AASD Weekly Update 12-05-2019

NEW ITEMS

KNOW YOUR UNION RIGHTS WHEN INVOLVED IN AN INVESTIGATION, INTERVIEW OR DISCIPLINARY MEETING! AASD is highlighting the importance of being aware of and, if necessary, invoking your Weingarten Rights whenever asked to attend a meeting with a supervisor, human resources or an investigator. Be aware that if you are called to attend an “interview” or an “investigatory meeting” and advised that it is not disciplinary in nature, the reality is that these non-disciplinary investigatory meetings or interviews can lead to future discipline for AASD members. While you may think there is no problem in attending these meetings without representation, we urge you to contact AASD prior to an investigatory meeting or interview, even if you are told or believe it is not disciplinary in nature. In any meeting where an AASD member is going to be disciplined, you should always have union representation.

It is never too late to invoke your Weingarten Rights. If you did not obtain a union representative and realized on the spot that it would behoove you to be represented, politely state: “If this could lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative also be present. Without union representation, I choose not to participate in this discussion.” You may also say, “I am invoking my Weingarten Rights, and respectfully request that this meeting be rescheduled until my union representative is here.” Then contact AASD for support.

Once the interview or investigation commences, remember the following:

• Avoid absolute words like “always” and “never”. Absolute words are frequently an invitation to, and fertile grounds for, cross-examination. Your responses may be used as counterexamples in an effort to show the falsity of your statement.
• Don't elaborate or volunteer information. Answer only the question being asked. The volunteering of information will almost always result in new lines of questioning. It may also disclose information to which the investigator otherwise never would have become privy.
• Be careful about using hedge words. Examples of such words or phrases are “I guess,” “I believe,” “it's possible,” and “I think.” The only reason that you are answering questions is to share your first-hand experience, not your opinions. Hedge words and phrases can quickly undermine your answers, and are an invitation for additional questions to arise.
• I don't know: If you are asked a question and you are not sure of the answer, it is perfectly acceptable to say, “I don't know.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with this response if you genuinely do not know the answer to the question.
• I don’t recall or I don’t remember: When you honestly do not remember a situation, fact, or occurrence, this answer may be appropriate. However, utilizing it too much may damage your credibility and, of more concern, it could lead to conjecture that you did do something against policy. For example, if asked, “When was the last time you failed to file the paperwork for a field trip?” Answering, “I don’t recall,” indicates that you have done it at some point in the past.
• Beware of open-ended questions: This may be an attempt to get additional information from you. Answer questions as concisely as possible, being careful not to provide information for which you were not asked. Let the interviewer pose follow-up questions; don’t do the job for him/her.
• Yes or no responses: When asked to only respond yes or no to a question, attempt to do so. However, if you feel the answer requires more than a yes or no, let the interviewer know this before you respond. It will then be up to him/her to either let you explain your answer or to rephrase the question.
• Concessions: In answering questions honestly, you may have to make an occasional concession. If you make the concession graciously and move on, you will exude confidence, flexibility, and integrity.
• If you misspeak or answer incorrectly: As soon as you realize the error, make the correction. Do not make it worse by being unwilling to acknowledge your mistake.
• Refuse to speculate, assume, or guess: Simply say, “I am not going to speculate on that.”
• I don’t understand the question: There is nothing wrong with saying this if the question is confusing to you. You can also ask that the question be simplified.

As an AASD Member in Good Standing – you pay union dues and have the right to representation. Invoke your right!
UNION PLUS-MONEY SAVING PROGRAMS FOR AFSA MEMBERS!
For all our Members in Good Standing, and Affiliates and Retirees who have selected to be members of AFSA, there are many money-saving programs offered to you . Click here to review your many options!
AASD CERTIFICATED WORKLOAD WORK GROUP .
The Certificated workload work group will meet again in late February. We only discuss issues presented via the feedback form. Please continue to report workload issues via the google doc at:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTTb0i-A421P6iMrIH3diShqUJLXxJK7uaL_SovySfLkWivA/viewform?usp=sf_link

AASD Workload Work Group Team:

Donis Coronel (AASD)
Peg Crane (Elementary)
Carly Romero (Elementary)
MC Patton (Elementary)
Susan Levy (Middle)
Listy Gillingham (High School)
Brandon Lemmon (VP)
Stacey Simpson (VP)
Kristin Makena (Central Office)

EMPOWER HOUR! DECEMBER EVENTS! PLEASE READ THROUGH AND SIGN UP NOW! UPDATED list of the events we have planned for 2019-20. Please – we need your help so we can plan accordingly.  RSVP’s are required for our events. Please cancel via Eventbrite if you find you can not attend.


