Chicago Principals & Administrators Association, AFSA Local 2, AFL-CIO

OctOber Meeting with the ceO

2

retirees' cOrner

4

2015 educatiOn cOnference

7

20 N. Wacker Dr.Suite 1545

Chicago, Il 60606312-263-7767

Fax 312-263-2012www.mycpaa.com

MYCPAA.COM / VOL. XVI NO. 2 / NOVEMBER 2014

The LampThe November elections are over, and I, for one, was very disappointed at the low voter turnout, in addition to the outcome of many of the races—here and on the national level. Meanwhile, back on the farm, not much has changed in regards to improved performance of Aramark and SodexoMAGIC. Currently, CPAA is meeting with Aramark and SodexoMAGIC representatives about every two weeks. The first Monday of this month three Aramark vice presidents and CPS COO Tom Tyrrell attended our General Membership Board meeting to discuss the continuing problems with Aramark and SodexoMAGIC service to the schools. Needless to say, they got an earful from the auxiliary presidents and vice presidents.

Communication seemed to be the consistent complaint coming from our officers. There was acknowledgment that communication to principals about rotation and/or removal of custodial staff was insufficient and needed to improve immediately. Custodial worker absences, poor quality of work, non-working equipment, and too few custodial staff assigned to do the work, especially on second shift, are also huge problems ... the complaints went on from there. What struck me most was the apparent lack of a coherent strategy to deal with all the problems at hand

in individual schools. We heard platitudes and promises galore about making the job of principals easier so they could concentrate on instruction and student achievement. Well, from the conversations that evening and phone calls and emails coming to the office, principals say their workload has only increased and getting worse—that’s what's really happening!

Next steps ... another survey is needed to evaluate the delivery of promises made and gauge just how effectively they are meeting your needs. Needless to say, we were against this structural change of custodial supervision from the very start. This is nothing new; in fact, CPAA was instrumental in going to Springfield (1998) and securing a change of the Illinois School Code giving supervision and evaluation of local school facilities to the principals. Clearly, from our perspective, there was no need to take away the principals’ authority to direct all staff assigned to their local school.

One of the biggest problems is that Chicago is so “big.” The idea of privatizing the cleaning of CPS schools, by contracting with a company that hired sub-contractors to do the work and then adding a layer of middlemen to supervise, was plain stupid!

A Message From The PresidentClarice Berry

The Lamp is published monthly by the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association and distributed to the entire membership. Recent editions are available online at

http://www.mycpaa.org. Comments and suggestions are welcome; please email Associate Editor Kent Lau at klau@cps.edu. The Chicago Principals & Administrators

Association AFSA Local 2, AFL-CIO, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 1545, Chicago, IL 60606, Phone: 312-263-7767, Fax: 312-263-2012, www.mycpaa.com

Clarice Berry

Editor

cjackson-berry@cps.k12.il.us

Kent Lau

Associate Editor

klau@cps.k12.il.us

Kimberly Tsui Fong

Design/Production

AFFILIATIONS:

American Federation of

School Administrators

(AFSA)

American Federation of Labor-

Congress of Industrial Organizations

(AFL-CIO)

Illinois American Federation of Labor-

Congress of Industrial Organizations

(IL AFL-CIO)

Chicago Federation of Labor-

Industrial Union Council

(CFL-IUC)

The CPAA Executive Board met with representatives from CPS senior staff on Monday, October 27, 2014. The following agenda was discussed:

Review Anchor StandardDuring a recent meeting introducing the Educator Effectiveness-Principal Evaluation 2014-15, CPAA expressed a serious concern about Anchor Standard A4 (Creates a Safe, Clean and Orderly Environment). Despite a series of continuing meetings with CPS senior staff and Aramark and SodexoMAGIC representatives, principals are still reporting little, if any, progress of serious issues arising from the new CPS contracts with these companies. It seems incongruous that principals will be evaluated on a standard that is effectively not under their complete control. We wish a further discussion around the inclusion and fairness of this standard.

Response: Principals shared concerns regarding the term “clean” in Anchor Standard A4 of their principal evaluations for the 2014-15 school year. Now that this responsibility lies on Aramark and SodexoMAGIC, they felt it was unfair to rate/evaluate them on this item. The Central Office team will review the terminology in Anchor Standard A4 and discuss potential wording changes with the CEO that address the concerns of principals to be rated on factors “within principal control.”

Scheduling IssuesApparently, Network 10 is scheduled to attend “Procurement Compliance Training” on Wednesday, November 12. That date is the Elementary Parent-Teacher Conference Day. Hopefully, by the time our meeting takes place, this will have been corrected/cancelled for obvious reasons. However, this type of scheduling conflict only reinforces our request for a CPS “Master Calendar,” with blackout days that are not allowable for PD, training, or meetings for school principals/assistant principals.

Response: The training date for Network 10 was moved to November 20 from 1:30-2:30 PM. The Central Office team has followed up with the School Support Center (SSC) and Network Offices in order to revisit the 2014-15 calendar for dates in which principals should not be pulled for training. The Central Office team also shared an update on last month’s request for “A Blessed Week,” sharing that the 2014-15 school calendar is currently being developed in collaboration with CTU, and that the month of August will be protected for principals in order to support them as they prepare to start a new school year. As more information is solidified, we will share the actual protected window that will be more than the requested week.

Principal Evaluation Release & SQRP TiersWhen and how will the 2013-14 Principal Evaluations be released. Additionally, we are past mid-October and SQRP data is not available. Is the November 30 deadline still in place for principals to submit plans?

Response: Principals shared a concern around not having their Principal Evaluations, which they need in order to fill out the Principal Development Plan (PDP) for the current school year. Additionally, the PDPs are currently due on November 30. The Central Office team shared that we are working diligently in order to ensure these data points are accurate and appropriately aligned to one another. We will modify the

Meeting with the CEOReport—October

The Lamp —November 2014 3

November 30 deadline and send notices to principals of the change.

Snow ProtocolCPAA is requesting, again, to be placed on the Central Office distribution lists of critical system-wide information that goes to principals. Currently, we have principals who send us copies of the memos they receive and have questions they’d like us to explore. Recently, a memo about snow protocol was sent out, generating many questions as to its details. Honestly, after reading it myself, I also want to see the actual protocol in writing. When will principals see/receive the protocol document?

Response: Clarice Berry shared that she would like to be copied on communication to principals so that she may be informed and prepared to support principals when they call her with questions and/or concerns. She also shared that the snow protocol memo was confusing and was hoping to gain clarity. The Central Office team shared the documents, which were sent to principals (email from Pat Taylor, Snow Removal Plan Template, Snow Removal Protocol). Each

school will have a Snow Removal Plan unique to their school’s needs. The facilities manager is the lead on ensuring this plan is completed, with collaboration of the engineer, lead custodian and principal. It was also shared that salt for this year’s season has already been ordered and is being delivered to each school site.

Follow-up Issues to Be Addressed With Central Office1. The Central Office team will answer the following question: “What is the fine for Aramark and SodexoMAGIC for no-shows?"

2. The Central Office team will develop a method of collecting satisfaction data from principals on a weekly basis regarding the services provided by Aramark and SodexoMAGIC.

3. The Central Office team will discuss a modification to the wording of Anchor Standard A4 and the PDP submission time line, with resolution shared with principals as soon as possible.

The CPAA Governing Board met on Monday, October 6, 2014.

Executive Board Members PresentClarice Berry, Ana Espinoza, Sonia Lopez, Cynthia Miller, Jerry Travalos

Auxiliary Officers PresentElizabeth Cittadine, Shelly Cordova, July Cyrwus, Senalda Grady, Gabriel Parra, Serena Peterson, Troy LaRaviere, Linda Williams

CPAA Staff PresentWilliam Quinlan (General Counsel)

Call to OrderThe meeting was called to order by President Clarice Berry at 4:39 PM.

Minutes of Previous MeetingA motion was made by Serena Peterson and seconded by Jerry Travalos to amend and accept the September 8, 2014, Governing Board minutes:

CPAA Constitutional ReviewPer the July 2014 Governing Board meeting, we established a committee, “Principal Voice,” with President Berry appointing Troy LaRaviere as chairman. Concerns were raised by both Governing & Executive Board

members as to the evolution of the Principal Voice committee into Administrators Alliance for Proven Policy and Legislation in Education (AAPPLE). The consensus was that the chair of the Principal Voice committee would adhere to the Constitution and Bylaws and would submit recommendations to the Governing Board for approval before dissemination to members or to the public.

The motion passed by all.

Treasurer’s Report The CPAA Financial Report for September 2014 was presented. A motion was made by Ana Espinoza and seconded by Serena Peterson to accept the Treasurer’s Report. The motion was passed by all.

