ABCFT - Week in Review - May 11, 2018
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(ABC Federation of Teachers)
In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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I hope that all of you felt appreciated in some way this week as teachers and nurses across the nation have been recognized for their work with students and the communities they serve. Besides being a week where you get a free lunches and coffee, it’s a time for society to recognize the commitment teachers and nurses have for educating and enhancing the minds of the next generation. Thank you for all of the time, emotions, patience, and understanding you invest in ABC students, it is appreciated.
Every year in May the ABCFT President gives a State of the Union address to the ABCFT Site Representative Council to talk about what has been accomplished over the span of the school year and general comments about important matters. This past Thursday I gave my yearly address and I thought I would highlight some of the things I talked about so that all of the members can reflect on what has been accomplished so far during this school year. Next week, the President’s report will move back to it’s usual spot but I thought this report was more important to highlight.
This year has been busy in the classrooms and perhaps one of the more challenging years for many teachers long into their careers. I noticed as soon as teachers got back to school in August that they didn’t come back refreshed and what happens to teachers is often reflected in the students, so the entire district was fatigued from the start. Perhaps it was starting a couple days earlier than previous years, or perhaps it was the fun you had on vacations but most likely it was the mental exhaustion of what was happening nationally. The national chaos of last summer had a profound impact on our students and it was up to the teachers of ABC and all teachers in America to calm, reassure, and refocus students back to what was important; academic achievement, growth and dreams of a brighter future. And what did you do in your classrooms, you rose to the occasion and became the guiding light for students, parents, and the community. This has been a tough year for everyone but as ABC Teachers you should step back and take credit for being a rock for the communities you serve.
None of the social and political actions that have taken place in the two years would be possible without the leadership and strength of the women’s movement in the United States and internationally. With roots to knitting and crocheting clubs/networks working on pink hats to the gatherings and marches that have take place over the past year, women are networking and finding their voice like never before. Women make up 76 percent of teachers, 52 percent of principals, and 78 percent of central-office administrators, according to federal data and the results of a recent national survey (2016). These statistics help to illustrate the important role women have in America’s education system. As we’ve seen over the past year, this social movement has had a profound impact on a new generation of social justice activists as students take to the streets to fight for safety and social justice.
Over the past year, we have seen teachers across the county defending and fighting for proper funding for public education. Starting in West Virginia and than spreading to Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado this wave of teachers standing up for education funding are being heard. Teacher pay in many of these right to work states are paid more than twenty percent less than their counterparts in states that have unions and collective bargaining. Unions across the country have been the providing the framework and supports for teachers to have statewide walkouts and strikes and so an entire new generation of teachers are now being exposed to the collective power of being a part of a union of professionals. This discovery of collective voice has been mirrored by students in ABC and across the county by defending their right to feel safe in their schools and communities and advocating for legislation on guns.
Locally, the ABC Federation of Teachers has made big changes over the year and together had some significant victories. For example, in November ABCFT was played a critical political roll in endorsing and campaigning for the newest round of school board elections and with the help of teachers across the district we were able to help elect teacher supportive board members with educational backgrounds. Elections matter and this in this election we were able to help push out a school board trustee who often spoke badly of teachers, our salaries, our health benefits and the union. Its people like this that only destroy everything we stand for as teachers and nurses so this was a significant victory for the ABC community.
Other events of importance for ABCFT this year have been: the negotiation of a new Master Contract that is now going to a ratification vote; the finalization of a two year calendar with a district agreement on the start date for future calendars; a two year salary package that will continue to keep ABC among the top quartile for pay (we go back to the table next Spring for 2019-2020); the only AFT West Coast Teacher Leader Program that has gained headlines and has been vital in keeping the ABC teacher voice active in Sacramento and within CFT; the YOUnion Campaign which involves our commitment to more transparency and outreach to members with highlights like the Week in Review weekly updates, Member polo shirts, happy hour meetings, school site visits, and greater access to negotiations updates; the ABCFT continued voice in the California Federation of Teachers governance and the continued voice at the national level with the American Federation of Teachers in the Program and Policy Committee; and lastly having former 6th grade teacher, Tanya Golden working at the ABCFT Union Hall as the ABCFT Membership Coordinator to help members with questions, representations, and office organization.
