Contract Will Improve Work Life for Principals and Assistant Principals
The Game Changer:
CPAA Issues Demand to Bargain for a CPS Contract
We are writing to let you know that life is about to change for you. CPAA has issued a demand to bargain with CPS management. The terms of our negotiations will be enshrined in a binding contract that will legally obligate management to give all school leaders the policies and resources needed for the growth and development of our students, staff, and ourselves.
Today’s CEO Webinar: Management Needs Our Help
Today’s meeting with the CEO showed that, once again, no matter how many “advisory committees” and “task forces” principals are a part of, management will continue to neglect and silence the voices of school leaders by not including us in making policies that impact our schools. This fact should be undeniable at this point.
Today, management informed us of several decisions made without our input, and the way they informed us led to numerous confusing interactions in which management said, “We’ll get back to you on that,” when they had no answers to school leader questions.
Among these questionable decisions was management’s agreement with CTU to shift a day from the end of the year to the middle of the year, convert that day from principal-directed to teacher-directed, and infringe on the vacation time that school leaders deservingly planned while preventing us from even being able to hold staff accountable for using that time wisely for the benefit of our students. Management stated that CTU members would use the honor system to do the right thing. When has management awarded administrators with "honor-system” time?
While the decision to pay SECAs for student teaching will help those SECAs to become licensed teachers, the failure to give administrators the time to plan for this will ultimately hurt students and create chaos and understaffing in classrooms. These intricacies should be discussed with school leaders to plan effectively for this shift in practice.
This is How We Help Management:
A Comprehensive Binding Contract
At the surface level, there has been talk of change through “task forces” and “advisory committees.” While the school leaders who participate in these committees are well-meaning, has management changed the way they operate in response to these committees? The only thing we have that can help management to make better decisions is the right to a binding contract that will compel them not only to listen to school leaders but to implement the solutions we develop, and the only organization that can compel management to negotiate for that contract is CPAA.
CPAA is not an advisory committee, so our contract with CPS will not be advisory; it will be legally binding. That’s the difference. Still, we have started reaching out and building trusting relationships with the school leaders on these committees so that we can speak with one unified voice. But be clear: only CPAA–your union–can negotiate a contract that compels management to listen to your voice and implement your solutions.
We (CPAA’s Governing Board) have been in conversations with the Chief Education Officer and other management officials before beginning contract negotiations. The Governing Board has been advocating for critical management responses such as the Newcomer's Taskforce, the OLCE handbook that came out today, the administrator Google calendar, the HR staffing tracker, and key changes for school safety such as a substitute pool for security officers and minimum camera standards at schools. However, since these discussions have not been contractual, management has not committed to implementing specific policy changes. A contract will put our agreements in writing so CPS officials are legally bound to act on their agreements with school leaders. We want to help management, and we will help them by writing a contract that holds them accountable in the same way we are held responsible.
The Short Trip and the Long Haul Toward a Contract for a Better CPS
Since this will be our first contract, the entire process will likely take much longer than what we are used to seeing with other unions. However, we intend to negotiate short "memorandums of agreement" to address some of the more pressing and immediate issues while we gear up for the more comprehensive contract talks. We hope CPS management will be cooperative and negotiate in good faith on these agreements.
What Must You Do to Ensure a Great Contract?
Your Input is the Critical First Step
We are in the planning and research phase of creating our contract with the district. The contract will include multiple provisions to improve your schools, your work life, and your job satisfaction. These provisions must be written with significant input from you, so we urge you to actively engage in the process. The first step in this process is to complete an open-ended survey that asks you to describe the biggest obstacles to the success of your schools and your success as a school leader. That survey will be released early next week.
Together, we can produce a contract that achieves learning, growth, and prosperity for our students and for the CPAA members who serve them.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
The Officers of the CPAA Governing Board
Alahrie Aziz-Sims, Principal, Bogan High School
Alesia Franklin-Allen, Principal, Leland Elementary School
Cy Hendrickson, Assistant Principal, Hernandez Elementary School
Israel Perez, Principal, Yates Elementary School
Rashad Talley, Principal, Phillips High School
Ryan Belville, Principal McAuliffe Elementary School
Safurat Giwa, Principal, Pershing Magnet Elementary School
Susan Paik, Assistant Principal, Jamieson Elementary School,
Tonya Tolbert, Principal, Mason Elementary School
Troy LaRaviere, President, CPAA
Tyrone Dowdell, Principal, Green Elementary School
