1. WOODLAND UNITED
V O L U M E 1 0 I S S U E 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2
Joint Honorable Dismissal Committee - JHDC
INSIDE The committee that has been given the task to determine the qualifications, as
matters permitted under the laws included in Senate Bill 7, for the four groupings
T HI S has been named the Joint Honorable Dismissal Committee (JHDC). The
committee has equal representatives from the administration and Union. Union
I S S UE :
representatives include Katie Jones from Primary, Darlene Lipczynski from
Elementary West, Karen Barrett from Intermediate, Sharon Anday (Vice
President for Certified Staff) from Middle School, and Peter Lasko (President)
from Elementary East. Administrative representatives are Joy Swoboda, Steve
Thomas, Kim Burke, Carla Little (Board member), and Ken Hyllberg (EE
Joint 1-2 Principal). The JHDC has already met several times. The committee is
Honorable permitted under the law to address five specific items.
Dismissal
Committee The five items the committee can address include:
1) Examine criteria for excluding from Group 2 and placing into Group 3
a teacher whose last two summatives include “Unsatisfactory”/“Needs
Improvement” and either a “Satisfactory”/“Proficient” or “Excellent”
Negotiations 3 2) Develop an alternative definition for Group 4, which must take into
Update account prior summatives and may also take into account other factors
that relate to the school’s educational objective. The alternative
definition MAY NOT permit the inclusion of a teacher with a “Needs
Improvement” or “Unsatisfactory” summative rating on either of the
teacher’s last two summatives.
Sick Bank 3 3) Determine whether or not to include summative ratings from other
schools district for teachers who have not been employed at
Woodland long enough to have a sufficient number of evaluations.
4) Determine the basis for assigning an appropriate rating that complies
Insurance 4 with the four rating categories (Unsatisfactory, Needs Improvement,
Committee Proficient, and Excellent) that must be in place by September 2012.
5) Look at a committee member’s right to request an honorable dismissal
list from the Board of Education. The list will show the most recent
and prior summative rating of each teacher only identified by length
of continued service in the district, NOT by name. The list can be
used to monitor trend data. Specifically, whether or not a
disproportionate number of teachers with more seniority are receiving
a most recent summative rating that is lower than a prior one.

2. PAGE 2
Joint Honorable Dismissal Committee - JHDC continued
All of the agreements on the items listed on the previous page MUST BE
agreed on by a majority vote of all committee members. Please note the
references made to the inclusion of the “Needs Improvement” rating will take
effect after September 2012. At that point, the descriptors for the category will
have been finalized through the work of an evaluation committee that will be
established in the near future. Future editions of the “Woodland United” will
keep members apprised of the evaluation committee’s work. In the meantime,
the JHDC will work with our current three evaluation ratings: Unsatisfactory,
Satisfactory, and Excellent.
“All of the
agreements JHDC Timeline:
MUST BE
agreed on by a December 1, 2011 Joint Honorable Dismissal Committee must meet
majority vote on or before said date.
of all
February 1, 2012 Last date for Joint Committee to meet; must have
committee
established four groups of teachers for purposes of
members.”
dismissal.
March 19, 2012 Due date for sequence of honorable dismissal list
(75 calendar days prior to last day) - completed
by administration and shared with Union.
April 17, 2012 Final date for honorable dismissal notices to be
given (45 calendar days prior to last day) –
completed by administration and shared with
Union.
May 10, 2012 Due date for local qualifications changes for
FY13 sequence of honorable dismissal.
WOODLAND UNITED

3. VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 PAGE 3
Negotiations Update
The negotiation team thanks all of the members who took time to complete
the initial survey available through Survey Monkey. We will use this
important information gathered from our members to help guide us through
the negotiations process. The team will continue to seek out your input
during negotiations when appropriate (and time permitting) as the process
can be very fluid. Remember, any agreements reached early in the process
could be impacted by agreements on different contractual items that come
up later in the process. As a result, the team is only able to present a final package to you. At
that time, the team is hopeful we will be able to share the information gathered from the
members that supported the negotiation team’s decision. In the meantime, we have been
advised by our LCFT Field Service Director, Matt Beverly, not to share any of the information
gathered. He has agreed to work with the Union President to find ways to provide the members
with appropriate information that won’t be harmful to the negotiations process. The
negotiations team must also consider and be respectful of the negotiation ground rules in
regards to confidentiality agreed upon by the Union and Board of Education. In regards to
Memos of Understanding (MOUs), the team will just be reviewing any old ones in order to
decide whether or not they are folded into a new contract.
Sick Bank
Currently, Sick Bank (Article VII, Section B) allows staff members
to have access to a maximum of ten additional paid sick days, after
one day’s absence without pay, provided the staff member meets
certain criteria. These days are provided for the staff by the Board
of Education. The first criterion is that the employee has exhausted
all accumulated sick leave. Another important requirement is the
sick bank can only be utilized for catastrophic, serious, prolonged,
acute and/or chronic illness of the employee (including intermittent sickness related to treatment of
such illness). The sick bank is not intended to be used for ordinary illnesses or elective
surgery. A recent exception was made due to extraordinary circumstances, which were presented
by the Union to the Superintendent for consideration. The Union President, on behalf of the
employee, shall recommend to the Superintendent the use of the sick leave bank. A sick bank built
upon days being contributed by both employees and the Board of Education is being considered.
This type of sick bank exists in many other districts. Please be on the lookout for a survey on this
topic, which will allow your negotiation team to get important feedback on if the staff would favor
such a sick bank and how they would like it to be set up.

4. Insurance Committee
PAGE 4
The insurance Primary, Julie has been approved
committee has been Lucarelli from by the committee;
working since the Transportation, and with members of the
end of September. Bob Leonard, Kim committee from their
The committee is Burke, Scott Snyder, respective building
comprised of Holly Collin, David present. The
administrative Brown, Marianna committee also has
representatives, Porreca from the been provided
Union administration. The comparative data
representatives from committee has met from a representative
each building and once a month since from the district’s
transportation, along our first meeting in cooperative, EBC
with the President, September to learn (Educational Benefit
Peter Lasko, and more about our Cooperative), which
Vice-Presidents, current benefits, and has 81 public school
“The results of
Leslie Newman and to review other districts as members
this survey will
Sharon Anday, of available insurance including three
be shared the Union. The options that could others in the area:
during a staff members include meet the Union’s Warren, Mundelein
meeting at Tracy Mann and and district’s needs. HS, and Beach Park.
each building.” Claudia Michaels The committee also Briefly, a
from Middle School, gathered staff input cooperative is a
Nicole Cooper and on our current plan group-purchasing
Bridget Hengels and options they vehicle for employee
from Intermediate, would consider for benefits that
Elissa Barnabee and the future. The employs the leverage
Ann Tussing from results of this survey of large numbers to
Elementary West, will be shared during obtain the lowest
Irina Hamideh and a staff meeting at possible unit price.
Carrie Cross from each building. Bob
Elementary East, Leonard will give a
Robin Payne and power point
Kathy Novak from presentation which
WOODLAND UNITED