ABCFT - Week in Review - June 8, 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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Negotiation Update:
The negotiations team has concluded the negotiating process for the 2017-2020 Master Contract. ABCFT Executive Board and Rep Council had unanimously approved the Tentative Agreement and was ratified by our members with a 93.2% yes vote. The School Board at their meeting Wednesday, June 6th approved the TA for the Master Contract. Now, the Master Contract will go print and you should have your own copy by the time school starts in August. ABCFT will put out a special State/District budget update next week.
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CURRICULUM UPDATE
August 22 Professional Learning Day:
Register today for the optional PL day- Teaching and Learning Institute- for all teachers including Adult School and CTE, nurses and children’s center permit teachers to earn additional compensation and training to support your area of work. Registration is required and open now until June 13th. More information to follow regarding the session topics.
Elementary Curriculum Update:
Summer Opportunities
All TK-6th grade teachers will have an opportunity to apply for summer hours to work on Math and ELA pacing and assessments, pulling writing anchor papers, and NGS example lessons. The Report Card Committee will also convene to work on the Report Card Maker GradeBook. Academic Services is looking for teachers to work on these important summer tasks. Last day to apply is June 13th.
Secondary Curriculum Update:
Teacher Leader Summer Curriculum Work:
On or about June 1st, all 7-12 teachers received an email with a flyer attached asking for teachers to apply to work on pacing guides, Math/ELA benchmarks/assessments, Science Pathway Development(high school), Edmentum and other work. This is an opportunity for your site to have input on the curriculum & assessments that are being implemented in our classrooms. Please encourage at least one member of each department at your school to apply.
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AFT STUDENT DEBT SURVEY
College graduates entering the teaching profession face many challenges, not the least of which is financial.
The national average public school starting teacher salary for 2016-17 was $38,617, according to the National Education Association. That falls far below the overall average starting salary of $50,359 for a bachelor's degree graduate across all fields.
About 70% of college graduates have student loan debt. The average amount owed was $30,100 per borrower, according to the Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the nonprofit research organization The Institute for College Access & Success.
So how much of a typical starting teacher’s monthly budget would have to go to paying off student loans? This survey, created by the AFT Research and Strategic Initiatives (RSI) department, will help AFT expand its programs to help more members struggling with student debt.
The national average public school starting teacher salary for 2016-17 was $38,617, according to the National Education Association. That falls far below the overall average starting salary of $50,359 for a bachelor's degree graduate across all fields.
About 70% of college graduates have student loan debt. The average amount owed was $30,100 per borrower, according to the Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the nonprofit research organization The Institute for College Access & Success.
So how much of a typical starting teacher’s monthly budget would have to go to paying off student loans? This survey, created by the AFT Research and Strategic Initiatives (RSI) department, will help AFT expand its programs to help more members struggling with student debt.
Please by June 18 it would be much appreciated.
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Neighborhood Coffee Discussing School Facilities Plan
ABC School Board member Ernie Nishii is looking for your input.
School Board Trustee Ernie Nishii is in the middle of his first year on the ABCUSD School Board and he is looking for input from teachers and parents about what facility improvements are most important to his constituents. Mr. Nishii is pro-teacher and pro-student and knows that teachers and students need the tools and facilities to help both be successful. If you would like have direct access to one of ABC’s teacher supporting board members, please attend his informal gathering.
Here is what he hope to cover during the meeting:
1. What is the Plan for School facilities? Security/safety? Technology?
2. How to pay for our school facilities?
3. What do YOU think?
Refreshments will be served
RSVP preferred (not required) by June 1. Ernie.nishii@gmail.com
Cerritos Baptist at 11947 Del Amo Blvd. on Saturday, June 9 at 4 p.m.
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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:
We hope you have a good weekend. See you here next week!
In Unity!
Ray Gaer
ABCFT President
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
American Federation of Teachers Supports the School Overcrowding Reduction Act
Oregon State University Faculty Win Majority Support for Union
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
U.S. teachers are underpaid, polls find
According to polls conducted by the New York Times, the Associated Press and NPR, the majority of Americans agree that educators don’t earn enough while two of the polls found that at least half of Americans said they would pay higher taxes to raise teacher salaries. The topic is receiving renewed attention after teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina walked out demanding higher salaries and more funding for their schools, some of which are starved for basic resources. According to a 2017 OECD report on education around the world, U.S. teachers earn less than 60% of what similarly educated professionals make.
Number of students receiving special education rises
A recent Department of Education study, called the Condition of Education 2018, shows the number of students aged 3 to 21 receiving special education services increased from 6.6m to 6.7m from the 2014-2015 school year to the 2015-2016 school year and 13% of U.S. students receive such instruction. Among those, 34% had specific learning disabilities, of which 20% had speech or language impairments and 14% had other health impairments. Joel McFarland, lead author of the report, said despite the slight increase, 13% is still within the range of special education representation seen in previous years.
DeVos asked to clarify remarks on immigration and schools
Civil rights groups and congressional Democrats are continuing to ask Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to clarify her remarks made last month that schools should be able to decide whether to report undocumented students to immigration authorities. “It is imperative that you immediately make clear publicly, to children, their families, and educators in every public school…that all children in this country have a right to a public education from kindergarten through 12th grade regardless of their immigration status,” the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said in the letter set to be delivered to Mrs DeVos.
DeVos: School safety plan will not study role of guns
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said the federal commission on school safety set up after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, will not be looking at the role of guns in school violence. Asked during a congressional hearing whether the panel would look at guns in the context of school safety, she said: “That is not part of the commission’s charge per se. We are actually studying school safety and how we can ensure our students are safe at school.” Liz Hill, press secretary for the Department of Education, added that the commission will look at all the issues the president asked it to study. However, she added: “It’s important to note that the commission cannot create or amend current gun laws – that is the Congress’ job.” Ms DeVos was also questioned on the issue of undocumented students and whether principal s or teachers can call immigration authorities on such students. She cited the 1982 decision by the supreme court that ruled that students are entitled to public education regardless of their status. “I think it’s incumbent on us to ensure that those students have a safe and secure environment to attend school, to learn and I maintain that,” DeVos said.
Teen deaths on the rise
A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed that there has been a significant rise in accidental deaths, homicides and suicides among young people across the US. The total death rate for 10-19 year-olds in the United States declined 33% between 1999 and 2013 but then suddenly soared 12% between 2013 and 2016. The report revealed that the rise in deaths was due to injury-related deaths, such as traffic accident fatalities, drug overdoses, homicides and suicides, as opposed to illness. The data showed that suicide rates among 10-19-year-olds declined by 15% between 1999 and 2007, dropping from 4.6 per 100,000 to 3.9 per 100,000. Then the rate increased by 56%, going up to 6.1 in 2016.
DeVos critical of U.S. schools in Swiss speech
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has addressed the 3rd International Congress on Vocational and Professional Education and Training in Switzerland, where participants were focusing on adapting education and lifelong learning to the rapidly changing labor market around the world. In her speech, she talked about the importance of lifelong learning and how young Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai had become a symbol of the importance of education. Ms. DeVos was also critical of some U.S. schools and compared the U.S. education system unfavorably to that of the Swiss. “In the United States, like in all of your countries, we are focused on expanding avenues to fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. We recognize that a dynamic and changing economy requires dynamic and changing approaches to education,” Ms. DeVos said. “Too many classrooms in America, however, still reflect a bygone era. And too many students are left woefully unprepared. The industrial revolution in the 19th century changed the landscape of agrarian economies, and of education. Students were trained to work the assembly line, and that was appropriate for a time. But we’ve experienced major changes in every facet of life since then,” she added.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Gavin Newsom, John Cox advance to general election in California governor's race
Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox face off this November in the race to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. Mr Newsom defeated Antonio Villaraigosa, who had been strongly backed by an independent super PAC run by the California Charter Schools Association Advocate, to land the Democratic ticket
----- DISTRICTS -----
Bulletproof shields for new students
Eighth grade students at St Cornelius School in Chadds Ford, Penn., have been given a “graduation gift” of bulletproof shields before starting high school. The students are the first in the country to be given the SafeShield panels, which are inserted into their backpacks. The shields can be used to shield the wearer from bullets, fired at their back, or held in front of their torso if a student is facing a shooter head on. Principal Barbara Rosini commented: “I worry about our kids. We can only protect them so far. This product can make our kids safer.”
Benitez set for seat on Long Beach school board
In as yet uncertified results, Cal State Long Beach professor Juan Benitez looks set to win a seat on Long Beach USD’s school board, outpacing opponent, high school history teacher Cesar Armendariz, by a 25% point lead. Both candidates would be the first Latino board member since 1994, in a district which is 55.4% Latino and currently serves 14,500 students who are classed as English learners by the California D of E. Benitez says he will focus on finding data-driven students to the achievement gap, ensuring that humanities subjects are not neglected, and engaging parents with tactics such as holding school board meetings in the community rather than at district headquarters.
Poway installs security cameras on campuses
Poway USD school board voted to upgrade and install security cameras at its campuses in a special meeting this week. The project’s first phase will use $482,016 of reserve funds to complete the security camera updates over summer break. Poway USD is considering a number of measures to boost security, with increased counsellors, psychologists and plans to hire a campus supervisor for each middle school campus all included on the proposed budget for next year.
----- LEGAL -----
GUN LAWS
Parkland parents form Super PAC
Some Parkland parents have formed a political action committee to push the National Rifle Association out of politics and ban assault weapons, bump stocks and high-capacity magazines in the U.S. The nonprofit Families vs Assault Rifles has been founded to be a counterweight to the NRA and will target competitive federal races. The Super PAC registered with the state and federal governments on May 18, the same day as a school shooting left 10 dead in Texas, and is soliciting $17 donations, one dollar for each life lost in the shooting, and the group has a $10m fundraising goal.