It is unmistakable that the YOUnion has accomplished tasks this year and we look forward to next year’s challenges and projects. This month is when sites have their site elections for ABCFT Site Representatives. I hope that all of you will take a moment to thank these hard working individuals who step forward voluntarily to work with their fellow teachers and principals to present solutions for issues that could easily overwhelm us in our classrooms. I would like to personally thank all of this year’s ABCFT Site Reps, ABCFT District Committee members, the ABC Negotiating Team, and the ABCFT Executive Board for their tireless pursuit of excellence and innovation. Thank You.
For all you Mothers out there, have a wonderful Mother’s Day! See you here next week!
In Unity!
Ray Gaer
ABCFT President
NEGOTIATION UPDATE
The negotiations team has concluded the negotiating process for the 2017-2020 Master Contract. ABCFT Executive Board has unanimously approved the Tentative Agreement and will be brought to the Rep Council on May 10th for a vote enabling it to be sent out for our members to ratify. There is a General Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 14th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Union Hall at 19444 Norwalk Blvd. Cerritos.
CONGRATULATIONS TO WHITNEY!
Gretchen Whitney High rated California’s best school
According to the U.S. News & World Report's Best High School Rankings for 2018, BASIS Scottsdale, a charter school in Arizona, took the top spot in the nation while seven of the top 10 gold medal schools are also charter schools. “Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said of the survey, which evaluated over 20,500 public high schools based on Common Core data and graduation rates, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam scores. California came in second to Massachusetts for the number of top-performing schools in the nation;Gretchen Whitney High School in ABC USD was the highest-ranked in the state, and 33rd in the national rankings, followed by Anaheim Union High’s Oxford Academy (36th), Stockton Collegiate International Secondary(37th), KIPP San Jose Collegiate (60th), and University High School (Fresno)(74th).
ABCFT REPRESENTATIVE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
This month ABCFT School Site Representatives are holding elections for the 2018-201 ABCFT Site Reps. This is a good time to get involved if you are interested in knowing more about how the union functions and you would like to learn more about how the district functions as a whole. Being a site representative is an excellent entry level leadership position for those that are interested in expanding their resume and their leadership skills.
What does being a ABCFT Site Representative entail? What are the obligations?
1. If you are elected there is training in September for all new site reps that will help site reps navigate the politics and procedures of being a effective school site representative. In this training we provide all the resources you will need to get you started and will expose you to the support system that will help you be successful. We also have focus group meetings in our Monthly meetings that are also helpful for site reps to learn from each other.
2. ABCFT has the requirement is that there is at least one site representative per site at each monthly meeting. Meetings are the first Thursday of the month from 3:30-5pm each month of the school year. We have an additional meeting in August prior to school with school site administrators. We also have all site representatives attend our annual all day PAL Retreat with their supervisors.
3. There are no Summer obligations except for the meeting a couple days prior to the first day back for teachers.
Thanks for your interest in taking a leadership position in ABC. ABCFT also has a highly acclaimed TEACHER LEADER PROGRAM that is another way to increase your leadership and teaching skills. Please email us at abcft@abcusd.us if you have further questions,
MEMBERS GET ACTIVE - ABCFT TEACHER LEADER PROGRAMABCFT TEACHER LEADERS PROGRAM: Tanya Golden TL Facilitator Profile here
ABCFT is pleased to announce we are accepting applications for the 2018-19 Teacher Leaders Program. If you are an ABCFT member and you’re interested in learning, collaborating, and discussing topics such as education, unionism, and polish your leadership skills then we want you! See below for details on how to get involved. For questions about the ABCFT Teacher Leaders Program contact Tanya.Golden@abcusd.us.
Here are the details about the ABCFT Teacher Leaders Program:
To learn more about ABCFT’s Teacher Leaders Program see the Teacher Leaders Profiles here to hear about the TLP directly from our Teacher Leaders.
ABCFT Teacher Leaders Applications are due by Wednesday 13, 2018.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE ABCFT TEACHER LEADER PROGRAM CAN BE FOUND HERE
KNOW YOUR CONTRACT - Temporary Teachers and
Involuntary Transfers (repeated message )
Temporary Teachers:
Last week ABCFT received a few questions about the status of Temporary teachers and their contracts. This year we have a little over 60+ teachers on temporary teachers in ABC. During good economic times and steady/growing student enrollment ABC averages about 50 temporary contracts. With declining enrollment hitting ABC and the mediacore monies coming from the State there are more temporary teachers. During the recession we averaged about 75 temporary assignments so the the district had flexibility for positions which kept layoffs from hitting any permanent teachers.