Membership ReportThe Membership Report was presented and reviewed. A motion was made by Serena Peterson and seconded by Jerry Travalos to accept the Membership Report. The motion was passed by all.

Reports From PresidentPresident Berry welcomed the new Auxiliary VI President – Shelley Cordova.

President Berry provided an update on the follow-up meeting of

Governing Board Meeting Minutes—October

Retirees' CornerArt Fumarolo & John Reilly

STAY ING CONNECTED AND ADDRESS ING THE CONCERNS SHAPING YOUR FUTURE

The latest meeting of Auxiliary XVI, the Retired and Resigned members auxiliary, was held on October 14, 2014. Sixteen members were present. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the auxiliary will be at 9:30 AM on December 9, 2014. It will be held in Room 909 of the Garland Building at 111 N. Wabash Avenue. The Retired Teachers Association of Chicago (RTAC) will be our host.

At the meeting, the first guest speaker was Peter A. Driscoll, interim executive director of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF). Driscoll has served in this position for one-and-a-half months and will continue until the end of 2014 during the medical leave of Kevin Huber. [The CTPF announced on October 28 that Huber is resigning as of December 31, 2014, and Driscoll will now serve as interim executive director until March 31, 2015, as the CTPF searches for a new executive director.] Driscoll was recruited for the position by the CTPF Board of Trustees. He recently retired after 10 years of service as administrator of the Pipefitters Pension and Welfare Plans. He stated that he was very impressed by the CTPF staff and that their combined priority is their service to teachers and retirees.

Driscoll reviewed the “State of the Pension Fund” with the use of a PowerPoint handout. Among the CTPF highlights: The fund value, $10.8 billion, increased by $1.1 billion over fiscal year 2013. Even with this growth, the CTPF-funded ration is expected to grow from 49.5%, as of June 30, 2013, to somewhere in the low 50s this year. Even with the market's ups and downs, earnings have averaged 9.5% over the past 35 years. The fiscal 2014 expenses include $1.3 billion in service retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, at the rate of about $108 million per month. The fund was able to pay out $79.3 million in health insurance premium subsidies by using previous years’ surpluses added to the allowable $65 million maximum. The fiscal 2014 income included the full CPS payment of $612 million (the first time since 2010 that the CPS has made its full payment – no “pension holiday”), a strong investment return of 18.35% ($1.7 billion income for FY 2014), and $190 million contributed by active teachers and administrators, for a total income of $2.5 billion for FY 2014. The State of Illinois has budgeted $62.1 million for CTPF in FY 2015, the largest state appropriation since 2011 (this amount is slightly less than the $65 million, which state law allows the CTPF to use toward health insurance subsidies).

October 9, 2014, with Aramark/SodexoMAGIC. She also spoke at the CPS Board Meetings on September 24, 2014, and October 22, 2014. The CPAA newsletter in October will include a transcript of her remarks and minutes from the September 22, 2014, meeting with Aramark/SodexoMAGIC.

President Berry also provided an update on the 2015 Education Conference to be held on January 28-29, 2015. CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett fully supports the Education Conference and has been very responsive. She has made available assistance from Denise Little’s Network Office.

Information on changes in the principal evaluation process will be available soon.

Motions from AuxiliariesAuxiliary XVIA motion was made by Linda Williams and seconded by Ana Espinoza that a copy of the janitorial services survey and results sent out by AAPPLE to principals be provided to Auxiliary XVI. The motion was passed by all.

Committee Reports and MeetingsPrincipal Voice CommitteeA motion was made by Ana Espinoza and seconded by Cynthia Miller that AAPPLE is not an entity associated with CPAA and shall not be represented to be an entity associated with CPAA by any member of CPAA or any other person. The motion passed with two abstentions.

A motion was made by July Cyrwus and seconded by Jerry Travalos that the committee for Principal Voice shall operate subject to Article XII A-D of the bylaws and submit all its recommendations to the Governing Board for approval prior to any distribution to CPAA members or any other persons. The motion was passed by all.

AdjournmentA motion was made to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 7:03 PM.

Minutes respectfully submitted by July Cyrwus.

