EdBrief Home | Archives | Human Resources
|
EdBrief Home | Archives | Human Resources |
 |
Approach Problem Solving and Decision Making by Preparing Multiple Solutions In Part I of this look at problem solving and decision making, it was observed that a group of veteran Human Resources professionals came to the consensus that among all the functions they executed, at the heart of good management is the ability to be an effective problem solver/decision maker. The key steps to be an effective problem solver and decision maker are well known in industry – yet so often forgotten, misapplied or simply ignored. As noted, it takes discipline to learn, internalize and follow the steps to effective problem solving and decision making... Problem Solving and Decision Making Play Critical Role in Human Resources Strategy About half way through a three decade career in human resources management, a few career professionals got together at a conference and started a dialogue on the question of “What is the essential function of an H.R. executive?” We wanted to get beyond (or beneath) the obvious and threadbare descriptors in our job descriptions – that is, to recruit, hire, evaluate, develop policy, etc. A consensus evolved without much struggle when we realized that at the heart of good management – and especially “human resource’ management – is the ability to be an effective problem solver and decision maker... Response Needs to Extend Beyond the Classroom Bullying is a Human Resources Problem, Too With the recent almost unbelievable taunting and bullying of a South Hadley, Massachusetts teen and her suicide as a result, we will experience the rush to commentary and a mad dash by school districts to review bullying policies and prevention programs for students. But maybe it is not policies or students which should be the major focus. Our educational system should look candidly at a real underlying force, which can dramatically affect the frequency of bullying and the tragic growth of serious harm being caused by it. Maybe this is a human resource problem?... Early Retirement Incentive Program – Is It Really Worth Doing In Your District? Due to the current budget situation, school districts throughout California are looking at ways to cut costs and save money. Most districts have turned to increasing class sizes and virtually eliminating class size reduction programs all together. So what happens when the Class Size Reduction (CSR) program goes away? Class sizes increase, and the number of teachers decrease. And who are the teachers that “go away”? Many times they are your newer, more energized and (yes) less expensive teachers, with fewer years of service on the salary schedule... Recognize the Crucial Role of Classified Staff There has always been a lack of consensus as to which group within a school district’s employ is most important to success. Central office management? Site level administrators? Program directors? Teachers? Classified? While arguable, a lot of people would support the idea that teachers are the most critical – though it would probably be folly to try to prove this. But what about a variation on the question: which employee group is more important to enabling children to learn in a functioning, safe, clean and secure environment?... Big Girls Don't Cry . . In The Workplace Do you remember the hit record from 1962, “Big Girls Don’t Cry?” It has been decades since Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons made those words a mantra for men wishing to chastise women for showing emotions they themselves had but buried under the mantle of ‘machismo’! The song’s lyrics quickly became a stereotype that caught on . . . And in offices and other job locations all over the nation, the concept had particular impact, since in decades past, women were a true minority in the workplace... Judge Grants Injunction in Los Angeles Case, Barring Teacher Layoffs at Three Schools Saying that the state’s education code allows school districts flexibility in laying off teachers in order to comply with constitutional requirements to provide equal education to all students, a Superior Court judge granted an injunction last Wednesday that prevents the Los Angeles Unified School District from laying off teachers at Gompers, Liechty and Markham middle schools this year. The three schools, which primarily serve low-income students and students of color, saw their teaching corps disproportionately decimated by a round of budget-driven layoffs last year... Salary is Just One Factor in Success Should You Offer More for Great Prospects? Is it a myth that if public schools could negotiate salary levels with individual teachers and administrators they could pay more and get great employees? Yes. The public school salary schedule system is in place not to promote mediocrity but to ensure fairness in compensation. There is a strong argument in favor of the belief that a salary schedule with restrictions on placement prevents the employer from negotiating a higher salary for what is determined to be a superior candidate... Coastal, Inland Counties Will Be Affected Wave of Retirements, Rising Enrollment Could Leave Districts Strapped for Leadership Recently, the Regional Education Laboratory West issued a report examining the effect of population growth and administrator retirement on the future need for school administrators in the next decade. The study notes the importance of school leadership in education, but also notes the difficulty faced by some low-income or racial-minority districts to recruit qualified applicants. Individual findings regarding retirement and