Archive: February 2005

Secondary Academic Class Size And Reduced Workload
By Steve Kaplan, UniServe Field Organizer

Individual teacher's academic classes will average no more than thirty-six (36) pupils each. (Section 13.4.2) The key word is individual. The language means one teachers average academic class size cannot be increased if another teacher has a lower average. For example, one teacher having an average of thirty-four pupils doesn't allow a second teacher to have an average of thirty-eight pupils.

Following the second school month of the traditional school year, the Contract Administration Committee shall be provided with a monthly report of all academic classes exceeding forty (40) students. The purpose of receiving this data shall be to plan for future negotiations and, if possible, to develop recommended solutions to outstanding class size problems. (Section 13.4.5) SDEA receives and monitors the report monthly.

What else is in Section 13.4? Take a minute, open your Contract and give it a look.

Reduced Workload - The deadline for applying for Reduced Workload is March 1, 2005. The application is for 2005 -2006. Reduced Workload is a program in which unit members can work less than full-time yet receive full retirement credit with STRS. Details can be found in Article 32 of the Contract and Administrative Circular 71, dated February 3, 2005. You can access the Administrative Circular through a link above.