The SEA and the Seattle Public Schools continue to strive for a relationship that is focused on providing the best possible learning environment for students. The organizational structures described below will help to advance collaboration as we work toward this goal.

SECTION A: Organizational Structure

The proposed organizational structure for effective collaboration consists of:

- The Partnership Committee
- The Leadership Committee
- The Labor-Management Committee
- Building/Program Leadership Teams

1. Partnership Committee

The SPS and SEA will create a partnership committee consisting of 5 appointees of SPS and 5 appointees of the SEA. The purpose of the committee will be to address the issues of the achievement gap. There is not the luxury of time - each day that passes without every effort being made to insure that all students can reach the standards set by the SPS for every student to be able to know and do upon graduation is a breach of our collective responsibility to provide a quality education. The principles and beliefs set forth in the Preamble of this contract will guide the work of the committee.

The Partnership Committee will:

a. Define the factors that will be used to focus effort and resources on a school/ program(s). These factors will include but not be limited to such data as the mobility of students and staff; poverty levels; discipline and attendance records; retention rates; unfilled substitute educator requests; student dropout rates; second language students; experience level of the staff, standardized and classroom based assessments such as, ITBS, DRA, CBAs, SAT, WASL, PSAT, APP completion rates; length of time attending SPS, and the percentage of students on track to graduate. Determine whether the school/program(s) as presently configured would be sustainable in the longer term.

b. Identify the resources, human and financial, available to initiate the planning and visioning for a school or group of schools. Paraprofessionals, SAEOPS and Certificated staff are all part of the process. Ensure that there are the resources available to sustain the effort for three to five years. Some examples of what the support could look like are: time for planning, resources to bring in expertise not readily available from within the SPS or SEA, time for training and additional time for engaging community and parent/guardians, and support for curriculum alignment and adaptation.

c. SPS and SEA commit to clearing the path and addressing challenges to improvement and innovation, developed by the staff on site. Either party may open negotiations if a consensus solution has not been reached to resolve the issues or remove an impediment to student success.

d. Given that the effort to eliminate the achievement gap will be substantial, SPS and SEA will seek financial and professional support for these efforts from external sources. Funding and expertise from external sources will be used to temporarily augment and accelerate these processes while SPS is realigning internal resources to sustain success.

e. Together, SPS and SEA will develop, train and implement a parent/guardian and community engagement process that supports school staffs in reaching out to community resources and the parents/guardians of the students we serve. Schools will become places that welcome and engage parents/guardians and community support in the education of Seattle’s students.

f. This committee will develop a process that monitors progress, evaluates the use of resources, intervenes where necessary, and adjusts plans, resources and timelines. The monitoring and assessment process will include input from the community. Clear measures of success will be determined. Monitoring of effort will continue beyond the provision of start-up resources. We have a commitment to maintain gains and continue to improve.

g. The Partnership Committee will monitor and control the following contract adjustments for those schools engaged in closing the achievement gap work set forth above. The need to create stability of staff in schools engaged in focused change is a priority of the parties. The following modifications of this contract are made for those designated schools.

(1) Reduction in Force (RIF): In the event of the SPS needing to implement a RIF, staff in designated schools will be exempt from layoff for one year. If there are RIF’s in two consecutive years, the staff in a designated school will not be RIF’d in a greater percentage than the overall RIF in the SPS (rounded to the nearest .5 FTE) in the second year. Individuals who would have been RIF’d but for this exemption are committed to remain in the school for the next year so long as job categories they are eligible for exist in their school. If there is a catastrophic RIF caused by double levy failure or similarly devastating impact caused by State cuts in support to SPS, these exemptions found above will be null and void and all employees will be considered eligible to be RIF’d.

