Welcome to the Vista Teachers Association
**Important**
In order to better serve you, submit your personal contact information. Please visit the Contact Us section of this website. Thank you!
In order to better serve you, submit your personal contact information. Please visit the Contact Us section of this website. Thank you!
Black Thursdays !
Every Thursday during this crisis wear black to school as a sign of our disapproval of the Board’s action of declaring impasse.
Every Thursday during this crisis wear black to school as a sign of our disapproval of the Board’s action of declaring impasse.
VTA President's Message 01.20.10
Dear Colleagues,
The following message was written by JB Barton and I believe it expresses the sentiments of all teachers who participated in last Thursday’s Board meeting.
To all of our colleagues who were able to attend Thursday's school board meeting, "YOU WERE AWESOME!!!”
Watching the gestures and eye movements of each school board member, it was obvious that they had never anticipated this level of teachers supporting one another.
I do not think these school board members or "their" superintendent ever expected this level of outrage! It is my belief that the District Office Administration had convinced the Board members that "we" would be more complacent. THEY WERE WRONG!!! Collectively, your voices rang strong, consistent and resolved to no longer accept whatever "they" might decide as "a reasonable" reduction to your salary.
There must have been in the neighborhood of 300 +teachers at this meeting! The seats and walls of Foothill Oak Elementary had no voids and allowed for no hiding places for either School Board Members or Administration.
Every speaking member from each of our schools: elementary, middle, continuation and high school demonstrated the unity of interest and concern for each other’s well being!
The speakers were eloquent, passionate and powerful in telling each of their stories as well as those stories of our teacher communities. They let the Board know the value of the teacher not as a dollar figure but as a value to students, their sites and even to our district. These speakers made it clear that the unseen and unreported value of each teacher is really that teachers' ongoing commitment to student needs. Teachers are personally contributing both their time and talents over and above their "regular" teaching time.
Make sure that you say thank you to all of those teachers who attended this school board meeting and to those other teachers and staff that contributed to getting our concerns to the school board members!
Our challenge is now who will attend the School Boards' Work Study Session at 5:00 PM January 28th at Roosevelt Middle School. We will need new and additional faces to show that this type of activity will be ongoing for the long haul and not just a momentary blip on the radar screen. We would especially like to have parents come and speak to the Board and show their support for teachers. If you haven't spoken to your PTA or parents make it a point to do so soon. We need someone to videotape and take photos at this meeting. Please contact Rosemary Smithfield at 1rickrose@msn.com to volunteer.
This meeting will determine the Board Members priorities since they must determine and finalize the 2010-11 Budget. Will teachers be a priority? Please have as many teachers attend this meeting as possible! Please check your personal e-mail accounts and www.vistata.org for more information concerning activities at the Board meeting.
Again, thank you all for the support and persistence in staying to support each other and your families!
JB Barton and your VTA Crisis Team
Impasse Update:
The State Mediator has scheduled Monday, February 15th for our first mediation session. The meeting will commence at 9:00 AM at the School District Office. A rally will be planned. Stay tuned for more information but plan on attending…your bargaining team needs your support.
SB 472 Training:
I have received several calls regarding teacher attendance at SB 472 trainings. Trainings are being offered over the course of several Saturdays and the first week of Spring break. Teachers are not required to attend these trainings. The only time a teacher is required to attend is when the District hires a substitute teacher to release a teacher during their contract day. Do not feel pressured to attend. If asked by your administrator to participate, a simple no thank you should suffice. If you feel pressured contact your VTA Rep.
Merit Pay….Does It Have Merit?
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel will appear on a taped segment this Friday morning on CBS News’ The Early Show. Reporter Kelly Wallace talked to Dennis about merit pay. The piece profiles a school that offers a merit pay program for teachers, but also explores the effectiveness of such incentive programs.
The story will air nationally, Friday, January 22. The Early Show is a television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. The Early Show features celebrity interviews, light entertainment and news pieces. The show reaches 500,000 viewers a week, airing on 200 local CBS stations and in several international markets. For more on this news outlet:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml
Health Net Cards are Here!
By now you should have received your new Health Net Card. Contact Jarrod Madrusso at jarrodmadrusso@vusd.k12.ca.us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Jan O'Reilly
VTA President
The following message was written by JB Barton and I believe it expresses the sentiments of all teachers who participated in last Thursday’s Board meeting.
To all of our colleagues who were able to attend Thursday's school board meeting, "YOU WERE AWESOME!!!”
Watching the gestures and eye movements of each school board member, it was obvious that they had never anticipated this level of teachers supporting one another.
I do not think these school board members or "their" superintendent ever expected this level of outrage! It is my belief that the District Office Administration had convinced the Board members that "we" would be more complacent. THEY WERE WRONG!!! Collectively, your voices rang strong, consistent and resolved to no longer accept whatever "they" might decide as "a reasonable" reduction to your salary.
