ABCFT Week in Review – December 21, 2017
ABC FEDERATION OF TEACHERS THIS WEEK...
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FEDERAL TAX REFORM - GET THE DETAILS (link updated regularly)
To get the updated details on how the current tax reforms will impact your household. You can go to the web link below for updated information. . Stay informed about how changes will impact all Americans.
How will your taxes be impacted. ←----click this link
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Last week I attended the EDP teachers staff meeting and lucky to catch a great powerpoint presentation by Maria Wasserman about food allergies. Maria was informing EDP teachers from across the district about food allergies that are sometimes hidden from the things we all eat. I was able to ask Maria if she didn't mind me sharing her powerpoint with other teachers in case other teachers across the district would like to know more information about food allergies. Thank you Maria for sharing. You will find the powerpoint in the link below.
Food Allergies Powerpoint
-Ray
Food Allergies Powerpoint
-Ray
Sharing resources and ideas are what keeps our classrooms innovative, interesting, and organized. Each week, ABCFT will highlight an education resource that we heard was great for teachers. If you have a website, book, or training that you found helpful in your classroom let us know at abcft@abcusd.us so we can share it with everyone. If you send an idea or link and we use it in the Review, we will send you a Starbucks gift card for the helpful hint.
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ABCFT -Retired Chapter
The ABCFT is made up of the retired teachers of ABC who continue to get together to work on community outreach, socialize, and political action. The ABCFT is a wonderful place for teachers to continue share, laugh, and enjoy the company of the many teachers they taught with during their time in ABC in the classroom. There are currently about fifty members and the current ABCFT-R President is Sylvia Rodriguez who was a teacher at Willow Elementary. Each quarter the retirees put out a report to the membership about some of the activites they have been engaged with over the year. The link below the their latest magazine.
ABCFT-R Quarterly Review
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
The ABCFT is made up of the retired teachers of ABC who continue to get together to work on community outreach, socialize, and political action. The ABCFT is a wonderful place for teachers to continue share, laugh, and enjoy the company of the many teachers they taught with during their time in ABC in the classroom. There are currently about fifty members and the current ABCFT-R President is Sylvia Rodriguez who was a teacher at Willow Elementary. Each quarter the retirees put out a report to the membership about some of the activites they have been engaged with over the year. The link below the their latest magazine.
ABCFT-R Quarterly Review
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Over this past week I attended/worked with unit members in representations, contract resolutions, email/text/phone call questions, site concerns, and mediations. Here are a couple of highlights from my week:
On Monday, I had my quarterly meeting with Dr. Colin Sprigg the Director of Information and Technology to discuss technology changes and use throughout the district. One of the projects ABCFT and ABCUSD have been working on for many years was how to find a suitable replacement for Edline. Dr. Sprigg has worked hard to gather a committee of representatives from all departments to help the district to decide on what website ecosystem best fit the needs of ABC employees and the Community we serve. This committee has been meeting regularly for the past couple months and should have a recommendation for the school board in the near future. Dr. Sprigg and I also discussed: Aries parent communication and how it works in emergencies, Youtube access pilots and how teachers will be able to offer youtube links in class and how teachers will self monitor collectively the appropriateness of youtube videos through a vetting process controlled by teachers in the classroom, Email board policies changes that will allow the district to purge emails over three years old if they are in an employees trash.
On Monday and Tuesday, Membership Coordinator Tanya Golden and I visited Willow Elementary and Wittmann Elementary. A special thanks to the many teachers who stopped by to talk about school site hot topics and crucial feedback on Professional Learning opportunities provided by the District. Thank you also for the food, it is appreciated.
On Wednesday we visited and toured the Cab Lane Adult School Site which offers career advancement and enrichment opportunities for adults and students. Below are a few of the classrooms we have at our ABC Adult Schools. We will have more information about the ABC Adult Schools in the near future.