The Lamp —November 2014 5

In closing, Driscoll reminded the group that during the past year the state legislators have passed two pension reform bills (including SB1) aimed at municipal employees and laborers and the Illinois state pension system. Neither of these two laws directly impacts our CTPF. However, pension reform is still on the agenda in Springfield. The legislature returns to Springfield in November for a veto session, following the fall elections. Therefore, we must all stay vigilant as to their plans and activities, and watch that they do not allow another “pension holiday” or take other actions, which will have a negative effect upon our benefits. To this effect, those in attendance at the auxiliary meeting were encouraged to become, if they were not already, Pension Fund Ambassadors. Any CTPF member, active or retired, can register at www.ctpf.org. At that site, members are able to look up legislators, send emails, and track bills. On the same site, one can register to receive monthly CTPF email updates. All members, ambassadors or not, were encouraged to familiarize themselves with the education and advocacy materials of the site and to share them with our elected representatives and colleagues.

Relative to the remarks about the passed “pension reform” legislation and its progress through the courts, on October 9 the Illinois Retired Teachers Association's online news update indicated that at the October 8 hearing the activities seemed consistent with the judge’s previous observation that the case may be resolved by the end of this year. The state has filed two briefs that take the stand that it is a matter of law that the state may diminish pension benefits through its police powers. The plaintiffs must file a brief addressing this issue by October 31. The plaintiffs, in their brief, must also address the issue of whether anything in SB1 can survive if some of its provisions are held unconstitutional. On November 20, the judge will hear arguments on whether, as a legal matter, the state has the power to diminish pensions through an exercise of its police powers. We realize that the outcome of these combined cases might well spell the future of legislative action concerning the CTPF.

All in attendance appreciated Driscoll’s attendance and his informative presentation.

The second guest speaker at the October auxiliary meeting was Troy LaRaviere, principal of Blaine Elementary School. He began his remarks with an interesting and emotional summary of his early life in Bronzeville and other Chicago southside neighborhoods; his progress from CPS student to teacher, assistant principal at Johnson Elementary on the west side, and principal; and the changes at Blaine, resulting in upward movement of its mathematics and reading positions from fourth among city-wide neighborhood schools to first and second respectively. He then related his activities and those of his LSC that reflect their belief that to be successful we must be respected and listened to. Such activities included his LSC’s rejection of their first student-based school budget as a statement of its inadequacy to address the

school’s needs, his speaking at city hall that was broadcast on WBEZ, his writing of an op-ed piece that led to an appearance on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” and other activities which, with others who spoke out about their concerns for Chicago’s school children, led to the formation of the Administrators Alliance for Proven Policy and Legislation in Education (AAPPLE).

One of AAPPLE’s recent activities, in conjunction with CPAA, was the results of the “Principal Survey: Custodial Management under Aramark/SodexoMAGIC.” In response to Auxiliary XVI’s motion to see a copy of the survey, Auxiliary President Linda R. Williams provided a copy to those in attendance. AAPPLE also issued a report on growth data for charter schools. The results of both reports have been reported in the press and on radio and TV. This group, though separate from CPAA, works to get CPS to do what works and to move toward what has proven to work. Their current focus is on school cleanliness and related janitor allocations, charter schools’ effectiveness, student-based budgeting, and the REACH teacher evaluation system and procedures. Their focus is on policy, not politics.

In response to a question about the relationship of AAPPLE and CPAA, he related the expressed feeling of some administrators that CPAA wasn’t doing anything of value. He defended CPAA by informing AAPPLE members of some of the activities of President Berry, including her work with legislators on pension issues, CPS policies, and monitoring Board meetings. It is LaRaviere’s hope to have AAPPLE members get involved in CPAA, encourage CPAA members to get more involved, and help recruit new members to join. He feels that CPAA must communicate better with the principals so that they are aware of what the organization is doing and take credit for the things that they do. He sees AAPPLE as a separate group within CPAA and compares it to the relationship that CORE once had within the CTU. AAPPLE consists of members of CPAA and supports the organization.

For more information about AAPPLE and to contact LaRaviere, go to the AAPPLE website, www.aapplecpaa.com. LaRaviere is also the chairperson of the CPAA Principal Voice committee. He will be a speaker at the CPAA Education Conference in January. Following his remarks, the audience presented him with a strong round of applause.