Rhode Island passes new gun laws
Rhode Island has become the latest state to strengthen gun laws, with new measures introduced to ban bump stocks and give law enforcement additional power to temporarily seize guns from individuals deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. Under the new law, petitioners can also request a temporary extreme risk protection order, which allows for more immediate confiscation of an individual’s guns if the court determines there is sufficient evidence that the person poses an “imminent danger.”
----- WORKFORCE ----
Santa Maria-Bonita and teachers union reach deal
Santa Maria-Bonita USD has reached a resolution with Santa Maria Education Association teachers union, after a 13 hour meeting on Friday to resolve a prolonged contract dispute. Educators had challenged the district’s proposal to include language to keep class sizes higher in early grades, as well as seeking a 3% salary rise instead of the district’s proposed 1% raise. A state-appointed fact-finding panel aided the negotiations, details of which have not yet been disclosed, and both parties have recommended approval of the agreement. If SMBUSD’s Board of Education votes to ratify the agreement, the deal will hold until June 2020.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Fresno County expands mental health support for all students
Students across Fresno County will have greater access to mental health support, after the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ensure that children in rural areas have the same support as their urban peers. $111m will go towards mental health funding over the next five years, providing for every school in the county to hire a behavioural clinician. Superintendent Jim Yovino adds that ten hubs will be built across the region, to save rural families from travelling “60 miles to Downtown Fresno” to get help for their children.
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Getting younger girls interested in fighting cybercrime
The Wall Street Journal's Deborah Gage takes a look at how US nonprofits and tech companies are seeking to tackle a shortage of women in tech jobs and, more specifically, in cybersecurity. Palo Alto Networks has helped develop a cybersecurity curriculum for the Girl Scouts, and Symantec is supporting the American Association of University Women to develop a cybersecurity class for middle-school girls. Veteran software engineer Michele Guel says some girls have the wrong idea about cybersecurity. “They think that you wear hoodies, work in the dark, drink soda and eat Twinkies all day . . . What we need is a new perception,” she says.
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
LA students cast early ballots ahead of primary election
Hundreds of students visited the Los Angeles County-Registrar’s Office yesterday to cast their ballots early, in advance of today’s primary election. The organization YVote said it bused in 250 seniors to vote, adding that across the state, it had registered almost 40,000 high school students. "A young person, a civically engaged, aware, and informed, and ready to vote, I think the better it is for our democracy," California Secretary of State Alex Padilla commented.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Yale drops SAT/ACT essay requirement
Yale University has said applicants will no longer be required to submit an essay score from the SAT or the ACT adding to the dwindling number of colleges that require applicants to complete the timed-essay portion of college admission tests. Yale’s policy will take effect for rising high school seniors who seek to enter the university’s Class of 2023 and the move comes weeks after Harvard University and Dartmouth College dropped the requirement. “We hope this will enable more students who participate in school-day administrations of the SAT or ACT to apply to Yale without needing to register for an additional test,” the university said.
Rick Caruso to Lead USC Board of Trustees
The University of Southern California has named billionaire businessman and philanthropist Rick Caruso as chairman of its board of trustees, following recent scandals that have led to departures of several high-level university officials. The real estate developer immediately succeeds John Mork, who completed his five-year term as board chair. The USC Board of Trustees also moved to begin a search for a new world-class university president, following the departure of C.L. Max Nikias. Mr Nikias was criticized over the case of Dr. George Tyndall, a former campus gynecologist accused of inappropriate contact and conduct towards female patients.
More data on Pell Grants needed
In an opinion piece, Andrew Howard Nichols, a senior director of higher education research and data analytics for the Education Trust, says in 2017, the federal government collected and reported college and university completion rates for Pell Grant recipients with the hope that more transparency would compel institutions to be better stewards of the government’s $27bn-a-year investment. He says the data is insightful, but there are still huge blind spots in the understanding of Pell recipient completion trends and patterns, and currently, there is no current data on how the completion rates of Pell Grant recipients differ by race and ethnicity, and he concludes that this is an anomaly that should be rectified.
.----- OTHER -----
Children given bulletproof shields as graduation gift
Graduating eighth graders at St. Cornelius in Chadds Ford School in Pennsylvania have been given bulletproof shields for their backpacks in preparation for high school by Unequal Technologies, which designed the ultra-thin, 10-by-12-inch plate that can be slipped into the bags. “Handguns are useless against a product like this,” said Unequal’s president, Rob Vito. “I never thought I’d need this,” said one student.
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
About three years ago ABCFT stated a working relationship with National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company. Throughout our partnership, NTA has been supportive of ABCFT activities by sponsorship and prizes for our various events. This organization specializes in providing insurance for educators across the nation. We have been provided both data and member testimonials about how pleased they have been with the NTA products and the opportunity to look at alternatives to the district insurance choice.
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