ABCFT Week in Review - March 9, 2018
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In case you’ve missed previous Weeks in Review, you can find all of them here: ABCTeachernews To find previous editions, just click on “Blog Archive” which is the menu on the right and click on the specific week.
(ABC Federation of Teachers)
In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE by Ruben Mancillas (video profile)
The tentative agreement for salary for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 has been released. During the course of this two year deal, ABCFT members will receive a 2.5% on schedule increase and a 3% off schedule payment as well as a 15% increase to stipends and an increase in the hourly rate to $40. For Children’s Permit, Adult School, and CTE Salary Schedules see the email sent from ABCFT yesterday.
- Click here for more information---->Summary of Tentative Agreement
- Click here for more information---->Draft 2017-18 Certificated Salary Schedule
- Click here for more information---->Draft 2018-19 Certificated Salary Schedule
- As promised for those who are interested in having more background budget information, we have provided district revenue/expense summaries for 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Click here for more information on ABC School District Budget numbers which determine what is available for salary increases.
What news do you have about the Master Contract?
We are still in the process of negotiating with the district over the master contract which will be in place for the next three years. We return to the table on Monday, March 12 and are nearing a conclusion as we bargain for specific language as it relates to particular articles in our contract. When we come to an agreement regarding the master contract there will be another update as to the relevant changes and a subsequent vote.
Thank you to the negotiating team of Leonore Bello, Ray Gaer, Tanya Golden, Karen Hogan, Dana Lindsay, and Jill Yasutake for the countless hours they volunteered to help bring this tentative agreement to fruition.
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MEMBERS GET ACTIVE
ABCFT TEACHER LEADERS PROGRAM: Tanya Golden TL Facilitator Profile here
Rachel Jimenez and staff at Carmenita Middle School wearing blue to show they are Public School Proud.
Teacher Leader: Rachel Jimenez
Together, our voices are much more powerful
I have come to realize the value of organizing together: While each voice has strength, it is so much more powerful when they are brought together in a union.
I am a middle school special education teacher and currently a proud member of the ABC Federation of Teachers. Through the ABCFT Teacher Leaders Program, our group has learned about local, state and national policies. We have also had the opportunity to meet with state legislators and members of Congress to voice our concerns about education. We’ve seen firsthand how hard the California Federation of Teachers lobbyists fight to support teachers and students. We’ve learned and discussed details of the union, ranging from budgets to contract negotiations. We are also conducting research on a topic of our choice related to education and/or unions — research that will empower us with the knowledge we need to become better educators and stronger union advocates. We need to protect our unions because they give us the power to fight for our children, for our community and for ourselves — and improve all of our lives.
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We’ve heard from members that there are deep concerns about safety at our schools and the availability of mental health services for students and teachers in ABC. Below you will find a video introduction from Superintendent Dr. Sieu that addresses safety in our schools and what preparation and plans are currently in operation.
ABCFT would like to thank the ABC Administrative Cabinet for taking the time to provide teachers and nurses an insight into how the district is addressing safety and mental health in ABC.
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ABCUSD SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE - Focus on Safety
This week at the bimonthly school board meeting, ABCUSD Administrators along with our community partner from Cerritos Sheriff Station provided important safety information. A few highlights were an assurance that each site has revised and reviewed emergency procedures, any emergency safety issues are being addressed, and the need for a revised community communications plan which will be facilitated with our new website that will be launched in the next few months. See the timestamps below for specific video highlights.
9:00 - Dr. Sieu Introduces Spotlight on Safety
12:00 - Tim Catlin Safety Procedural review
16:00 - Dr. Sieu Introduces Cerritos Sheriff Captain Joe Nunez
24:00 - Jim Poper (Director for MOT) discusses Facilities, school site and program safety and facility walkthroughs plan.
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CURRICULUM LINK OF THE WEEK
Repeat story in case you didn’t have time to look at Showbie last week.
Google classroom is great for going paperless, but you should also look at Showbie for enhancing your paperless assessments and homework. Showbie can help your classroom organization from assignments to collaboration. Showbie helps you bring your classroom together in one simple, easy to us app.
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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Wow, a whole lot of preparation for the presentation of the Tentative Agreement for teachers and nurses made time fly this week. As we’ve been saying, ABCFT is working hard to keep the communication constant and informative. I hope that we have provided enough information about the Tentative Agreement for members to see that the ABCFT negotiating team worked hard to make sure that this was a good salary agreement considering the resources available. If you have any further questions on the TA please email or call the Union Hall (abcft@abcusd.us or extension 21500).
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, Chief Negotiator Ruben Mancillas and I visited Elliott Elementary for lunch to talk with teachers about the tentative agreement and any concerns on their minds. Since the tragic school shooting in Florida, the safety of students and teachers has been on the minds of all educators as we all take a moment to look at our classrooms and school safety facilities and plans. I hope that you take a moment to read the interview with Dr. Sieu up above this report so you can see that many of questions ABCFT heard from teachers and were directly answered by the Superintendent. When I talked to her, she wanted to make sure that teachers and nurses felt safe and that their thoughts about safety were being addressed (ie - the concern about door locks she talked about in the interview).
