Representative for the Asociacion de Maestros Unidos

I chose to serve as representative for the Asociacion de Maestros Unidos (AMU) because I wanted to advocate for teacher interests and for true democratic decision-making at my school site. Green Dot is comprised of very young teachers, with an average age of 26. This creates two major concerns: first, teacher retention is very low. I have taught at the same school for Green Dot for the past 5 years and have seen over 30 teachers come and leave our site, many in the middle of the school year. The second concern is that inexperienced teachers are largely unaware of their contractual rights. I also wanted to protect staff members from poor working conditions and contract violations, and hopefully contribute to the retention of high quality teachers. This year, I was elected as "AMU Rep" for the third year in a row and happily worked alongside my colleague Miguel Sandoval, the other Union Representative for our site.

Overall, as AMU representative, I wanted to maintain and enhance the lines of communication between staff and administration. In order to do so, I met with adminstration on a monthly basis to debrief about the staff climate and to discuss any current contract issues. I also had monthtly debriefs with the staff (without administration present) in order to create a safe space for teachers and counselors to express their concerns. I also met with representatives from all schools in Green Dot once a month in order to touch base on district-wide concerns and general union business. Finally, I supported teachers in learning more about the contract and in disciplinary matters.

This year at Locke, there were many initiatives to consolidate the committees at each academy into large, school-wide committees. AMU representatives decided to follow this lead and instead of meeting individually with the principal of their site, this year, AMU representatives met with all Locke administrators to debrief. This arrangement had its benefits and also its pitfalls. For example, each academy tended to have different concerns and policies, so often we were involved in discussions that weren't directly applicable to our academies. However, as a positive result of this arrangement, I was able to show solidarity for my teammembers at different academies who were dealing with more serious issues than we were. Over the course of the school year, I was also able to represent two different teachers who were placed on development plans, and several teachers who had safety concerns. I find that the work of being representative for the union is satisfying in the sense that I have the opportunitty to support teachers who are underserved in the same spirit that we strive to teach all children, regardless of their history and deficencies.

Each month the AMU representatives from Academies A, B, C, and 9th would meet with the principals from each of these same academies. We would discuss staff concerns, usually surrounding the interpretation of contract language and the implementation of certain school policies that affect staff members. Near the beginning of the year, staff was asked to abide by a professional dress code as well as to clock in and out when they arrive and leave school respectively. After meeting several times to discuss our concerns with administration, the policies were rescinded. Artifacts from these morning meetings are included below:

Each month AMU representatives are given 45 minutes of Professional Development time to speak with faculty without the presence of administration. "AMU time," as we call it, allows teachers to have truly open discussions without fear of reprisal. We also use this space to share announcements with the faculty regarding benefits, compensation, evaluation, etc. and update the staff on the ongoings of other schools across Green Dot. Often, we have distributed surveys during this time in order to get a "pulse check" of how teachers are feeling and doing. Many times, staff members have brought up concerns that we have taken to the administrative team so that they can address it directly. Artifacts from AMU Time can be seen below:

On the first Monday of every month, the AMU representatives from all Green Dot Schools convene at the California Teachers Association (CTA) office. The union president, Salina Joiner, leads these meetings, called Represenative Council, or Rep Council. Salina and the AMU executive board share information about our budget, contract and bargaining updates, grievance activities, and other information about school sites accross Green Dot. We use Roberts Rules of Order to structure our meetings, and we vote on all important decisions in a truly democratic fashion. Artifacts from Rep Council Meetings can be seen below:

Finally, as AMU representative, I protect teachers from contract violations including unwarranted discipline from administration. According to the Weingarten Rights, teachers can request representation when they feel threatened by administration or when they enter a meeting that potentially will involve discipline (eg. a written warning, suspension, or being placed on a Development Plan). I have fulfilled these support duties diligently throughout the year, often handling sensitive information about staff members. On many occasions I have represented a teacher in a disciplnary meeting, and have advocated for their equitable treatment. Administrators are well within their rights to administer discipline to teachers as necessary, but I ensured that they followed the established guidelines in doing so. I also have distributed surveys gauging staff climate and informing how we advocate for teacher interests in speaking with administration. Samples of survey results are shown below:

One major challenge I faced as AMU Rep was advocating for the rights of teachers who were not at my site. I was more than happy to show support and solidarity for teachers from other sites, but this often involved a large amount of additional meetings. Another challenge included deciding when and how it was appropriate to support administration when they had a difference of opinion with a faculty member. Although it was my job to represent teachers, I believe that ethically, I was not obligated to do so blindly, nor support a teacher whose actions harmed the students.

One major success was simply the opportunity to make teachers feel supported. There were many times during this school year, when teacher morale sunk to very low levels. At those times, teachers genuinely appreciated the opportunity to vent, and were reassured that at the end of the day, their AMU reps were looking out for their best interests. Another major success was the collaborating with administrators to adjust policies that were not in the best interests of students nor teachers. Ultimately, I didn't enjoy taking an adversarial stance, and truly appreciated those times when AMU and adminstration were willing to work together to find collaborative solutions to concerns.

As AMU representative, I would find more time to get to know the entire teaching staff. I tended to assist teachers and work with them closely when problems began to arise, or conflict between them and management. I would definitely try to spend more time building non-contingent relationships with all teachers. I would also inform the staff about the contract and how to interpret it. Although I did my best to support the teachers of the school when they needed me and to protect them against contract violations, I worry that when I leave, I hadn't built the capactity for them to support and defend themselves.