June-10-2019-Regular-Board-Meeting-segment-2
[00:00:00] Good evening School Board. My name is Sheila Walden. I'm the Assistant Director of Human Resources for less than Will Smith School District. And with me tonight is. Very. Logan we are here to present the proposed agreement reached between the west and Wilsonville school district and the Oregon school Education Association bargaining unit.
We're truly grateful for the collaboration and partnership that we have in this process from Mary as the president of osea and from the osc a bargaining team. It's been a wonderful process. We really appreciate the time to get to come together and talk about some of the issues and some of the requests from both the district and the Union.
So, um, I just wanted to take a minute to tell you [00:01:00] one of the. Favorite things that I've had in serving on or for osea is the relationship building and the collaboration that we have all been practicing with our district leadership it. Our leadership works with us. They keep an open mind and they really listen when we have thoughts and concerns.
I feel very strongly that if we did not have this collaborative approach to working together throughout the entire school year that our contract negotiations would probably not go as smoothly as they do. We don't always agree at the same time. But in the end we always have the same goal and outcome in sight and it works very well.
So the process we for osea for the classified staff for our negotiations the chapter invites all classified staff to form a committee in negotiations. Try to have [00:02:00] representation from all the job classifications IE maintenance secretaries. Have at least two representatives from each job classification on that committee from there that committee works together to find out what the current needs are what the interests what's important to our members.
Then we put out questions. We do a survey and just don't gather gather data once it's time to sit down to negotiations from that negotiations committee a team is formed. Disappointed no more than six I believe.
Like a six and six kind of party and then that's the process and that's how we get. Thank you. All right, so we would like to read the memo that was provided to the board earlier the West Linn Wilsonville school district and the Oregon school Education Association started contract negotiation sessions on April 30th of [00:03:00] 2019.
A tentative agreement was reached on May 31st of 2019. We conducted an interest based approach in bargaining and both parties believe this to be a good contract for the district and classified employees. On June 7th osea ratified the contract with their members an online vote was held for members to cast their votes and compiled compiled by the osce board members.
According to president. Mary Hanks. The vote was overwhelmingly a former affirmative below are key aspects of the contract. It's a two-year contract from 2019 to 2021. The cost of living increase is two and a half percent in year one and two and a half percent in year two. It was a fifty dollar increase to the district Insurance cap in year one and a seven seventy five dollar increase to the insurance cap in year two step movement for those eligible each year move to a 9-step salary schedule from the current 15 Step salary schedule eliminate the first two steps of range for on the salary schedule to meet the minimum wage requirement career employee recognition payment at 12 years [00:04:00] holiday pay for less than six hour per day classified employee.
$10,000 will be designated for professional development and $15,000 will be designated for tuition reimbursement on an annual basis for the classified employee group. And we're going to change the instructional assistant title to paraeducator. Our recommendation to the school board is to accept the 20 19 20 21 contract.
Thank you.
I was going to move to approve it so we could discuss I move that we approve the sorry. I'm just looking for the. I move that we approve the lse a bargaining agreement for 2019 to 2020 one second.
[00:05:00] I don't excuse me. I don't have any questions. I just want to thank you for your very thorough process. That you went through with Gathering data and you know the surveys and the collaboration that you have and the relationships that you maintain all year so that when negotiations occur, you can work together and it's really a relief and and very helpful.
And so I can take a vote with confidence that this has been thoroughly vetted through all of you know, the different areas that need to contribute to the decision. So thank you for that.
And I just like to add that I do think that these changes proposed changes and are really good at acknowledging and recognizing the work of our classified employees. I'm also very [00:06:00] grateful and I'm hoping you'll help communicate that that not just for the work that they do but that our district and our and osea.
Can communicate so openly and clearly with each other and in a constructive and positive way that they can, you know come together to achieve what's best not just for the employees themselves, but this benefits our students. So, thank you.
I just like to recognize. Marry, your leadership. This is a volunteer role that she's playing and on top of the work that she does on a daily basis in our schools. She steps into this role to support her colleagues to. Navigate things that might come up in a way with tremendous positive presumption with graciousness with a listening ear with a big heart and a lot of [00:07:00] open communication and to have a leader like that and our association is such a gift for District staff for our board and I want to thank you.
