The 3rd Area Council meeting was held at the ABCFT Union Hall this Thursday. At this council locals were informed about the political programs that are in full swing in support of Proposition 30 and in opposition of Proposition 32. As of last week the polls showed the following percentages:
Proposition 30 - 52% yes vs. 40% no
Proposition 32 - 42% yes vs 49% no
The ABC Federation of Teachers along with their ABC District counterparts in the AFSCME and CSEA will begin phone banking Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 8, Oct 10 from 5:#0 to 8:30.
If you are interested in joining us to carry our message to our ABC brothers and sisters please call the ABCFT union hall at 562-924-6942.
Also check out the CFT Campaign website @:
Also in attendance at the Area Council was Jeff Freitas the Secretary Treasurer for the California Federation of Teachers and past president of ABCFT Laura Rico representing the ABC Retiree chapter. Jeff Freitas discussed updates of the CFT political campaigns and Laura Rico informed the council about the retiree chapters adventures as they hand out information on Propositions 30 and 32 at the local Cerritos Walmart. Laura had a couple of zingers that I wrote down during her report. She was asked by the Walmart customers why she was handing out papers since she was retired already and didn't work int he school district. Laura stated that "I
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care about the organization I spend my life in" and that Proposition 32 needed to be defeated because "If teachers lose their voice they will no longer be able to protect students in the classrooms" Laura was referring to Sacramento but she also explained that the ABC Unified School District would suffer an 8.5 MILLION dollar mid-year cut that would immediately impact the services of the district, these are just a few reasons why both of these propositions are so important to all educators, parents, students, and anybody in the middle class that wants to have a voice in our democracy. Don't let the voice of working people be silenced.
During the ABC Convocation I mentioned in my speech about having the opportunity to speak in Hawthorne at a local elementary with Governor Jerry Brown. Below is the transcript of what I stated in favor of the passing of Proposition 30.
"My name is Ray Gaer and I am a special education resource teacher from the ABC Unified School District in Southern California. I am here to urge all Californians to vote yes on Proposition 30.
When my students begin the new school year next week they will notice three new challenges to their education. First, they will notice that there are more students in their classes then in previous years which will impact their one-on-one face time with their teachers. Second, they will notice that their teachers are teaching to a new set of national standards called the Common Core Curriculum. Third, they will realize early in the year when they are issued a six year old textbook that it won't have the Common Core Standards that they are learning from their teachers.
Textbooks are a basic tool and necessity for teaching all California students what they will need to complete in the 21st century. As student without a textbook is no better than a student without a lunch, it is a setup for failute. Our schools and classrooms need new textbooks to help teachers teach the new Common Core National Standards. Without educational funding California students will continue to use outdated materials and will fall behind.
Proposition 30 is a temporary tax that will prevent another SIX BILLION dollars in cuts to education. This initiative prevents those additional cuts and provides new funding for schools districts throughout California who are desperately in need of buying new textbooks, lowering class sizes, hiring back teachers and becoming 21st century schools.
Over the past 20 years the wealthiest Californian's have enjoyed a doubling of their income but are still paying a low rate of taxes which directly impacts our schools and our safety. We all need to pay our fair share. My students' futures are riding on this Proposition, our neighborhood safety is riding on this proposition, and California's future is riding on this proposition. Funding should not be a gamble.
I urge you as a classroom teacher to vote YES on Proposition 30. Thank you.
Anyway,
Get out the word on these two propositions and join the phone banking if you can. See you on the battlefield!
In Solidarity!
Ray Gaer
President, ABC Federation of Teachers
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