1. Does the current BCPSEA partial lockout prevent teachers from continuing their involvement with student extracurricular programs or other volunteer activities?
NO. Teachers are welcome to continue their involvement with any extracurricular or volunteer activities of their choice. Nothing in the lockout order prevents any continued or new involvement with such activities.
2. Does it matter whether or not the extracurricular activities take place during the school day (e.g., at lunch), within 45 minutes of the start or end of the school day, or later in the day (e.g., in the late afternoon or evening)?
NO. Teachers are welcome to continue their involvement with all extracurricular and other
volunteer activities regardless of the time of the day.
3. Are teachers prevented from being on school property earlier than 45 minutes before the start of the school day or later than 45 minutes after the end of the school day?
NO. Teachers are welcome to be on school property at any time for the purpose of
supporting student extracurricular programs or other volunteer activities. The 45 minute
limitation applies to teacher attendance for the purpose of paid work at a school or district
site. Just as the BCTF “Stage 1” 60-minute limitation of teachers being at their worksite does not apply to extracurricular activities, the BCPSEA limitation of 45 minutes does not apply to any extracurricular or volunteer activities.
4. May teachers still attend graduation ceremonies, concerts, proms, awards ceremonies, sports events, and other year-end celebrations that take place outside of school hours?
YES. There is nothing in the current lockout order that prevents teachers from attending or
participating in any of these voluntary events. As noted above, teachers are welcome to
attend extracurricular and other voluntary events outside of the instructional day even if they occur on school or district property. If teachers refuse to attend, they do so by their own choice or the encouragement/direction of their union.
5. May teachers still continue with extracurricular field trips?
YES. As long as the usual district approval processes are followed (including the filing of any required paperwork), teachers are welcome to continue to undertake student extracurricular field trips of any type.
A special exemption has also been provided for extended field trips of any type that take teachers and students away from the school for long periods of time. All of these trips remain free to continue with no deduction of pay to the teacher(s).
6. Who defines what is included in the lockout — BCPSEA or the union?
It is BCPSEA who “owns” and defines the parameters of the lockout notice. Just as the union is free to unilaterally define and adjust the terms of its strike phases and actions (within the specified limitations of the LRB essential services order), it is only BCPSEA that can define what is included or not included in the lockout order. BCPSEA has never included a ban or limitation on extracurricular activities in the lockout order.
7. Why is the union telling teachers they may not participate in extracurricular or other volunteer activities because of the BCPSEA lockout, if that is not the case?
It is our opinion that the BCTF has purposely mischaracterized both the intent and the effect of the lockout in order to discredit the reciprocal pressure being put on the union
membership. In our view, this is an attempt by the union to put pressure on BCPSEA to
discontinue the lockout so that their strike may continue unhindered. At no time did the
BCTF ask BCPSEA for clarification of the lockout order, nor have they responded to the
appropriate interpretation information that was previously supplied to them.
8. Can teachers refuse to take part in extracurricular and other voluntary activities as part of their strike action?
Teachers cannot be compelled to participate in any extracurricular or voluntary activities,
regardless of when they occur (within the instructional day, later in the work day, or after
hours). An individual teacher may refuse to participate in such activities by individual choice or through the encouragement/direction of the union. In the previous strike, the union did tell members that they must not do extracurricular activities.
Leave a Reply