Your service this year and I think you're serving next year as well. Thank you. Mary for all that you do and for making this process so collaborative and also a lot of fun. We enjoy each other's company and and it really is kind of experience where we want to just come out with a win win for everybody.
So thank you Mary for your leadership preciate it. I wanted to Echo that Mary I'm it's been a pleasure getting to know you and your the collaborate collaborative way that the contract was negotiated is deeply appreciated and I hope it conveys other people appreciation that the word in the district have for classified employees.
And thank you China for your participation. I wanted to say thank you [00:08:00] as well Mary. I was impressed by the amount of changes to the contract that weren't necessarily budget Buster's but were thoughtful to improve the quality of lives of our classified staff and it was clearly that they were speaking and as the representative you work really listening and thank you the District staff for being flexible and creative and creating a creating a contract that both sides are happy with things.
I was very pleased as you were saying like really creative like additional comment is in not just makes it like we're livable for the employees but it really makes it a beneficial for the district and. as minimum wage has increased.
My opinion because this reflects an actual living wage not.
good for everybody. [00:09:00] And I actually do have one question. I know that the the change in the title to paraeducator was to keep it in line with the changing titles as I understand in the industry. This is not just West Linn Wilsonville who's changing the way that we talk about instructional assistants.
Can you speak to what anything about y so that I can answer that question while I'm in the public and people ask me. Why do we call them para Educators now instead of instructional? It's becoming a more National kind of. So many different words for the same Correctional educational assistant.
Other when I can't even think of it. Paraprofessional that's it. And so I think one of them or just standard National Norms is becoming.
multiple titles to mean one thing. I think it's an acknowledgement to of the professionalism that comes with that role as many of our para Educators do come alongside teachers and classrooms [00:10:00] many of them go out and begin to get their teaching degree or see themselves really committing to that work and alongside that comes a lot of learning around matters of Education how Education Works.
Instructional methodologies and they really begin to grow and their professionalism. And so it's a term that acknowledges that growth and that level of work so.
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King Martin I Eddie Reynolds. I enjoy fetch. I Dylan hides. Hi Reagan Molitor. Yes.
[00:11:00] Thank you for coming this is the time that we have for public comment. It is the board's desire that. We collect public comment in a [00:12:00] manner that Fosters and encourages public input and that's why we have board goal number three. to help effectuate this gold aboard. wants to remind the public about these principles as we move forward.
This is a Time the board uses to collect information rather than engaged in a dialogue. The board encourages speakers not to mistake that the board silence is a lack of Interest or care. We're listening carefully and often we're taking notes during your comments. If a Community member is asking us to take action or provide information.
You should put make sure that I have your contact information either on the sign-in sheet or you provide it to Miss Douglas. That will allow us to have the appropriate person respond to you.
The board requires each [00:13:00] speaker to provide your name and address. If you have concerns about providing this in a public forum. You should meet with Miss Douglas or myself. Right now or when we take a break. Public comment time is not a forum for singling out individual District employees or students for complaints.
This is not a time for singling out individual students or District staff for complaints if you have a complaint about a specific student. Or students or a staff member or a district employee. You cannot identify the individual provide information that would allow us to extrapolate that information.
And those complaints have a different process and again, you can contact me during the break after public comment or Miss Douglas and we can provide that process to you. [00:14:00] If I think you're violating that I will stop you in the middle of your comments and ask you to. To speak with me and will temporarily suspend it so I can again articulate that role and make sure that you understand the parameters also.
Dr. Erin Downs are doctor prior or any of the other principles here can help you with that. If you think that what you have come to say today might violate that rule speak with someone before hand.
You have three minutes and you're always welcome to invite written materials. If you have more to say than that, I'm not sure everybody who wants to speak a signed up make sure that if we miss you you raise your hand mr. House.
[00:15:00] Name is William house. I reside at 3483 Cascade Terrace in West Linn. Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak this evening. I'm speaking on behalf of the West one Alliance for inclusive community. Also parent with two of my youngest children still in school. This evening. I wanted to provide comments on the need for our students to have clear guidelines on how to deal with bigotry racism and hate speech at school.
