Focus on TUSD - September 2007

2007-2008 Agreements Approved for Employee Groups
At a special meeting on Sept. 20, the Governing Board passed the 2007-2008 Memorandum of Understanding with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents the District's Blue Collar Employees. The agreement calls for a 4 percent salary increase.

At its regular meeting on Sept. 11, the board voted to adopt an agreement for the 2007-2008 year with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the employee group that represents supervisory/professional employees. CWA's new agreement includes a Grievance Procedure with a timely process for addressing members' grievances.

In other action:

• Maggie Sanchez, a senior at Pueblo Magnet High School and president of the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council (SSAC), gave the SSAC report.
• Patrick Whelan, moderator of the School Community Partnership Council, reported to the Governing Board on SCPC activities.
• Dr. Alan Storm, superintendent of the Joint Technology Education District (JTED), reported on board members' responsibilities for restructuring the JTED governing board.
• School Bus Radio, a company that provides age-appropriate radio programming for elementary, middle and high school students, gave a report.
• Stuart Baker, assistant director of Curriculum, Instruction & Technology, provided an update on Distance Learning, which has experienced unprecedented growth in the last year. Baker said Distance Learning is in an RFP process to provide more flexibility to the District and greater quality of choice for students.
• The board adopted a Literacy Plan that is designed to provide rigorous and relevant instruction for students in listening, speaking, reading and writing in all content areas and in all classrooms.
• Appointed Dan Gastellum as assistant principal at Tolson Elementary School.
• Drafts of School Attendance Zone (JC) and Enrollment and School Choice (JFB) policies were presented as study items.
• The board passed the annual review/approval of rental policy, regulation and rate schedule governing rentals of District facilities.

Hundreds of members and supporters of the Tucson Education Association (TEA) and AFSCME marched outside the Morrow Education Center before and during the meeting in protest of District proposals during negotiations with TEA.

At a special meeting on Aug. 28, the board repealed policies 5090 and 5080, titled "Ethnic and Racial Plan" and "School Attendance Areas and Transfers," respectively, subject to court review. The board's action was prompted by a court ruling that Policy 5090 was now unconstitutional. In 1969, the District's Governing Board adopted Policy 5090 to demonstrate its commitment to racial balance and diversity in TUSD schools.

Student admission and transfer practices within the District have changed dramatically because of the repeal of policies 5090 and 5080. The board also made minor modifications to other related policies, subject to court review.

Admissions and transfers of TUSD students now are governed by state law, open enrollment Policy 5091 and magnet transfer Policy 5095 (as amended), and their accompanying regulations.

As a result of the board's actions, new applications for open enrollment were accepted through Sept. 7.