enrollment... O'Connell Urges Passage of Parcel Tax Measure Education Coalition Says 22,000 Teachers, Staff Received Pink Slips by March 15 Deadline State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell joined with members of the California Teachers Association, California School Employees Association, California State PTA, California Association of School Administrators, and California County Superintendents Educational Services Association on Monday to announce that nearly 22,000 teachers had received notices of potential layoffs by the March 15 statutory deadline. “Our state budget crisis has forced districts to lay off thousands of teachers over the past few years,” O’Connell said... Has Your District Performed All the Necessary Tasks? What Districts Need to Remember When Handling Certificated and Classified Layoffs This year, virtually all California school districts face budget cuts as a result of the state budget crisis. As a result, most districts are moving to reduce or discontinue programs and/or services to reduce associated staffing costs. Procedures for reducing certificated and classified staff are guided by statute, case law, district policies, collective bargaining agreements and other factors that districts must consider when conducting certificated and classified layoffs... Fingerprinting, Fees Required New Law Tightens Rules on Classified Volunteers On October 11, 2009 the Governor signed AB 1025, authored by Assemblywoman Connie Conway (R-Visalia), establishing a requirement for classified employees and volunteers who supervise pupil activity programs to obtain a new Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate (ASCC) from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Many school districts already have local requirements for the fingerprinting of volunteers, but the new law will prove more extensive and more costly than most existing district policies... Court Confirms 18-Month Limit on Buyout of Superintendent's Contract The law firm Fagen Friedman and Fulfrost is reporting the state Court of Appeals has ruled that a settlement between a superintendent and a board of trustees regarding the early termination of the superintendent’s contract cannot include any payments beyond the 18-month cash settlement limit set forth under Government Code 53260. Brett McFadden, Management Services Executive with the Association of California School Administrators, has been following the case, which has been closely watched by other superintendents... Proven Strategies for Supervising "Personnel" It was in 1960, when Douglas McGregor of the MIT Sloan School of Management researched and presented his theories of human motivation, that the term “human resources” took hold, largely replacing the term “personnel” in private and ultimately most public sector organizations. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y models of human motivation made us aware that in a post-industrial society, viewing people as human resources and “assets” was crucial to success... Cure for Conflict? It Could Be as Easy as IBA So, you’ve got an office full of ‘Baby-Boomers’, ‘Millenniums,’ ‘Generation X’, ‘Generation Y,’ Introverts, Extroverts, Males, Females, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Caucasians, Management, Non-Management? And maybe you’ve got a few non-morning people, and perhaps some personality types that are driven, or analytical, or creative? And maybe some nice, polite go-along types who just want a little recognition, but are often silenced by aggressive types who don’t let them ‘get a word in’? What do they all have in common?... Tips for Human Resources Does Your District Have a Complaint Policy? How often do we stop and reflect on the fact that public education is one of the most labor intensive enterprises in America? With up to 90 percent of our revenues expended on the compensation of ‘human resources’, is there a real need to dedicate or rededicate a greater focus on the people who make education happen? From secretaries to custodians, from classroom aides and teachers to administrators these are the resources, bricks and mortar if you will, of our endeavor which is to provide our children with a quality education... Pension Plans Can Penalize Educators Whose Career Covers More than One State, Study Finds Given the huge budget cuts for K-12 education in California, some educators in the state are contemplating jobs elsewhere. But there may be a financial risk to making such a move. A 30-year veteran public school teacher who moves and splits her employment between two state retirement systems is at risk for losing well over one-half of her pension wealth, according to new research from economists Robert M. Costrell of the University of Arkansas and Michael Podgursky of the University of Missouri-Columbia... Superintendents in Short Supply Are You Ready for the Next Move? This is a very good time to be looking for a job as a school district superintendent. The demand for qualified applicants is high, and the supply, apparently, is low. If you are an experienced superintendent with a good track record, you can expect some very attractive offers if you enter the job market. Of course, the reason for this favorable supply-and-demand situation is that this is a particularly challenging time to be a school superintendent. You’re under constant scrutiny; you’re expected to be accessible 24-hours-a-day and 7-days-a-week... Five Pointers for Maintaining a Healthy Pool of Substitute Teachers – Even in a Large District Many school districts scramble on a daily basis to come up with enough substitute teachers. Elaine