BOD Meeting Minutes January 2024

The January 23, 2024 meeting of the Board of Directors was called to order by President Barry Davis at 4:20 PM. In attendance were 1st Vice President Suzette Ditono, 2nd Vice President Liz Briggs, Treasurer Lauren Sanguedolce, Membership Chair Katelyn Watts, Secretary Cliff Ashbrook, Clerk Representative Vickie Steed. The following buildings were represented by their Building Representatives: Bradford, Consentino, Golden Hill, Haverhill High School, Hunking, Moody, Moody Ext., Nettle, Pentucket Lake, Silver Hill, Tilton, and JG Whittier. 

 

Acceptance of the minutes for the December Board of Directors meeting: Deb C. Motion to accept the minutes was made and seconded by Jen Ashley, Motion passes. Motion to accept the Membership Chair and Treasurer’s reports was made and seconded. 

 

Acceptance of Agenda for the Board of Directors meeting: Motion to accept the agenda was made and seconded, motion passes. 

 

• Call to Order

1. 1. 1. Roll Call

• Acceptance of Reports – Motion and second needed for acceptance of reports that were sent for review in advance of the January 23, 2024 meeting. Reports Can Be Found Here, please read before meeting.

1. 1. 1. Minutes from December 19, 2023 Board of Directors Meeting
      2. Membership Report, Treasurer’s Report, Ledger

• Bargaining Update

1. 1. ESP Bargaining in Mediation

 

Had first ESP Meditation. Positives – same mediator from teacher strike. She understood SC was not helpful. Action plan was put together by new action chairs and MTA rep. Feb 12 and Feb 26 are the next mediations. 

• 1st Vice President Update

1. 1. Safety Meeting

 

Suzette – Met yesterday for the Safety Team. One thing that came up was access in School Brains. Not everyone has access or the same access. Some buildings are limiting access to staff for the referrals tab. Let Suzette know if that’s happening in your building. 

 

Dan S.- Admin is denying this as some people are able to input it and everyone can see it. 

Suzette – What other programs are being used around the district? In our side letter, it’s supposed to be School Brains district wide. There is a concern that the admin is hiding things and controlling what is and what isn’t in SB. 

Barry – If you are using another system, make sure what you are putting in word for word into SB. Discrepancies between what teachers are reporting and what is being entered by Admin. 

Deb C.- What do you use the referral for? 

Suzette – For intense behavior issues.

 

Angela – Are discipline referrals supposed to be in SB?

Answer: Yes. 

 

Barry: We have to consider communication vs. serious behavior when entering into School Brains. 

 

Suzette: If any staff are injured and go see the nurse, you have to fill out form 118. Workman’s Comp will dispute if not filled out. It’s on the building to do it for you. 

 

Suzette: Received emails about rodents – brought up during Safety Meeting – Steve Durance is doing things to take care of mice. In the office is a pest handbook which has a recording of mice. So email your Admin if you are seeing signs of mice or mice. They are supposed to be recording all of it in the binder. So every morning you see droppings, urine, papers eaten (any traces of rodents) send it to the office to be put into the binder. 

 

Deb C. – They are asking us to do all of this, what are they doing?

Suzette – At Pen Lake, they were there every week, putting up traps. But I would put in traps myself and have caught 7 mice. I did that and sent Jim an update. 

 

Dan S. – We were told that there was a support network for mental health, that there are counselors available. You can access it on your own. I can put the link in the meeting minutes, it’s separate from the district. It is on the HPS website and the City of Haverhill Website. It’s a free, confidential service. It’s called the Employee Assistance Program. It’s for other things besides school. Family, debt, improving relationships, etc. 

• HEA Committee Signups – 

1. 1. Membership
      1. Chaired by Membership Chair

Making targets, planning to recruit more members. There are some schools that need help enrolling members.

 

1. Grievance
   1. Chaired by 1st Vice President

The reason for a grievance committee is that in order to go to arbitration, there has to be a committee made up of BOD members. If the grievance gets to the point of arbitration, there is a committee needed to approve. It handles stuff at the higher level. In the past it met to handle grievances, but that caused a lot of problems with grievances going out of the timeline. So that’s why we changed it.

 

1. Political Action Committee
   1. Co-Chaired by Andrew Lefoley and Dan Sullivan
   2. Has 4 other members

A lot of the work was done in the summer interviewing candidates, we built relationships with candidates. The vision is to maintain the relationships by showing up to SC, going to events around Haverhill. The focus is having a presence around the community as the PAC and the HEA. We want to be present in positive situations as well as elections, campaigns. 

 

1. Diversity Committee
   1. Chaired by Maria Geoffroy
   2. Has met twice looking to grow

Maria: We meet to discuss diversity issues school wide or district wide. Goal is to collaborate with higher level admin. Also, we update members on training revolving around diversity by the MTA. We hope to have reps from every school on it. 

 

1. HVAC Committee
   1. Looking for a Middle School Teacher

District committee that hasn’t met yet. Still need a middle school teacher. 

 

1. Climate Survey Development Committee
   1. In search of Chair

Climate survey. It’s taking a little time to get this started, after discussing with MTA organizers, it might not be strategically our best move to release info when we are trying to get people along with us. We still want a team to get together, write the survey, and plan out how to get it out to everyone. Late February, early March timeline. Looking for people interested in developing the survey, looking for someone to chair it. The goal is to have the EBoard hands off with it. 