Due to Education Code, on March 15th, the 60+ teachers that we have in ABC are annually given a notice that their temporary contract will end with ABC. This process is distressing for temporary teachers but it is part of the layoff protections put in the California Education Code. Typically in ABC, ninety percent of these temporary teachers will be asked to return the following year to either an additional year on a temporary contract or in many cases a permanent position that has been vacated by a retirement or change of placement.
The question asked was, “When will temporary teachers know if they will be asked to return?”
The District is in the middle of sorting out the school of choice and district of choice assignments to schools. This is typically done during the first two weeks of May. With those numbers the final staffing numbers are set for the following year (adjusted during the summer months). Many temporary teachers can find out if they will be asked back by the end of May after the schools of choice tallys are complete. There are of course exceptions to this timeline. Your principals/supervisors should be able to answer many of the questions about status for next year but if you have specific questions please contact ABCFT so we can assist you.
Involuntary Transfers:
Each year we get hundreds of questions about the language in the ABCFT/ABCUSD Master Contract. This Summer a team of Teacher Leaders and ABCFT leaders will work on creating an easy to access Frequently Asked Questions document to help answer many of common questions members may have about the contract or other district concerns. We would like to highlight a small section of the contract on a regular basis here in the Week in Review to help the process of informing members about the language and protections in the contract.
This week, we would like to highlight the language on Involuntary Transfers which can be found in Article XIII Transfer on pages 35-40 of our current Master Contract. Involuntary transfers can be triggered when there is a reduction of staff due to the enrollment and the staff is overstaffed according to Article I: Class Size. The first and often overlook step in this process is that the administrator/supervisor is required to ask for volunteers who would transfer out of the school. If there are no volunteers than the administration/supervisor would work with Human Resources to figure out who would be involuntarily transferred using the following criteria:
- The certification qualifications of the unit member.
- The seniority status of the unit member with the District. The unit member with the least seniority will be transferred unless there is good reason for bypassing such unit member. Such reasons include the maintenance of a well‑balanced staff in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, subject qualifications, and in extraordinary circumstances, age.
Often there is the misconception that seniority is the only qualification used when figuring out who is picked. In this age of program specialist and niche programs seniority is sometimes overridden by the importance of a specific program or curricular speciality. For example, a highly trained TIP coordinator for a school who doesn’t have seniority may in fact bump when there is nobody who is willing to be the TIP coordinator for the school. Since the TIP Coordinator is crucial for curricular delivery this might be a case where the lower seniority person would be bypassed. What is critical and who is replaceable is closely monitored.
In the end, involuntary transfers are handled with Human Resources in a case by case basis and each choice is highly scrutinized by both ABCFT and ABCUSD. It should noted that the above language is different than the language used for RSP/SDC and itinerant teachers. Please contact is at ABCFT@abcusd.us if you have any contract questions or if you have any contract questions that you think we should highlight in these weekly articles.
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Click in the Educators Choice Picture below to get your CFT voter guide for your area.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Arizona AFT and AFT Disappointed in Final Arizona Budget Package
PHOENIX—The Arizona American Federation of Teachers and its parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, said they were disappointed in Gov. Doug Ducey’s final budget package, which the Legislature is expected to consider today.
Arizona AFT President Ralph Quintana:
“This budget package is terribly disappointing because it doesn’t address the very real crisis unfolding every single day in Arizona’s public schools. It doesn’t reflect what tens of thousands of teachers, parents, students and others have told lawmakers is needed for a quality public education system for years to come. Teachers are upset that Republicans wouldn’t work with Democrats to come up with a viable solution to raise needed revenue, but they will go back to school on Thursday, promising to continue their quest for crucial funding.
“This fight moves to the ballot box to elect lawmakers who understand that new revenue is required so that students have textbooks; teachers have curriculum; arts and special education programs are restored; children have fully funded all-day kindergarten; teachers want to stay and teach in Arizona; and all students and school employees have safe and modern schools. We walked in April, and we will remember in November.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten:
“Teachers in Arizona, Oklahoma and West Virginia have educated the nation about the intolerable teaching and learning conditions that can be blamed directly on the reckless practice of cutting taxes for the wealthy and corporations and denying public schools adequate funding. Arizona students are paying the price for lawmakers’ abandonment of the mainstream value of a quality public education. When you shortchange children’s education, you are shortchanging their future opportunities.