Alexandres, who coordinates substitute teachers for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, typically needs to come up with about 250 substitute teachers every day. “We have 67 schools,” Alexandres told EdBrief this week. Those campuses serve a total of about 54,000 students. But the need for substitutes escalates at certain times of the year... Local Contract Language Could Be Critical New Law Brings Changes Regarding Use of Student Test Data in Teacher Evaluations Since the enactment of SB 19 (Chapter 159/2009) a few weeks ago, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) has received several inquiries regarding the use of student test results in teacher evaluations. Can local education agencies (LEAs) now use student performance data as part of their teacher evaluation process? Like many collective bargaining and employee evaluation issues, the answer is “it depends, look at your existing contract.” In most instances, your LEA’s collective bargaining contract will stipulate what you can and cannot do relative to this matter... Secretary of Education Declares Colleges Are "Doing a Mediocre Job" Training New Teachers In the latest in a series of speeches that focus on teaching, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called on Thursday for America’s colleges of education to dramatically change how they prepare the next generation of teachers so that they are ready to prepare their future students for success in college and careers. Noting that America’s schools will need to hire up to 200,000 first-time teachers annually for the next five years, Duncan said that those new teachers need the knowledge and skill to prepare students for success in the global economy... Duncan: Obama Seeking $30 Million to Launch National Teacher Recruitment Campaign The Department of Education estimates a national need for 1.7 million new teachers by 2017 due to anticipated retirements and attrition among currently serving teachers. Included in the president's fiscal 2010 budget request is $30 million to support a national teacher recruitment campaign. If approved by Congress, the Department of Education would support the teaching profession by launching a comprehensive effort to recruit and provide support for students and professionals from other fields to become teachers... Court Rules That Veteran Teachers Who Refuse To Get EL Certification Can Be Terminated Longtime tenured teachers who refuse to get training that certifies them for working with students who are English Learners can be terminated, according to a closely watched decision announced on Sept. 29 by the California Third District Court of Appeals. The case – which is thought to have implications for other school districts – involved a longtime high school music teacher in the Ripon Unified School District in San Joaquin County... Collective Bargaining Outlook for 2009-10 The fiscal outlook for K-12 education in California remains volatile from now thru 2011-12, with 2010-11 shaping up to be a particularly difficult year. The present fiscal crisis will result in a fundamental realignment of public service availability and delivery. Therefore, the protection of core educational services and programs will remain paramount for all districts and county offices as they go into contract negotiations with their bargaining units both this year and the next year. Some wise observers have remarked that it is “easier to bargain when you have no money.”... How to Communicate Effectively with Parents: Five "Hard" Steps to Make the Experience Easier Let’s be honest. When we trained to become administrators in the field of education, no one told us just how hard it can be to communicate bad news to parents – especially in regards to student behavior, and discipline. Perhaps if we’d been warned, a few of us might not have completed our certificate courses, and might have gone on to other professions. But part of our job as site and district office education leaders is to communicate with parents and stakeholders about this sensitive issue – as difficult as that can be. In fact, it’s a critical part of what we do... Districts Proceeding With August 15 Layoffs Several California school boards are moving this week to issue layoff notices to teachers and other employees prior to the August 15 deadline, in the wake of funding cuts the districts will receive under the recently adopted state budget. In recent decades, California school boards have rarely (if ever) pursued the option of August layoffs for teachers. Typically, layoff notices have been issued prior to the more familiar March 15 notification deadline... New Budget Gives Option of Shorter School Year, But How Many Districts Will Want to Go There? One provision of the new state budget – signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday – is an option for local school districts to reduce the school year by five days. The option was proposed by Gov. Schwarzenegger last January, as a budgetary move designed to save the state money. But a reduction in the school year looks less appealing to many school districts. Districts would lose Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding, largely negating any money saved in terms of reduced payroll... TSS, ACSA, CSBA and SEAC Announce Collective Bargaining Summits 2009 Total School Solutions (TSS), in collaboration with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), the California School Boards Association (CSBA) and the School Employers Association of California (SEAC), is offering strategically and conveniently located workshops all over the state during September and October. In