Why We Have a Contract

Chapter Leader Mindy Karten Bornemann recently heard two speech teachers at a District 75 meeting discussing how they eat lunch with their students most days and rarely take a prep. She said they were young but seemed tired and complained about working for the Department of Education.

“I knew the road they were on would lead to a rapid burn-out,” Bornemann said. “When I told them about their contractual rights they told me that they didn’t need duty-free periods. They said that they were seeing students at lunchtime and on their preps because of shortages of staff and pressure to pick up as many children as possible.”

Bornemann said that as a chapter leader of more than 18 years she knows that young teachers often feel pressure from their administrators to ignore their contractual rights and that it is difficult to resist such pressure. But she tried to convince them that unless they resist they would not only undermine the contract but they would exhaust themselves to the point where they would lose their effectiveness.

Bornemann noted that everyone, herself included, has skipped a lunch or a prep occasionally “but not on a regular basis. You have to know your rights,” she said, adamantly. “Our union leaders fought to get them for us and went on strike many times to insure professional working conditions. It is our obligation to preserve these conditions by exercising them. Contractual rights are important because they set up reasonable procedures that both the union and management have agreed to so that we can stay at the top of our game and give students the help they need and deserve.”

Bornemann said she thinks the two young teachers understood her arguments and anticipates that they will adopt a much more reasonable — and contractual — schedule.

Listed below are reminders of some of the important rights of speech teachers:

• You are entitled to a duty-free lunch period. Don’t forget that if you are assigned an activity during your preparation period you must be paid for that time.
• If you do speech therapy work during your prep periods on a regular basis then you are entitled to shortage-area compensation per year — not just on a per-session basis. And you are supposed to be paid on time. The additional pay should appear on your regular paycheck within four to six weeks. If not, don’t wait: Talk to your school secretary or speech supervisor — and if that doesn’t get quick action talk to your hotline representatives.
• In the event that your principal orders you to perform a different Circular 6 “menu item” from progress reports, triennials, re-evaluations, and IEP-related work, such as hall patrol, do not risk a charge of insubordination. Comply, but immediately notify your speech supervisor and school chapter leader. If that is not successful, then notify us through our hotline number. You should not be performing more than one Circular 6 activity during this time.
• Do not allow any erosion of your professional obligations. IEPs cannot be changed without a team meeting consisting of all mandated attendees. Parents and teachers must be involved in the process. (See the IEP memo)
• Do not allow anyone to pressure you to change mandates, unless the change would meet the child’s needs. The IEP is a legal document and must be respected as such.
• Ask for basic supplies at your school. It’s in the contract. So is using a copy machine, and telephone. You should also ask your principal and speech supervisor in writing for specific speech and language therapy materials to work with your students in your program.
• In addition, speech teachers get Teacher’s Choice money. While this is not a contractual right, it is a program that includes all teachers and you are entitled to participate.

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