Reminder About Leave
The purpose of this memo is to provide you some reminders about leave. The number of reports of Administrators trying to deny members leave is rising rapidly.
We are entering the cold and flu season. We are entering the season when too many Administrators are looking to make their campus teacher attendance numbers look good at your expense or your health. (They are evaluated on teacher attendance rates and we are entering the T-TESS Season).
It is season for Administration to start taking care of the adults who actually educate the children. Particularly, given the high job-related stress levels in EPISD and August 3rd’s aftermath.
Types of Leave. There are two types of leave:
Discretionary, which requires permission and can be denied based on lack of substitutes.
Non-Discretionary, which does NOT have permission, substitute or even calling in in advance requirements.
I am going to focus on Non-Discretionary Leave.
Non-Discretionary leave is for illness/injury or emergency or death, be it yours or a close family member’s. This includes medical or dental treatment for illness/injury.
Policy and law say call it in, if possible. You put the absence in TEAMS and call when possible.
Go to or take that family member to the ER or Urgent Care, then worry about calling it in.
If you (or your spouse/partner or your children or certain others that need your care) are sick that qualifies as Non-Discretionary.
If you (or your spouse/partner or your children or certain others that need your care) as a doctor’s appointment or is hospitalized, that qualifies as Non-Discretionary.
A question I am asked a lot goes like, “If I (or my child or my parent) has a Doctor’s (or treatment) appointment on the Wednesday in the middle of STAAR/EOC Testing can I take Non-Discretionary leave. The answer is yes, your principal cannot deny you that leave.
Another question I am asked a lot goes like, “If I (or my child or my parent) is really ill in the middle of STAAR/EOC Testing can I take Non-Discretionary leave. The answer is yes, your principal cannot deny you that leave.
The TEAMS Absence Codes to use for Non-Discretionary Leave are:
10 — Personal Illness
11 — Illness of Family
12 — Family Emergency
13 — Death of Immediate Family
14 — Death of Other Family Member
If your Administration gives you any hassle about caring for the health of your family or yourself, contact your Federation immediately. I have already received too many reports of Principals or Assistant Principals trying to get members to not use the leave time.
T-TESS and Leave. We are coming into the T-TESS Season.
Has your Campus Administrator threatened to write you up for taking too much leave, particularly Non-Discretionary?
Has your T-TESS Evaluator threatened to take points in one of your T-TESS Domains for taking too much leave, particularly Non-Discretionary?
Has your T-TESS Evaluator dinged you in one of your T-TESS Domains for taking too much leave, particularly Non-Discretionary?
Guess what? The Texas Commissioner of Education ruled that doing so violates TEC 22.003 in the case of Melinda Houston vs. Point Isabel ISD, Docket №014-R10–01–2016.
So, if this does or has happened to you, contact your Federation to discuss options.
Why is the EP AFT so intense on your leave rights?
1. You have earned and need this leave. It is yours to use.
2. The frequency and blatancy of Administrators trying to intimidate or shame you into NOT using it has continued to increased year after year.
3. How many of you have been told to take care of your or family medical issues during the Summer, not when they happen during the school year.
4. Administration has increased the workload, time demands and stress levels in EPISD, mostly needlessly or without benefit to students.
5.To be blunt, I am sick and tired of the constant increase of the number of Federation Sisters and Brothers becoming seriously ill because they had been intimidated or shamed from taking necessary leave.
It is time for Administration to start taking care of the adults who actually educate the children.
In Solidarity,
Ross
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