these difficult times, proactive and well thought out planning for negotiations is more critical than ever before. These workshops provide an opportunity to learn the “do's and don’ts” of collective bargaining during difficult economic times... August 15 layoffs – Will it apply this year? With the failure of Propositions 1A thru 1E, reductions to K-14 education funding appear more imminent and austere. As a result, there has been an increased level of interest regarding the August 15 “insufficient increase in revenue limits procedure.” While the March 15 layoff procedure has been used and tested considerably, less is known about the August 15 procedure. The August 15 procedure Under Education Code section 44955.5, “between five days after the enactment of the state budget and August 15... Federal Stimulus Dollars and Collective Bargaining Agreements As federal stimulus dollars begin to roll out, Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) with existing collective bargaining agreements that contain salary and “fair-share” formulas may receive demands to bargain to apply a part of Federal stimulus monies to the salary schedule. The chances of such demands will increase if the funding is made available to the school districts and county offices of education as an add-on to the revenue limit... How – and Why – Districts Should Maintain Positive Relationships with Employee Groups The current budget crisis in California presents new and significant challenges to the collective bargaining agreements between school districts and the employee associations that represent district employees. These challenges arise from the shrinking budgets in almost all school districts. In most cases, this fiscal crisis was not caused by the districts or their employees, but everyone shares the burden of finding viable program solutions to problems caused by fiscal shortfalls... After the Pink Slips Go Out... Then What? Last week, according to news reports, upwards of 26,000 teachers in California received layoff notices ("pink slips") from school districts prior to the March 15 statutory notification deadline. The large majority of notices were precipitated by districts enacting board resolutions to reduce particular kinds of service, which impacted the positions held by teachers receiving notices or by the more senior teachers who would retain a position elsewhere in their district... The Commission on Teacher Credentialing Seeks Applicants for Committee of Credentials The Commission on Teacher Credentialing is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies for Public Member positions on the Committee of Credentials. The Committee of Credentials is the statutorily created committee charged with the responsibility of reviewing allegations of misconduct of credential applicants and holders who serve in California’s public schools. Pursuant to statute the Committee is composed of two teachers, a holder of an administrative services credential, a school board member and three public members... Check Your Board Policies . . . Every school district has a set of board policies and administrative regulations that cover a host of topics related to the governance of the district. While these policies seldom make for exciting reading, they play an important role over time, providing continuity as school board trustees and administrators come and go. Board policies are typically approved and revised, as needed, by the governing board to set the broad direction for the district... Minimize the Pain of Budget Reductions – Communicate By now, with the knowledge that state budget cuts are coming, most school district human resources offices have compiled employee seniority lists. They may have also been involved in discussions about possible staffing reductions because of potentially significant budget reductions. In addition, most districts have addressed aspects of the budget reductions with their employee bargaining groups through the negotiations process... What Districts Should Know About Handling Certificated and Classified Layoffs One strategy that most districts consider when faced with potential budget cuts is to reduce or discontinue programs and/or services to reduce associated staffing costs. Procedures for reducing certificated and classified staff are guided by statute, case law, district policies, collective bargaining agreements and other factors that districts must consider when conducting certificated and classified layoffs... Strategies for Collective Bargaining In my last article, I focused on the scope of collective bargaining as well as important aspects to consider prior to and during the bargaining process. While there are no silver bullets when dealing with collective bargaining, there are strategies that I have found to be extremely helpful. The following is a list of some of these strategies that may prove quite helpful, particularly over the long run... Reducing Certificated Employees Workload from Full-Time to Part-Time: An Alternative to Certificated Layoffs Education Code 44922 allows governing boards to establish regulations for certificated employees to reduce their workloads from full-time to part-time duties while maintaining their full retirement benefits. This option, sometimes referred to the “Willie Brown Act,” is particularly popular among those certificated employees who are approaching retirement and wish to scale back their work on a part-time basis while still receiving full retirement benefit credit... The Scope of Collective Bargaining Is there a Need for Reform? The purpose of collective bargaining is generally perceived as a union negotiating with management for the best possible salary and benefits package for its member employees. In fact, however, collective bargaining in education goes far beyond this concept and includes a variety of issues, such as:
