BRANDON TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION

EFFECTIVE PERIOD: 2018/07/01 - 2022/06/30

Letter of Understanding

LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING

BETWEEN:   

THE BRANDON SCHOOL DIVISION

(hereinafter referred to as the “Division”)

- and -

THE BRANDON TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

OF THE MANITOBA TEACHERS’ SOCIETY

(hereinafter referred to as the “Association”)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

Whereas, Article 33 of the 2018-2022 Collective Agreement refers to a jointly administered Professional Development Fund:

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree to the following:

  1. For the balance of the Current Agreement, the Division shall provide One Hundred and Fifty Thousand ($150,000.00) Dollars in each school year, including in the current school year, to the Association to establish a Professional Development Fund (hereinafter referred to as the “Fund”).  The Division will issue the Association two (2) Seventy-Five Thousand ($75,000) Dollar payments; the first payment will be issued by September 30th and the second by February 28th of each school year.

 

  1. The Fund is subject to the following:
  1. The Fund shall be administered by the Association.

 

  1. No more than Ten Thousand ($10,000) Dollars of the Division’s total annual contribution to the Fund may be used towards the administration of the Fund in each school year. 

 

  1. Association members who sit on the BSD/BTA Joint Professional Development Fund Committee (“the Committee”) shall be allowed release time in addition to Article 17.01 - Leave of Absence for Executive Duties of the Collective Agreement to attend to the administration of the Fund. The total number of Committee release days will not exceed eight (8) days in a school year. The cost associated with this release time shall be paid by the Fund.

 

  1. At the end of each school year the Association will present a written report to the Division regarding the operation of the Fund. The report shall include:
  1. Amount of money expended;
  2. Events attended, location of events and number of attendees;
  3. Fund Criteria.

Upon receipt of the report, the parties shall meet if requested by the Board to do so.

 

  1. At the end of each year the Association shall carry forward any remaining money in the Fund. The Association agrees that the carry forward in the Fund shall not exceed Two Hundred Thousand ($200,000) Dollars in any year. Should the Fund be in excess of the maximum allotment as of June 30th, the payment by the Division will be decreased by the excess amount in the following year, unless the Division agrees due to unforeseen or exceptional circumstances.

 

  1. The Joint Professional Development Fund Criteria (“Criteria”), contained in a separate administrative document, will be reviewed by the Committee at the conclusion of each school year and amended as required.

 

  1. Changes to the Criteria will be by agreement of the Brandon School Division Superintendent/CEO and the Brandon Teachers’ Association President (subject to the approval of the Brandon Teachers’ Association Executive and the Brandon School Division Board of Trustees).

 

  1. The wording of this Letter of Understanding will be incorporated into Article 33 - Professional Development Fund of the next Collective Agreement, with changes as negotiated by the parties to the Division’s annual contribution amounts to the Fund, as referenced in paragraph 1 above.

Date at Brandon, Manitoba this 25th day of May, 2021

 

Signed and agreed on behalf of                           Signed and agreed on behalf of

THE BRANDON SCHOOL DIVISION                 THE BRANDON TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION  

                                                                             OF THE MANITOBA TEACHERS’ SOCIETY

 

                                                                                                                                                

Linda Ross, Chairperson                                      Cale Dunbar, President

 

                                                                                                                                                

Denis Labossiere, Secretary-Treasurer         Alison Johnston, Secretary