“Teachers have taken very courageous stands in states across America. Their passion for their profession and what they want for their students has made an indelible impression on the public, which will be reflected in November.”
American Federation of Teachers Congratulates Members and Retirees on Election Day Victories
- 05/09/2018
AFT’s Weingarten on CFPB Director Mulvaney’s Closure of Key CFPB Office
- 05/09/2018
AFT Response to Project Veritas Video
- 05/08/2018
AFT Responds to Latest in Project Veritas Case
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
On May 12, help the LA Fed, National Association of Letter Carriers, Labor Community Services, and United Way of Greater Los Angeles to stamp out hunger! This volunteer-led food drive is the nation's largest single-day event that spreads out across America to help provide assistance to Americans who are struggling with hunger.
On Saturday, May 12, Angelenos will place bags of non-perishable food on their porches. Those bags will go from porch to post offices to a massive warehouse in Bell, CA. Hundreds of volunteers are needed at local post offices to load the donations onto trucks.
Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
DETAILS:
What: Stamp out Hunger Food Drive
When: Saturday, May 12, from 3 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Various locations in LA County
In 2017, volunteers collected 80 million pounds of food, which brought the grand total of donations to more than 1.5 billion pounds of food collected since the drive began in 1992.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Melania Trump launches ‘Be Best’ children’s well-being initiative
First Lady Melania Trump has said that “too often social media is used in negative ways” and she plans to dedicate the rest of her time at the White House to bringing attention to the problems children face in “today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world.” Calling her campaign “Be Best,” Mrs. Trump said in addition to raising awareness to the dangers of online bullying and encouraging “positive online behaviors,” she will highlight programs that foster the well-being of children, including their social and emotional health, and help them overcome addictions. “We can and should teach children the importance of social and self-awareness, positive relationship skills and responsible decision making,” Mrs. Trump said. “Let us teach our children the difference between right and wrong, and encourage them to be best in their individual paths in life.”
----- STATE NEWS -----
Unfunded debts for California teacher pensions up $11bn
California’s unfunded debt for teacher pensions has grown by nearly $11bn, according to the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), which said it is facing a $107bn gap between the cost of pensions promised to teachers, and the money currently set aside to pay for them. As of June 30th2017, the pension system was 62.6% funded, down from 63.7% a year earlier, with $209bn in assets.
CalSTRS lobbying gun retailers
The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), the world’s largest teacher-only pension fund, will pressure retail companies it is invested in to stop selling firearms and parts that are outlawed by the state, and will consider divestment from firms that refuse to make changes. The group’s Investment Committee voted yesterday to lobby gun retailers to stop selling weapons and accessories such as rapid-fire bump stocks. The new policy was drafted in the wake of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 students and faculty in February. CalSTRS’ $225bn investment portfolio includes over $400m in firms such as Walmart and Kroger.
Students may be allowed “cultural adornments” at commencements
Graduates wanting to wear cultural adornments to their graduation ceremonies may soon be allowed to by law, after Assembly Bill 1248 passed the Senate Education Committee yesterday on a 5-0 vote. The bill, which passed the Assembly in January, would “ensure students can wear items of cultural significance during commencement ceremonies,” although it now contains a provision giving districts leeway to prohibit such items should they cause a “substantial disruption” or “interfere with” the graduation ceremony. The bill’s author, Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D), says, “No government entity should have the power to silence a students’ proud display of their cultural traditions as they celebrate this personal milestone.”
----- DISTRICTS -----
Gretchen Whitney High rated California’s best school
According to the U.S. News & World Report's Best High School Rankings for 2018, BASIS Scottsdale, a charter school in Arizona, took the top spot in the nation while seven of the top 10 gold medal schools are also charter schools. “Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said of the survey, which evaluated over 20,500 public high schools based on Common Core data and graduation rates, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam scores. California came in second to Massachusetts for the number of top-performing schools in the nation;Gretchen Whitney High School in ABC USD was the highest-ranked in the state, and 33rd in the national rankings, followed by Anaheim Union High’s Oxford Academy (36th), Stockton Collegiate International Secondary(37th), KIPP San Jose Collegiate (60th), and University High School (Fresno)(74th).
