President`s Report – April 2015 Mitch Hettinger…..president

President’s Report – April 2015
Mitch Hettinger…..president@readingea.com
With professionalism and integrity, we fight for our teachers and those students we teach...
IMPROVISE, ADAPT, OVERCOME
POLITICS is PERCEPTION…PERCEPTION is REALITY
WHEN the LEGEND BECOMES FACT, PRINT the LEGEND

REPs…now more than ever we need updated building census w/updated phone numbers and home
email addresses PURPOSE: Negotiations Organizing for a Potential Job Action
 Conference Update:
1. 3/13-14 PSEA Minority/Women’s Leadership Conference @Holiday Inn, Grantville,
PA…Sandy, Rebecca
 A good time by all at the annual REA Spring Fling @ Stokesay Castle on 3/27. Thanks you Jen
Bard for the organizing and prepping.
 Eastern Region/PSEA politics is soon upon us with the ER House of Delegates on Saturday 18 April
2015 @ Bear Creek Mountain Resort. REA is allocated 32 ER delegates and we have fulfilled the
number. We, REA, have a candidate for an ER office Lori Sherman has put her name into the arena of
PSEA/Eastern Region politics to run for the position of Eastern Region Vice-President. We need to be
there to support and elect Lori and those that we have thrown REA’s support behind. Yes, it’s a
Saturday. Yes, it’s April. This is important!
 Members should not be making verbal or written statements without inquiring with REA first.
 The Facebook monster has reared its ugly head one more and caused an employee to resign their
position. How many have to be eaten by this monster before we get it? Your 1st Amendment rights only
go so far…only so far. Common sense goes a lot farther!
 COMMENTARY:
IT’S A WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!
Yes, April showers really do bring May flowers. Truly! But April sunshine, showers, thunder and
lightning bring the dreaded PSSA tests…the scourge of all that is holy in education. It’s like a
permanent full moon settles over the state of Pennsylvania and everybody goes Wolfman Jack for
three weeks and multitudes of tests and the kids lose their minds and the teachers have to collect cell
phones, and power monitor and…and...
aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, now that I have that out of my system. There is always May. Keep an eye on the PSEA Voice
and NEA magazines for updates on the revisions for the ESEA Act (NCLB) and the changes that are
coming. Keep an eye out for the progress of Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal and the educational
impacts that will go with it. Keep your chin up and your head held high. You do a great job for the
students of the city of Reading. 66 days to the Summer Solstice and counting! Hang in there!

APRIL/MAY HAPPENINGS
4/27
4/28
4/29
4/30
5/5
5/6
5/7
Building visits begin…13 & G @ lunch…..13 & U @ dismissal
Safety Committee meeting @ 8 am
Building visits…12 & M @ lunch…..Glenside @ dismissal
Building visits…NWEL @ lunch…..Riverside @ dismissal
Building visits…RIHS @ lunch…..NWMS @ dismissal
SAC @ 4:30
BCEA @ 5:30
Building visits…RHS @ lunch…..SOMS @ dismissal
Building visits…NEMS @ lunch…..Millmont @ dismissal
REA election campaigns begin
5/11
5/12
5/13
5/14
5/15-16
Building visits…SWMS @ lunch…..10 & G @ dismissal
Building visits…10 & P @ lunch…..16 & H @ dismissal
REA elections workshop @ REA HQ @ 4 pm
Building visit…Lauer’s Park @ lunch
Executive Board meeting @ 4 pm
Building visits…Tyson Schoener @ lunch…..AES @ dismissal
REA Elections
Rep Council meeting @ 4 pm/Election count
PSEA House of Delegates @ Philadelphia, PA
Thank you for doing the important work of our noble Association!