On Monday, I had my quarterly meeting with Dr. Colin Sprigg the Director of Information and Technology to discuss technology changes and use throughout the district. One of the projects ABCFT and ABCUSD have been working on for many years was how to find a suitable replacement for Edline. Dr. Sprigg has worked hard to gather a committee of representatives from all departments to help the district to decide on what website ecosystem best fit the needs of ABC employees and the Community we serve. This committee has been meeting regularly for the past couple months and should have a recommendation for the school board in the near future. Dr. Sprigg and I also discussed: Aries parent communication and how it works in emergencies, Youtube access pilots and how teachers will be able to offer youtube links in class and how teachers will self monitor collectively the appropriateness of youtube videos through a vetting process controlled by teachers in the classroom, Email board policies changes that will allow the district to purge emails over three years old if they are in an employees trash.
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| Willow TK Winter Houses! So coo |
On Monday and Tuesday, Membership Coordinator Tanya Golden and I visited Willow Elementary and Wittmann Elementary. A special thanks to the many teachers who stopped by to talk about school site hot topics and crucial feedback on Professional Learning opportunities provided by the District. Thank you also for the food, it is appreciated.
On Wednesday we visited and toured the Cab Lane Adult School Site which offers career advancement and enrichment opportunities for adults and students. Below are a few of the classrooms we have at our ABC Adult Schools. We will have more information about the ABC Adult Schools in the near future.
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| Medical Occupations classroom with state of the art equipment |
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| The Pharmacy Technician Program with mock roleplaying as a part of the training |
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| The Cosmetology Program where you can get your hair cuts. |
Adult School teachers are part of the ABCFT bargaining unit so as I learn more about what these programs have to offer I'll be reporting the highlights of my visits and the possible ways that tk-12 teachers can engage and benefit from the ABC Adult School Program.
Well, it's been a long hall to get to Winter Break and it is well deserved. Have a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year with family and Friends. The Review will be taking a break for a couple of weeks but we will catch you up on news across the nation and state when we return. Enjoy the time, be safe and we'll catch you back here in 2018.
In Unity!
Ray Gaer
ABCFT President
or
(ABC Federation of Teachers)
Or
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CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Raoul Teilhet Scholarship for CFT Members
The Federation is pleased to announce that we are celebrating 20 proud years of our Raoul Teilhet Scholarship Program. This program has produced an enduring benefit of membership and remains a fitting tribute to former CFT President Raoul Teilhet.
The union is now accepting applications for the 2018 Scholarship Program. Since the program was established in 1997, the CFT has helped hundreds of students achieve their higher education goals by awarding them Raoul Teilhet Scholarships.
High school seniors and continuing college students who are children or dependents of CFT members in good standing are eligible to apply. Scholarships in the amounts of $3000 or $1000 are awarded for any one year of higher education.
Applications can be downloaded from our website, and members may call any of our offices to request that an application be mailed to them. Please take a few minutes to read the application so that you know the type of information applicants are asked to provide. Members will be asking the local union president to sign the Member Verification Form to confirm that the parent or guardian of the applicant is a union member. (See page 7 in the applications.)
There are two applications and two deadlines
High school senior applications are due January 10, 2018
Continuing college student applications are due July 1, 2018
Share these flyers with your members
Despite regular notices in California Teacher, we urge you to publish scholarship information in your newsletters and on your websites so that those who are interested can take advantage of this opportunity and excellent member benefit.
In Unity,
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AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Passage of the GOP Tax Bill
WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on the passage of the GOP tax bill:
“This isn’t tax reform; it is simply the largest transfer of wealth to those at the top in generations—at the expense of working and middle-class Americans. President Trump may have campaigned as a populist, but with his support Congress rammed through a tax plan in which 83 percent of the benefits will go to the top 1 percent by 2027, and where Americans earning less than $75,000 a year will be paying more for this tax cut to the wealthy. That is why most Americans oppose it.
“America is supposed to be about lifting all boats and giving everyone a shot at the American dream. Instead, President Trump and congressional Republicans are creating a new Gilded Age that prioritizes the wealthy over wage earners. Not only does this bill give massive tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations at a time of record profits, and on a day the Dow opened to another high, but Republicans will pay for these breaks by raising taxes on working people and slashing the deduction for state and local taxes, which will cut funding for public schools, police, and fire services. They even use this tax bill to make it harder for the people of Puerto Rico to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria and build a vibrant economy on the island. And House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Marco Rubio and others already have said they will use the deficits they’re creating as an excuse to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
“Most Americans want tax reform—not tax largess and cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy. When Republicans fear their donors more than voters, it's time for voters to take matters into their own hands and put people in office who will bring lasting tax relief to the middle class."
AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Trump Administration
Banning the CDC from Using Certain Words
WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on news that the Trump administration is banning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using certain words:
“First came alternative facts, and now the Trump government is banning words. Authoritarians limit speech and attack knowledge. What’s next? Banning books? This is 2017: We value diversity, care for the vulnerable, and believe in science and evidence; entitlements offer a needed safety net; and no one should pretend fetuses or transgender people don’t exist. This move to ban words is undemocratic, violates the First Amendment, and flies in the face of scientific and academic standards and research. We must fight it.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten on Republicans’ Government Funding Bill
WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Republicans’ short-term government funding bill:
“While averting a government shutdown, this bill falls short of what the American people expect from their government. The Republicans failed to pass a long-term solution to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, threatening the healthcare of millions of children and making it impossible for states to figure out how to budget for this program next year. The Republicans failed to pass the Dream Act, jeopardizing the futures of 800,000 students, teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers and other young people who played by the rules, did everything we told them to do and now face the threat of deportation. The Republicans failed to pass a disaster relief bill that adequately addresses the needs of Americans still recovering from this year’s hurricanes and natural disasters—especially in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where the federal response has been woefully inadequate. And the Republicans failed to lift the arbitrary sequester caps that hamper investments in programs that help working families. While the Republicans passed a bill so they could get home for the holidays—the day after passing a tax bill to reward their donors and the rich—these priorities of the American people remain outstanding and demand swift action in January.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
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NATIONAL NEWS
Education Department to delay Obama-era study
The Education Department is planning a two-year delay in implementing an President Obama-era rule that required states to look at districts that had disproportionately high numbers of minority students identified for special education services, segregated in restrictive classroom settings or disciplined at higher rates than their peers. “Through the regulatory review process, we’ve heard from states, school districts, superintendents and other stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including the significant disproportionality rule,” said Liz Hill, a department spokeswoman. “Because of the concerns raised, the department is looking closely at this rule and has determined that while this review takes place, it is prudent to delay implementation for two years.”
U.S. states graded on teaching financial literacy
A new report grading U.S. states on personal finance education in high schools has found a mixed record around the country. In its third report card, the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College found that even a B rating “does not necessarily mean that a state requires an adequate level of instruction.” The center estimates that half of the states that earned B ratings allocate less than one-quarter of a half-year course in high school to personal finance topics. This means that students in eight of those states get between seven and 13 hours of personal finance instruction in all of high school. California was given an F rating.
Education Department cancels some student debt relief claims
The Education Department has announced it is to cancel the student-loan debts of 12,900 people defrauded by the now defunct Corinthian Colleges, and will implement a plan to grant partial relief to others defrauded by the for-profit chain. The announcement is the first substantial step Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has taken to clear a backlog of debt relief claims that amassed over the last year and comes as the secretary and the department are facing lawsuits from attorneys general and consumer advocates for halting the loan forgiveness process. “No fraud is acceptable, and students deserve relief if the school they attended acted dishonestly,” DeVos said. “This improved process will allow claims to be adjudicated quickly and harmed students to be treated fairly. It also protects taxpayers from being forced to shoulder massive costs that may be unjustified.”
STATE NEWS
Changes made to special ed teacher training
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is to make changes in how special education teachers are trained, adding core courses and an assessment already mandated for general classroom teachers. The commission said more students with disabilities will be identified and served earlier, taught more effectively, and “mainstreamed” more often in classrooms serving all students. The most significant change will require all aspiring special education and general education teachers to initially take foundational courses on instructional techniques and skills, including classroom management and lesson planning. “Our kids in special ed are doing extremely poorly. The training and credentialing system has been broken for years,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, chair of the teaching commission.
DISTRICTS
District considering $47m in cuts
San Diego USD officials have outlined a plan calling for at least $47m in cuts from its $1.3bn budget to protect against future shortfalls. The cuts will come in prioritized tiers - called “buckets” – aimed at the district’s administration initially, while programs funded by the administration will follow, saving important or valued services at the school level as a last resort. “It’s our goal to never get to the second or third bucket,” said Debbie Foster, executive director of financial planning and development for the district. “We’re hoping we can find the money in the central office and avoid cuts anywhere else.”
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