July, 2011
Volume 19, Issue 12
EYES ON THE BOARD
NEW LEADERS, NEW TIMES, NEW DIRECTIONS
Board of Education Meeting, July 18, 2011
All board members were present.
Jackson Elementary School Principal--Sylvia Ibarra--vote 7-0
Alvarez Elementary School Assistant Principal--Leticia Sanchez--vote 7-0
Gonzalez Elementary School Assistant Principal--Jennifer Alaniz--vote 6-0 (De la Garza-Lopez abstained)
Rayburn Elementary School Assistant Principal--Rochelle Villanueva--vote 7-0
Wilson Elementary School Assistant Principal--Juan Montes--vote 7-0
Brown Middle School Assistant Principal--Roberto Reyes--vote 7-0
Travis Middle School Improvement Facilitator--Angela Hanvey--7-0
McAllen High School Assistant Principal--Amina Garza
McAllen Memorial High School Assistant Principal--Alfredo Gutierrez
Coca-Cola Bottling gave $25,000 to upgrade the baseball field at McHi.
The Interlocal Agreement with Hidalgo County Juvenile Probation Department was amended to delete the drill instructor's job. Thus the grant is now for $240,500 (down from $278,00 ).
Taxes collected for May, 2011 showed improvement. Last year 92.1% were collected and as of this May the amount collected was 93.63%.
The Director of Health Services position was upgraded from pay grade 5 to pay grade 6--no amount of money was given.
Three (3) policies were approved (1) partial credit, withdrawal, or late enrollment (first reading); grading/progress reports to parents (first reading); rescind policy grading/progress reports to parents makeup work (first reading).
Bell Schedule for 2011-12
Elementary: 7:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Middle School: 8:00 a.m. to 4:05 p.m.
High School: 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Tutoring and other after school activities are not exactly clear at this time.
On-line Registration
MISD had trouble with the new on-line registration.
The high volume of parents attempting to access the system at the same time seemed to be giving others trouble as they attempt to log on.
Enrollment will continue for two weeks, from July 18th through July 29th.
Calling Young Teachers
The AFT is looking for young teachers to join our Generation Y online community. This supportive network of young professionals is a place to discuss issues that affect you and your work.
You can interact with other members through the forums and member pages, learn more about what is going on in schools across the nation, and find out about upcoming events and activities you can attend.
Ballot Box
Because elected officials have a direct effect on your job, your rights, and your family's and community's well-being, it is critical that you get involved in the 2012 elections.
As we look at what is happening now across the country, that election takes on even greater significance. Every day, in state after state, public employees and the services our communities depend upon are under assault. And while we continue to push back against those assaults, the surest recourse is the ballot box. Information will be coming soon.
Discounted Mortgage Service
AFT+ and Chase Bank have teamed up to offer a variety of mortgage services at discounted rates. Call your local Chase Bank and ask about the AFT/Union Plus program. Ruth Skow needs to sign your application form to verify that you are a member in good standing.
Retire/Rehire
The 82nd Legislature passed a bill (Senate Bill 1669) that included a change for Retire/Rehire. Service employees who retired before January 1, 2011, may now work in Texas public education in any capacity without any loss of monthly annuities.
Service retirees who retire after January 1, 2011 may work full time for as much as 12 months each school year without any loss of annuities only if they have a break in service of 12 full consecutive calendar months after retirement.
The bill repeals the former exceptions that allowed service retirees to work on a full-time basis without loss of annuities in certain circumstances, the bus driver exception, the principal/assistant exception, the acute shortage exception, and the nurse faculty exception. Retirees who have not served a 12-full-consecutive-calendar-month break in service after retirement may only work as substitute or on a one-half time basis. Working full-time in the absence of the break in service of 12 full consecutive calendar months will result in the loss of the annuity for the month in which the full-time work occurs.
Also, working in any capacity for a TRS-covered employer, including work as a substitute, will restart the counting toward the required 12-full-consecutive-calendar-month break in service. Disability retirees who are working on a three-month trial basis may do so even if the three months cross school years.
Save Public Schools
Texans are good people, and we care about the future of our state. However, we care most about the future of our own schools and communities.
Public opinion research is very clear, Americans respond to budget cuts most when they understand that the impact of cuts goes far beyond the schoolhouse door.
Budget cuts in McAllen mean a laid off teacher can’t buy a house from a realtor who can’t in turn buy a car from a dealership that employs 40 neighbors—all of whom shop at the local grocery and hardware stores.
Thanks to the structural deficit, the Texas Legislature will again be confronted with a multi-billion budget shortfall in 2013. Unless we act decisively now, public education will likely be cut again in the 83rd Texas Legislature