www.facebook.com/ReadingEducationAssociation
www.ReadingEA.com
Metro Bank Account Balances
Checking
Savings
Dues
FairShare
Scholarship
PACE
Petty Cash
Reading Berks CU
Treasurer’s Report
April 2015
Submitted by Lisa Herbinko
17,754.67
32,483.19
336,747.97
9,424.42
4,613.91
7,710.22
100.00
64,467.85
Date
Apr 06
Description
USPS
Office Expenses: Postage
Amount
$8.82
Apr 03
Apr 02
Apr 01
Mar 31
Mar 27
Mar 27
Nino’s
Wally Wilkinson
Stokesay
PSEA
WB Mason
Nino’s
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
Governance & Conference:ER: Mileage Reimbursement
Social Activities: Spring Fling
Dues Payment second installment
Office Expenses: Office Supplies
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
$33.09
$85.10
$1,440.16
$241,784.83
$79.23
$28.58
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp: Jan. 28th
Office Expenses: Cable
Social Activities: Teacher appreciation day
Social Activities: Teacher appreciation day
Office Expenses: Copier
Payroll, Taxes, & Workman's Compensation: Priscilla
$31.91
$24.96
$270.16
$1,741.00
$1,741.00
($169.46)
($1,174.46)
Governance & Conference: ER:Collective Bargaining
Mileage Reimbursement
Contributions and Tributes: Member Welfare
Internal Communications: Website
($43.70)
1403
1329
Mar 26
Mar 26
Mar 26
Mar 26
Mar 25
Mar 24
1396
1394
1400
Mama’s Pizza
Mama’s Pizza
Comcast
Promo Direct
Promo Direct
Delage landen
Mar 24
1384
Priscilla Knight
Mar 23
1401
Wally Wilkinson
Mar 23
Mar 23
1399
Mar 19
1326
Mar 19
Mar 18
Royer’s
Homestead
Eastern Region
PSEA
Microsoft
Giant
Mar 17
Mar 16
Mar 16
Mar 16
Mar 13
Mar 13
1397
Office Expenses: Office Supplies: update software
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
($105.99)
($18.36)
Sam’s Club
RMCTC
IRS
Staples
Geek Squad
Ninos
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
Invoice #4769
Payroll, Taxes, & Workman's Compensation: Federal
Office Expenses: Office Supplies
Internal Communications: Website
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
($160.43)
($180.00)
Office Expenses: Rent
Payroll, Taxes, & Workman's Compensation: Priscilla
($1,200.00)
Grievance & Negotiations: General Mtg Exp
($61.92)
Mar 12
1385
R&B Richmond
Mar 11
1383
Priscilla Knight
Mar 11
ER Leadership
($353.65)
($15.99)
($300.00)
Starlite Diner
($822.77)
($31.77)
($101.79)
($14.72)
($1,174.46)
Grievance Chair
April 2015 Monthly Report
Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the grievance is . . . Well, they’re starting to
comeout of the woodwork, some against principals and more against Central Administration. That
said, we are winning the ones we have had to this point. We have too many teachers who are still
policing their brethren and it has to stop, it isn’t your job! (And, yes, this will be in every report
until I no longer need to put it in the report!)
Email me at Immendod@Readingsd.org or Grievance@ReadingEA.com, or call me at 484706-2902; if you have any questions as to what procedure is.
Active Grievance List
11/14 – 1/15
Level II
G1415-10: RIHS
REA vs. RIHS Administration
Punishment w/o Just Cause
Level III
G1415-02: RIHS
REA vs. RIHS and Central Administration
Settled at level III
G1415-03: RIHS
REA vs. Central Administration
Settled at level III
G1415-08 12th & Marion:
REA vs. Building Administration
Won/withdrawn at level III
(Principal involved resigned)
G1415-09: MIllmont
REA v Central Administration
Suspended w/o pay w/o Just Cause
G1415-03: RIHS
REA vs. Central Administration
Settled at level III
Level IV
Level V
Active Complaint List
None
Please keep in mind, due to privacy rights you only are allowed in-depth knowledge if you are the grievant, the
representative, or the REA officer involved. The only exception to this rule is a class action grievance/complaint.
Thank you.
There is a new grievance form available that will be posted online at www.ReadingEA.com for any representative that
needs it; it will be available in both Word 97-03 and PDF format.
Respectively Submitted on this Sixteenth day of April, Two-thousand Fifteen,
David E. Immendorf
David E. Immendorf
Grievance Officer of the REA
RSHS Vice President’s Report April 2015
Please check calendar for Keystone exam dates and adjust your pacing
accordingly. Classes will only be 23 minutes on the days of the exams.
I have asked for, but not received, the schedule for finals. I will ask again.
An e-mail will be sent with the dates and periods.
Please circle the correct word (emergency/compelling) when filling out a
Request for Absence form. If you are not sure, check the e-mail sent
by Pricilla or ask your Reps.
The school year is almost over. Remain strong and calm. We can get
through it together!
Respectfully Submitted,
Trudi Westley
610-334-3947
RIHS VP Report
April 2015
We had our building meeting on April 20th. It will occur after any regular Monday faculty
meeting that may occur. If no faculty meeting is planned, we will meet at 3:30. Please listen
for an update as to location.