(2) Displacement: In the event that a designated school has such a significant loss in enrollment that the school’s contingency funds are not sufficient to absorb the decline, the SPS will hold the building harmless for up to one (1) FTE for the combined SEA-represented bargaining units above the contingency for one (1) year, provided that the building is identified as one of the protected flight schools. The building staff will identify the cause of the decline in enrollment and adjust their plans as necessary. Individuals who would have been displaced but for this exemption are committed to remain in the school for the next year so long as job categories for which they are eligible exist in their school.

(3) Programs that use itinerant staff will develop a staffing assignment process which stabilizes the assignment of the specialists assigned to a designated school. Where possible, the program will assign the same specialist to multiple designated schools which are planning and working together.

(4) Paraprofessional and SAEOP staffs are considered staff for the purpose of these exemptions and modifications to RIF and displacement and assignment.

(5) Employees in designated schools shall be eligible for incentive pay, of an amount to be determined by the parties upon completion of three years service to the students of the designated school. Funding for this provision is dependent on the ability of the SPS and SEA to solicit outside resources for that purpose or for the State to provide additional resources to support this provision. The effectiveness of this provision in attracting and retaining staff will be measured each year. The incentive commitments will not be made unless the SPS has received the funds.

(6) Funding for hiring incentives to attract qualified candidates for hard-to-fill positions, as identified by the partnership committee, will be sought from outside sources. The priority use of these resources will be to attract and retain staff at these designated schools. If additional funding is available, the hiring incentives will be extended to hiring staff for hard-to-fill positions at any school in the SPS. The partnership committee will determine the size of the hiring incentives. Acceptance of a hiring incentive will obligate the employee to remain in the designated school for a minimum of three (3) years, so long as the employee receives satisfactory evaluations and is not released for performance or involuntarily transferred by the SPS.

2. The Leadership Committee

a. The Leadership Committee will be a forum for communication and cooperation in which the parties will discuss SPS policy, which could include fiscal policies, site-based decision making, policies related to student instruction, legislative policies, as well as other policies, imminent decisions, trouble spots, and the SPS/SEA relationship. The Committee will not be empowered to vote on or veto SPS decisions or the labor agreement and will not discuss bargaining issues.

b. The Committee will consist of the Superintendent and other SPS representatives appointed by the Superintendent and the SEA President and the Executive Director of SEA and other SEA representatives appointed by the SEA. The Committee will meet regularly and/or on an ad hoc basis at mutually convenient times determined by the Superintendent and the SEA President or their designees.

3. The Labor-Management Committee

a. The Labor-Management Committee will be a problem-solving forum for discussing issues rather than hearing individual cases. It is not empowered to negotiate labor agreement provisions or additions or deletions thereto. It will focus on general contract administration and interpretation, including grievance trends, backlogs and the administration of labor relations work.

b. The Committee will include SEA staff appointed by the SEA Executive Director and Human Resources staff appointed by the Director of Human Resources, including the Labor Relations Director and representatives from among the Education Directors appointed by the Chief Academic Officer and other appropriate staff as needed. The Executive Director of SEA and the Director of Labor Relations will determine the agenda for these meetings.

4. Building Leadership Teams

a. For purposes of collaborative site-based decision making, each building/program will establish its own committee structure. However, at a minimum, each school must form a Building Leadership Team and each program will determine a decision-making process that meets the needs of the program. The collaborative decision-making process will be communicated to the entire staff through a written document, which will include a decision-making matrix.

b. The Building Leadership Team for each building shall consist of at least:

(1) The principal, and

(2) Five (5) elected SEA-represented staff. One of the five elected seats will be designated for and voted upon by classified SEA-represented staff. If the BLT exceeds 7 SEA members, representation of classified staff should at a minimum be two, ideally one paraprofessional and one SAEOP.

