Welcome back, AALA members! May the new year bring you happiness, peace, and prosperity filled with new goals, new endeavors, and new achievements in your lives. Wishing you a joyous 2020!
Whether you enjoyed the full three-week vacation or a limited version, we hope that you had time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. As we begin not only a new year, but a new decade, we must look forward with optimism and hope for all of us, individually and collectively. Despite the political chaos and national and international turmoil facing the country, the dawning of this new year signals an opportunity to improve our circumstances. High on the list of resolutions for educators should be improving their health, reducing stress, and actually leaving the job at the work site at the end of the day. We urge you to incorporate these resolutions into your daily routine.
The new year brings some decisions that need to be made
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In a unanimous vote, the LAUSD Board of Education recently called for a thorough examination of gender equity in the District’s hiring and compensation practices. (Click HERE to see the resolution.) Ironically, the District seems to have a historical malady with gender equity probably since its inception. On July 31, 1980, the Los Angeles Times published a page one article entitled “Women to Fill Half of L.A. School Administrative Jobs – More School Jobs Go to Women.” The article is a fascinating read memorializing
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AALA’s Representative Assembly met on Monday, December 2, 2019, to discuss overall items of interest to the association and to make two key decisions. The first decision affects the composition of the association’s executive board and triggers a change of the association’s constitution.
The good news is
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Dear Los Angeles Unified School District:
I want to be positive and thankful for how AALA members are valued and treated by the District. However, this year more than ever, the number of administrators with medical ailments, more than likely onset by the stressors imposed on frontline managers, is worrisome and disheartening.
Just this week, I took a call from one of our most respected members. Towards the end of the call, I asked, “How is your health?” I was floored when
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It may be a little known fact that AALA has a constitution and bylaws (click here: Constitution and Bylaws). The association’s constitution has been around for over three decades, with a few revisions along the way. The constitution was last revised in April 2012 to include the incorporation of Unit J, our classified
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Thanksgiving Day and all that it represents for the country is approaching fast. With this in mind, it is important to be thankful for the many opportunities our educational system provides. Granted, the past few years in LAUSD have been tumultuous and rife with changes. However, the District has continued to provide what some call Statue of Liberty schools, serving all students regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, or economic background.
In the spirit of the season,
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AALA is cautiously optimistic Superintendent Beutner and the Board of Education will once and for all solve the plight of the Assistant Principal, Elementary Instructional Specialist. The AP,EIS position, in its inception, was a successful pipeline and bench leading to principal positions. Just ask around. Some of the most effective principals, directors, and senior leaders began their careers as a FULL-TIME AP,EIS assigned to ONE school who supported the principal with meeting the needs of special education students and the school’s daily operations. Then the
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More and more members are calling and emailing expressing concerns regarding the many meetings and unrealistic expectations being thrown their way. This top-down autocratic leadership style is affecting all frontline managers, whether in schools, the central office, or Local Districts.
Administrators cannot focus on improving teaching and learning when they:
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The churn at the top echelons of the District’s leadership has eroded the confidence of the organization at all levels it seems. No one knows this more than AALA’s frontline managers. Here is some triangulation of the data:
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If you are surprised to be getting today’s newsletter because you normally do not receive it, more than likely, you are a free rider. Normally, only AALA members in good standing receive the weekly Update. A member in good standing supports the association by contributing $40.84 a month in dues to support collective bargaining, representing members in conferences and investigations, and in disciplinary and dismissal cases, among other actions.
As a result of the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision on June 27, 2018, free riders are those
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Each October, National Principals Month recognizes the essential role that principals play in making schools successful. They set the academic tone for their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and determination that provide the mobilizing force in student achievement. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives officially recognize October as National Principals Month and many national organizations, including National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals, and American Federation of School Administrators, as well as, ACSA and AALA, honor these unsung heroes during the month for their tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence in education.
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AALA is again highlighting the importance of being aware of and, if necessary, invoking your Weingarten Rights whenever asked to attend a meeting with a supervisor or an investigator. Be aware that some District supervisors and investigators are calling administrators to attend an “interview” or an “investigatory meeting.” The invitee is advised
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THE AALA FALL RECEPTION IS NOT CANCELED! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019, AT THE CENTER AT CATHEDRAL PLAZA.
AALA Power is the theme and union strong will be on
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This thought-provoking Facebook post by Sean McCall illustrates the importance of supervisors being sensitive and understanding when approving Flexible Time:
My new employee asked to work from home. Then she started to tell me the reason. I told her
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This is the time of the year when enthusiasm surges and students, staff members, and parents begin to plan expensive overnight and out-of-state field trips. Keep in mind that the District has a comprehensive and robust policy when it comes to field trips. In the past, some of our members have been conferenced and, in some cases, received discipline
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The District has made a commendable effort to ensure “forewarned is forearmed” with FREE emergency plan applications. Versions of the app are customized for employees and parents/students. Both apps are free and are available from CrisisManager in app stores for android and Apple smartphones and tablets.
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For years we have adhered to the age old adage of “If it’s not written, it didn’t happen.” However, the District put a twist to the axiom in a bulletin issued by the Office of the General Counsel on April 17, 2015, Responding to Requests for Reference Information and/or Letters of Recommendation (click HERE). The policy, in essence, is if you write it, you said it, and are ultimately responsible for the contents. There used to be
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Front page news in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, August 14, is an article by Howard Blume titled “Would Your Kid’s School be a 1 or 5?” (Click HERE) It is a report on the District’s response to Board Members Kelly Gonez’ and Nick Melvoin’s 2018 resolution that called for a school performance framework with the objectives to:
1. Identify and track the overall performance of each school annually;
2. Evaluate all schools
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The focus of this week’s Update is to remind you of the important rights the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles affords you, as well as rights guaranteed you, as a union member, by the U.S. Supreme Court.
We are already beginning to hear that supervisors are having different interpretations and making their own rules when it comes to flexible time. Make sure to
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