A few updates…
 Meeting with Dr. Mumin—thank you for everyone’s participation in the meeting. The
next step is for Mr. Brown to present a plan to the staff to implement for the rest of the
school year. We will be following up with Dr. Mumin once the plan is implemented.
 Coverages—I know there are an excessive number of coverages recently. We have
shared ideas with administrators as to ways to help Please continue to keep track. If
anyone is missing hours from December or earlier, please let me know ASAP.
 Security—Building REA will be meeting with security to discuss some of the concerns
brought up at the meeting with Dr. Mumin.
 Security protocol—the reps and I are discussing with Mr. Brown another way to remove
students who are interrupting the education of the other students. The last few
meetings have been canceled by Mr. Brown due to his schedule.
 Hallways and class cuts—the doors near the café and the ones near the guidance suite
have alarms. Eventually, the alarms will be wired to the camera room.
 Clearances—please hand-deliver downtown once you receive your copies. Also, a
flowchart will be posted for anyone who has questions about the timeline for obtaining
these clearances.
 Please contact reps with any questions or concerns.
Please try to use our home email addresses for REA concerns. District email is property of the
district.
Respectfully submitted by
Jennifer Gagliardi Skoraszewski
Jennifer.gagliardi@gmail.com
Middle School Vice President’s Report
April 2015
Thanks again for those that were able to attend the School Board Meeting in March.
At the last minute the board meeting was moved to RIHS. They said it was to allow
more parents to attend, but attendance was less than ever. They said they were
going to keep moving it around the city. I will do my best to keep you informed,
however, they do post it on the Reading School District Homepage right before the
meeting. I am asking for the Reading Intermediate High School, 16th and Hawk, and
10th and Green to attend the April 22nd School Board meeting. I will get the
location out as soon as it is announced.
We are starting to see some problems with the teacher evaluations and so I still say
get the union involved from the beginning.
There still seems to be confusion as to how the teacher evaluations and the alternate ways of
evaluating teachers is being done in different buildings. If you have a question, please get it to
me as soon as possible. If I don’t know the answer, I will find out. I would rather fight the
battle from the beginning instead of waiting for an unsatisfactory rating, and then fighting.
Dust is still a problem in construction areas and as the temperatures start to rise, we might
find that the small window openings won’t allow for much air flow.
Hang in there window and door replacement should be over soon. Make sure if there are
disruptions due to dust or noise during PSSA testing that arrangements are made to make the
students testing environment the best possible.
Remember to report all problems to your building reps, so that they can forward them to me
in a timely fashion, if they can’t be handled in your building.
Respectfully submitted,
Wally Wilkinson
April Report
Elementary VP West
1. Email Address- My email address is reaesvpwest@yahoo.com or you can call me at 610-9144666. If you need me during the school day for an emergency, call Riverside Elementary at
610-371-5896.
2. REA Website- Please visit our website at www.WeAreREA.com
3. I Want To Attend Your Meetings- I would like to come to each building for either your
monthly building meeting or your monthly meeting with your principal. This may be a way to
open up communications to all. Please let me know if and when you plan on having a meeting
that you want me to attend. I will try to make arrangements to be at different buildings each
month.
4. Northwest Elementary- Thank you for having me at your recent building meeting.
5. Chain Of Command- Please let your members know the correct chain of command. Remind
your members that they should go to you with an issue first. Post your name and room number
on the REA bulletin board so members know who to contact. If you don’t know the answer,
contact me.
6. PSSA Testing- This is a very tense time of year. Do your best to keep students and teachers
motivated.
7. Unsatisfactory Ratings- Please let me know if any of your teachers get an unsatisfactory rating.
8. Union Representation for Members- A member has the right to union representation if he/she
feels that the meeting could result in some form of disciplinary action. If an administrator has a
meeting for a teacher, with students and/or parents of students, the teacher has the right for
union representation.
9. Go Math- If you finish the curriculum for your grade level prior to the end of the year, there is a
section at the end called “getting ready for grade __”. This section has lesson plans that you
may use to finish out the year.
10. Solidarity Color- Wear BLACK to the next Board Meeting on Wednesday, April 20th. Thank
you Amanda Weiss, Jen Bard, Eric Garcia, Kristen Moyer-Ringler, Rebecca Kauffman and
Patty Lougherty for going to the March meeting!
