BARGAINING UPDATE. Bargaining was held on Wednesday, September 28. The following topics were discussed and some tentative agreements were reached:
Juneteenth/Work Year Calendars for 2022-23; 2023-24 and 2024-25. The academic calendars for these years have been approved. The Board of Education voted in May 2022 and AASD negotiated that Juneteenth (June 19) will be observed as a holiday beginning June 19, 2023. Since the work calendars for 2022-23 (current year) have been published, nothing changes for Classified AASD Members who are on calendar, except the calendar will be changed to reflect June 19 as “H” (holiday). This works differently for AASD Certificated Members as holidays are not counted as work days. For 2022-23, June 19 will be marked as an “H” (holiday); however, for 2022-23 only, another day will not be designated as a work day to equal the required 219/228, etc. work day requirement. For 2023-24 and 2024-25, the work year calendars include Juneteenth and the work days are designated. The parties reached a tentative agreement and the MOU’s and work year calendars for Principals and Associate Principals for 2023-24 and 2024-25 are attached for your information. The District will be posting these calendars shortly along with revised 2022-23 calendars. MOUs, Classified and Certificated, re: Juneteenth 2023-2024 Principal/Associate Principal Work Year Calendars 2024-2025 Principal/Associate Principal Work Year Calendars
Discussion Regarding Hybrid Work Policy. The District shared a draft of a Hybrid Work Program plan. The District’s position is that if this is implemented it will be after the Winter Recess (January 2023) and that this is a BENEFIT to employees, not an ENTITLEMENT. The District walked the bargaining team through the draft plan and the AASD bargaining teams spent time in caucus reviewing the draft. It is very similar to the pilot remote work plan that was implemented last Spring/Summer with the exception that the hybrid plan would require participants to report to the primary work location a minimum of two days a week to avoid isolation from colleagues and to meet operational needs. There are also a few other logistical changes and additional training that will be required for those being selected to participate in the program, as well as IT security protections that need further discussion. The decision to allow an AASD Member to participate in the Hybrid Work Program is that of the supervisor or department/division head. As a manager or supervisor, if this plan is implemented, you will be the decisionmaker as to whether or not your direct reports will be given the benefit of the Hybrid Work Program. The AASD bargaining team has notified the District of several suggestions for clarification, but overall is in support and favor of this benefit for our AASD members -- where it is feasible, where it makes sense, and where it is transparent to the customer. The plan is also being provided in draft form to the other Unions.
Certificated 1:1 Coaching of New Principals and Certificated Area Leadership Coach. AASD signed off over a month ago on an MOU regarding stipends for 1:1 principal coaches and Area Leadership Coaches for elementary. AASD was notified at bargaining that a revised MOU will be forthcoming that includes secondary (not just elementary).
The next bargaining session is October 12.
MANDATED COVID TESTING FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED. The District notified AASD of the following on September 29:
Dear Union Partners:
We email to provide you an update related to weekly testing requirements for employees with COVID-19 vaccine accommodations. Recently, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) rescinded a public health order requiring school staff who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.
Beginning Monday, October 3, 2022, unvaccinated staff who were granted an accommodation for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine no longer need to test weekly for COVID-19. Principals, classified and certificated supervisors no longer need to monitor unvaccinated staff or district volunteers for compliance with weekly testing. However, the district’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate remains in place. Employees who were granted an accommodation for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine should be mindful that testing requirements could be reinstated in the future if circumstances warrant. Disciplines imposed or initiated for violation of district requirements as they existed at the time will not be reversed or suspended.
This information will be emailed to all principals, supervisors/managers, and impacted staff with COVID-19 vaccine accommodations by Friday, Sept. 30.
AASD SUPPORTS OUR MEMBERS. Read below for a few examples of how AASD serves our members.