(3) To the extent possible, the Building Leadership Team will reflect the racial and ethnic composition of the school staff and school community. The Building Leadership Team must be selected by a process that is supported by the SEA- represented staff at the school. The structure of the BLT will be reviewed with the staff each year. The documents created will be provided to the SEA and Education Director with a copy forwarded to the Director of Human Resources.

c. The primary function of a Building Leadership Team is to promote and facilitate the collaborative decision-making process which affects academic achievement and to identify how to support the needs of students and staff in buildings. The more specific responsibilities of the Building Leadership Team are to oversee the facilitation and development of:

(1) An Academic Achievement Plan (aka Transformation Plan), including the configuration and structure of the school’s classes and/or program offerings.

(2) A school-wide professional development plan to support the Academic Achievement Plan.

(3) The school’s budget.

d. Because one of the shared beliefs is that those impacted by decisions must be given an opportunity to be involved in the decision making, the parties recognize that extra effort may be required to provide opportunity for representatives of the paraprofessional and office professional staff to participate in the work of the Building Leadership Team. Buildings will examine the possibilities of altered work week scheduling, shared office coverage, limited use of voice mail coverage, and other strategies that encourage and enable the participation on behalf of paraprofessional and office staff representatives. Schools will also make an effort to provide an opportunity for itinerant staff to participate in decisions impacting them, as appropriate.

e. The scheduling and assignment of teachers, the assignment of students to classes, and the daily schedule of classes and activities shall be made with staff participation and be consistent with the Academic Achievement Plan, while recognizing that the principal has the right to make the final decision.

f. To ensure staff participation in collaborative decision making, buildings need to establish processes for that involvement. Buildings may wish to identify committees or other means to accomplish the work of the school (e.g., health, safety, hiring, budget) and assist with the responsibilities assigned to the Building Leadership Team.

g. Processes for establishment of building committees and the membership of the committees must be approved by a majority of staff at the school. Failing such support, the building committees and membership shall be determined by the Building Leadership Team.

h. The Building Leadership Team and building committees shall include parent/family members, students, and community representatives as appropriate. Building-based committees will seek input from other organizational structures (e.g., PTSA, site council) as appropriate.

i. If there is a conflict between a decision made by the BLT, or building/program staff, (within the responsibilities set out above) and an instructional council or other faculty representative body, the decision of the BLT or staff will take precedence.

SECTION B: Decisions Regarding Use of Scheduled Time for Professional Development and Decision Making:

1. There is an expectation by the parties that all employees will fully participate in the activities of the scheduled professional development and decision-making days that are part of their regular work calendar (LID, waiver, early release and building and SPS directed TRI days for certificated staff) as appropriate to their specific job responsibilities.

2. Employees assigned to buildings/programs will decide by consensus, or at minimum by a 2/3 vote, how to use:

a. Three (3) calendar waiver days for professional development;

b. Two (2) Learning Improvement Days for professional development;

c. Five (½) half-day early releases, for purposes of school-wide staff development or site- based decision making to support the Transformation Plan;

d. Decisions will be made by the building/program through the building/program decision- making model. This time may be used for scheduled activities like training, seminars, working together as collaborative teams in support of the Transformation Plan or to incorporate the focus of training into delivery of instruction or support of students. The parties encourage buildings/programs to use the time in significant blocks, to the extent possible. In the absence of agreement by consensus or 2/3 votes, the SEA-represented staff on the BLT will make the decision as to the use of the days identified above.

3. A third workday is scheduled before the first student day for the purpose of building business and classroom/worksite preparation (TRI for certificated staff).

4. A fourth workday is a SPS scheduled and planned day for professional development (TRI for certificated staff).

5. A workday is defined as the number of hours in an employee’s regular workday.

6. Employees may substitute an alternative activity if prior experience and/or training in the topic or alternative instructional needs suggest a better use of the time. A request to substitute an alternative activity because of prior experience and/or training or alternative instructional needs requires prior approval by the BLT. Any alternative must be consistent with the original purpose of the days.

7. The SPS shall provide $3000 per building to support stipends for site-based decision making.

8. When referencing building/program/department decision making, principals, program managers and staff are included in the decision-making process.

