Question: If I don’t use my all my personal days do I lose them?
Answer: No. Any unused personal days automatically turn into sick days and roll over to next year’s allotment. Each year you have three personal days. Review page 11/Art. XIV/Sec. 1A in your contract to discover more about personal days.
Question: Does an administrator have the right to question what I am using a personal day for?
Answer: The easy answer and contractual answer is no. How you choose to your personal days is just that, personal. You are under no obligation to provide a reason for why you are using your personal day. However, being a professional, the union expects and supports that you are going to utilize these days for their intended purposes. If any administrator approaches you about the use of your personal days, respectfully inform them that it is personal.
Question: What are my Weingarten Rights?
Answer: Your Weingarten rights are what you implement if you feel a meeting with an administrator is turning into an interrogation. If you feel uncomfortable about the tone of the meeting, you respectfully inform the administrator that you are implementing your Weingarten rights and you wish to wait for Union representation. When you implement these rights you are under no obligation to answer anymore questions.
Question: Do I have fill out Attachment B-1, the Educator’s Annual Goal(s) form if I am on cycle?
Answer: No. You are not contractually obligated to fill out Attachment B-1 if you are on cycle. This form is for those teachers that are off-cycle and VOLUNTARY for teachers on cycle. If you choose to participate in filling out Attachment B-1 and discussing your goal(s) with an administrator at the end of the school year and you are a teacher on cycle that is your choice.
Question: My building administrator set my goal(s) for me or did not care for the goals I set for myself; can he/she change the goal(s)?
Answer: No. Appendix I, regarding Article IX-Teacher Evaluation, Page 40 number 4 clearly states in the first sentence “…to discuss the goal(s) developed by the teacher.” Being a professional, the GEA supports an open and free exchange of ideas; however, the goal(s) is up to you. The administrator must sign indicating he/she has received a copy. Similarly, when you complete Attachment G, the evaluation of your goal(s) it is just that, a SELF –EVALUATION.