California Educator

October / November 2017

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ACCJC must stay clear of bargaining process Until a few months ago, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) seemed to have carte blanche to get involved with the collective bargaining process. But a legal settlement reached in August between ACCJC and the California Federation of Teachers is forcing the agency to stop violating its own rules and the rule of law. CTA's letter of support during the legal process notes ACCJC's "arrogance and vindictiveness" in dealing with community colleges, and observes that faculty senates and Community College Association (CCA) chapters have passed resolutions of no confidence in ACCJC. The letter outlines the lengths ACCJC went to in finding the College of the Sequoias in "substantial noncompliance" in 2012 by citing deficiencies that ACCJC itself acknowledged had been corrected years earlier. In the settlement, ACCJC agreed not to interfere in the collective bargaining process. It also agreed to: • No longer require student learning outcomes to be used as a component of faculty evaluation. • Adopt a policy to ensure at least three active-duty fac- ulty members are assigned to each college evaluation team. • Allow a two-year extension for "good cause" for a col- lege to comply with accreditation standards for which it has been found deficient. • Refrain from directing colleges what specific steps must be taken to achieve financial stability. • Strengthen conflict of interest safeguards for commis- sioners and evaluation team members. " This settlement gives voice and power to college faculty — as professional educators and as negotiations advocates," says CCA President Lynette Nyaggah. —Cynthia Menzel A win for Rohnert Park-Cotati chapter leader In April 2015, two Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified school board members entered Maha Gregoretti's classroom unan- nounced. Without acknowledging her or making eye contact, they stood at the back of the room and took notes, unsettling both the Technology Middle School teacher and her students. Gregoretti believes the visit was meant to intimidate and retaliate against her. As the Rohnert Park-Cotati Educators Association (RPCEA) president at the time, she had been a persistent and vocal critic of the district for removing a fence from around a local high school a year earlier, saying it jeopardized students' safety and filing a formal complaint. The day before the surprise visit , in fact , she had exchanged a series of increasingly test y emails with one of the two board members about the fence. CTA filed an unfair practice charge with the Public Employment Rela- tions Board on her behalf in late 2015. In August of this year, a judge ruled the district violated state labor laws when the board members made the unannounced visit. The judge said the manner in which they visited the classroom, given Gregoretti's role and activities as a union leader, created "a reasonable basis for fear." Gregoretti, who has stepped down as RPCEA president due to health reasons, feels validated. " This is an opportunity for real change in our district," she told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "We don't have to take this anymore." Over the past four years, 19 unfair practice complaints have been filed against Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified, which is high for a school district of 6,300 students. CFA, CSU agree to two-year contract extension The California Faculty Association (CFA) reached tentative agreement on a two-year contract extension with California State University (CSU) management. The agreement extends the current contract to June 30, 2020. It provides for across-the-board salary increases of 3.5 per- cent in the first year and 2.5 percent in the second. Current contract language on faculty benefits, including health insurance and retirement, will be maintained. "It is especially important that with this agreement, CSU management has committed to work hard along with CFA to win the state funding for our public university system that our students need and deserve," says CFA President Jennifer Eagan. See more updates in our Bargaining Roundup on page 50. Bargaining Update 43 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 017 Maha Gregoretti

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