Respectfully submitted,
Lori Sherman
April Report
Elementary VP East
Contact Info- Please feel free to call or text me. My number is 717-519-7759. I only ask that
you refrain from calling after 10 pm. You may also e-mail at my home address
rklemer@ptd.net.
Building Reps- Thank you for all you do. Please continue to let me know of any concerns from
your building. As always, let me know when you are having a staff meeting so I may stop by
and say hello.
Substitute Coverage – It seems like there are fewer and fewer subs across the district. This
leads to split classes and lack of coverage. Please keep a log of the times you lose services,
house extra students, or have your class split due to no coverage.
SAC – Please let the building reps know of any issues you would like to be addressed at the
monthly SAC meetings. The SAC meeting is always held the Thursday directly after the
school board meeting. Please have concerns to me by the prior Monday.
Meetings- If at any time you are called into a meeting please bring a Rep with you, it is your
responsibility to ask! If no one is available you may respectfully ask to reschedule the
meeting. If you are asked to write anything down, you may enact your Weingarten rights.
This means you may ask to have REA review what you have written before submitting it.
Many times we write with our feelings instead of facts.
Solidarity and School Board Meetings- To keep things simple the solidarity color will be black
from now on. It is important that we continue to show our solidarity and attend school board
meetings. To help in this process Wally has created a schedule of buildings that have been
given to your Rep’s.
Facebook- As always please refrain from getting on during the school day, this does include
your prep period. Please also refrain from any negative comments about the district, your
principal, or fellow staff members. When administration gets a report of abuse, it is usually
from one of your fellow staff members.
Chain of Command- Teachers please make sure you are following the proper chain of
command when expressing concerns and/or frustrations. It makes it very difficult for us to
help you with an issue if proper protocol is not followed. PLEASE read your contract as well.
Step 1- Concerns are brought to the building level Rep. It is then the responsibility of
the Rep to address the issue with the building level administration.
Step 2- If the issue is not resolved with the building level Rep and Administrator the
Rep will bring the concern to the correct level VP. The VP will then address the issue with the
building level administrator. If no resolution is found, then the VP will bring the concern to
the Grievance Chair to pursue.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rebecca Titus
Communications Officer
April 2015
Hello All!
 Make sure to visit the website!
 Contact information, updates, news and resources can be found on readingea.com.
 Questions and/or suggestions are always welcome 
Respectfully Submitted,
Stephanie Ruiz-Smith
Member Benefits
Congratulations to:
 Stefanie (RIHS) and Nick Bieber on the birth of their son Jordan.
 Louise (Mill.) and Ryan Disch on the birth of their son.
 Matthew Stumhofer (RIHS) and his wife on the birth of their son.
 Melissa Lake (RIHS) was recently a contestant on Jeopardy. The episode will air in
late May. (I believe the date will be May 22, 2015.) Please watch to see how much money
Melissa won.
Don’t forget to turn in the RSD continuation/Election of Medical Benefits
before May 15, 2015. All staff members must complete and turn in this form before
May 15, 2015 to continue medical benefits. The form must be completed if you do &
do not have a change of benefits to continue receiving medical benefits.
**If you are married, copy & include your marriage certificate if you are covering
your spouse.
**If you are covering dependent children, include a copy of their birth certificate.
According to the benefits office, if these forms are not completed correctly, returned
with appropriate documentation, benefits will stop. It is important you complete
the forms and return everything to the Benefits Office in the Administration. As
always, make and keep a copy for your file.
Respectfully submitted April 7, 2015 by: Donna Franke
franked@readingsd.org
Health & Safety Committee Report
April 14, 2015
Submitted by Sandy Madeira
A meeting was finally held on March 31, 2015. The next meeting is scheduled for April 28, 2015. The most
recent building inspection was conducted at 13th & Union. No problems were reported. The staff does an
excellent job of taking care of the building. The fence at 12t & Exeter does need to be fixed.
The All Hazards Plan will be rolled out in August. Teams are being designed and a plan for CPI training is
being worked on by Lisa Hoffman and Anne Fisher.
The bids are going out for repair, remodel of the Red gym at RHS. It is anticipated that the work will begin in
early June.
Mr. Celmer approved a P>O> for bleacher inspection the Riverside. This should be completed shortly.
The new entrance doors at 10th & Penn are ready for installation.
We have requested a copy of the air quality report for 13th & Green. Mr. Franco indicated the testing was
completed and that all levels were in the acceptable range but he had not yet received the written report. Mr.
Franco indicated mold testing has begun and levels were acceptable to date.