December 11, 2019, 5:00-7:15 p.m. (at the AASD office, Mission Valley area)
Empowered Women and Self Defense
This workshop will emphasize the aspects of self-defense pertaining to personal safety and strategy. Participants will contemplate the strategies they currently utilize to keep themselves safe from violent crime. They will be asked to make decisions and take actions to help further minimize situations that may bring harm to themselves and their families. Plan to bring a laptop, tablet or cell phone - which is adequately charged - to access and navigate websites. This is not a Bruce Lee session in martial arts, although we will have some fun! The instructor, Dr. Jolie Pickett, Principal, Garfield High School, San Diego Unified School District, formally taught self-defense workshops and TangSooDo karate for over 20 years.

RSVP required. There is limited seating. Please RSVP only if you can attend this event.
Appetizers, beverages and door prizes provided. Sponsored by CALPRO, ACSA Region 18 and AASD.  Note: If possible, due to heavy traffic, avoid Interstate 8 East.

Please arrive at 5:00 p.m. for appetizers and beverages or by 5:30 p.m. at the latest as class begins at 5:30 p.m.

RSVP at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empower-hour-empowered-women-and-self-defense-tickets-76953338507

Your Empower Hour Planning Team hopes that you will continue to support our activities for the 2019-20 school year. Please invite and encourage other female leaders, aspiring leaders or retired leaders in the San Diego education family to attend. We operate on donations and sponsorships only. If you know of a vendor partner that may wish to sponsor an event, please have them contact Donis Coronel at donis@aasdcs.org.

Your Empower Hour Planning Team members are: Becky Bravo (Sweetwater), Jennifer Carbuccia (Sweetwater), Dianne Cordero (Sweetwater), Donis Coronel (Planning Team coordinator/AASD), Heather Harris (San Diego Unified), Clorinda Haynes (San Diego Unified), Patti Karlin (SDCOE), Elizabeth Kramer (San Diego Unified) and Gretchen Murphy-Boykin (Poway).
CONDOLENCES.
AASD acknowledges deaths of our members, retirees, or their immediate family members via the Weekly Update. If you have information on a death to be reported in the AASD Weekly Update, please contact any of the staff at the AASD office with the information. We appreciate your help with this – we don’t always know right away when a death has occurred or the information on services.
JOB POSTINGS FOR CERTIFICATED POSITIONS AND CLASSIFIED POSITIONS IN THE AASD UNIT. AASD has been asked to publish the job postings in our Weekly Update. AASD also suggests that all applicants (classified and certificated) mark their calendars to check weekly for new job postings each Monday. This way, you will not miss out on a posting you might be interested in (as all jobs in the AASD unit must be posted for 10 days). Additionally, jobs in other units will be posted.

AASD-Represented CERTIFICATED Job Postings
Instructional Coordinator (Logan-Memorial Educ. Complex) -- Closes 12/10/19
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sandi?page=1

AASD-Represented CLASSIFIED Job Postings
None at this time.
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sandi?page=1

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The AASD Member Relations Committee recently established this section in the Weekly Update to introduce the amazing and diverse members of AASD.

The new spotlight member is Marco Samaniego, Special Education . To learn more about Marco read his story, click here.

REMINDERS

AASD LOGO WEAR FOR SALE! AASD now has logo wear for sale! We are selling AASD polo shirts (men’s and women's) $25, AASD denim shirts (men’s and women’s) $25, AASD women’s V-neck T-shirts $17 and ball caps ($18). One dollar from each purchase goes to the AASD Scholarship Fund. Cash, check, debit or credit cards accepted. If you would like to support AASD and proudly wear AASD logo wear, please contact the office about making a purchase! We can mail the item directly to you or you can stop by the office to see the selection. For some samples, see the images below.
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AASD ENDORSES SDUSD SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES. AASD has served as a professional organization for over 70 years and has served our members as a labor union for 10 years. For the first time in the history of our association/union, the AASD Board of Directors voted on November 20 to endorse candidates for the San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees.