SF to vote on supplementing educator salaries with parcel tax
Voters in San Francisco are being urged to support Proposition G, a tax that would increase salaries by 7% for 20 years, as the teacher recruitment and retention crisis persists. With educators striking nationwide to demand better pay and conditions, backing for the June 5 primary ballot would see $50m generated each year through the levying of a $298 parcel tax. Myong Leigh, deputy superintendent of the San Francisco USD, commented: “In San Francisco, we have an acute housing affordability challenge and we have constraints on the funding we get from the state. There is a perfect storm of challenges. We have a national teacher shortage, with fewer people going into the profession across the country”.
LA school worker strike averted
Los Angeles USD officials, and senior union figures, announced a contract agreement last night, a pact that averts the one-day strike planned for next week, on May 15th. The deal applies to the 30,000 bus drivers, cafeteria workers, teaching assistants and other staff who are represented by Local 99 of Service Employees International Union; it offers a 3% raise retroactive to July 1st last year, along with a second, later, 3% increase dependent on the district’s overall financial health.
----- LEGAL -----
Attempt to stop release of video denied by U.S. judge
A request by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to stop Project Veritas from releasing information it collected in an undercover operation targeting a Michigan union affiliate has been rejected by a federal judge. Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe said in a statement the ruling was “a victory for both journalism and for the First Amendment,” while Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, said she was disappointed with the ruling and that the union would continue to fight “unethical and unlawful smear campaigns against educators.”
Judge denies request to drop felony charges against Berkeley teacher
Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Savage has moved forward a felony case against activist and Berkeley USD middle school teacher Yvette Felarca and two other activists. The accusations include a felony charge of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and two misdemeanor charges of rioting and inciting a riot, in protest against a neo-Nazi rally in Sacramento in 2016. The case will continue with a preliminary hearing on May 18th.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Most Teachers Report High Levels of Stress, Study Finds
Most teachers experience high levels of burnout and stress—and that may be affecting their students' achievement, a recent study found.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri and published in Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, measured the levels of stress, burnout, and coping abilities of 121 teachers at elementary schools in a Midwestern school district, as well as the effects of teacher stress and coping on student outcomes.
The results are particularly interesting given that teachers in several states have recently walked out of their classes to fight for higher pay and better working conditions—issues that undoubtedly impact stress levels.
----- INTERNET -----
Melania Trump launches ‘Be Best’ children’s well-being initiative
First Lady Melania Trump has said that “too often social media is used in negative ways” and she plans to dedicate the rest of her time at the White House to bringing attention to the problems children face in “today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world.” Calling her campaign “Be Best,” Mrs. Trump said in addition to raising awareness to the dangers of online bullying and encouraging “positive online behaviors,” she will highlight programs that foster the well-being of children, including their social and emotional health, and help them overcome addictions. “We can and should teach children the importance of social and self-awareness, positive relationship skills and responsible decision making,” Mrs. Trump said. “Let us teach our children the difference between right and wrong, and encourage them to be best in their individual paths in life.”
Court weighs in on cyberullying case
A federal appeals court has suggested colleges and universities have an obligation to protect students from cyberbullying in a case involving the University of Mary Washington, free speech and anonymous social media messages. Two judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit compared online threats against students to bomb threats by phone, and said such speech is not protected by the First Amendment. A three-judge appeals panel was reviewing a lawsuit brought last year by members of a student-run feminist group, who accused the school of fostering a hostile environment and failing to protect them from threatening, sexist posts on the now-defunct messaging app, Yik Yak. Mary Washington officials said blocking access to a private social media app risked violating the free speech rights of other students at the school in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
UC workers strike set to widen
Thousands of custodians, security guards, gardeners and other service workers at University of California campuses started a three-day strike yesterday, to address pay inequalities and demand higher wages. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year. Subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement on wage increases, healthcare premiums and retirement terms. More than 20,000 members of UC's largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs; the action is expected to widen today, when two other unions will join sympathy strikes.
----- CHARTERS -----
Report claims Oakland USD loses millions in funding due to charter schools
A report published yesterday by the University of Oregon estimates that Oakland USD lost $57.4m in revenues last year, as a result of the city’s 40 charter schools. The study compared what the district would gain in funding, if all students currently enrolled in charters attended public schools, and then what it would cost to educate them. Oakland’s enrollment has significantly declined over the past two decades, with 37,000 students this year, down from 54,000 in 2000. During that same period, charter enrollment has gone from about 1,000 to 15,500. Professor Gordon Lafer, one of the authors of the report, said “unlimited” charter expansion risks pushing districts toward a “financial tipping point.” In response, the California Charter School Association said the study is “pure propaganda.”
.----- OTHER -----
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