There must have been in the neighborhood of 300 +teachers at this meeting! The seats and walls of Foothill Oak Elementary had no voids and allowed for no hiding places for either School Board Members or Administration.
Every speaking member from each of our schools: elementary, middle, continuation and high school demonstrated the unity of interest and concern for each other’s well being!
The speakers were eloquent, passionate and powerful in telling each of their stories as well as those stories of our teacher communities. They let the Board know the value of the teacher not as a dollar figure but as a value to students, their sites and even to our district. These speakers made it clear that the unseen and unreported value of each teacher is really that teachers' ongoing commitment to student needs. Teachers are personally contributing both their time and talents over and above their "regular" teaching time.
Make sure that you say thank you to all of those teachers who attended this school board meeting and to those other teachers and staff that contributed to getting our concerns to the school board members!
Our challenge is now who will attend the School Boards' Work Study Session at 5:00 PM January 28th at Roosevelt Middle School. We will need new and additional faces to show that this type of activity will be ongoing for the long haul and not just a momentary blip on the radar screen. We would especially like to have parents come and speak to the Board and show their support for teachers. If you haven't spoken to your PTA or parents make it a point to do so soon. We need someone to videotape and take photos at this meeting. Please contact Rosemary Smithfield at 1rickrose@msn.com to volunteer.
This meeting will determine the Board Members priorities since they must determine and finalize the 2010-11 Budget. Will teachers be a priority? Please have as many teachers attend this meeting as possible! Please check your personal e-mail accounts and www.vistata.org for more information concerning activities at the Board meeting.
Again, thank you all for the support and persistence in staying to support each other and your families!
JB Barton and your VTA Crisis Team
Impasse Update:
The State Mediator has scheduled Monday, February 15th for our first mediation session. The meeting will commence at 9:00 AM at the School District Office. A rally will be planned. Stay tuned for more information but plan on attending…your bargaining team needs your support.
SB 472 Training:
I have received several calls regarding teacher attendance at SB 472 trainings. Trainings are being offered over the course of several Saturdays and the first week of Spring break. Teachers are not required to attend these trainings. The only time a teacher is required to attend is when the District hires a substitute teacher to release a teacher during their contract day. Do not feel pressured to attend. If asked by your administrator to participate, a simple no thank you should suffice. If you feel pressured contact your VTA Rep.
Merit Pay….Does It Have Merit?
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel will appear on a taped segment this Friday morning on CBS News’ The Early Show. Reporter Kelly Wallace talked to Dennis about merit pay. The piece profiles a school that offers a merit pay program for teachers, but also explores the effectiveness of such incentive programs.
The story will air nationally, Friday, January 22. The Early Show is a television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday. The Early Show features celebrity interviews, light entertainment and news pieces. The show reaches 500,000 viewers a week, airing on 200 local CBS stations and in several international markets. For more on this news outlet:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml
Health Net Cards are Here!
By now you should have received your new Health Net Card. Contact Jarrod Madrusso at jarrodmadrusso@vusd.k12.ca.us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Jan O'Reilly
VTA President
Crisis Update 02.08.10
Please come to the first Total Unit Member Meeting of the year on Wednesday, February 10th from 4-5 o’clock at Temple Heights. The purpose of this meeting is for the entire VTA membership is provide an opportunity to hear from both VTA and CTA speakers about the “state of our union,” the state of the impasse, and the future state of education in California.
Please take a moment to go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5JRGY35 to help us gather important information about your experience as a teacher in VUSD.
Also, please take another moment http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FSGFYMM
to submit questions to Jan O’ Reilly about the current impasse. At the beginning of next week, we will post a video of responses on youtube to the most frequently asked questions as a way of better disseminating information.
Support our negotiating team on the first mediation day scheduled for Monday, February 15th at 9:00am at the district office.
VUSD Board Meetings:
Click Here for all board meeting dates.
Be sure to attend and voice your opinion about the impasse!
Read some of the many amazing speeches given at recent board meetings.
Be sure to attend and voice your opinion about the impasse!
Read some of the many amazing speeches given at recent board meetings.
Please read this message for parents and the community.
Read information on writing a speech to deliver at a board meeting.
View photos of VUSD teachers "The Real Successmakers" voicing their opinion.
Read information on writing a speech to deliver at a board meeting.
View photos of VUSD teachers "The Real Successmakers" voicing their opinion.
N.C. Times FORUM: Batra column needs fact-checking
By STEVE LILLY 12.24.09
Sunana Batra's Dec. 15 North County Times commentary on the Vista School Board's actions regarding the Vista Teacher Association president's salary reimbursements needs a fact check... continue
By STEVE LILLY 12.24.09
Sunana Batra's Dec. 15 North County Times commentary on the Vista School Board's actions regarding the Vista Teacher Association president's salary reimbursements needs a fact check... continue
Informational Charts
| salary_schedule_with_4.9_reduction.xlsx |
| bargaining_comparison_chart_12-9-09.doc |