Professional Issues Committee Recaps

General Education Professional Issues Committee (PIC)

School Safety with Jackie Turner:

  • The district is looking into several areas of support: communication, engagement, and procedures – How can we support kids, staff, families?
  • Creating “communities of care” in buildings.  Working with outside agencies that we contract with to provide support for students.  Beginning working with them @ harding.
  • These committees would come with accountability, there would be a suggestion of who should be part of the committee (staff, student, family, community partner/s), how often to meet, etc.  What to talk about would not be mandated, but a framework and ask for data.
  • There have been many opportunities for the BOE to hear from the public, and this will continue

 SPFE/PIC perspective on the distinct safety plan included:

  • Wondering why there was no school staff input on the safety survey
  • Wondering why question/s asked school staff to reflect on what they could do differently
  • Asking the district to reflect on the role of whiteness in the overall structure of the survey
  • Wondering about what “accountability” would look like with the safety teams
  • “Support Teams” will have a model, does that mean that they are cookie cutter?

Sub update with Pat Pratt-Cook

  • We’ve offered incentives to subs to go to hard-to-fill buildings.  ToC says it’s working.  We’re sending people to in-need buildings.
  • This has led, in some cases, to these placements being more popular. 
  • There are over 1000 that are specifically for SPPS.  Fill rate is up slightly (although HR is still not providing us with up to date data).
  • HR will return to giving SPFE sub updates.
  • Fill rates are over 85% if there is more than 24 hour notice.
  • There are still the contracts with ToC that lock subs in for a certain number of days, but if we refer them to ToC, we don’t need to buy people out
  • Any positions from this point on will not be filled until next school year

EL PIC recap

the English Learners Professional Issues Committee met Thursday, Feb.16th to discus ACCESS planning/ proctoring, resolving issues with EL teachers in classrooms without long term subs, Teaching spaces, LCD Staffing for 2023-24 and beyond , and getting more information on the upcoming ML dept & AMPACT Partnership in 2023-24. Next meeting is Thursday April 20th.  

Special Education Professional Issues Committee (SPED PIC) 

Our PIC met on Thursday 3/23. We discussed a wide range of topics and issues — See the full meeting recap here

Thank you to everyone who attended!