On Tuesday, usually I attend the ABCUSD School Board meeting but I didn’t this week for a number of reasons so Membership Coordinator Tanya Golden spoke for ABCFT at the meeting. In lieu of the school board meeting, I attended a presentation from a local police department at a middle school for a presentation about drugs in schools and what types of drugs are out in society. The presentation woke me up to the realization that the delivery of marijuana and other drugs has become so covert that I would bet that most teachers my age have no idea what to look for in our classrooms. I felt nieve after the presentation but I am going to make a point of bringing back this information so I can share it with the ABCFT teachers and nurses. I think that the focus on safety and mental health goes hand in hand with the availability and use of drugs. So, look for more info in the near future as we gather resources to get that information out you.
On Wednesday, the CFT Convention Delegates met at the union hall to discuss the resolutions that they will be discussing, modifying and voting on at the convention. A big thank you to David Hind from CHS for leading the charge and helping us all understand some of the resolutions, nice work David. On Thursday, I met with IT Director Dr. Colin Sprigg and CSEA President Rebecca Michel-Macias to begin planning for the 3rd annual Technology Symposium on April 25th. So, mark your calendars and get ready for another interesting symposium. 
Two weeks ago we had a YOUnion Social event at BJs and had a blast. About 40 teachers from across the district showed up and had a good time. It’s great to see new faces and to talk with everyone. Someone suggested that we have a monthly No Host Union Social gathering just to give a good reason for people to get together to celebrate and share with each other. So mark your calendars to celebrate Spring Break on Thursday, March 29th (the last day before Spring Break). We will meet at Fridas by the Cerritos Mall since they have a nice patio area with lots of seating. ABCFT will have more info out soon about this event.
Thank you for all you do with our students and how you all support each other.
As always, have a great weekend and we will see you back here next week.
In Unity!
Ray Gaer
ABCFT President
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT Convention 2018 convenes in Orange County
The CFT Convention will be held March 23-25 at the Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa.
The Convention is open to all CFT members, but only elected delegates can vote. It is the Federation’s highest governance body, where delegates shape union policy and positions on issues affecting all members. The Convention will elect delegates to the AFT Convention and the California Labor Federation Convention.
General Sessions are packed with speakers, panel discussions, inspiring awards, and debate on union policy. The CFT Division Councils meet on Friday night and there are workshops on a wide range of topics. But the Convention isn’t all work; there’s time for fun as well, with receptions and get-togethers being held throughout the three-day event.
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AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT Leaders on Proposed Deal to End West Virginia Teacher Strike
WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT-West Virginia President Christine Campbell issued a statement on the proposed deal to end the West Virginia teachers strike. While it’s not over we expect the deal to pass.
Weingarten said:
“I’m proud to be in West Virginia today to stand with the educators and school personnel who stood strong and stood together to fight for what they need to do their jobs and stay in the profession, and for what their kids need to thrive.
“West Virginia has a long history of labor activism—where right often met might. Today, right beat might in the truest tradition of Mother Jones. That victory is a testament to the voice and determination, the resilience and compassion, and the collective power and organizing of the educators of this state. The governor and the Legislature heard, finally, and acted, we are grateful for that.
“While the strike has been front-page news for days, what was missed was that, for months, educators and school personnel were having conversations with on another—on Facebook, in-person—about the issues they were facing and what to do about them. By the time the decision to strike was made, workers were united in their demand for action, the unions were together in solidarity, and parents and community members were there to support them. Teachers and their unions even ensured that our strike and disaster relief funds could be used to feed the students in the state who get breakfast and lunch at school.
“Make no mistake, the attacks on working people aren’t just happening in the classroom or on the job, they’re happening in the Supreme Court and in the state legislatures around the country. But teachers and support personnel in West Virginia showed that, as corporate and right-wing interests try to thwart our voice even more, we will rise up. If you push us to the brink, we will fight for ourselves, our families and our students. We want to teach. We want to do this job, and we proved it during this strike. This isn’t the end of the battle; teachers are still not paid well enough, and they still don’t have enough resources. But in West Virginia, lawmakers were put on notice that they needed to act in the best interests of kids and workers, not for special interests. And if they didn’t learn that lesson through this strike, workers will make sure they do in November.”
Campbell said:
“This is a huge victory and symbol of respect for every teacher and school support staff member in the state of West Virginia. Thousands of educators and their supporters came to the state Capitol for the last week to ensure the public and the Legislature understand how important their jobs are and that they have been underpaid and undervalued. The strike and its strong outcome should be seen as a shot across the bow to every lawmaker who may underestimate the support teachers have, the hard job they do and their willingness to stand up for what they deserve as they educate the next generation.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
DeVos challenges states' K-12 vision
Betsy DeVos has slammed state education chiefs' K-12 accountability plans for "lacking creativity" and for wasting an opportunity to rethink their education systems. Speaking at the Council of Chief State School Officers conference on Monday, the U.S. Secretary of Education dissected states' proposals to the department in accordance with the federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, and called out some states for overly complicated accountability systems, including California, which she said took "a simple concept like a color-coded dashboard and managed to make it nearly indecipherable." Mrs DeVos and education officials have approved 33 state plans so far, as well as D.C.'s and Puerto Rico's, while 17 states are still fine-tuning their proposals.