AASD is endorsing Mr. Stephen Groce for the District A race. His experience from the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) at the United States Department of Education will assist San Diego Unified to ensure that district standards remain high and challenging so our students are prepared to succeed in today’s world. AASD looks forward to working with Mr. Groce and being an integral part of his innovative ideas to move San Diego Unified forward.

AASD is also endorsing Mr. Richard Barrera for the District D race and Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne for the District E race. AASD has worked with Mr. Barrera and Dr. Whitehurst-Payne for several years and these two candidates share the same views as AASD, including the preservation of our members' welfare while demonstrating support for our student’s high educational standards. AASD looks forward to continuing to collaborate with both Mr. Barrera and Dr. Whitehurst-Payne.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE VEBA RESOURCE CENTER HEALTHY REBOOT? The VEBA Resource Center was designed to help VEBA members (employees, retirees and their dependents) manage their well-being through a wide range of programs and services. This is a free service for all VEBA members and childcare is provided upon request. Many AASD members have attended and the feedback has been very positive. Click here for more information and dates.
CALSTRS WORKSHOPS FOR NEW AND CURRENT CERTIFICATED MEMBERS. CALSTRS has published their Fall schedule of workshops for new CALSTRS members as well as current members who want to learn more about the retirement system or who are planning for retirement. These workshops are held here in San Diego at the Mission Valley office. Start planning for retirement now – be ahead of the curve!
Click here for list of events.
AFSA AFFILIATION! AASD IS NOW LOCAL 134, AFL-CIO. AFSA membership is provided to all AASD Members in Good Standing for no additional cost. For more information regarding AFSA and Union Plus benefits, please visit their website: https://www.theschoolleader.org/

IMPORTANT: For Members in Good Standing and Affiliate Members who have added AFSA -- If you have not turned in the “Combined AFSA Benefits Information Form,” please submit the form immediately. This form must be submitted in order to be eligible for the professional liability, legal services, etc. You do not need to list your full social security number on the form; however, AFSA has requested that you provide at least the last four digits. For a copy of the form, click here.
IMPORTANT – NEW ELECTRONIC LINK AVAILABLE! FILL OUT YOUR AASD MEMBERSHIP RECOMMITMENT FORM NOW! This information pertains to current AASD members who were AASD members prior to June 28, 2018. It does NOT apply to Affiliate members or Retired members. Many have asked how to “re-join” AASD in light of the Supreme Court Decision, Janus v. AFSCME. If you were an AASD member on June 27, 2018, per the Decision, you automatically stayed as an AASD "Member in Good Standing" and will remain so. However, we are asking all AASD members to re-commit to AASD by completing the google form (link below). This re-confirms your AASD membership and ensures that you have access to the benefits of being an AASD member – legal representation, AASD representation, discounted services, scholarships for your children, professional development reimbursements, etc.

Some of you have already filled out the new membership form over the past year – if so, it is not necessary to complete it again. If you have any questions regarding the re-commitment form, please contact the AASD office at 619-295-2118 or e-mail one of the AASD staff members for assistance. Thank you in advance for your commitment to our Union – AASD.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQN05VdAieFTxevIu1yg5L_03zLGgIWt3Xl4Igv-Horazxcg/viewform

To review the benefits of being an AASD member, please Click here .
AASD COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS POSTED ON THE AASD WEBSITE. The collective bargaining agreements (contracts) for the AASD classified unit and the AASD certificated unit are posted on the AASD website. The District no longer provides a hard copy to AASD members. You are welcome to view the contracts on our website and feel free to print a copy, if you wish. To view the contracts, visit the AASD website at www.aasdcs.org and click on Governance/Contracts or Collective Bargaining/Contracts.
AASD WEBSITE! Click here www.aasdcs.org to view our website. The website is kept up-to-date and current for all of our members (members in good standing, retirees and affiliate members). Visit the website to view the AASD calendar and for forms and information on our Union, as well as discounts for members.

