October 18, 2002 - Davis Enterprise: Botswana RPCV Tim Paulson leads teachers as new deal is negotiated

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Botswana: Peace Corps Botswana : The Peace Corps in Botswana: October 18, 2002 - Davis Enterprise: Botswana RPCV Tim Paulson leads teachers as new deal is negotiated

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-48-41.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.48.41) on Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 1:01 pm: Edit Post

Botswana RPCV Tim Paulson leads teachers as new deal is negotiated



Botswana RPCV Tim Paulson leads teachers as new deal is negotiated

Paulson leads teachers as new deal is negotiated

By Jeff Hudson/Enterprise staff writer

Tim Paulson, who is serving as president of the Davis Teachers Association this year, is well aware that there is quite a lot at stake for Davis teachers in 2002.

"We are in the final year of a three-year agreement between the DTA and the Davis school district," Paulson said.

He added that the ongoing negotiations are somewhat complicated by the fact that the district's primary representative, Billie Egolf, is the interim assistant superintendent for human resources, and is trying hard to find a permanent replacement so she can go back into retirement.

The school district and the teachers are also well aware that state budget cuts are in the offing, which leaves several issues up in the air.

"We don't know at this point how long a contract" will ultimately be negotiated, Paulson said.

Paulson indicated that the district's health plan is an issue the DTA will be raising.

"Costs are skyrocketing, and our health benefits are near the bottom as far as teachers go in the state. That's the main one," he said.

Paulson is also working to "strengthen the organization of the DTA with new representatives at school sites, and providing training for those representatives." The DTA has about 550 members at present, Paulson said.

He praised the laptop computers that the school district provided to each full-time teacher.

"The computers have been beneficial, a lot of teachers are getting their work done more easily, and the use of e-mail between teachers and staff has been an enormous benefit in terms of communication," Paulson said. "Most things get done through e-mail now."

Paulson, who serves as a psychologist at Holmes Junior High and CŽsar Ch‡vez Elementary schools, started working for the Davis school district four years ago. He grew up in the San Joaquin Valley town of Lamont, near Bakersfield.

"My dad was a pastor at farm labor camps, and during my childhood, CŽsar (Ch‡vez) was at our house several times for meetings," Paulson relates.

Paulson attended community college at the College of the Siskiyous, near the Oregon border, then came to Cal State Sacramento to earn a teaching credential in the late 1970s. He moved to the East Coast to work with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, eventually returning to CSUS to earn his master's in counseling. He worked as a counselor in Elk Grove, and earned a second master's in school psychology, marriage and family therapy.

"Then my wife and I went to Botswana (in Africa) with the Peace Corps from 1988 to 1991," Paulson said.

Upon returning to California, they settled in Davis, with Paulson commuting to a job with the Stockton school district, where he was also the president of a union local. When a position opened up in Davis four years ago, he changed jobs for a shorter commute.

Paulson and his wife have a 10-year-old daughter at Willett Elementary, and a 4-year-old daughter ("a mighty pre-K, in her own words," he said with a smile) attending an area child care program.

-- Reach Jeff Hudson at jhudson@davisenterprise.net

Thursday, October 17, 2002



Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Davis Enterprise

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Botswana; Labor Leaders

PCOL1228
91

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: