To: Dr. Tim Thornton (representative
of the Board)
From: ASIJ Teachers' Union
Re: Requests
We request specific information regarding
financial, managerial, rejuvenation and evaluation aspects of your concerns regarding the retirement issue, cited as reasons
for the new retirement policy.
1. IF it is financial, what is the
extent of the school's financial concerns regarding the retirement issue? Clarify the meaning of "partially financial."
With the new policies, it is axiomatic
that the financial burden will be reduced. "Partially" means the new policy was
not just (only) to avoid the burden of financial expenses.
2. IF it is rejuvenation, what are
the parameters in the Board/Admin view of a rejuvenated faculty? Show us the statistical documentation supporting your perspective
for the current faculty and for the next school year.
In order to have a balanced education, it is
more ideal to have teachers' ages in different age levels. Presently, and also
the future perspective, is that the ages are getting older. We think that should
be corrected. We cannot reveal detailed numbers.
3. IF it is evaluation, what is the
process of evaluation as it relates to forced retirement? Who makes these evaluations? Those of us who have been forced to
retire have never been given a negative evaluation.
The evaluation is not part of the non-regular
contract that we are in the process of negotiating with the union. Therefore
we are choosing not to answer this.
4. Clarify the meaning of "managerial."
Show how your definition relates to the changes in the retirement policy that the Board/Admin have put in place.
As an educational institution, it is necessary
that the school be maintained in a healthy state.
5.
A listing, by year, of how many people were not offered a new contract, what was their age, how many years they had
worked at ASIJ, reason for not extending contract.
This is related to privacy. We cannot reveal this.
6. We request permission, should
we find it necessary, to use school facilities for the purpose of explaining our position to interested Faculty and Staff.
We refuse to allow use of this facility.
7. We also request permission to
have an email account of asijtu@asij.ac.jp for continued communication on this issue.
(The school blocks outside use of non-ASIJ email addresses.)
No, we cannot accede to this request.
Sincerely,
ASIJ Teachers' Union