There have been bed bug sightings in several rooms at the Citadel. Ehrlich’s has been in; however, if there is
no infestation, spraying is not effective. It must be gotten at the source. If the same student comes to the room
every day, then there may be bed bugs every day. Students are not sent home due to bed bugs. Parents are
contacted; however, we have no control over how it is addressed in the home.
The use of wipes and soap and water to clean desks in the classrooms after breakfast is still being discussed.
The wipes cannot contain alcohol.
Reminder to all BUM’s: They must report the birth of a child to Linda Pelker the day after the child is born.
This affects the leave dates and when the teacher must return.
All incidents involving a fall or injury on school district property should be reported and an incident report
completed and sent to the appropriate parties. Even if the BUM is not seeking medical attention a report should
be completed. Please be proactive in your safety efforts.
Instructional and Professional Development Report
April 2015
Submitted by Lindsay Evans
Please check out the updated flier regarding Level 1 to Level 2 certificate conversion. There is one,
slight update.
ALL school employees are now required to renew their State Police record check, their FBI record
check, and their Child Abuse clearance statement. Visit www.psea.org/backgroundchecks for more
information.
Visit the REA website, www.readingea.com, for links to information about Level 2 certification.
Please contact me if you have any questions about your Level 2, or if you’d just like another set of
eyes!
Please let me know if you have any suggestions for professional development topics for future
inservice days or if you have any instructional concerns.
Email me at evansl@readingsd.org or ipd@readingea.com with any questions or for more
information!
Converting your Level 1 to Level 2
Level I Pennsylvania Instructional and Educational Specialist certifications are valid for six (6) years of
service, not calendar years.
If you have been teaching in Pennsylvania on a Level I certificate for 3-6 years of satisfactory service
and have earned 24 post-baccalaureate credits, you can apply for a Level II certificate. The
following conditions must be met:
• Six credits must be associated with your area(s) of certification and/or must be designed to
improve professional practice
• You must have three years of satisfactory service on a Level I certificate, verified by the chief
school administrator of the employing school entity
• You must have completed a PDE induction program verified by the chief school administrator
of your employing entity
• The State Board now also requires candidates to “present evidence of satisfactory
achievement in assessments (PDE 427 evaluation) prescribed by PDE under §49.18 (a) of
Chapter 49, 22 Pennsylvania Code.”
The previous information is found on the following links:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pa_certification/8635/level_i_to_level_ii/60
8790
• Once on this page, click on the link called:
Certification Staffing Policy Guideline 7 - Level II (Permanent) Certification
for more detailed information for converting your Level 1 to Level 2.
http://www.psea.org/general.aspx?id=1166
It is your responsibility to convert your certificate to a
Level 2.
Do not rely on the district to tell you what to do.
REA will gladly help you with the process! Contact Lindsay Evans
(evansl@readingsd.org or evansl@me.com) for guidance, direction,
or a second set of eyes and ears.
Labor Relations Officer
April 2015 Monthly Report
Happy Spring! The countdown to summer is on, but we still have
much to accomplish, including the beloved PSSA testing. United
Labor Council remains committed to supporting the Reading
Education Association, and the goals we hope to achieve!
 Philadelphia schools have begun to outsource their substitute-teaching
services. Philadelphia’s move effectively privatizes more than 1,000 education
jobs now held by unionized workers. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
is planning to use “all legal resources available” to fight this decision. If RSD
were to follow Philadelphia’s lead, we would no longer be able to choose
Preferred Substitutes, and the quality of the substitutes available would
quickly deteriorate.
 Much of the conversation at the last meeting regarded with the decision by
Berks County officials to stop honoring a 2008 agreement that allowed prison
guards the choice of four 10 hour days as opposed to a five-day work week.
While this decision will be fought, it is just one more example of attacks
against unionized workers in our area.
 Saucon Valley School District, in Lehigh County, is going through a similar
negotiations to RSD. They have been without a contract since July 2012, and
have been met with much opposition over the past 2 ½ years. For more
information on their situation, I included a link below:
www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2015/04/saucon_board_confounded_by_tea
.html
Respectively submitted,
Robert Gillespie – Labor Relations Chair
April 9, 2015
REA Membership Report
April 2015
Denise Solecki, NEM
Assistant Treasurer
(Membership Chair)
As we enter into the 4th quarter of this school year keep in mind the
following:
 Last membership dues were taken. (3/20/15)
 PACE was taken out on 4/03/15 for those of you contribute
electronically.
