Questions

Background

What is your background as a teacher?

What is TOSA Technology?

What is your back ground with the union?

Local Issues

RUSD

Is there an historical novelty you can share about the district?

How has the district changed over the years?

Layoffs

The district laid off 14.9 positions and rescinded 6 of those.

Are these lay offs justified?

Are there other places to cut?

What impact will these lay offs have on student learning?

Pay Cuts

The district wants the teachers to take pay cuts in order to help with the budget.

Should we?

I know that teachers spend money out of their pockets for classroom supplies. I have spent at least $1,000 in a year. The things I used to buy were classroom extras,

like borders or special notebooks, or materials for classroom projects and the such. Now, teachers are buying essentials like pencils and paper.

Did you spend money out of your pocket for things your students needed?

Do you donate time or money now to the district?

What effect do teacher pay cuts have on the teachers and students in the district?

Program Improvement

Riverbank is in the year 3 cohort for program improvement.

Is this justified?

What can we do to get out of program improvement?

English Language Learners

We have a high population of English Learners, and according to the DAIT, we haven't been serving them well.

How did we miss them?

How can we best serve them?

Technology

How can we best use technology to serve the students in Riverbank?

RTA

You were an active part of the union.

Why did you quit?

Should more members be active in the union?

What role does RTA have in the upcoming changes in Riverbank?

State Issues

Politics in Education

There are a lot of reforms being pushed right now. Here are some questions based on some reforms that are in the news.

Are teachers paid enough?

Are teachers over paid for the job they do?

Should teacher's earn Merit Pay?

Should test scores be tied to teacher pay?

Should teachers have seniority?

Should teacher have tenure?

Should teachers have due process?

How can we get education right?

What are some things that teachers need to be doing that they are not doing now?

What kind of reforms do we need in education?

Who should be making educational decisions?

What are the roles in education? School Board members, administrators, teachers, parents, students?