WTU PAYS TRIBUTE TO DR. DOROTHY HEIGHT

The WTU pays tribute to a gracious and giving leader, Dr. Dorothy Height. A champion for civil rights equality, Height served as chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women and chairperson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Born in Richmond, Virginia and educated in public schools in Pennsylvania, Height obtained her bachelor and master’s degrees from New York University. She was a prominent figure during the civil rights era and received many awards for her extraordinary service including the John F. Kennedy Memorial award; the Congressional Black Caucus-Decades of Service award; President Ronald Reagan-citizen medal; Franklin Roosevelt-Freedom Medal Essence award. In 2004 on Dr. Heights 92nd birthday, George W. Bush also presented her with the Congressional Gold Medal - the highest and most distinguished award Congress can award to a civilian.

Dorothy Height will be memorialized tomorrow, April 29, 2010 at the Washington National Cathedral at 10am. While her loss will be heavily mourned she is immortalized by actions.

Please see the AFT Human and Civil Rights press release on Dorothy Height.

WTU Press Releases on RIF and DCPS Budget

The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) filed two motions late Thursday evening in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to reopen the union’s case involving the firing of 266 District of Columbia Public School teachers because of new revelations of a possible $34 million surplus. Here are the press releases:

Washington Teachers’ Union Files Court Motions On Confusion Over Budget Projections

WTU Media Statement - New Information Regarding Firing of 266 Teachers

Gandhi's Letter to Rhee on DCPS Budget

Dear Chancellor Rhee,

Recent public discussions regarding the proposed contract with the WTIJ, and indications that you perceive there is a surplus in the DCPS budget, compel me to clarify the position of my office.

As you know, despite the fact that my office was neither consulted nor included in the negotiations regarding the WTU, my staff took the initiative and proactively engaged in the process of analyzing potential resources to support the proposed contract, should a final agreement between the parties be reached. As indicated in an email sent to you by DCPS CFO George Dines on March 29th, his preliminary analysis identified a potential resource about which he had serious concerns and indicated further review and discussion were necessary. In your reply of March 31st, you voiced similar concerns about the validity of the initial findings and agreed that further study was required before drawing conclusions. Specifically you stated "We just need to carefully review together any projected surplus before we make any decisions relative to its use ".

Despite the fact that no further discussion has taken place to date, I was incredulous to learn that in your April 13, 2010 presentation to the Council on the contract, you asserted that a surplus is available to fund the proposed salary increases based on preliminary information. I am at a loss to understand why you did not consult with me directly or with any of my DCPS financial staff about the viability of the proposed package prior to your public announcement.

As you can see from the attached analysis, the $34 million surplus does not exist. While there is projected under-spending of $34M in school operations, there is projected overspending in central office operations and other costs which total more than $30M. Additionally, given the history of the DCPS budget, I am concerned about issues that might emerge, further restricting the availability of funds, particularly in non-personal services.

In addition, I want to clarify the misstatement that the CFO determines average teacher salaries.

That average is a straightforward calculation based on

a) salary and benefits information and

b) the number of teachers,

both of which are determined by the DCPS Human Resources department through the Peoplesoft system.

Finally, I want to reiterate my support for George Dines. I have the highest degree of confidence in his capabilities and appreciate his willingness to step in as Interim CFO at DCPS, especially in this challenging fiscal situation.

As always, I am available to discuss these matters with you.

Sincerely,

Attachment

cc: The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia

The Honorable Vincent G. Gray, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia

The Honorable David Catania (At-Large)

The Honorable Phil Mendelson (At-Large)

The Honorable Kwame R. Brown (At-Large)

The Honorable Michael Brown (At-Large)

The Honorable Jim Graham (Ward 1)

The Honorable Jack Evans (Ward 2)

The Honorable Mary M. Cheh (Ward 3)

The Honorable Muriel Bowser (Ward 4)

The Honorable Harry Thomas Jr. (Ward 5)

The Honorable Thomas Wells (Ward 6)

The on or able Yvette M. Alexander (Ward 7)

The Honorable Marion Barry (Ward 8)

Neil Albert, City Administrator

Q and A AND HIGHLIGHTS OF Tentative Agreement

On behalf of our members, the Washington Teachers’ Union has negotiated a progressive contract that provides increased professional support for more effective teaching and learning, as well as rewards and incentives for educators. This Agreement establishes D.C. teachers as innovators in negotiating for real reforms designed to help improve classroom practice and raise student achievement. Additionally, the new Agreement includes significant increases in base salaries, maintains tenure, and preserves due process for teachers and school employees.

Here's the pdf copy of the Tentative Agreement.

Here are the highlights of the Tentative Agreement.

Some Q&A on the Tentative Agreement here.

Here's the Joint Media Statement.

Here's the Press Release.

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