SECTION C: Professional Development/Leadership Time

1. Each SAEOP employee shall be allocated the number of hours equivalent to 6 workdays for professional development and/or leadership activities each school year. The purpose of these days is to provide extra time for participating in school/program decision-making, building leadership activities, and/or training to enhance job skills and/or improve student learning.

2. A workday is defined as the number of hours in an employee’s regular workday

3. The paid activity (or activities) shall be by mutual agreement between the employee and his or her supervisor. Extra Time Reporting forms shall be utilized by the employee to document and claim such time.

4. Extra-Time Reporting forms used for this purpose for a specified school year must be submitted no later than June 1 of that school year.

5. Time served for these activities must be within the forty-hour workweek such that the employee is not in an overtime pay situation for these activities. Payment is at the employee’s regular hourly rate of pay. If these activities must be performed in an overtime situation, the maximum amount of pay and hours may not exceed the pay and hours equivalent to six (6) regular work days in each school year.

6. Any unspent funds shall be recaptured by the SPS on a yearly basis. There shall be no carryover of these funds in a school or program budget.

SECTION D: Professional Development Steering Committee

There shall be a Steering Committee for professional development led by the Chief Academic Officer and the President of the SEA. The steering committee shall consist of eight (8) to twelve (12) individuals equally representing the parties.

1. The steering committee’s primary role is insuring professional development to support sustainable progress in raising student achievement. The steering committee will:

a. Identify SPS initiatives that require professional development to support implementation. Determine if there is sufficient time and follow-up support allocated to the initiative to create sustainable progress in increasing student achievement.

b. Review and comment on initiatives, which have been developed with building agreement to insure that the building has a realistic implementation plan, including time and follow-up support.

c. Support the identification of research-based, best practice support for instruction, curriculum and assessments, including the creation and impact of an aligned curriculum.

d. Review and recommend approval of grant applications for professional development or instructional material to determine if the application is in line with overall SPS initiatives, provides adequate support for professional development, and will create sustainable progress in increasing student achievement.

e. The committee will review major contracts with vendors to determine if there is adequate provision for increasing internal capacity to replicate the training for staff new to the building/program or SPS.

f. The Steering committee may form joint subcommittees or task forces as needs are identified. These subcommittees or task forces will be provided with clear guidance as to task, role, timing and support.

2. Professional Development for Substitute Educators, SAEOPS and Paraprofessionals

a. The funding from one (1) FTE BDST position will be provided to the Professional Development Department for the purpose of hiring a certificated non-supervisory employee. This individual, in collaboration with the advisory committee will be responsible for developing and coordinating a professional development program designed to provide Substitute Educators, SAEOPS and Paraprofessionals with relevant and timely training in core areas. SEA representatives from the three impacted units will participate in the selection process for this position. The position will be funded for three (3) years and evaluated for effectiveness. By March 15, 2007 the parties will determine if the position warrants continued funding.

b. An advisory committee of up to five (5) individuals, selected by SEA and up to five (5) individuals selected by SPS will be formed to assist in designing and prioritizing the professional development opportunities for Substitute Educators, SAEOPS and Paraprofessionals. The Director of Instructional Services will review the work of the advisory committee.

c. In addition, a separate bargaining unit subcommittee consisting of a mutually agreeable number of employees and administrators will work in concert with the advisory committee established in Section 2.b. above to make recommendations regarding the needs of employees for professional development. The duties of the bargaining unit subcommittee shall include:
(1) Surveying employees to identify professional development needs and interests including pathways to certificated work;
(2) Recommending an overall annual plan for professional development;
(3) Recommending a plan for the use of early release days and/or District-wide professional development days;
(4) Developing a system to identify employee interests and skills in training other employees.

d. The funding from three (3) BDST positions ($150,000) will be used to compensate and support training of substitute educators, SAEOPS and Paraprofessionals in attending training opportunities designed by and for this program. Paraprofessionals and SAEOPS will access their professional development funds to the extent available for professional development. By March 15, 2007 the program will be evaluated for effectiveness and a decision to renew or modify the support made.