A Principal followed District directives during COVID regarding instruction. This Principal made no decisions about the student (special education) and followed the District protocol on how instruction was delivered. In fact, if the Principal had not followed the District directives, that Principal could have been disciplined for insubordination. The parents disagreed with the direction that the Principal followed and filed numerous complaints, including Due Process and a complaint with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The result of Due Process was a settlement where one stipulation was that the parents agreed to rescind all other complaints (including CTC). However, the CTC continued the investigation and possible revocation of the Principal’s credential! A preliminary hearing was scheduled for the Principal to defend her credential. In cases like this, the District does not provide an attorney to present – that is the employee's responsibility. The AASD Executive Board was briefed of the situation and since this type of case could have happened to ANY PRINCIPAL OR ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL who followed District directives during COVID, the AASD Executive Board approved the hiring of AASD attorney, Mr. Shaeffer, to prep for this hearing, represent the Principal and present at the hearing. District officials (Attorney Kari Searles; Chief Human Resources Officer Acacia Thede and District Physician Dr. Taras) were not permitted by CTC to testify, but they provided written support of our Principal. This was a very stressful time for the Principal who could have their credential revoked. The hearing was held on September 15 and on September 27 the Principal and AASD Attorney Shaeffer received official written communication from the CTC that the investigation was closed and that there would be no adverse action against the Principal. What a sigh of relief! Just one example of how AASD was able to support our Member in Good Standing.
Additionally, three AASD Members in Good Standing had situations in the workplace where they felt unsafe due to the actions and behaviors of another employee. AASD supported these three members through the process of reporting the issues. In one case, AASD Executive Director, Donis Coronel, met with the member and the other party to discuss the situation and come to an understanding, and in two cases AASD supported our member with developing a Safety Plan in conjunction with representatives from Human Resources.
The AASD Classified Collective Bargaining Agreement does not have language about a Human Resources representative sitting on all interview panels (as the Certificated contract requires). There is an upcoming interview panel for a Classified Manager position where AASD believes it is necessary to have a Human Resources Representative attend. Thank you to Acacia Thede, Chief Human Resources Officer, for working with AASD to ensure this happens to preserve the integrity of the process.
These are just a few examples of the work AASD does to support our members. If you need assistance from AASD, please contact the office at 619-295-2118 or e-mail the Executive Director, Donis Coronel, atdonis@aasdcs.org.
LOOKING FORWARD - MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW! MORE INFORMATION TO COME!IMPORTANT - NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FOR CASINO NIGHT! AASD Winter Holiday Party – December 9, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at Marina Village. Free to all AASD Members in Good Standing, Retired Members and Affiliate Members.
AASD Spring Conference – March 21, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon (breakfast begins at 7:00 a.m.) at Marina Village. Mandatory for all in the AASD bargaining unit. All non-represented management and confidential employees and retired members are also invited.
AASD Casino Night Fundraiser for Scholarships – March 3, 2023, 6:00 p.m. at Marina Village. Come and support our AASD Scholarships for children of our members!
AASD Summerfest End of the Year Event – June 23, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. at Marina Village. Free to all AASD Members in Good Standing, Retired Members and Affiliate Members.
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).
SPECIAL GRATITUDE When members wish to show their gratitude for other district staff, please contact Donis Coronel at donis@aasdcs.org and AASD will publish that message of gratitude in the next Weekly Update.
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.
REMINDERS
ATTENTION RETIRED AASD MEMBERS. AASD received the following request from a retired member, Julie Eiter, who is working in the SDUSD Children and Youth in Transition Office.
From Julie: “I am currently subbing at CYT at the district office. (Children Youth and Transition). I was asked to reach out to retired people to see if they would be interested in a volunteer position to help a student. The volunteer position is as follows: Volunteer needed to temporarily be a Surrogate Educational Rights Holder for a youth in foster care who is a 10th grade student with an IEP located near downtown San Diego. Our district is responsible for appointing a surrogate Ed Rights Holder for the student while the court appoints a CASA. The surrogate cannot be anyone employed by SDUSD, the county, child welfare, or related to the student's group home. THE ASK/COMMITMENT: Meet with student to get to know them a bit (doesn't say this has to be in person, can be via Zoom or other platform), sign off on IEP documents and attend IEP meeting(s). The court is in the process of assigning a CASA SOON. The ask is for a surrogate be available until a CASA is assigned. If you are interested, please contactjeiter@sandi.net."
LOGO WEAR. Did you know AASD has professional AASD logo wear perfect for wearing to work? We do! We have Polo Shirts in styles for both men and women. We also have denim shirts for men and women, and a V-neck T-Shirt for women. And we even have ball caps! If you are interested, contact AASD Office Manager, Linda Crout-Hamel, via e-mail linda@aasdcs.org or at the office 619-295-2118. The logo wear is very reasonably-priced. Payment can be taken over the phone (for debit/credit card) or a check can be mailed to the office. The logo wear can then be mailed or delivered to you. Look sharp wearing your AASD logo wear! Represent!