 

1. Scholarship
   1. Chaired by 2nd Vice President

Deb: We also run the banquet at the end of the year. We read essays from students, grade them accordingly, and plan on doing it online this year. But we raise money for students. 

•  New Business

1. 1. Newton Solidarity

Barry: NTA has been on strike since last Friday. They had a 50 million dollar surplus and are refusing to pay ESPs a living wage. Barry proposes taking a picture of us all in support of Newton. If NTA is on strike by the end of the day Friday, they will be fined 375,000. Serb letter acknowledges that strike fines have not been working as so many districts have gone on strike. NTA is asking for a coordinated social media blitz and to adopt a building but we don’t have a lot of money as well as sending 2,000 to help with fines and 1,000 to support a building. No other single local provided monetary support as Andover did. 

 

Barry: Right now I don’t think we should send them money but as they go on to later days, I’m willing to commit hand warmers, and things to keep them warm. They are asking for a blue solidarity day 

 

Katelyn motions, suzette seconds to do a blue solidarity day. 

 

Another ask is to attend a picket but we aren’t able to do that except for on weekends. 

 

1. Review of potential strike support policy
   1. The HEA will support other locals in contract crisis considering work stoppages and strikes by appending our name and logo to letters of support and, subject to appropriations by the Executive Board, provide financial aid to locals in need, within the means of the HEA.

 

Barry proposes adding official policy regarding locals that go on strike. Unanimous in favor. We want to help locals quickly and this makes that happen. 

 

1. Merrimack Valley Educator-Bargaining Council
   1. How we supported Andover
   2. Support for Tewksbury

Andover had a huge win. Tewksbury is ramping up their negotiations and are looking to plan and strategize actions. Their big ask is if they need numbers for the HEA to send people. 

 

1. Building Membership Roles Check-in
   1. Sign up new hires
   2. Check for people who may have been missed
   3. Correct any irregularities

Quick ask for Reps, take a look at your membership, see who is missing, who is red. Tomorrow is a great day to approach people. If someone has been red for a long time, go to them. And check for irregularities like seeing someone at standouts but they are red. Check with Katelyn before making changes. This is a great time to check on the lists. 

 

Question: Is there a way to get a list of new hires? 

Answer: Katelyn updates the list every couple of months after greeting new lists from the district. 

 

Question: Building based subs eligible for the union?

Answer: No. 

 

1. HEA Valentines Day Food Drive

Liz will send out email blasts about this but there are flyers for each school tonight in the mailbox. It’s a great time to do it. A couple of schools have students help out too. It’s a really great event and it falls in line with PAC as we are trying to be a positive force in this community. 

 

Question: In Discovery Club we get snacks and kids don’t eat them. Can that be added, like non perishables?

Answer: It varies, some buildings bring to a food pantry. Some throw it out. 

 

1. Agenda for Ten Minute Meetings (designed by Reps at meeting)
   1. Safety Form reminder
   2. Pest reporting book 
   3. Employee Assistance program that the district offers. 
   4. Food drive
   5. Diversity Committee recruitment
   6. Complete 118 Form for Workmans Comp
   7. School Brains access per school and who has it?
   8. Talk about Climate Survey Committee and recruit members

 

• Executive Session(Vote to enter executive session required)

1. 1. Update related to building issues

Motion by Deb, Second by Suzette, all in favor. 

1. Frozen Budget

• President’s Report – 

1. WREA- Outreach’

Barry: Asked to spread information by Whittier Regional Edu. Association. We’re hoping this is the start of a new relationship. To have an understanding of how they work and what they need and vice versa will help both unions. 

1. President and Secretary review of Building Representatives
   1. Article VI Section 3 HEA Bylaws

If the President and Secretary have concerns then we will meet with you. Barry is very proud of the reps this year and the work they’ve been doing. 

• Problems and Concerns

1. 1. Anna Sabella – Untabling virtual/hybrid meeting discussion 

Barry: You are always welcome to bring children here. Proposal in regards to hybrid meetings, in that all meetings be streamed on zoomed to BOD members only but as we have seen trouble from past meetings, if you participate via Zoom, you act as an observer. That might be the best way to handle technology problems.

 

Katelyn – if they are observing but not participating, how would that work?

Barry – they would not count towards quorum. 

 

Suzette – let’s work on the tech piece. 

 

Deb C. – has the HEA looked into making the wifi better. 

 

Unanimous decision to move to hybrid meetings. 

 

1. Haverhill Polling/voting in schools

Laura P. – Lost room last minute due to polling. Lost ESP due to voting. Talked to the admin but the admin said it’s a city problem. Barry can reach out to the city. 

• Upcoming Dates

1. 1. 1. January 25th – School Committee Meeting
      2. February 6th – HEA Executive Board Meeting
      3. February 8th – School Committee Meeting
      4. February 12th – ESP Bargaining Meeting, 4 PM
      5. February 26th – ESP Bargaining Meeting, 4 PM
      6. February 27th – HEA Board of Directors Meeting
      7. February 29th – School Committee Meeting

• Adjournment – Motion and Second Needed

Deb motion to adjourn at 5:39 PM, seconded by Suzette.