Hello IEA,

I hope you all had a nice start to the school year and are finding a rhythm to it all. We have welcomed 27 new members this fall! If you're one of them, thanks for joining us!

Each month, usually mid-month, you can expect a newsletter from me. My goal is to keep everyone in the loop about all of the IEA business. The information will vary but you can expect updates on any ongoing issues, be made aware of things to be on the lookout for in the near future, and receive general info to help us all be educated on our rights. Some months there will be a lot of information so my hope is that the headers will allow you to scan through the information and dive in when you have a moment. If you have ideas of other content you'd like to see please let me know.

-Alicia

Weingarten Rights

Weingarten Rights are your right to union representation whenever conversation with admin could lead to discipline including:

admin investigation of incident or allegation
admin investigation of alleged misconduct or inadequate work performance
admin conversation to elicit facts or get employee's side of the story

A few basics:

As soon as you reasonably think discipline could be imposed as a result of the conversation you are entitled to a union rep
It does not matter where the conversation takes place.
The District does not need to inform you of your rights to a union rep. You must know your rights, and state your request for a union rep.
The conversation must stop as soon as you request union representation (per federal labor law)
Admin refusal, use of the request against you, or negative statements about your request are all Department of Labor Violations.

More information here (that link is also available on our website)

Personnel File & It's Contents

All 3 IEA Contractual Units have this language in their contract: No derogatory material, including any document specifically addressed to the employee, shall be placed in an employee’s file without their knowledge. Employees will have the right to submit a written answer to such material and attach to the file copy.
The District can only keep one personnel file on us. It must be housed at Central Office.
Once a document is in your file it stays in your file throughout your employment.
If you receive a copy of a document going in your personnel file please contact your building rep, a VP, or myself. We will read the document and ensure your rights are enforced by making sure admin are allowed to write what is in the contents of the document.
We strongly recommend submitting a written answer to any document being added to your file and we can guide you through it's purpose if you run into this situation.

The Ipswich Educators Association has access to Mass Child grants that help students experiencing financial hardship access essential resources and opportunities.

Standard Grants: These grants can help cover items schools do not typically provide, including winter coats and boots, clothing, shoes, backpacks, and school supplies. Items must be purchased for a specific student; bulk purchases are not eligible.
Wellness Grants: These grants support students' physical and emotional well-being. Eligible requests may include grocery gift cards for families experiencing food insecurity, athletic equipment, bike helmets, and items that encourage physical activity. Additional hygiene products and medical supplies like eyeglasses can receive funding.

How to Request Support
If you know a student who could benefit, please contact Hannah Moran (hannahkkennedy@gmail.com), IEA Secretary and Mass Child Coordinator, for approval before making a purchase. You can either purchase an approved item yourself and submit your receipt according to the instructions provided, or request the item through our Amazon list. When adding an item to the list, please include your name and school in the comments so we know where it should be directed.

Items must be approved before purchase, and reimbursement is handled through the IEA. You do not need to share a student's name or identifying information, only the need and confirmation that the item will reach a specific student.

When in doubt, please ask! We're happy to explore how these funds can help our students feel supported and ready to learn.

Contractually Common Language for all 3 Bargaining Units

Access to the Sick Leave Bank

complete more than 1 year of service; don't opt out of donating a day to the bank
if you have exhausted your annual and accumulated sick leave and have a physician's note stating you cannot work you may be eligible for use of the Bank
to use the sick leave bank, send an email to Dr. Blake and Alicia (ieapresident.email@gmail.com) requesting use of the initial 15 days
if you find yourself in need of this contractual provision, have questions or need help through this process reach out (ieapresident.email@gmail.com)
Want to see more details? Check out your contract: Unit A Article 17, ESP Article 11, Para Article 8

ESP

Single Building Closure

in the event 1 building is closed, the district will pay ESPs for that closure day
the district reserves the right to have a make-up day, and on that make up day, ESPs will not be paid (because they were already paid on the actual closure day)
Want to see more details? Check out your contract: Article 9

RBT Substituting for Another RBT

with approval of a principal or designee, if an RBT substitutes for another RBT whereby taking on additional students; that RBT shall be paid time and one half hourly rate for all hours spent substituting; should reflect hours of coverage on timesheet
Want to see more details? Check out your contract: Article 9

Para

Single Building Closure

in the event 1 building is closed, the district will pay ESPs for that closure day
the district reserves the right to have a make-up day, and on that make up day, ESPs will not be paid (because they were already paid on the actual closure day)
Want to see more details? Check out your contract: Article 5

Para Substituting for a Teacher

if a para takes over for a classroom when the teacher is not present for 45 minutes or 1 period that para will earn their regular rate plus an additional $5 for that time
be sure your timecard includes this differential
Want to see more details? Check out your contract: Article 13

At the beginning of August The Ipswich Local News published an article Ipswich Task Force Explores Splitting Elementary Schools by Grade Level. I have not ben a part of these conversations to date. At the end of last week I was invited to their next meeting, Thursday 10/15. I don't know anything about what has or has not been discussed among the Task Force. On Thursday I will attend with open ears and an open mind and will bring information back to all of you. As with anything else I do in my role of IEA president, I do not speak for you I speak on behalf of you and at this point I don't even have any information from the District to get any input from you. I expect that will change.

