From the November 20 1996 Newsletter of the Virginia Beach (Virginia)
Education Association
(1) VBEA Opposes Adding More Teaching Days to 97-98 Calendar
As the calendar committee began the process of creating the 97-98
calendar, the tone was set by the declaration that the school board
would not approve a calendar with less than 182 teaching days.  Other
committee members agreed that the minimum number of school days was
not enough for for the children of Virginia Beach.  To complicate
matters, some of the committee members have argued that it is not
necessary to pay teachers full pay for any additional days they would
be required to work.
(2) Adversarial approach toward employees continues - Meet and Confer
rights to be denied to TA's, custodians, others
In one quick administrative stroke, superintendent (Timothy) Jenney
has overturned years of tradition for Virginia Beach school employees
by denying Meet and Confer rights for any group of employees that does
not have 50% plus one membership in the organization that represents
them.  This new policy, scheduled to be implemented next school year,
means that without substantial increases in membership, Teacher
Assistants, Custodians, Interpreters, Psychologists, Social Workers
and Visiting Teachers will not be represented at the Meet and Confer
table.  These more than 1600 employees will have to appear before the
school board as individuals to address working conditions and salary.
Grievances and others issues or concerns will still be handled by
VBEA.  The question has to be why.  The short answer is because
superintendent Jenney said so.  How does this action further the
mission of our school system?  Were the employees consulted?  Was any
consideration given to the effect on employee morale, to the legislative
intent of Meet and Confer, to past traditions or to what constitutes
good employee/employer relationships?
The previous superintendent, who also had little respect for Virginia
Beach traditions, tried to disenfranchise the employees in March 1995
in exactly the same way.  He, however, did that the proposed
regulation before the school board.  The board turned him down cold.
Since superintendent Jenney did not see fit to take this before the
board, it will remain in effect unless the board decides to take
action on it's own.
++Meet and Confer is the same thing as union negotiations in an otherwise
normal state without the clout of a union++
++Virginia is a "right to work" state.  Public employees are
prohibited by statute from engaging in strikes or work slow downs++
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... My wife, who is employed by VB schools, still wonders why I left
the Beach school system in 87 and thinks I should reapply for one of
the numerous special ed positions.  I think not.
... Bureaucrats cut red tape - lengthwise
--- PPoint 2.02
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