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4/29/3034

WHEA President’s Annual Report 2023-2024

Dear Colleagues,

 I hope the end of the year finds you well, still standing and feeling like you can make it to the end of the year! As we come together once again for our annual report, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your dedication and commitment to the WHEA. This past year has been marked by significant achievements, challenges, and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing the rights and well-being of all our members.

Upon assuming the role of WHEA President on July 1st, 2023, one of our primary endeavors was to secure a new location for our office. I am pleased to report that our office has successfully transitioned to its new centralized location at 998 Farmington Ave. This move has not only facilitated accessibility but has also served as a hub for numerous meetings and discussions, fostering greater engagement and collaboration among members. We moved over 80 file boxes filled with more than 90 years worth of records and history.  We secured this location for at least the next five years and I would report that the location itself has been a great advantage. Due to its central location, it gives us quick access to Town Hall and a location that has hosted numerous meetings on a weekly basis. There have been more than 100 meetings of individuals and groups at the location and I would encourage you to stop by and have a discussion about a concern, or just to discuss what the Association does on behalf of all of our members. Perhaps, you too, will get more involved in our quest to improve your working conditions and make sure that you are adequately compensated for all your excellence.  

We have begun to improve and modernize our office tasks with the creation of a newer online platform, more communication, better filing system and an online form for requesting assistance. We have had almost 170 requests online, more than 200 email requests and questions, and hundreds of calls to our office phone. We will continue to make it easy for you to reach out for assistance and to get a response in a timely manner. These modernized office procedures, streamlined communication channels, and user-friendly platforms for member assistance requests have been overwhelmingly positive, with increased member engagement and participation in workshops, training sessions, and advocacy activities. We have had many of our reps give up a Saturday morning to discuss their role. We have added many new and eager building reps to our roles who are invaluable in the service that they provide. They truly are the eyes and ears of our Association. Please continue to seek them out for answers to their questions as well as continue to reach out to the Executive Board. You are the WHEA. We are just your representatives who you have chosen at this moment in time. 

Throughout the summer, we diligently assessed our financial landscape and implemented improved investment strategies, resulting in substantial interest gains for the organization. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure transparency and accountability in financial management, including the verification of authorized personnel and the review of financial access protocols. We have been able to successfully get control of all of our accounts and look to changing some bylaws in the future to account for changes in stewards of the accounts going forward. The WHEA is in excellent financial health.  It is important to note that the health of the WHEA, CEA, and NEA relies on your contributions through your annual dues. At this time, we have more non-members, for a variety of reasons, than we have had in the past. This is due to competition with other unions, misinformation, cost, and anti-union sentiment. It is important to realize that your contributions fund all the individuals, organizations and activities that exist for the purpose of  preserving and improving your work experience. Please reach out to those who have not sought the benefits awarded to them through membership. These benefits include everything from discounts, liability insurance, life insurance, as well as representation from CEA legal for those times when you may really need them. Most important is the opportunity to voice your opinion in elections at the local, state, and national representative assemblies. Please do not avoid getting more involved because you don’t agree with everything that the WHEA and its parent organizations believe. Instead, please get involved to make your voice known and broaden the reach of a collective voice with the goal of improving the education of our students through improved working conditions and increased compensation for that all important work.    

Our advocacy efforts resulted in the successful resolution of a significant grievance related to salary lane placement and payment. The incorporation of new language into our contract reflects our unwavering commitment to securing fair and equitable conditions for all members. This process was an 18-month endeavor that included numerous hours of meetings and planning by the Exec Team, Grievance Committee, both present and former officers. Moreover, discussions surrounding workload definitions and job descriptions have been initiated to address pressing concerns and ensure clarity and fairness in employment terms. These range from issues surrounding Pupil Services, ELC, Pre-K, Post Secondary, Reading Specialists, and Curriculum Specialists. These will also include discussions about blended classes, combining honors and standard classes, and placement of students in combined levels of classes at the secondary level. 

The WHEA remains steadfast in safeguarding the rights afforded to you through our contract, including provisions for lunch breaks, prep time, and limited duties. Through vigilant monitoring and proactive measures, we have continued to uphold the integrity of our collective agreement, emphasizing the shared responsibility of both parties in contract adherence and enhancement. I am proud to acknowledge all the work that the teachers in West Hartford do on behalf of our students every day. 

