tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.comments2008-08-12T21:54:30.833-05:00Derek Haidlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12013303014844995203noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-26893486605466277652008-08-12T21:54:00.000-05:002008-08-12T21:54:00.000-05:00Derek and Dave,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for keeping us informed during the SB meeting and Listening Session. Bonus...thanks for the entertaining videos too.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07685181421795337531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-20927534454237814142008-08-12T21:50:00.000-05:002008-08-12T21:50:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Janethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07685181421795337531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-66400642068318475772008-08-12T19:26:00.000-05:002008-08-12T19:26:00.000-05:00I have to give credit to Dave Lunt as well--thanks for pitching in!Derek Haidlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12013303014844995203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-12300176306885556202008-08-12T19:19:00.000-05:002008-08-12T19:19:00.000-05:00Hi Derek thanks for doing this again,....dmraso7http://www.blogger.com/profile/04980204909897661885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-83983636272556710562008-07-22T20:09:00.000-05:002008-07-22T20:09:00.000-05:00Thank you once again for your tireless typing, Derek!thinkinmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11804797284082653227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-22353250634480326022008-05-21T11:13:00.000-05:002008-05-21T11:13:00.000-05:00I believe that this is the current location of the contracts.<BR/><BR/>http://www.edmnosseo.com/contracts.htmmarty0050http://www.blogger.com/profile/00035620322911941189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-55261962079674346252008-05-20T23:56:00.000-05:002008-05-20T23:56:00.000-05:00Just missed adding this before you signed off. Steps and lanes are as follows:<BR/>Steps are basically the number of years you have taught full time. Part time are usually half. Meaning that you have to work two years to equal one step.<BR/><BR/>Lanes are a teachers level of training. That is...what is your level of training. There are lanes for BA, BA + 15 additional college credits, BA+30 and so on...and continues to MA, MA+15 additional credits and so on.<BR/><BR/>You get a predetermined pay increase for each step that is guaranteed no matter what is negotiated for Cost of Living each year, and you get a pay increase also for whatever lane you are in...again, already predetermined prior to Cost of Living negotiated each year. Those are fixed, set by the union bargaining table and can not be changed. How often they are established is up to each districts bargaining unit. I can not tell you exactly how our district bargains these, as in how often, besides the regular negotiations, but I can tell you almost all districts do it the same because of Education Minnesota and the other unions power that is established. <BR/><BR/>As a union member for EM and National Education Association, I can honestly tell you that districts don't have much leverage except for the Cost of Living without the threat of strikes. Districts also can do well negotiating health insurance as well, which our district has done exceptional compared to surrounding districts. <BR/><BR/>As to Deans comment about teachers not leaving because of benefits, that is because of Osseo's great work with insurance.<BR/><BR/>Having taught in Robbinsdale...I can say they didn't end up closing buildings as planned this year because of the communities voice being heard...but what has not come out in the news, is how they shuffled, they cut programs (of which our district cut back in programs but didn't cut out entire programs like music, arts at the upper level, etc as Rdale did...and the ahtletic programs cut here were leveled against what would be available in the community).<BR/><BR/>Listening to community and not staff...family coverage for insurance in the Robbinsdale district will go up $900 a month to $1,200. I don't know many teachers that could afford the equivalent of 2 more car payments. <BR/><BR/>Consequently, back to Deans board comment...Robbinsdale did lay off over 90 teachers, but what you have not heard in the news, because they are just starting to trickle in, is that teachers are leaving because they had to increase staff insurance costs to spare buildings closing. The middle school I used to teach in, has 8 of its best staff leaving for Wayzata, only because they have younger families and can not afford the insurance. These are teachers with 10-15 years of experience. That is one building alone. Of those leaving, I can tell you that they are the staff that put in the most time and talents for those kids in those buildings. They are teachers that work with the community to bring in additional grant dollars to provide incredible programming beyond district dollars. Of two of the people in that one building, they together bring in an additional $50,000 to that building for support services and programs. <BR/><BR/>The teachers will be sorely missed, and the students will receive the brunt of it when their mentoring