Background Information

In December 2024, Ipswich was invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) process. The MSBA helps to reform and manage state funding for public school construction and renovation projects throughout the state. As part of this process, the town formed the School Building Committee (SBC) was formed September 2025. When Dr. Blake asked for teacher volunteers from each elementary building to serve on the committee I volunteered as a Winthrop teacher. This 12 person committee also includes the Superintendent, an administrator, a member from each of the 3 boards in town, 3 community members, the District's Facilities Director, the District's Finance Director, and the Town Manager. The committee meets at least once per month as the Elementary Building Project moves through the very prescriptive MSBA process.

Update - Where Does the Project Currently Stand?

We are currently in the second box in the graphic above, forming the project team. This includes bidding for, interviewing, vetting, and hiring the Owners Project Manager Firm (OPM) which will be completed by the beginning of November.

Looking Ahead - What's Next?

Much of this process is dictated by the MSBA. During the Feasibility Study the OPM will complete the tasks outlined in this Request for Services (RFS) Document. This includes summaries of 8 different construction/configuration options outlined in the document in section 3.3 along with the objectives and responsibilities outlined in the section 3.4.

Stay Informed

This is a town issue that often comes with a lot of misinformation. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to come right to the source and ask me or email the entire SBC directly (sbc@ipswichma.gov). All SBC meeting times are included at the bottom of this monthly newsletter along with links to watch online. This is a very long process - current estimates if everything goes to plan have doors opening September 2032.

A reminder that the once very restrictive Wellness Policy was revised a bit at the end of last year. You may remember that last year the IEA advocated to have teacher representatives added to the District Wellness Committee. These 4 strong teacher voices and I joined the Wellness Committee in February and after three long meetings ended the year with a revised Wellness Policy. The revised version is not perfect but this revision will take the policy in a much more realistic direction. The Wellness Committee will continue to meet this year.

October - Unit A Contract Date - PTS year 1 goals submission in October

October 1 - Para Contract Date - notified of evaluator (17.3)

October 1 - School Committee Meeting @ 7:00

October 8 - School Building Committee Meeting @ 6:00

October 12 - No School

October 13 - Professional Development Day

October 15 - School Committee Meeting @ 7:00

October 26 - School Building Committee Meeting @ 5:30 (OPM interviews)

October 27 - School Building Committee Meeting @ 5:30 (OPM interviews)

October 29 - School Building Committee Meeting @ 6:00

November 5 - School Committee Meeting @ 7:00

November 12 - School Building Committee Meeting @ 6:00

November 19 - School Committee Meeting @ 7:00

November 25 - Early Release

November 26 & 27 - No School

November 30 - Unit A Contract Date - Non PTS 1st observation done by today

December 17 - School Committee Meeting @ 7:00

December 22 - Tuesday pay day

December 22 - ESP Contract Date - Longevity Pay (16.2)

December 24-January 3 - No School

December 31 - Unit A Contract Date - submit request for sabbatical taking place next school year (Article 25)

December 31 - Para Contract Date - submit written notice to district if anticipating column movement (contract attachment A)

⭐School Committee Meetings are held in the ensemble room at the PAC and can be seen live or recorded on ICAM's YouTube Channel. The files they look at during the meeting are available here.

⭐School Building Committee Meetings are held in meeting room A at Town Hall and can be seen live (at one of these links Edu live ICAM or Govt live ICAM) or recorded on ICAM's website. The files they look at during the meeting and all other documents associated with this MSBA project are available here.

The School Committee Policy Subcommittee works throughout the year to review policies to ensure they reflect the needs of Ipswich Public Schools and are in agreement with MASC guidelines. At each subcommittee meeting policies are updated, then changes are voted on by the School Committee and once that happens they are Ipswich School District Policy which we must abide by. The Policy Manual is updated in a somewhat timely fashion to include changes listed below.

Policy review and updates for September:

AA - School District Legal Status - no changes
AB - The People and Their School District - no changes
AC - Nondiscrimination Policy Including Harassment and Retaliation - no changes
AC-R - Nondiscrimination Policy Including Harassment and Retaliation - no changes
ACA - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex - no changes
ACA-R - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex Under Title IX Including Sex-Based Harassment - no changes
ACAB - Sexual and Sex-Based Harassment and Retaliation - no changes
ACE - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability - no changes
ACGA - Civil Rights grievance Procedure - no changes
ACGB - Title IX Sexual Discrimination Grievance Procedure - no changes
AD - Mission Statement - no changes
ADC - Tobacco Products on School Premises Prohibited - no changes
JJIB - Athletics - removed wording requiring SC approval for co-ops
ACL - new policy "Protect Act" - policy regarding Guidance for K-12 Schools Related to Interacting with Civil Law Enforcement, as required by MA law