Bipartisan support in Washington for school safety bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, along with a bipartisan group of 21 other senators, have announced support for a school safety bill in response to the Valentine's Day mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The bill authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to train students, school personnel and law enforcement to identify signs of violence, improve school security infrastructure, develop and operate school threat assessments and crisis intervention teams and enable improved coordination between schools and local law enforcement. Another gun safety bill introduced on Monday, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Denial Notification Act, would assist states with enforcing existing laws against people who try to purchase firearms illegally.
USA Today
Republican calls for school safety program in government funding bill
Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL), the lead sponsor of a bipartisan bill called the Stop School Violence Act, is calling on House appropriators to come up with funding for a school safety program in the measure aimed at educating students and adults on how to spot and report warning signs of gun violence. “We’re waiting to see. I do believe [they’re receptive],” said Rutherford. “It’s a very important issue right now. The sooner that we make these funds available for schools to harden the target, do the educational piece, the better."
Education Secretary, Democrats argue over school ratings
The Democrats have accused Education Secretary Betsy DeVos of approving state plans that require states to collect data on the academic performance of minority students and include them in school-ratings systems, alleging that she is violating a 2015 law. Mrs. DeVos has defended her actions, saying the Education Department is returning more autonomy to the states, with a department spokeswoman saying the law’s requirements aren’t as specific as Democrats say they are. “The U.S. Department of Education should be implementing [the law], not unraveling it,” the Democrats wrote, but Mrs DeVos responded by saying: “I’m not signing any plan that doesn’t meet the tenets of the law.”
----- STATE NEWS -----
Teachers’ unions facing threat from Supreme Court urge state protection
California teachers’ unions expecting to lose a Supreme Court case threatening to significantly cut public-employee unions’ power have started to push the state legislature for new laws to soften the ruling’s potential impact. The Janus case will decide whether public-employee unions can collect fees from non-member workers via “fair-share fees” which are currently allowed in California. California union leaders successfully lobbied for new laws requiring a union orientation session for all new public workers last year. Now, unions will fight for laws to shield union member information from public records to avoid anti-union targeting, give union members “release time” to recruit other workers, and allow unions to charge non-members for services such as arbitration or labor representation in disciplinary hearings. California School Employees Association director D ave Low confirmed: “Once Janus is decided, and we very much feel that it is going to be decided against us, we will be moving on to other legislation.”
California pushes for more analysis of school environment
California researchers and state officials have urged reforms of state requirements concerning analysis and strategies to improve school environments. Preliminary recommendations were released by Chief Deputy State Superintendent Glen Price in October, proposing more surveys into school climate be required by the state. Sacramento assemblyman Kevin McCarty proposed legislation this February to demand state funding for districts to invest in community engagement, including more detailed surveys of students, teachers, and community members. Some amongst the California School Administrators have expressed concern that the reform proposals are too extensive and may be “burdensome to districts that might have other strategies to pursue.”
----- DISTRICTS -----
LAUSD board tackles school safety, student mental health
The Los Angeles USD board has written its own proposal to tighten gun control laws in an effort to keep kids safe at school. Board member Nick Melvoin wrote the school safety resolution, which calls on lawmakers to pass gun reform legislation, including a ban of assault rifles. It would also seek more funds for health services to find and help at-risk students.
'School Resource Officer' role examined
Stephanie Saul, Timothy Williams And Anemona Hartocollis examine the role of the school resource officer as "an unusual hybrid" of counselor, educator and cop - under the national glare like never before. "Perhaps no other job better personifies America’s shifting ideas about schools, policing and safety," the authors suggest, noting that the most recent calculations of the number of school resource officers, from the National Center for Education Statistics in 2013, showed about 30% of schools had one, while in 1975 just 1% did.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Rest rethink over concussion
Experts at the University of California, Los Angeles say strict rest for concussed children may do more harm than good, advising instead that after a brief period of inactivity they should try reading, homework or playing video games, as well as low-risk exercise such as walking and swimming. The researchers suggest too much rest can see the youngster being "cocooned", which can lead to depression, sleep problems and long absence from school.
Infosurhoy
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Inspector general expresses concern over Republican higher ed bill
The U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general has raised concerns over the Republican higher education bill that would repeal regulations holding colleges and universities accountable for the use of federal student aid.“Eliminating various accountability provisions without a proven substitute would increase the risks to students and taxpayers,” the inspector general said in a report. It “could result in higher costs to offer credit through loans due to excessive borrowing, could increase defaults, and increase the use of [income-driven repayment plans] and loan discharges that could negatively impact the long-term viability of the programs.”
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