlined way for staff to request resources or support to
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of any major district initiatives.
LONGER TERM ACTIONS
The parties agree that the following actions will be undertaken, but will take more than a few months to
conclude:
1. ProCom acknowledges the critical role of technology in the work of educators. The parties will jointly
explore ways to provide the technological resources, including but not limited to hardware, software, and
training and technological support personnel needed to support that work.
2. In the meantime, an electronic system for efficiently recording student progress in math and reading is
being developed.
3. Also, the parties will jointly address ways to assist educators with assessments of students with
disabilities for progress reports on IEP goals.
CONCLUSION
ProCom will meet and report on progress on the implementation of this Action Plan in January and May of
2009.
LINKS (The following links will be available soon.)
Documents presented during the review
Data showing improved outcomes for students
Minutes of ProCom
Summaries of meetings of ProCom during the development of this report
Summaries of PLC Sharing Fairs
On-line “Ideas That Work” site