**Update**

Hello Educators,

Thank you for your patience as we try to better understand the contract language for summer pay and advocate for educators. As I shared in the last Advocate, Article 12.5.2.7 states that the “rates of pay for professional educators for each half-day session of Summer School shall be 3.2 times the base salary daily rate”. My understanding was that each “half-day session” meant a half day. I asked for clarity from PPS through email, text, and at our Contract Admin Meeting before the end of the school year. Thank you all for your emails and communication, as it truly pushed this concern to the forefront for PPS as well.

On Friday, June 23rd, PPS HR responded and shared their interpretation of the language after going back about 30 years in PAT-PPS Collective Bargaining Agreements. They have asserted that the term “session” refers to the entire week-long summer academies. The language has changed over time, and it seems they may be correct in their interpretation due to language that is present in our contract from 1980. Our talented associate staff are working to dig deep into our contracts to verify the past CBA language PPS has shared with us. For now, educators will be paid the rates they were offered this summer by PPS.

If this interpretation is correct, those offered summer positions are offered an hourly pay rate of $44.46/ hour. According to PPS, that rate is based on the summer rate set forth in Article 12.5.2.7 divided by the number of hours worked for the week-long half-day session:

• $260.52 (base salary daily rate) x 3.2 (per Article 12.5.2.7) = $833.66 (summer rate) 
• 3.75 hours (½ day) x 5 days = 18.75 (hours worked for the week-long half-day session)     
• $833.66 (summer ½ day rate) / 18.75 = $44.46 hourly rate

If this interpretation is incorrect, we will continue to advocate for members to be appropriately paid. I will consult with staff and legal to ensure we fully understand the language and on our next steps.

Thank you again for your patience and advocacy. We will share more updates as we get them.

Take Care,
Angela Bonilla

***

A reminder: all school team/committee leader positions are VOLUNTARY AND PAID. You should be paid your hourly rate for the loss of planning time or for extended hours. This is under Article 16.2 in our CBA.

PPS has moved away from the Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) model by unassigning over 50 educators. With the elimination of TOSA positions, a lot of work that would have been supported by these experienced educators is now being put on to the plates of educators in the buildings.

One such way is the Instructional Leadership Teams: PPS Management is asking Principals to recruit volunteers to lead the Instructional Leadership Team and adding more responsibilities to those roles. These responsibilities include a 2 day training in August before the work year begins and 8 hours per month of additional responsibilities.

When this was presented to PAT at the Instructional Practices Council, we asked, “Many educators are overwhelmed by their workload. What if no one volunteers in a building?” One district leader responded, “Let’s not catastrophize”. :Deep breath to not lose it: We explained that this is not catastrophizing, this is our REALITY. Their response: “Well, the Principals are instructional leaders and will figure it out”.

This is not a plan. This is a guarantee that educators will continue to carry more on their backs. If you do not feel you have the capacity, skills, or want to take an extra responsibility, THAT IS OK. You can say no. In fact, several educators have already let us know that as a school team they have refused to accept this increase in workload. It is up to you. Just remember, we need PPS to understand: We can't squeeze blood from a stone. Educators are at the limit, and we refuse to run ourselves ragged to uphold a raggedy system.