Every Student Learning Every Day
TTUSD E-Update from Dr. Rob Leri, Superintendent and Chief Learning Officer
April 19, 2012

Greetings from TTUSD, and welcome to our latest E-Update.

• Exciting news from the negotiation table! You may have heard this by now, but I’m extremely pleased to announce that TTUSD and the local teachers union (TTEA) have reached a tentative agreement that will allow us to rescind all layoff notices. The new agreement, which was just ratified by TTEA yesterday, includes early retirement incentives and two to three furlough days for the 2012-13 school year. It also includes a reduction of six teaching positions — which is attributed not to budget cuts but to enrollment decline. Recently I shared with the board and the district team my philosophy of a packaged deal instead of one single solution, and the negotiations successfully centered around these ideas. There are still some variables, as the number of furlough days will be determined by the number of teachers who decide to retire, but the result is an agreement that has fewer furlough days than last year and therefore less impact on students and staff members. In addition, the layoff hearing will not take place once TTEA and TTUSD ratify the tentative agreement. This positive outcome not only represents a cost avoidance to both groups in the form of reduced attorney fees, but, as TTEA points out, also allows teachers to focus their energy on educating their students versus preparing to challenge their layoff notices. Big picture: this agreement addresses a significant part of the budget issue for next year while helping to maintain class sizes and retaining quality teaching staff. I give credit to both the negotiation teams for really making the effort at transparent open relationships. It’s a big part of how we got to where we are today and it is such a significant step in a positive direction. We are proud to have worked collaboratively to come to this result! You can read the full press release on our website at www.ttusd.org (see “District News” on the home page).  
  
  

• We’re not out of the woods yet… While we’ve addressed part of the budget situation for the 2012-13 school year, we still have other cuts to implement this year in non-teaching areas, and we still have much work to do for 2013-14. We’re committed to looking long term so we can find solutions that are good for kids and staff members while keeping our goals of student achievement, rigor, and collaboration firmly in our sights. Steve Dickinson, Chief Business Officer for TTUSD, presents a budget update at our board meetings and you can also view more information and review budget documents at http://www.ttusd.org/budget. The next board meeting will be Wednesday, April 25 (see below for meeting details, and the next budget update will be presented Wednesday, May 2.

• My Listening and Learning Tour continues… After finishing up my first two weeks in my new position, I can honestly say I’m in good company! I’m getting to know so many wonderfully talented and enthusiastic people, from administrators to teachers to staff, students, parents, and other committed community members. I’m seeking input at every turn, and I’m eager to work together to prioritize this feedback and create real results. Here are a few of my latest and upcoming stops on my Listening and Learning Tour:
• Just this week alone, I attended the Site Council meeting at Glenshire and then the PTO meeting at Tahoe Lake Elementary, as well as North Tahoe School/High School VIPS meetings and a Kings Beach PTO meeting.
• Community events: Last week I made a presentation at Good Morning Truckee and today I made a presentation to Truckee Noon Rotary followed by Q+A. Next week, on Tuesday 4/24/23, I will be a guest of Parents for Public Schools for a “Meet and Greet” at 7pm at the Cultural Arts Center, Truckee. Later this summer, I will be doing a presentation for the Tahoe City Breakfast Club. I’ll keep you posted!

• Note: Earlier time for next school board meeting: On Wed., April 25, we will be meeting earlier than usual and will have a shortened agenda (to include ratification of the tentative agreement described above). The meeting will be held in the TTUSD Board Room at the district offices in Truckee, the public portion of which starts at 4:30 p.m. The agenda will be posted online at http://esb.ttusd.org/, and remember, you can log on and watch the meeting in real time by visiting http://www.ttctv.org/ and clicking on "TTUSD Board Meeting Live Streaming."

My thanks to you for such a warm welcome to the community… I’m really looking forward to working with all of you and creating a long and rewarding relationship as your superintendent and Chief Learning Officer! 

Rob Leri
TTUSD Superintendent and Chief Learning Officer