Page 2 - 2019 March BPS news

BPS, teachers’ union tentatively agree to contract changes
By: Matt Reed, BPS News
Brevard Public Schools and the Brevard Federation
of Teachers returned to the negotiating table
Wednesday, March 13. Although they remain
at impasse over pay raises, the school district
and teachers’ union tentatively agreed on
several contract changes. These proposed changes
must be approved in votes by teachers and the school board:
· TEACHER PROTECTION: A teacher will have
the right to deny a referred student re-entry to class for up to 45 minutes from the time of the incident if the teacher requests a conference with an administrator. If a teacher invokes this right, the administrator must hold a conference with the teacher within three days.
· EARLY RELEASE DAYS: Principals shall not schedule school-based professional development on more than six early release Fridays per year, and on no more than three Fridays per semester. Principals will post their professional development
calendars during pre-planning.
· PROTECTED PREP TIMES: Of teachers’ five preparation times per week, three will be treated as “no meeting zones.” The exception will be if meetings are scheduled at teachers’ request or are mandated by state or federal law.
· SICK-LEAVE TRANSFER: A teacher may transfer up to eight hours of sick leave to another teacher who has exhausted his or her own sick leave.
The recipient must need at least five sick days to participate and provide documentation by the treating physician of the illness, accident or injury. The donor employee must have a minimum of five sick days in order to participate.
Bargaining on workplace conditions is expected to continue. Meanwhile, BPS and the BFT remain scheduled to take their case, including pay and bonus issues, to a special magistrate on April 23. The magistrate will make a non-binding recommendation to the Brevard County
School Board.
2019-2020 School Calendar Gets Approved
The 2019-2020 school calendar is now available. A committee of principals, district officials and repre- sentatives from the teachers’ union, helped craft the calendar weighing parent feedback along with the mandated 180 days of student attendance and dates for state-mandated tests and end-of-course exams. Access it here.
BPS NEWS is a publication of Brevard Public Schools.
Superintendent
Mark Mullins, Ph.D.
School Board Members
Misty Belford, District 1 Cheryl McDougall, District 2 Tina Descovich, District 3 Matthew Susin, District 4 Katye Campbell, District 5
Published by the Division of Government and Community Relations
Assistant Superintendent: Matt Reed Editor: Nicki Hensley
Graphic Designer: Daniel Jankowski
BREVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Educational Services Facility 2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way | Viera, FL 32940-6601 | 321-633-1000 Brevard Public Schools is an
equal opportunity employer.
This publication is printed and distributed at no cost to the tax payer and is fully underwritten by the advertisers.