House Bill 3409 is currently moving through the legislative process and Salem House Bill 3409 calls for the implementation of policies that address the use of derogatory or inappropriate names and salts verbal assaults profanity or ridicule that occurs at interscholastic activities. I would suggest if we can create these guidelines for behavior on our Sports fields, and we should be able to create those guidelines in the daily activities that occur in our schools [00:16:00] as superintendent Kathy Logwood wrote in a communication to parents.
And this was following the school shootings in Parkland. I quote. We also need to remain Relentless and our Pursuit for inclusive and welcoming communities. Every decision should be made and every action taken with the bleed. We're a district where children feel safe and included connected and they know where to go when feeling anxious depressed angry or threatened the alliance agrees board policy JFC F hazing harassment intimidation bullying menacing cyberbullying teen dating violence and domestic violence specifically defines the act and I quote.
Creating a hostile educational environment including interfering with physical well-being of students in quote is to find as an act of harassment intimidation and bullying. We believe that acts of bigotry racism and hate speech fall into the same category.
[00:17:00] At the school board meeting on December the 4th. 2017 the West Linn High School United Club, and the West Linn Alliance specifically asked for Clear guidelines to be provided to students concerning the reporting and subsequent investigation of instance of harassment intimidation and bullying. We've heard from parents the community District leadership and most importantly the students themselves have supported these clear guidelines.
The alliance hopes that you consider these voices and provide guidance to our students. The guidance have asked for guidance that is needed in the form of published. Daf CF administrative regulations to specify when where and how to file a complaint and a step-by-step process describing how the complaint will be investigated and resolved.
I know that you're all aware that other districts like North clock must have already taken this step North Clackamas district is recognized for their strong proactive position on equity and inclusion. [00:18:00] They have a working model for a clear and effective complaint compliance process the Western Alliance for inclusive community urges you to support our districts commitment to equity and inclusion and to issue clear administrative regulations supporting the board policy J FC F.
Thank you very much for the time. And for your consideration. I've sent all of you copies of this via email. So you have that in your records.
Hello,
my name is Audrey Livesey. I'm a junior at Weston High School in my address is 3262 Top View Court. I'm here asking you not only to adjust the West Linn School District complaint process. But to adopt the North Clackamas has sexual harassment complaint procedures. Last December group of my friends and I decided to report harassment and bullying we were experiencing we thought the process would be quick we go [00:19:00] in we report and the person harassing us would stop that is not what happened that month was very difficult for us.
I remember sitting in my car with my brother crying and crying because everything I thought would happen didn't I felt alone confused hopeless and scared. I'm glad I reported and I would do it again if I had to. But it would have been a lot less damaging if I had known what I was getting myself into there are kids in this community who have been hurt and harassed.
They don't know what to do. They don't know who to go to. They don't know what will be expected of them and they don't know so they don't speak up we cannot begin to address the issues in this community if we don't know, what's wrong. Making the reporting process publicly and easily available to parents and students is the first step of many in the right direction.
If you tell parents and students that what they will have to do when they report they will report more information means more safety more information means more help from more people than [00:20:00] North Clackamas School District has a very helpful and clear sexual harassment complaint procedure. It lays out step by step what will happen when a student reports sexual harassment if my friends and I had had this information we would have gone into those meetings feeling safe and confident other students would speak up because there would be no surprises or confusion about what would happen.
There is a problem of sexual harassment and abuse in this community. Making the reporting process clear accessible and detailed will encourage students to speak up give parents information on how to help their kids and shed light onto the sexual harassment. And abuse going on. It is one step of many that needs to be made to create a safe and healthy environment for every single person.
We passed the health curriculum telling students what harassment and assault are now we need to provide them with detailed information on how they report so that when they report they feel safe and protected adopt the North Clackamas sexual harassment complaint procedure and put it on your website for parents for students for [00:21:00] everyone.
My name is Maya Moses Junior at Western High School. And my address is 2455 College Hill Place West Linn. Thank you for adding the updates regarding board policy on harassment and bullying to your agenda. Today. I have seen the updates and the current complaint procedure and was shocked one because I'd never seen the document in my life nor known where to find it and two because the writing is very very vague.