AASD OFFICE IS OPEN The AASD Office is open with health and safety measures in place. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. We ask that you call the office before visiting to ensure staff are not offsite at an appointment, running work-related errands or at lunch. To check in before visiting, the office phone number is 619-295-2118.
The AASDWeekly Update will continue as usual on Thursdays with important news and information for AASD members.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS (ACSA). ACSA is a statewide organization for school leaders, serving more than 17,000 California educators and administrators in 19 regions throughout California, each made up of local charters. ACSA’s Mission: The Association of California School Administrators is the driving force for an equitable, world-class education system, and the development and support of inspired educational leaders who meet the diverse needs of all California students. Visit ACSA's website at acsa.orgfor more information about this organization.
Deborah Burke is our Region 18 ACSA Membership Services Representative. She is local and your completed membership applications can be sent directly to her. By completing your application and signing it, then scanning and attaching it to an email to Deborah, you will expedite the processing of your application. If you have any questions about ACSA, cost, benefits, opportunities, etc., please reach out to Deborah at dburke@acsa.org or at (619) 504-3512.
The following types of ACSA membership are available, as applicable, to people in San Diego Unified/AASD. All memberships can be paid by payroll deduction, personal check, or Mastercard/VISA. The following are descriptions of each type of application. SELECT UNION DISTRICTMembership: Click here for application. $1/day($30.42/month) for remainder of the current school year. Dues are prorated after July 1. Member may choose to be a Regular Member with full benefits or be a Consolidated Member, without legal support, but can contact advocates for limited consultation. Standard dues begin July 1 of their second year of membership.
ASSOCIATEMembership: (associate on cover – with Business Reply Mail cover) $250/year and prorated for new members joining after July 1. Can be paid by check (full amount), Payroll deduction (3 equal installments of $83.33; not offered after September), or VISA/Mastercard (full payment). Click here for application. RETIREDMembership: (2 types) Click here for application. Emeritus Lifetime - $700 (a one-time fee). May be paid in (3 equal installments of $233.34 (not offered after September), via Master Card/VISA (full payment), or via a personal (full payment) check. Full Regular- $125/year paid via a monthly deduction from member’s STRS pension via a payroll deduction, or Master Card/VISA (full payment), or a personal check (full payment).
If you wish to use ACSA's online application process to join, click here for the “Steps for Joining ACSA.”
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 $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 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.
Placing and fulfilling an order can be done via phone, email and U.S. mail. Please contact Linda Crout-Hamel linda@aasdcs.orgat the AASD Office if you are interested.
IMPORTANT - PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS. AASD communicates with members via personal e-mail address. We do not communicate via "sandi.net." If you know of a colleague that is not receiving the Update, or if your personal email address changes, please remember to notify AASD by e-mailing Linda Crout-Hamel atlinda@aasdcs.org.
UNION PLUS - MONEY-SAVING PROGRAMS FOR AFSA MEMBERS AFSA membership is provided to all AASD Members in Good Standing at 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
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!
IMPORTANT – 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.
To review the benefits of being an AASD member, please Click here.
AASD COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS ARE 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 herewww.aasdcs.orgto 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.
ESTATE PLANNING – DISCOUNT FOR AASD MEMBERS!AASD has a partnership with Greg Runge, Estate Planning Attorney. Greg is an estate planning attorney with approximately 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 19th 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.
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.
The Benefits Portal - In addition to discounts and specials, BenefitHub also offers CASH BACK on some products and services! Get to know the benefit portal by visiting the BenefitHub website. The site is very user friendly. It is easy to do a search under various headings and categories, including Newest, Most Popular, Local Deals, Health and Wellness and Pay Over Time, just to name a few.
Benefit Hub Service- Gift Card Outlet - Save up to 15% 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.
AASD Contact Information ON REMOTE WORKING DAYS: Executive Director, Donis Coronel --donis@aasdcs.org 619-813-8792 Office Manager, Linda Crout-Hamel --linda@aasdcs.org 619-861-2701 Office Clerk (Retired), Jim Costello --jim@aasdcs.org(Membership inquiries only)