programs, after school tutoring programs and more are gone.Two Twists of Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02639879619008418740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-40595205727754868902008-05-14T15:59:00.000-05:002008-05-14T15:59:00.000-05:00As someone that works in the legal review process, they certainly already have a process for reviewing the emails. They should also be much faster than 1 email every 5 minutes. (If they are that slow, then I would question how much tax payer money they are wasting.) <BR/><BR/>Reviewing for confidentiality and privilege is very important as I previously acknowledged. However, it is also one of the fastest and least complex reviews. Review rates of 1 email every 20 to 30 seconds on average are reasonably attainable (many emails are immediately apparent and filtering techniques can isolate large numbers of documents that would need very minimal review and highlight documents that need very careful review). As a result it should only take around 11 weeks for one person (two people in 5 to 6 weeks). Furthermore, this document review is quite possibly being used for multiple cases and could possibly be something that is done on a consistent rolling basis.<BR/><BR/>From the information that I have received from the law firm, media outlets and parents requesting emails, the district has provided little to no information about the emails being forthcoming. The District could let any of the groups know: "We are working on it and will make it available in approximately X to Y weeks." Or, they could start providing the email on a rolling basis, meaning turn over X amount every week or so.<BR/><BR/>Instead, there is little to no communication, which raises questions in my mind.Derek Haidlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12013303014844995203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-8285366718344355932008-05-14T00:53:00.000-05:002008-05-14T00:53:00.000-05:00"The District's actions are clearly questionable. Why did the District bring in a law firm to deal with a simple request? What do they have to hide? Why are they spending additional tax-payer money on outside counsel?<BR/><BR/>I'm probably just missing something. So, let me know what you think."<BR/><BR/>I don't have the district answers for you, but as a parent and taxpayer in this district, I can tell you that to review 57,000 e-mails, and let's say an average of 5 minutes to review each e-mail, which would take around 285,000 minutes....which would require 2.28 paid staff for a full year to take time away from everything else, just to address this, at a time when we are worried about budget cuts, or better yet...166 teachers being cut. I don't mind attorney's being brought in to filter too, and would actually consider it unethical if they didn't. Anyone who has worked with administration or served on a board can tell you the hoards of confidential e-mail that pertains to student data and information regarding expulsions, suspensions, and current legal matters that students face, and are not for public knowledge. It would be in our districts best interest to make sure those e-mails are filtered by attorney's to prevent furture lawsuits by those individuals whose information would have been just "handed over".Two Twists of Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02639879619008418740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-16413925228700861322008-05-06T18:14:00.000-05:002008-05-06T18:14:00.000-05:00Hi Derek..<BR/><BR/>Live blog? Great!<BR/><BR/>D.Rasodmraso7http://www.blogger.com/profile/04980204909897661885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-56716403928851465582008-04-12T15:02:00.000-05:002008-04-12T15:02:00.000-05:00Nicely done.MurphyClanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14802881333411269242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-41106078413026173732008-04-10T13:33:00.000-05:002008-04-10T13:33:00.000-05:00I corrected it -- Kim did vote for it. Linda had left by then.Derek Haidlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12013303014844995203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-37143812796849698512008-04-10T13:14:00.000-05:002008-04-10T13:14:00.000-05:00Derek, <BR/>Did Kim vote? Was Linda present for the vote or had she already left?Jennifer Haugenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07749884252714499401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-31063298574150645062008-04-09T07:56:00.000-05:002008-04-09T07:56:00.000-05:00Maybe the Watch DOg Group should append UNION to their name, then maybe Steve would listen.martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00035620322911941189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-48421672892813621352008-04-08T21:20:00.000-05:002008-04-08T21:20:00.000-05:00Thanks for trying to keep us up to date -- I could not make it, I guess I'll have to watch the tape on Thursday on Cable 21 at 6:00martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00035620322911941189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172772706985237387.post-68898421534871535552008-04-08T20:51:00.000-05:002008-04-08T20:51:00.000-05:00I am here - thanks for posting.<BR/><BR/>John HemzeLeiniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15728858067622273564noreply@blogger.com