Not once does it mention legal or illegal or detailed parent parental involvement. But issues a series of sexual harassment and assault bullying and hazing the support net needs to be just as serious issues with our current reporting process are bigger and more frequent than you know, I myself have been let down by the system and I know other people I really care about have had similar or Worse experiences with reporting.
The current process is not best serving the community. We ask that along with your updates. You adopt the North Clackamas sexual harassment complaint procedure. This information is already approved and is exactly the kind of document that could make our district a [00:22:00] safer place. Why not provide our community with accessible information?
Why not do everything in our power to ensure proper and thorough procedure? Why not create a standard of equity and service in our district? Why not make students feel safe? Why not Foster reputation that this District doesn't just do things to do them, but does them because they truly care about their students why focus on miniscule additives to a flaw procedure when a solution is presented before you please don't try to tell me the current procedure works when you're not the one in these schools every day.
I come to you seeking help I come to you with hope that people in power can make meaningful change that when you hear about are suffering you do the right thing and you help us students need more information and parents need more information. We want Justice safety accountability transparency open student and adult communication and Trust.
We just want to know what to do what to expect when we report. We need the North Clackamas sexual harassment complaint procedure, and we need people in need to be able to easily find it. All these students here are Advocates of our student body and are willing to help you in any possible way to make our community a safer place [00:23:00] for everyone.
Thank
you.
Hi, my name is Sid misra. I'm a Western High School class of 2019 graduate and I'm grateful for this opportunity to address you the school board of it 2057 Wallington drive before I go on I would like to stress the importance of implementing this North Clackamas procedure. I'll go on to say that in my time at Western High School.
I'm disappointed both in the prevalence of sexual harassment in our community and the steps taken by school officials school officials in response to accusations of harassment. As someone fortunate fortunate enough to not have been directly harmed by sexual assault or violence. I can only imagine what [00:24:00] young people in our community have to go through throughout their choice to pursue action against those who harm but what I and many of my friends and colleagues have seen especially in recent years is a lack of initiative in our school Community to accomplish the significant and simple goal of making girls and women in our community feels.
I'm surface level. I am glad that these people are not being harmed by their name being associated with their actions. But the net results of this quote-unquote protection is young people in our community seeing and hearing rumors of terrible things being done knowing that these people have been reported and then walking into the high school for the rest of their time at West Linn and seeing these names celebrated on walls and on banners and in the case of many students, they will see this person that they reported in the same class as them for years to come.
I'm proud to be alive. And I'm proud to have been shaped by my school and my district and while I'm proud of the advancements, we as a community of made in the language we use to describe these situations. What is the [00:25:00] point of improving and developing rules and regulations? If we as Community do not see consequences to actions?
I and all the other shit behind me understand the protections that these perpetrators have under the law from their names being disparaged, but I asked you the members of our school board and our community to consider the effect of protecting students on those students who have already been hurt the worst.
Thank you.
awesome Milner.
Hi, my name is Wallace Milner. I live at 2025 Titan Terrace. I am as of last Tuesday a graduate of West Linn High School. My sophomore year and incident occurred at the school per the rules of this forum. I am not going to elaborate further. This is to protect the participants privacy, but I [00:26:00] do not think I am wrong in saying that every single student in this room knows exactly to what I am referring and I would further imagine that most adults are.
At best vaguely aware. This incident was not isolated. We've seen communities across the world grapple with the reality of harassment and assault and all too often. We found that will the victims are perfectly aware of the systemic issues. The people who perhaps are supposed to protect them are less informed of the situation we found in fact that almost every industry and institution is in some way affected by this brand of systemic violent.
Misogyny. And I'm afraid that West Linn is not immune to this the students before and after me will share their stories and the experiences they have endured and they will offer varying specific proposals to address these issues. I wish to have addressed the problem more broadly. Here, I'm forced to talk around an incident that every student is aware of doing so does not [00:27:00] protect the privacy of the participant their names have been known for years and Sheridan rumors.
The vacuum created by administrative Silence has been filled with conjecture and with frustration. And so I wish to emphasize here every visible vocal public step of progress that has been made. Thus far has been made as a consequence of student action. And while there may have been steps taken behind the scenes to myself and to my peers all we have been able to see is this conversation being started by students carried out and student forum and policies implemented that were proposed by students.
