Our Negotiations team last met with the District two weeks ago on the 15th, and as we work towards our upcoming meeting with them next week on the 4th, we want to bring you up to date on a few issues:
Remember that your DE certification is needed before Spring '21, and ideally at the end of this semester! It is important that you follow up on making sure your name is on the list of certified faculty if you are planning on teaching in the Spring. There are three ways to become certified: evidence of successful completion of POET; evidence of other coursework/training/certificates related to distance education; or evidence of a successful course design, by self-assessment, using the OEI rubric. If you are planning on completing POET in order to be certified, please make sure to finish that program by the end of the Fall semester. You will not be able to teach any assigned courses in the Spring if you are not verified as a certified online instructor.
We discussed California residency requirements, and the District noted that there is no policy or law preventing faculty from living out of state while teaching for a California public school. The District's concerns seem to be the complex paperwork involved for such faculty and the potential for workers' compensation issues, but we presented a list of may other colleges doing this - including SDCC - and that many industries have people working from other states as the norm (not to mention all the East Coast states where this happens routinely). The District wants to look into the issue further.
There is an updated COVID-19 FAQ page specifically for faculty that you might find helpful.
Despite meeting with the District twice a month, negotiations have recently slowed, partially due to a lull in the contract cycle and partially due to relatively new challenges in negotiating effectively with the District team. While we are frustrated with their recent lack of preparation or counter proposals, and no evidence of a willingness to negotiate towards compromise, we remain hopeful that this can improve. Please be assured that we continue to fight to protect faculty rights, compensation benefits, and working conditions (our students' learning conditions) and we stand in unity with our Classified colleagues. We will keep you updated on future negotiations. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions.