NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING

EDUCATION CENTER, ROOM #318

MARCH 4, 2005, 8:15 A.M.

PRESENT: Chairperson Anne Larner, Vice-Chairperson Dori Zaleznik, Gail Glick, Susan Heyman, Patricia Kellogg, Marc Laredo, Nancy Levine, Reenie Murphy, Mayor David Cohen

ALSO PRESENT: Superintendent Jeffrey Young

CALL TO ORDER

Anne Larner called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m. and stated that the sole purpose of the meeting is to review and vote on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) Units A, B, C, D and E, which is being recommended by the School Committee’s negotiating team. She stated that the respective NTA units approved each of the memoranda on March 3, 2005. She then reviewed the economics of the agreements, which are all two year agreements with 6% cost of living by the end of the contract period. A series of splits over the two years resulted in an effective 5% payout - 2% in FY05 and 3% in FY06. She then asked Gail Glick to briefly summarize the non-economic provisions of the major agreements.

Gail Glick referenced the series of study committees that are set up under the Unit A agreement. They cover revised instruments of evaluation; stipends; exploration of ways that the system might provide elementary teachers consistent and in some instances increased prep time; possible new options for performance of Other Structured Learning Time (OSLT) duties; elementary special education (SPED) staff paperwork and workload issues; Smaller Learning Communities (SLC). She stated that it is critical that these committees get started in a timely fashion and do their best to address the issues within their purview.

MOTION: It was moved to ratify the Memoranda of Agreement between the Newton School Committee and the Newton Teachers Association, for Units A, B, C, D & E.

(Glick - Zaleznik)

unanimous

The Mayor thanked the negotiating team for its work in obtaining a fair settlement.

 ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 a.m.