It has been student voices student organizations and student forums that have risen to the challenge and I'm. That as far as we've been able to see it has been adults who have failed. If this board in this District feel they as adults are unable to address these concerns and I call on you to allow the creation of student organizations of equal legitimacy and power to your own but I don't believe that to be the case.
No [00:28:00] one should feel afraid in their own School. Certainly. No one should be preyed on by someone with more social power than them. What is being allowed to happen is unacceptable and I hope this board in this Administration will be willing to work with students to improve the situation and prevent any students from being.
I've been this way again so far we have seen that student voices are the only ones offering full answers in the public. We need our leaders to stand up and we need them to be willing to do it outside of the shadows and back rooms. We need our leaders to stand up for students because we can't do this alone.
Thank you.
Matilda Milner.
Hello, I'm Matilda Milner. I'm a sophomore at West Linn High School and I live at 2025 [00:29:00] Titan Terrace Wesley. I understand the surprise that the school board may be experiencing at hearing the testimonies of myself and my peers usually these issues are dealt with in school or legally not on the district level.
However, the experiences that I personally have had and that my friends and peers have shared with me and the education we receive regarding sexual harassment and assault suggest a success systemic issue that goes Beyond West Linn. The way our teachers are educated on dealing with instances of harassment is insufficient.
Our counselors student Outreach is underdeveloped and our districts reporting process is vague. I personally have been uncomfortable with asking my counselors for support incident similar instances for a number of reasons. It can be unclear. What counselors can and will do with this information students fear.
Their experiences being invalidated hearing that their suffering is their own fault and that difficult in the difficult position. They may be put in with their classmates. If the matter is not handled delicately this issue [00:30:00] the issue may not be with the counselors themselves, but rather with the information that gets related to the.
How are we to feel safe being vulnerable with our counselors? If I reporting bosses isn't clear specific and consistence consistent in some cases student interaction with counselors is to Middle mole for students to feel comfortable reporting sexual harassment and assault directly to them and instead turn to their teachers.
Teachers are required simply to view a PowerPoint and take a short quick quiz essentially out lighting that they are required by law to report any instances of abuse or assault while some teachers may go the extra mile to educate themselves and most have an under the developed understanding of how to handle sexual harassment specifically the bottom line is this.
Reporting sexual assault is scary and even more so when you don't know who to turn to or what make him come of your report. I asked that our district adopt the North Clackamas sexual assault and harassment reporting policy and take more steps to ensure that [00:31:00] each student understands how to report and what will and what the next step will be.
Thank you. Thank you. Are there any others who came to testify today? Okay. When you're done just make sure you give your name and address and writing to Miss Douglas. Go ahead. My name is Dasha Lipsy. I'm a junior. I was in high school and my address is 3262 Top View Court. I want to start by saying that I believe the North Clackamas sexual harassment complaint process is something that we must adopt.
I personally last year in the hallway at my school was standing around before class talking with several of my peers and I can say neither names after a little while of discussion several of these people four of them. Pushed me to the ground three of them held me there while a fourth kicked me several times very hard the anus this was horrible.
It was very painful. It was very terrifying and is also by any definition sexual assault. However, I never reported it. I didn't [00:32:00] know what to do. I didn't know if this was serious enough serious enough to report. I didn't know anything. I had no idea what to do. So I just tried to pretend it never happened and go on my way.
But even now I think back on that and I dread and fear and it's just it's horrible to think back because that was just such a scarring terrifying experience and I think. The lot of people in our school district have similar or experiences with sexual assault and sexual harassment that they're too afraid or just don't know how to report them or what to do and I think that as there's something that we must address we must have a clear easier reporting process because too many of us are silenced by not knowing and not being sure what we can do.
So I think that for the safety the mental and emotional health of all the students in this District. We must adopt a clear sexual harassment complaint process in North Clackamas has a very good one right now. Thank you. Thank you. anyone else. I [00:33:00] just want to say how much I appreciate students coming to speak to the board and to let you know that certainly you can provide our emails are on the School Board site anytime.
You could send us a letter you could send us a link of a policy that you think we should adopt or changes and we can have those before us even before you would come to public. So thank you again for your time and your thoughtfulness.
We are going to take a 5 minute break and then we'll reconvene.