 Fair share still has 3 payments left if you started 1/9/15.
As always if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
contact me at soleckid@readingsd.net or call the REA office.
Negotiations Committee Chairman’s Report
April 2015
Things are moving, like molasses in February, but moving
nonetheless. If you want information on what’s going on, don’t listen to
the rumor mills, ask either the REA President or Vice-President. We are
the only ones who are allowed to discuss where we are and where we
trying to go. So when the next person tells you that his/her connections
told them this or that, verify with Mitch or myself. More often than not,
the person is . . . well, full of what comes out the tail-end of a male
bovine.
Yes, we remain without a successor agreement, we have had
several negotiation meetings. We have some minor tentative
agreements on language that needs to be cleaned up in our contract.
We are waiting on information on Health Insurance. There are a lot of
issues to consider on that front.
We haven’t even broached the topic of salary yet. We will get
there. We are pushing to keep moving things along and are having
some success.
We keep working on the more-or-less non-economic issues, like
language to keep things moving. But moving they are, we might have
some more tentative agreements by the end-of-year Rep Council
meeting.
Respectfully submitted on the 16th of April, 2015,
David E. Immendorf
Negotiations Committee Chair and Chief Negotiator
Sick Bank
April 2015
THE FOLLOWING POLICY ITEM WAS APPROVED BY REP COUNCIL AT THE MARCH 2015
MEETING:
25. Appealing a Denial: A Sick Bank member may appeal the decision of the Committee to deny
Sick Bank benefits. The appeal will be made to the Executive Board. The Sick Bank member’s
medical information will remain confidential, with only those having a “need to know” and who are
to vote on the appeal having access to the information. To make an appeal, the Sick Bank
member must:
a. Make a written request, addressed to the Sick Bank Officer, to appeal the decision. This
written request must be submitted to the REA Office.
b. Submit any additional medical information that may be relevant to the situation with the
written request to appeal the decision.
c. The written request to appeal the decision must be received in the REA Office within ten
(10) days from the receipt of the denial. If the Sick Bank member is hospitalized and/or
incapacitated during these ten (10) days, the time frame may be modified
d. The Sick Bank member will appeal the denial at the Executive Board meeting following the
receipt of the written request to appeal the denial of a request.
e. Appeals shall be handled by reviewing the information presented by a member in light of the
Sick Bank Policy and any amendments to the policy.
f. Sick Bank Committee members sitting on the Executive Board will abstain from the vote.
g. The Sick Bank member will be notified of the result of the appeal in writing, with an
explanation as to the reason for the response provided.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jennifer C. Mazur
Sick Bank Officer
April - 2015
Social Chair
Planning has begun for the Social Events for the 2015 –
2016 School Year
October ~ REA Retirement Dinner
September ~ Welcome Back Social Gathering
December ~ Family Fun Nite w/Santa
April ~ Spring Fling
I should have dates for all these events by May’s Social
Report so that you can mark your calendars.
Social Events for the 2014-2015 school year:
Retirement Dinner Date: TBA: Tentatively: October 2015
Stokesay Castle
This message will be included on every Social Report this year. Please note the
deadline to be recognized as a retiree at the end of this year.
2014 - 2015 Retirees or Potential Retirees: NEW
 To be honored at the retirement dinner, your retirement must be approved by
the June 2015 School Board Meeting.
 Contact Priscilla at the REA office at any time during the school year and
your retirement information will be kept confidential.
Jen Bard
bardj@readingsd.org
Special Services VP Report-April 2015
IEP/RR:
You should be writing IEPs and RRs for students on YOUR caseload only. Collaboration between teachers
who share students is ok and should be happening on a regular basis. If a teacher is writing an IEP and comes
across a problem—in order to discuss it with anyone the names of all people and addresses should be blacked
out. DO NOT SHARE PASSWORDS!!
According to Pennsylvania Code, the following is a chart for Full Time Equivalent (FTE), which represents
the maximum number of students allowed on a teacher’s caseload:
Support
Itinerant
Supplemental
Full-time
Learning
50
20
12
Life Skills
20
20
12-grade K-6
15 gr 7-12
Emotional
50
20
12
Deaf and Hearing
50
15
8
Impaired
Blind and Visually
Impaired
Speech & Lang.
