TVEA Spotlight Presented by TVEA Vice-President Edgar Diaz at the December 14, 2021 TVUSD Governing

Good evening,

I am honored to present the December TVEA Spotlight on behalf of our membership.

First a congratulations and welcome to TA-1 Board Member Allison Barclay. We appreciate your commitment to serve a vital role in our community and our members look forward to interacting with you at TA-1 sites and hope you accept an invitation to a TVEA function in the near future.

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During the Board meeting on November 9, this body converted 36 TVEA Bargaining Unit Member Contracts from Temporary to Probationary.

While this was a great first step that many met with relief, one individual left in tears during the break when she saw her name was not on the list. It is important to identify a transparent process that recognizes the commitment individuals make to working in TVUSD rather than letting them languish on the “temporary contract vine” for years. TVUSD invests significant resources into personnel and should reciprocate the commitment by providing job security for the ensuing year to retain those who have worked for years on yearly contracts.

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Temecula Valley Educators Association looks forward to continuing bargaining next month and updating our collective bargaining agreement, which expired back in June.

In a critical first step, our unit ratified the Compensation TA for 21-22, which comes before you tonight.

There is no doubt that the last twenty-one months and a few instruction and service delivery models have tested the mettle of our membership. Members have not wavered and ensured that TVUSD students have access to the best instruction and services available, no matter the conditions. Our members seek out support to effectively serve the students they are assigned. Members need meaningful solutions that will impact their instructional day. Without it, members in critical roles such as Special Education are burning out on the daily and programmatic demands before them. What happens when an increasing group decides to leave their roles? The district, and especially the students, suffer when an employee group vacates their roles due to lack of support.

Additional layers of responsibilities and reporting create exhausting conditions and frustration, which distract from the primary goal of instruction. I experience it as I communicate with parents and students, maintain an online presence, troubleshoot student hardware/software, support absent and returning students, and scaffold student interpersonal and academic skills. While the statement returning to the classroom sounds nostalgic, it takes much more to run a classroom in December of 2021 than in pre-pandemic times.

With fatigue compounding, members see Winter Break on the horizon as an opportunity to recharge. Any efforts by TVUSD to provide the “Gift of Time” for the remainder of the school year are appreciated.

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TVEA and TVUSD need to continue communication and engagement with members/employees related to concerns regarding the State of California Testing and Masking Mandates. TVEA met with members on November 17 and there are concerns that may have serious impacts on livelihoods in the future. We don’t need to amplify the emotions of our people when clear communication can help to settle nerves.

With the impacts of the pandemic ongoing, our members appreciate the certainty brought by TVUSD’s decision to extend SB 95 COVID Leave through June. It prioritizes the health of our community and the ability to keep schools open and staffed.

In anticipation of the enactment of Senate Bill 328, TVEA is participating in the Start Times Committee. This legislation dictates the start time of high school and middle school starting the 2022-23 school year to be no earlier than 8:30 and 8 respectively. Members engaged in all three sessions along with TVUSD department leads and look forward to future inclusion in discussions as the impacts on school communities become clearer. Setting direction in the next couple of months will only facilitate a smoother transition for all personnel of the Temecula Valley Unified School District.

Happy Holidays & Thank you