November Newsletter

The SJEA News

1333 South Dixie Hwy Box 4

St. Augustine, FL 32084

Visit us on the web at

www.firn.edu/schools/stjohns/sjea

Debby Etheredge President

Barbara Zosel 1st V.P.

Sonee Carswell 2nd V.P.

Brenda Ryan Treasurer

Dee Esser Secretary

Kathy Luoma Conference Specialist

You should be aware that, in addition to the highly controversial performance based pay plan called STAR (Special Teachers Are Rewarded), DOE already has a STAR program that has been in existence for a number of years.  STAR-The Florida System for Technology Accountability and Rigor provides data, online tools, and resources for districts and schools to determine readiness for technology implementation and has nothing to do with STAR- Special Teachers Are Rewarded.  The technology STAR has been a component of the Florida Accomplished Practices and also a requirement under NCLB for a while now - same acronyms but totally different functions.  So when your school district begins to talk about STAR, make sure you know which STAR they are “wishing upon”.

Nov. 15th ER&D  Meeting 4:00 @ Caddyshack

Nov. 30th 5:30 NEFSU Mtg.

Dec. 11th Rep. Mtg. 4:30

Dec. 12th  Membership Mtg.  Creekside Diner

Jan. 11th New Year Party for Members 4:30 @ Creekside

Jan. 11th Quarterly Bargaining Mtg. 4:00

Jan. 14th Martin Luther King Awards Program at the School Board Building 7:00

Jan 16th Round Table Discussion at SJEA Office with school board member (TBA)

I wish all of you safe travel and much needed rest for Thanksgiving.  Hopefully you will be able to spend time with family and friends and forget about school for a short while.  We will be meeting family in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the holidays.  I can hardly wait.

As far as District news, I must tell you that STAR is coming.  STAR stands for Special Teachers Are Rewarded.  It is ECOMP with a few changes.  We are rewarding 25% instead of 10% of the top teachers.  It will not be totally based on FCAT scores since all of our teachers do not give the FCAT.  However, FCAT scores will be a consideration.  SJEA would much rather reward all of the teachers in the District with a pay raise but it is a lot of money that will automatically go to another District if we do not come up with a viable plan. We are still negotiating.

FEA has filed a law suit and you will see below where we stand at this point.  This is an update that I just received from Jackie Sweat, bargaining specialist for FEA.

STAR:  DOE Blinks!

FEA’s challenge to DOE’s rulemaking – or lack of formal rulemaking and changing rules on a whim – has paid off!  The day before our legal counsel, Tony Demma, was scheduled to depose the main players at DOE involved in the STAR fiasco, DOE requested and received a thirty day continuance.  The purpose of the continuance?  To actually begin the formal rulemaking process on STAR--something that they could have done 5 months ago, at least as early as once the legislative session was adjourned and the proviso language was adopted.  This delay has been caused by DOE and their failure to follow the rulemaking process. 

Obviously, this delay, caused by DOE, means there are no rules for STAR other than the proviso language.  Although it is our understanding that DOE is telling locals that nothing has changed due to the continuance, that is certainly not our interpretation of how the legal system works.   There are no rules governing STAR until such time as DOE follows all aspects of the rulemaking process.  You are entitled to know the rules before you are expected to follow them.