As spring approaches, it is time for your school to review and discuss school-based options that you would like to create, renew or rescind for the 2018–19 school year, based on the needs and philosophy of your school.

SBOs — in accordance with Article 8B of the contract — allow UFT members the flexibility to collaboratively modify contractual articles and/or create positions that the contract does not automatically allow. An SBO is adopted in a school when 55 percent of the UFT members who actually vote — not 55 percent of all UFT members at the school — support it. More than half of all city schools make use of the SBO process.

The following are examples of the SBO modifications to the Department of Education-UFT contract or DOE regulations you and your colleagues can make:

• Change the configuration of the professional development, parent engagement and Other Professional Work time (155 minutes per week)
• Move evening and afternoon parent conferences to the same day
• Create a block program
• Start the school day before 8 a.m. or end it after 3:45 p.m.
• Decrease the contractual class-size limits for lower-achieving classes

The SBO remains in effect for only one school year and must be renewed every year to continue. The only SBO modification that does not sunset at the end of the school year is for elementary schools that change from an eight-period day to a seven-period day. If your elementary school wishes to return to an eight-period day, another SBO is required.

Creating comp-time positions

All schools may create or renew compensatory-time jobs, non-teaching assignments like lunchroom supervisor, dean, programmer or grade adviser, that are done in lieu of teaching periods using an Article 7 SBO. In elementary schools, these out-of-classroom positions may, for example, include dean, testing coordinator and staff developer. In middle and high schools, compensatory-time jobs may include administrative assistant, site coordinator, unit coordinator, senior adviser, college adviser and yearbook adviser.

If you hold a compensatory-time job that is not renewed the following year, you return to a full teaching program.

Who can propose an SBO?

An SBO can be proposed by either the principal or the chapter leader on behalf of the chapter. The chapter leader determines whether a vote should be taken on a particular SBO. A principal cannot force the chapter to hold a vote on any SBO. Nor can a principal implement an SBO if it hasn’t been ratified in a vote by the chapter. All SBOs must be approved by the principal, the chapter leader, the UFT district representative and the UFT president, as well as the schools chancellor.

The ratification process

Before any chapter holds a vote on proposed SBOs, the chapter leader should survey the school’s staff to gauge interest in the SBOs under consideration. The survey, which should be conducted on paper using the same language that will be on the SBO ballot, helps the chapter leader decide whether to put a particular SBO up for a vote. When making this determination, the chapter leader should consider that if only 55 percent of the staff seems interested in supporting an SBO, that means that 45 percent of the staff does not support it.

It is at the sole discretion of the chapter leader whether an SBO goes to a formal vote. Voting, if it occurs, is by secret ballot following the procedures used in chapter leader elections. Only UFT members in the school — not agency fee payers — are eligible to vote on SBOs. Chapter leaders must notify members of the date, time and place of the vote and where and when ballots will be counted. Absentee ballots are not permitted.

Ballots must specifically describe the proposed modification, including the contractual article to be modified. The description of the compensatory-time jobs in an SBO should include the duties and time allotted. Each compensatory-time job and each SBO proposal must be voted on separately.