If you have any feedback on the website, please e-mail jim@aasdcs.org with your comments. We hope our website is a great resource for you!
ESTATE PLANNING – DISCOUNT FOR AASD MEMBERS! AASD is pleased to announce our partnership with Greg Runge, Estate Planning Attorney. Greg is an estate planning attorney with approximately&nnbsp;10 years of experience practicing in the areas of wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives. In addition to his legal work, Greg is also currently a Lieutenant with a local police department, where he is in his 18th year of service as a sworn officer. As a public employee, Greg is very aware of the unique estate planning issues that can come into play with our members. Greg has focused his legal practice on providing essential estate planning services to public employees and their families at an affordable rate. This benefit is available to all AASD Members in Good Standing, AASD Affiliate Members and AASD Retired Members. Greg is offering this service to our members for a flat fee of $750, which is 50% off the going rate for estate planning (very complex or very large estates may require a higher fee that would be individually negotiated with the member). To contact Greg Runge, please e-mail gregrunge@gmail.com or call (858) 395-4011 and be sure to mention you are an AASD member so you receive the discounted rate.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS (ACSA). There are many benefits of being an ACSA Member – as detailed in this handout (click on link). Dues are deducted 10 times a year (September-June).

If AASD members are interested in membership with ACSA, please complete the application (click on link) and return it via e-mail to Deborah Burke, ACSA, at dburke@acsa.org.
PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS. AASD communicates with members via personal e-mail address. We do not communicate via "sandi.net." If your personal email address changes, please remember to notify AASD by e-mailing our Office Clerk, Jim Costello, at Jim @aasdcs.org .
AASD PROFESSIONAL GROWTH GRANT. The Administrators Association San Diego City Schools (AASD), in conjunction with the San Diego Unified School District, provides financial grants to members to assist them in their professional growth. Unit members who participate in professional development activities related to job-connected skills or potential careers with the District may qualify to have the cost of registration fees defrayed by available funds up to $100. This includes ACSA-sponsored Academies, Conferences and Institutes. Click here for more details.
"BENEFIT HUB" Benefit Hub is an online discount program. All AASD members have access to thousands of discounts which allows you to save on everything from movies and theme parks to restaurants and sporting events.

This free service provides discounts to car rental companies, theme parks, hotels, and entertainment destinations (i.e., San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Universal Studios, Sea World, etc.). Register online to take advantage of these terrific discounts. Special offers and discounts are always changing, so check back frequently. You can purchase and print tickets from the convenience of your home.

NEW Benefit Hub Service - Gift Card Outlet - Save up to 10% on gift cards from over 70 popular merchants. The NEW Gift Card Outlet is in the Discount Marketplace.

Enter the following address in the browser bar, with no leading w's - aasd.benefithub.com Do not do a "search" for Benefit Hub as it will take you to the wrong website. Click on "Guest" at the upper right-hand side of the screen. Fill in the information and create a password. If you have any questions about registering, or encounter any problems, call the AASD office for assistance. If you have any questions about or need assistance with the Benefit Hub website, you can contact Support at (866) 664-4621.
DISCOUNT MOVIE TICKETS. AASD has both AMC and Regal Entertainment Group (Regal/Edwards/UA) movie passes available to members in good standing, affiliate and retired members. Regal tickets are now $9.00 each. These passes have no expiration date and are unrestricted, so they can be used any time and for newly-released movies.

The AMC "Black" tickets are $10.25 each, have no expiration date, and do not have any restrictions. Contact AASD to purchase tickets or if you have any questions.
SEE'S CANDIES. See's Candies gift certificates are available for purchase at AASD by members in good standing, affiliate and retired members. A gift certificate for one pound of chocolates is now $17.25 each, and they have no expiration date. The current retail amount for a pound of chocolates is $20.50, which saves you $3.25 per pound.

Administrators Association of San Diego (AASD) members qualify for quantity discounts on See's candy at the Quantity Discount Rosecrans store. To redeem your discount, show a valid ID; your AASD member card, and provide our account number 6472612. You can also give them the AASD office phone number (619-295-2118) for the discount. This discount is only valid at 3751 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92110.

Contacts

AASD Board of Directors - http://aasdcs.org/board-of-directors/
AASD Office Staff - http://aasdcs.org/staff/