Autistic
Multiple Disabilities
50
65
12
12
15
12
8
8
8
8
8
Testing:
PASA Science starts May 4th
PSSA- Start pulling all the information that you need from each student’s IEP for accommodations for the
PSSA. Here are the windows:
English Language Arts- April 13-17 (gr 3-8)
Math- April 20-24 (gr 3-8)
Science- April 27- May 1 ( gr 4 & 8)
Make ups- May 4-8
Respectfully submitted,
Chrissie Stauffer
chrissieteach@aol.com
stauffec@readingsd.org
Reading Education Association
Rep Council Meeting
Thursday, April 16, 2015
1800 N. 12th Street
Richmond Corporate Centre
Reading, PA 19604
Email: office@readingea.com
Website: www.ReadingEA.com
Phone: 610-374-7101
Fax: 610-374-3173
Executive Committee Members Present: Mitch Hettinger, Lori Sherman, Rebecca Titus, Trudi Westley,
Wally Wilkinson, Jennifer Gagliardi, Lisa Herbinko, Deb Redcay, Rik Immendorf, Denise Solecki, Chrissie
Stauffer, Jennifer Mazur, Sandy Madeira, Donna Franke, Amanda Yeakel, Jen Bard, Bob Gillespie,
Lindsey Evans
Executive Committee Members Absent: Stephanie Ruiz-Smith
Rep Council Members Present:
Steve Hudak, Dave Dedman, Jimmy Wright, Jennifer Brumbach,
David Craft, Kelly Fuller, Hilary Haubrich, Brian Miller, Michele Ehrhart, Gerard Tyson, Joe Okonski,
Donna Fanelli, Kristen Morrissey, Donna Broad, Stacy Fritz, Patricia Hartman, Lori Snyder, Krista Cyran,
Teresa Heckman, Patti Loughery, Loryn Hoffa, Linda Jones, Andrea Curtis, Laura Stauffer, Jennifer
Richards, Lori Moyer, Christine Reichardt, Pat Layos, Dana Puzio, Ashley Solazzo, Jennifer Sell
Rep Council Members Absent: Joseph Andrieux, Josh Stoica, Elizabeth Shumanis, Chris Meyer, Steve
Rossignoli, Craig Richards, Bernadette Norton, Amy Crabbs, Sandra Sharadin, Eileen Rearden, Bonnie
Fox, Lauren Walton, Jen Wocklish
PSEA UniServe Representative Absent: Paul Gottleib
Meeting Called to Order at 4:05 by President Mitch Hettinger.
Adoption of Agenda with Flexibility: Motion to adopt agenda with flexibility was made by Brian Miller
(NEMS) and 2nd by Joe Okonski. Vote called and motion approved.
Approval of March 12, 2015 REA Representative Council Minutes: Motion to approve March 12, 2015
Representative Council minutes was made by Kristen Morrissey and 2nd by Joe Okonski. Vote called
and motion approved.
Corrections: none
UNI-SERVE Report: N/A
Officer and Committee Reports
Treasurer--Lisa Herbinko
Report speaks for itself
PSEA dues payment 2nd installment—when we raise our voice they take notice because of the
amount we pay to PSEA.
Motion to approve Treasurer Report was made Dana Puzio and 2nd by Michele Ehrhart. Vote called
and motion approved.
Grievance--Rik Immendorf
Report speaks for itself
Grievance 14-15-08 is settled-principal is gone.
Grievance 14-15-09 has been semi-withdrawn for the moment.
Tell teachers to stop telling administrators what other teachers are doing. It is up to the administrator
to find out on their own.
Member Welfare--Donna Franke
Report speaks for itself
The RSD Continuation/Election of Medical Benefits form must be done by May 15th. Please tell
members to fill out form regardless of change or no change. You must attach copies of marriage
license and birth certificates of children, if they are all covered. This is not an RSD issue; this is related
to Obama care.
On April 29th Mitch and Donna will be delivering the teacher appreciation gifts.
Health & Safety--Sandy Madeira
Report speaks for itself.
13th and Green air quality report is in and Todd Kahn is trying to get it in layman’s terms so he can get
it out to staff.
Labor Relations--Bob Gillespie
Report speaks for itself
Membership--Denise Solecki (absent—excused)
Report speaks for itself
PACE—Amanda Yeakel
Report speaks for itself
Sick Bank--Jen Mazur
Report speaks for itself
We are in good shape with Sick Bank days. A lot of that has to do with the Sick Bank revising the
policies.
Social--Jen Bard
Report speaks for itself
Jen added more social events to the calendar.