Key Steps in Certificated Layoff Process In a recent edition of EdBrief (Preparing Seniority Lists for Certificated Layoffs, November 21, 2008), we described the early steps for conducting certificated layoffs, beginning with development of seniority lists. By this time of the school year, districts should be anticipating possible certificated layoffs based on reduction or elimination of programs ("particular kinds of services") in 2009-10. Given the current and anticipated dire budget realities, the future of many successful and popular district programs may be in jeopardy due to funding cuts... March 15 Notice for Non-Reelection of Second Year Probationary Certificated Employees School districts should be considering now whether to take appropriate and required steps to release teachers and other certificated employees prior to the time these employees gain tenure in the district. Once an employee gains tenure, it becomes much more difficult for the district to release an employee who the district feels does not meet the district's standards of quality for that position. A certificated employee receives tenure (permanent status) at the beginning of the school year following the completion of the employee’s second... Preparing Seniority Lists for Certificated Layoffs Almost all California school districts are considering ways to reduce their costs, due to the harsh budget realities brought on by the state's economic crisis. Districts that choose to reduce or eliminate programs in 2009-10 (including the local termination of class size reduction programs) may face the prospect of conducting certificated layoffs, depending on the extent of the program cuts and the amount of certificated staff attrition occurring through retirements and/or resignations... Is Interest Based Bargaining Right for Your District? Many school districts in California use the Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) model for conducting successful negotiations with their employee groups. In IBB, the district’s bargaining team and the employees’ bargaining team work together closely to clearly define bargaining parameters, the parties’ interests, and to develop solutions leading to agreements, using a collaborative problem-solving approach... Preparing Administrators for the Evaluation Process for Teachers, Other Certificated Employees Most certificated bargaining unit collective bargaining agreements include detailed information about the timeline and activities included in the evaluation process for teachers, counselors, librarians and other members of the certificated employee group(s). It is critical that each of the administrators responsible for supervising and evaluating these certificated employees thoroughly understands the steps... How the Human Resources Office Can Help Overcome Budget Challenges The recently-enacted state budget has a significant impact on your human resources office. Under the new state budget, most school districts will face the daunting prospects of dealing with rising costs without the benefit of revenues to offset those costs – both now, and in the next few years. It is important that the human resources leaders anticipate the likely program and staffing impacts in the near future that reflect the ongoing statewide budget crisis... Computer-Based Teacher Testing Offers Greater Access and Convenience According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, beginning this month, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing has launched a pilot program with Pearson Evaluation Systems to assess a new computer-based testing option for the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST)... When Should a School District Conduct a Reclassification Study? Most collective bargaining agreements between a school district and its classified employees contain an article about the Reclassification of classified positions. Typically, the contract describes procedures for employees and the district to follow when classified positions (including pay range) need to be re-evaluated based on the actual duties performed by the employee... Complying with NCLB "Highly Qualified Teacher" Requirements All public school teachers assigned to teach core academic subjects in a district that receives federal funds, including Title I, must comply with NCLB (No Child Left Behind) requirements at this time. A teacher of core academic subjects must have:
Is Your District Maintaining a Competitive Edge to Attract and Retain Qualified Staff? School districts in California understand the importance of attracting and maintaining a qualified force of teaching, classified, and administrative staff to ensure that students receive the best programs and services possible. In times of declining enrollments and dwindling resources, districts are making difficult, and often creative, decisions about ways to maintain high quality and sufficient staff... How an Annual Activities Calendar Can Help Your Human Resources Office Most Human Resource Offices find it helpful to maintain an annual Activities Calendar that includes monthly events and activities related to the services provided by that office. Issues related to staffing, meetings, document preparation, department communications and other task areas can be included each month in the calendar to remind existing staff and alert new staff about important human resources deadlines... |
|
