What is Level Pay?
Level pay is your annual salary divided by 26 pay periods. This means that if you are on a 20 or 21 pay period plan, your new bi-weekly check will be reduced in order to extend your pay through the entire year. If you are already on 26 pay plan, there will be no change in your check amount.

New Teacher Evaluation System to be Released - Through collaboration with district administration officials, we have completed a plan for a one year pilot in which multiple measures of student learning become part of your future evaluations done in a way that is fair for teachers. Please click the links below for a summary of the new pilot program along with the new Procedures & Requirements for the new system.

A Q&A session is scheduled at Mayerson Banquet Room on June 1, 2011, from 4:30 - 6:00.
TES Summary with CFT Annotation - TES Final document

CFT Officers Election - Ballots will be mailed to each member in good standing no later than March 26, 2011. Please follow the directions carefully and VOTE. All ballots must be in the PO Box by 4:00 p.m. on Monday April 11, 2011. NO BALLOTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE CFT OFFICE.

Cincinnati Federation of Teachers - Collective Bargaining Agreement 2007-2009

Interested in the Lead Teacher Credentialing process? - On March 10, 2011 there will be a Lead Teacher informational meeting for those interested in learning more about the credentialing process.

When: March 10, 2011
Where: Old Douglass
Time: 4:30 p.m.

Fund For Teachers Grant
Teachers have the opportunity to apply for grants that will enable them to have inspiring experiences over the summer of 2011 that can inform and augment teaching in their classrooms and schools. The Fund for Teachers offers stipends of up to $5000 for individuals and $10,000 for teams to travel anywhere in the US or abroad on a competitive basis. Click here to read more.

$1000 PD Stipend -
Per Mary Ronan the stipends will be issued to all Certificated Staff Under Contract on Friday, February 18, 2011. There will be a survey and a powerpoint presentation in the near future for all Certificated Personnel. Keep checking back for more updated information.

Teachers who have submitted your Early Retirement Notification to HR...your stipend checks are forthcoming! We only just learned on 2.17.11 that HR excluded the "future retirees" from the stipend check run (after the run was complete). We have been assured that you will receive your stipends soon.

CFT/ACPSOP Benefits Open Enrollment Period -
January 4-14, 2011. Additional open enrollment meetings have been scheduled to accommodate the many members who have questions. Additional dates as follows:
Jan. 7, 2011 - Mt. Airy School
3:30 - 6:00
Jan. 12, 2011 - ILC Ed Center
3:30 - 5:30
Jan. 14, 2011 - ILC Ed Center
3:30 - 6:00
The presentation repeats every 30-40 minutes so all material will be covered.

Humana Health Assessment deadline extended -
If you did not take the Humana Health Assessment by December 31, 2010 you are in luck! The deadline has been extended. The abosolute last date to submit the HHA is January 17, 2011 by 12:00 midnight!

Diane Ravitch responds to Bill Gates and others who challenge teachers.
Click here to read.

AFLAC - There have been many questions coming into the CFT/ACPSOP office concerning the new voluntary supplemental insurances offered by CPS and provided by Aflac. These plans have nothing to do with our Humana Insurance and are voluntary with the exception of the 125B form that all employees need to fill out in order for the district to be IRS compliant regarding pre-tax deductions. Please click here to read a full explanation in a letter to members from Julie.

December 8, 2010
Educational Historian Diane Ravitch coming to Cincinnati.
Your invited to a free special program sponsored by CFT/ACPSOP, Xavier University's Center for the Study of the American Dream and Strive to hear firsthand the latest thoughts of this major educational voice and interact with her Q&A. Click here for more information.

Teachers! Go to www.mayersonacademy.org and log on to MyPD to register.  Course number: 1063.2669  Space is limited!

INSIDE AFT
On September 6th & 7th AFT President Randi Weingarten was in Cincinnati to highlight the promise of community schools as a way to provide children and their families with an array of wraparound services that can help students succeed. Click to read more about her visit to the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic and tour or Ethel M. Taylor Academy.

OHIO AFL-CIO...
responds to November election results. Click here to read President Joe Rugola's response.

A critical election is approaching on 11/2/10. In light of the recent lawsuite brought against CPS by the anti-public school group COAST, we would like to remind you about what you can and can't do under applicable School Board policies and CPS's 12/2002 agreement with COAST. Click here to read document.

Individual Teacher Contracts
It has come to our attention that Individual Teacher Contracts have been distributed. These contracts are your personal employment contract and it is recommended that they be read, verified and signed by the individual teacher. These contracts are the same contracts that each teacher would have received at the end of last school year and are not a part of current negotiations of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. (Psychologists please call the CFT Office)

August 13, 2010
CFT/ACPSOP Leadership emailed a statement concerning the "Lead Teacher Situation" in the schools. If you have subscribed to our email list, you should have received this notice. If you did not, and would like to receive the notice, you can enroll by sending a request to cft@cft-aft.org subject line: Keep Me Informed,from your HOME email address, and we will send the notice right out.

The New Teacher Project Report - Click here to read the entire TNTP report (87 page pdf). Click here to read the TNTP Executive Summary.

The New Teacher Project Press Release

Click here to read the CFT President's (Julie Sellers) response to the TNTP final report.