Fall Fling (Canal Street); October is the Retirement Dinner but we may try to put it back to June;
December will be a family event.
Communications—Stephanie Ruiz-Smith (absent-sick)
Report speaks for itself
East Elementary VP.—Rebecca Titus
Report speaks for itself
West Elementary VP.--Lori Sherman
Report speaks for itself
Go Math—make teachers aware that if they finish Go Math early, there are extra lessons on the back
of the planning guide.
Solidarity is the 22nd and wear black.
Middle School VP--Wally Wilkinson
Report speaks for itself
High School VP--Trudi Westley
Report speaks for itself
Finals should be starting June 1st.
Citadel—Jen Gagliardi Skoraszewski
Report speaks for itself
The coverage situation is being handled
An email was sent out from a current REA member about decertifying the union. To decertify the
union 30% of the membership needs to sign off saying they want to decertify. To decertify means no
more REA, no more contract, no benefits, state minimum salary requirements.
The 30% membership would cause a vote and if 50% +1 of the members in attendance would vote to
decertify then the REA would be decertified.
If 10% of the membership votes to form a new union, then that would call for a vote as well. Either
way, there is one year with no union and no contract. American Federation of Teachers will not
touch the REA, as they don’t compete with PSEA.
If it comes to a vote, then PSEA would step in and discuss what happens with the union.
Financial Committee--Lisa Herbinko
Grievance Committee--Rik Immendorf
Negotiations Committee--Rik Immendorf
Report speaks for itself
Things are moving. We have about 15 Temporary Agreements; if people start asking questions, direct
them to Mitch or Rik.
Most of the stuff we are negotiating just fine; the question will be when we get to salary. The district
still doesn’t know how much money we are getting from the Governor.
How many meetings have we had so far and Rik commented 5. If it came to an agreement over the
summer what happens? Mitch commented we send email for the day and time and members must
be present to vote.
Special Education Committee--Chrissie Stauffer
Report speaks for itself
Kathy Evison has been away for about 2 weeks so Chrissie will be working on planning a meeting with
her.
SAC—Amanda Yeakel
Report speaks for itself
IPD—Lindsey Evans
Report speaks for itself
New flyer was made up due to confusion of some members.
President--Mitch Hettinger
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We need updated building census with updated phone numbers and home email addresses.
Sandy and Rebecca went to the Woman’s and Minority Leadership Conference and came
back with some good information.
Spring Fling was held and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Don’t give a verbal or written statement without talking to your building rep. or REA officer first.

Teachers must watch they are posting on Facebook. If you put a picture of a student on
Facebook, then you run the risk of losing your job and certification if it is noticed.
Old Business
 Negotiations—met on April 8th. Next session is May 19th.
 Eastern Region meeting is Saturday. We have 28 delegates going. Lori Sherman is running for
VP of Eastern Region. Mitch is still considering running for an office.
 Staff background checks must be done. Remind staff to hand in paperwork.
 Payroll dues deduction—the MOU has been given to Karen Gokay
 Section 30 MOU—still working on it
 KEI Grievance settled—some Kindergarten teachers will receive comp time through an inservice day.
 Constitution and By-Laws effective date was 3/19/15
 REA Scholarship—Erin Hannon was the recipient; mom is a teacher at Lauer’s Park.
 Teacher Attendance—keep emphasizing keep coming to work
 School Board Meeting—Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00.
New Business
 Motion to pay the bills made by Rik Immendorf and 2nd by Gerard Tyson. Motion made and
approved.
 Nominations and Elections Committee—election is 5/14. Every officer is running unopposed.
Why are we having an election? We need to have an election because we want to be as
transparent as possible.
 REA Elections will be held on 5/14/15. We need to run a full election due to not having the
correct language in the By-Laws. We will be adding the language at the end of the year.
 Elections Workshop will take place on 5/11/15 at the REA office at 4:00.
 PSEA House of Delegates—May 15th and 16th at Philadelphia. We are only going on the 16th so
we can be there for elections.
 NEA Representative Assembly will be held from July 1-6, 2015 at Orlando, Florida. Mitch and
Lori will be attending.
 Gettysburg Leadership School…July 19-24, 2015 at Gettysburg College. There are 50
scholarships available for the BAC (Building Area Coordinator) training—this is for Organizing. If
you are interested in attending, please let Sandy know and she will get you the paperwork.
Announcements
Rep. Council meeting will be held on Thursday, May 14th at 4:00 at Vo-tech.
ADJOURMENT 5:21