USEP Update – 8/3/2022

WELCOME TO THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR! Hope you all had a restful summer. Here is the latest news you need to know.

• NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION
  USEP participated in several New Teacher events over the summer. All totaled, we welcomed 186 new teachers into the USEP family. That’s almost a 3 ½% increase in our density, which sits at 55%, currently. That’s the highest we have been going into a new school year. Don’t stop recruiting, though. We want to raise our density to the 65 – 70% range to have a louder voice during bargaining.
• UNISIG CLARIFICATION
  While the District is advertising vacancies with high-paying supplements at thirteen of our schools, there is additional information you should have before making a decision to transfer or apply. The supplement applies to teachers in grades 4 – 10 for ELA, grades 4 – 8 for Math, and grade 8 for Algebra. These are the only eligible instructional positions for the supplements. In addition, for ELA and Math, you must have a three-year average VAM score. Algebra only requires a one-year score. The final amount of the supplement is determined by the number of qualifying teachers, which is why it is UP TO $7,500 and UP TO $15,000.
• GRADING PRACTICES
  USEP has filed a “CEASE & DESIST” letter with the District regarding the rolling out of the new Grading Practices for 2022-2023. We have real concerns over the timing of this rollout, just before the return of school, and the manner in which the expectations are to take place. This involves potential major changes to the PLC structure, makes some serious grading changes, effectively eliminates homework, eliminates any scoring of participation (particularly concerning for performance-based classes), Honors, AP & IB, and will have only a limited training piece to explain expectations. We are asking teachers not to be insubordinate, but to speak with your administrator to see what can be done in the interim until this situation is resolved.
• NEGOTIATIONS
  The SRP and Instructional Bargaining teams have been working hard throughout the summer on negotiations. The Instructional teams from USEP and District met on Monday and today and will return to the table on Tuesday. The SRP teams met Tuesday and will meet again tomorrow. Both SRP and Instructional proposals include salary improvements of 5%. The SRP proposal also includes a new minimum pay rate of 15$ per hour. We are very encouraged by the progress and cautiously optimistic an agreement may be in the near future.