3. The Classified and Certificated Task Force, under the guidance of the Professional Development Steering Committee, will identify a certification/degree program to assist Paraprofessionals and SAEOPS in becoming certificated employees. The benefit of encouraging SPS classified employees to become certificated staff is to increase the number of certificated employees who are connected to and part of the community. During fall 2004 the parties will develop the program and establish the parameters for participation and success. To the extent possible the program will commence summer 2005. The nature of the support a candidate will receive will be in the SEA/SPS developed program and may include support for tuition, books and material, time to intern, adjustments to schedules. The program will include an internship with SPS, coursework that is compatible with SPS expectations and curriculum, a focus on hard-to-fill qualifications and a review process developed by SEA and SPS. A person who successfully, as defined by the SEA/SPS review process, completes the program will be placed in the displacement pool, so long as openings for which they are qualified exist. Individuals who participate in this program will be required to sign a contract that obligates them to three years service to the SPS upon completion of the program.
a. Funding for this effort will come from a combination of sources. To the extent that there are qualified applicants for this program, up to 2/3rds of the money set aside for sabbaticals will be used for support of the individuals selected for this program. Second, to the extent that there are bilingual instructional assistants who seek certification as teachers or ESA professionals, up to $150,000 per year beginning fall of the 2005-06 school year through the 2007-08 school year will be made available as a result of the bilingual grievance settlement of 2003-04. This level of funding is designed to support Paraprofessionals, SAEOPS and bilingual instructional assistants in their pursuit of certification. The parties will reallocate money not expended.

b. The effectiveness of the program will be reviewed annually by the SEA/SPS and may be modified by mutual agreement.

4. Race matters and cultural literacy:

SPS and SEA will collaborate on the appointment and support of three task forces charged with planning and developing:

a. Adult learning models designed to infuse all staff development and decision-making processes with culturally relevant techniques, processes and norms. The goal is to insure that all staff training and decision-making processes are respectful and inclusive of the richness of the varied cultures staff brings to SPS and which will increase the ability of employees to understand and teach to the strengths of the students. Attending to the need to respect and reflect on the differences that each individual brings to the school community; (10 to 15 people)

b. Guidelines and processes designed to integrate culturally relevant materials and assessments into all new instructional material adoptions. Identify a process for infusing culturally relevant material into existing curriculum. (15 to 20 people) and;

c. Understanding and skills to increase the ability of school staff to communicate with parents/guardians, students, and school communities. (15 to 20)

5. Under the guidance of the Professional Development Steering Committee these taskforces will begin work in the fall of 2004 with a target of May 2005 of having preliminary outlines for review by SEA and the SPS. By May 2005 the taskforces will identify a timeline for implementation of their recommendations, a process for implementation including increasing the capacity of SPS employees to do this work, a method of ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness, a process for how the goals will become integrated into ongoing programs and the cost of implementation. Implementation will begin no later than the summer of 2006. The parties will receive regular updates as to the progress of these taskforces.

SECTION E: Professional Development Training

Professional development training shall be offered by the SPS to employees in order to enable them to improve their abilities and skills, subject to available funding.

1. In-service courses for credit will address themselves to specific needs of the SPS and be relevant to the employee's present or planned future responsibilities.

2. Professional development courses shall be made available at no cost except for material and transportation fees connected with participation in the course.

3. All material, tuition or transportation fees for college extension courses shall be paid by the employee.

4. Courses shall be offered in a variety of geographical locations whenever possible.

5. Courses shall be offered at times which are as convenient as possible for the majority of those employees participating whenever feasible.

SECTION F: Professional Development Training Credit

Professional development training credit will be recorded for attendance and successful completion of requirements for workshops and institutes outside the SPS, provided the individual receives prior approval upon application to the Professional Development Office and that the workshop or institute is primarily a concentrated study session and/or classes for the improvement of skills.