We have been discussing the lack of job descriptions available. Many of the descriptions are more than 40 years old and may not match the current job. We will continue to advocate for updates in our job descriptions and protect against task inflation. We will continue to advocate for equitable and reasonable class sizes. We will continue to advocate for refocusing away from presenting lower  “per pupil expenditure” as an educational coupon to more worthy goals. We will continue to advocate for better working conditions that will assist in attracting and retaining our experienced or new teachers. 

It is important to understand that we started the year with 53 new teachers and then replaced another 40+ at the current time. That equates to ten percent of our teachers. The official response is that these individuals left for “personal reasons”. I meet or have met with almost all of the teachers who have needed to leave for various reasons. These reasons include change of location due to a spouse needing to relocate for work. It does include leaves for child birth or child rearing or the need to take care of a spouse or elderly parent. It also includes leaves due to the inability to work due to an illness. What is not reported are the numerous individuals who have left seeking more money, opportunity for growth or dissatisfaction with the working environment. These are all reported as “personal reasons”.  We will continue to reach out to you through surveys, focus groups and individual meetings to discuss the concerns that you have. 

I am also proud that we can do the work with a professional mindset that adheres to the doctrines put forth in our contract. The words and ideas included in these important pages have included almost one hundred years of discussions, negotiations, strikes, working without pay, mediations, and arbitrations. These negotiations have resulted in strong emotions such as fear, frustration, anger, hopelessness, and at times satisfaction. The hard work, blood, sweat and tears of our former and departed colleagues live in those pages. We will continue to request and demand that WHPS honor their agreement through reading, understanding and adhering to the long history of signatures that has resulted in our current contract. The Negotiations team has been hard at work this year with almost weekly meetings in order to discuss and prepare for the upcoming negotiations in August. We have one year left on our current contract and will need to begin the process of creating a new contract. We will need your support through attending meetings, using your public voices, and getting involved in the WHEA outreach to educate the community on what we are asking for and why. 

I have access to the complete history of the WHEA in our office space and spend many afternoons (when I get a moment) reading about what our predecessors went through to get us to our current state in education. Every year had struggles and successes. Every president faced challenges in creating or guarding the contract. Many of the struggles we see today, they experienced 90 years ago. Our goal is to make your choice of being a teacher a rewarding and successful experience. We can only do that with a collective voice that is heard and one in which others will listen. 

Recognizing the importance of amplifying our voice and presence within the broader community, we have intensified our efforts to engage with local elected officials, education stakeholders, and legislative bodies.We have begun meetings with the elected officials, re-established our presence at Celebrate West Hartford, continued our charitable giving, and are sending sixteen members to the CEA Representative Assembly.  Through participation in community events, legislative hearings, and advocacy campaigns, we aim to raise awareness of our profession’s challenges and advocate for necessary reforms. Each year contains elections with some larger than others. We get to influence, through our voice, who will represent the town of West Hartford at every level. The residents ( which include some of our teachers and all of our student’s families)  choose the Town Council, Board of Education Members, State and local representatives as well as your Association Leaders at the local , state, and national level. This can be done with informal discussions, talking with friends and neighbors, or formal letters and appearances at the various Board or Council meetings. It is time to make your voice the one that is heard. You know what is best for your students. You know what the best methods of teaching are. You are the ones on the front lines each and every day. Your voice should be shouted at every street corner, PTO meeting, Board of Ed meeting and dinner engagement with your friends, neighbors, social media and official meetings. Let’s make a commitment to create a bolder and louder voice that can’t be ignored. 

In closing, I extend my sincerest gratitude to all members, building representatives, committee members, and the executive team for their unwavering support, dedication, and tireless efforts throughout the year. Special thanks are extended to Sara Pomponi for her exemplary commitment and to Julio Duarte and Paul Vicinus for their invaluable contributions to our collective endeavors. Even when we don’t agree we continue to discuss our differences, some days louder than others, but discuss nonetheless. It is important to realize we represent the same individuals, you, and the important job you are tasked with each day. 

As we look ahead, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence, solidarity, and advocacy. Together, we will continue to champion the rights and interests of educators and uphold the principles of professionalism and equity in education.

With warm regards,

Brian Putkonen

WHEA President

Dear Colleagues, 12/21/23 

I hope this message finds you well and that you are getting ready for some downtime during the Winter Break. I wanted to thank you for all you do and promise you that the Exec Team, Negotiations Committee, Grievance Committee, and School Reps are working hard to make your important work possible. I want to take a moment and thank each and every one of you who submitted your responses to our survey questions. It was invaluable and I wanted to acknowledge the concerns many of you have shared. Your 548 responses ( 62% of members) 

have been insightful, and they paint a clear picture of the collective desires and challenges we face as educators within West Hartford Public Schools. The data resulted in almost 1500 specific concerns that are summarized below. 

Members within West Hartford Public Schools have expressed deep concerns about their compensation, particularly in light of years of additional steps being added or no step movement granted coupled with inadequate pay increases that fail to match the rising cost of living. This issue is exacerbated when compared to salaries in neighboring districts, leaving many educators feeling undervalued and financially strained. For example, one educator highlighted the stark difference in pay at the top step compared to a district like Avon (approximately 6k at MA and 9k at MA+30/6th year), noting the more impactful comparison of lifetime earnings are worth a house due to West Hartford teachers slow progression up the pay scale. 

The workload has become a critical issue, with educators reporting that they are spending an excessive amount of time on work responsibilities outside of the workday, some of this is due to the increase in individualized education plans whether this is through a 504, IEP, BIP, etc. without a reduction in class size or the addition of paraeducator support. The additional work requirements have not been met with a corresponding increase in salary, leading to feelings of burnout and concerns about mental health. The call for more maternity leave and a longer workday reflects the need for a more realistic approach to the demands placed on educators, as the current expectations are not sustainable. 

Special education staff are seeking recognition of their unique challenges and a more supportive approach from the district. This includes adequate training for additional responsibilities, manageable caseloads, equitable support compared to classroom teachers, and sufficient paraeducator assistance. Without addressing these concerns, the district risks losing dedicated special education professionals who are essential to meeting the diverse needs of all students. 

Student behavior, safety, and administrative support have become increasingly concerning, with reports of escalating disruptive behaviors and a perceived lack of control and support for teachers. Educators have described stressful work environments where students disrupt learning, destroy property, and even become physically aggressive. The need for more consistent and effective discipline and behavioral intervention is clear, with educators calling for a district-wide behavior management plan that includes clear policies and consequences. The lack of consequences for student behaviors has been cited as a major issue, with educators feeling unsupported by the administration in their efforts to maintain a conducive learning environment.

Contractual and policy issues have been raised, with educators seeking more flexible personal days that do not require explanations. There is a desire for policies that are more family-friendly and supportive of teachers’ personal lives, including improvements in maternity leave policies and better support during child-rearing. For instance, one educator criticized the current policy that requires using paid sick days for maternity leave beyond six weeks without pay, calling for the union to negotiate for better terms similar to those achieved by the NYC Union. 

Overall, these concerns reflect a strong desire for change in areas that directly impact educators’ ability to perform their jobs effectively and maintain a healthy work-life balance. There is a clear need for contractual revisions, policy changes, and a more supportive approach from the district administration to address the challenges faced by educators. 

We are committed to transparency throughout this process and will keep you informed every step of the way. Your voice is crucial, and we encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts and concerns with us. These issues form the cornerstone of our upcoming negotiations, and we are dedicated to addressing them head-on. Our goal is to secure a contract that reflects our collective value, supports our professional growth, and enhances our ability to serve our students effectively. To achieve this, we need your active participation. Here’s how you can get involved and make a difference: 

Attend Union Meetings – Stay informed about the negotiation process and share your insights by participating in union meetings. Your experiences and suggestions can shape our agenda and strengthen our position. 

Share Your Story– Personal narratives are powerful. If you’re comfortable, share your experiences with the negotiation team. These stories can be compelling evidence of the need for change. 

Stay Informed– Regular updates will be provided through emails, our website, and social media. Stay engaged with the latest information to understand the progress and challenges we face. 

Support Your Negotiation Team – Show your support for the negotiation team. Solidarity is our strength, and a united front can make a significant impact during negotiations. 

Provide Feedback -Your ongoing feedback is crucial. Whether through surveys, suggestion boxes, or direct communication, let us know your thoughts throughout the process. 

Be an Advocate – Talk to your colleagues about the importance of our union’s efforts. Encourage them to get involved and support the negotiation process. 

Prepare for Action – If called upon, be ready to participate in collective actions that may be necessary to advance our goals, such as informational picketing or rallying. 

Your voice matters, and together, we can shape a future that honors our dedication and meets our professional needs. Let’s stand united as we embark on this journey toward a fair and equitable contract. Stay tuned for further information along with the complete data from your survey responses for you to read.

Warm regards and Happy Holidays, and we will see you next year!

Brian Putkonen 

WHEA President