Auxiliary President Williams gave a report about the October 6 Governing Board meeting. A quorum was present and minutes of previous meetings were provided. The primary topic of discussion was principal evaluations. President Berry expressed some concern over the changes in the principal evaluation process in an area of common concern of all schools—cleanliness of the school building (principals are evaluated on this but Aramark provides poor service). The CPAA Executive Board has met with Aramark concerning the issues. Dues statements for retired members were mailed in early October. Membership as of October 6, 2014,

Upcoming MeetingChicago Board of Education Monthly MeetingWednesday, November 19, 2014

Board Chambers125 S. Clark Street

Registration opens November 10, 2014

On November 19, Public Participation 10:30 AM–12:30 PM

Member NewsNew Members — Dalia Flores, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Executive Office; Keith Mahone, A.P., Morrill Elementary; Astrid Thepsiree, A.P., Volta Elementary; Megan Yracheta, A.P., Hampton Elementary.

Board Action — The following principal contract was approved at the Chicago Board of Education Meeting: Crystal Dorsey, Higgins Elementary.

is as follows: 340 principals, 254 assistant principals, 26 administrators, 71 associates, and 547 retirees, for a total of 1,238 members.

We were sorry to be informed of the October passing of John West, former principal of Throop School and executive administrator, Office of the CEO.

Since the auxiliary meeting, we received the following identity theft protection ideas from Pat Kenny who suggested that we share them with you. To protect yourself from FRAUD, do the following today: 1. Do NOT sign the back of your credit cards (in the signature place, put: “PHOTO ID REQUIRED”).2. When paying your credit card bill, do NOT include the complete credit card number (just the last 4 digits).3. NEVER PUT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON A CHECK.

4. Photocopy everything in your wallet (front and back ). Write down all credit card company phone numbers to call (store them in a safe place).

If your wallet/purse is stolen, do the following:5. Cancel your credit cards IMMEDIATELY.6. File a police report (this proves to the credit company that you were diligent).7. Call the three national credit reporting organizations to put a Fraud Alert on your name. (Equifax: 1-800-525–6285; Experian: 1-888-397- 3742; TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289)8. Call the Social Security Administration [Fraud line] at 1-800-269-0271.

Send your news about retired members or the activities of retired members' groups to Art Fumarolo at aafumarolo@cps.edu or call him at 847-289-7847.

Retirees' Corner —Continued from previous page.

Upcoming IAA Sessions at the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association

Visit the CPAA website at www.mycpaa.com to get more information on and register for Illinois Administrators' Academy courses, and to find event information. Only sessions with availability are listed here.

• November 18, 2014—Ensuring a Quality School Improvement Plan• December 3, 2014—Ensuring a Quality School Improvement Plan• January 28, 2015—Pre-Conference IAA Sessions at the 2015 Education Conference (Registration opens soon!)

The Lamp —November 2014 7

January 29, 2015

Pre-Conference January 28, 2015

Union Members

GO UNION And Save With AT&T Wireless Union members: Support your union brothers and sisters and get the savings you deserve by choosing wireless service from AT&T. With 45,000 union workers, AT&T is the only national unionized wireless provider. No other wireless company can say that. Not Verizon. Not Sprint. Not Credo. Not T-Mobile.

$100 Switch to AT&T RebateMembers who move from another provider to AT&T are eligible to receive $100 rebate from Union Plus to help offset any costs associated with moving their service. In addition, the $36 activation fee is waived for union members who switch to AT&T.

$100 Smartphone Upgrade RebateWhether you are an existing AT&T customer or are planning to switch to AT&T, you are eligible for a $100 rebate from Union Plus when you upgrade to a new smartphone with an AT&T data plan.

Remember to use your Union Plus Credit Card to qualify for both rebates. If you don’t have the card, apply now at UnionPlus.org/CreditCard.

Members can learn more at UnionPlus.org/ATT

Qualify for up to

$200 in rebates

when you switch to AT&T wireless or upgrade to a new

smartphone using your Union Plus Credit Card

SAVE15%*

on monthly AT&T voice service and select data plans

To start saving:Go online to UnionPlus.org/ATT, follow the instructions. Shop online and get an additional $25 in savings on new equipment.

or

Bring this coupon to an official  AT&T Store near you, along with your union identification for the Union Plus discount. 

FAN number: 3508840

*All program plans for new and existing customers require a new two-year contract. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts. The 15% Union Plus AT&T wireless discount is not available on the iPad, additional lines for family plans, unlimited plans and Unity plans. Data services: only the 5GB data plan and the shared minutes and data for AT&T Mobile share plans are discounted. All other individual plans, data plans on secondary lines, and text plans are not discounted. The program is currently for residents in the United States and not available in Guam or Canada. AT&T service may not cover an entire state; check your local service map.