ABCFT - Week in Review - August 24, 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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Each week I work with unit members in representations, contract resolutions, email/text/phone call questions, site concerns, site visits, presentations, state/national representations and mediations. Here are some of the highlights of interest.
For those of you new to this format of communication. At the end of each week of the school year we try to get a Week in Review out to members to you informed about what is happening in education. We focus on how ABCFT is advocating for its members and how the YOUnion works behind the scenes to help you in your classrooms.
Welcome back Teachers and Nurses!!! I hope that all of you had some time to regroup, recharge, retool, and reboot for the the 2018-2019 school year. Even a short break where you get to forget the day of the week is amazing and freeing.
I know that over the Summer many of you taught summer school or worked on curriculum in preparation for this new school year. I hope you were able to grab some moments relaxation with friends and family along the way.
In mid-July, 11 delegates from the ABC Federation of Teachers traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the bi-annual AFT National Convention for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). At the AFT’s convention, teachers and nurses from across the country shared insights on how professional development, and union activism can help them build union power, improve their communities, and improve public schools. The delegation enjoyed speeches by AFT President Randi Weingarten, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and the presidents of AFSCME (classified) and NEA (the other national teachers organization). Click here if you would like to watch Randi Weingarten’s address to the convention. Randi Weingarten was elected for another two year term as our AFT President.
Teachers and Nurses (AFT is the fastest growing health union) who attended the convention felt reinvigorated after listening participating in workshops, panels, committees, and a march in support of public education through the streets of Pittsburg. The slogan heard repeatedly what that as the YOUnion we care, we fight, we show up, and we vote. Continued attacks of public education teachers/nurses and education funding can only be turned by the votes at ballot boxes. Throughout the school year, ABCFT will highlight those political issues throughout the year that will impact education and educators so that members can make educated choices at the ballot boxes.
Next week ABCFT’s Week in Review will be a full issue. This week we just wanted to tell you HELLO and WELCOME BACK. For those of you who like checking out the state and national news and want to catch up, I threw together a few of the important articles that popped up over the Summer.
Have a great first day back with kids and have a great year. Remember, Labor Day is around the corner and payday is next week!
In Unity
Ray Gaer
President, ABC Federation of Teachers
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
ABCFT will have more information about negotiations in future weeks but here is an update on current projects:
- Stipend committee members are will be solicited for discussions about the use of stipends at school sites.
- The Negotiating team is looking at the updating the current STULL evaluation form with updated language from the California Standards for Teaching.
- Evaluation handbook is being updated to reflect the language changes in the evaluation.
Here are the links to the Human Resources page on the remodeled ABC website for the new ABCFT Master Contract as well as the link to the new 2018-2019 Salary Schedules.
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT members call on CalSTRS to pressure companies to stop profiting off family separations at the border
July 20, 2018
Several CFT leaders and members testified today at the CalSTRS Investment Committee meeting in West Sacramento, urging the second largest pension fund in the country to pressure companies that they invest in to stop profiting off family separations at the border.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT’s Weingarten Lays Out Path Forward for Unions, 2018 Elections and Defense of American Democracy in AFT Convention Speech
Hope in Darkness’ Speech Defines Challenges and Opportunities for Unions Following Janus Decision and,Increased Activism, Frames 2018 Election as Battle for Decency and a Check on Trump Administration’s Cruelty and Threat to American Democracy
2018 AFT Convention Begins Today in Pittsburgh with More than 3,000 Delegates and Will Focus on Theme of ‘We Care, We Fight, We Show Up, We Vote’
PITTSBURGH—AFT President Randi Weingarten kicked off the AFT’s biennial national convention today by urging members to find “hope in darkness” at a crucial juncture for American democracy and Americans’ aspirations for a better life. The convention theme rallies members to continue to care, fight, show up and vote.
Weingarten’s address to more than 3,000 educators, nurses and health professionals, and public employees laid out a path for a strong union movement in the face of the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision and right-wing attacks—a path that depends on engaging members and involving community around issues that matter. And she sounded a dire warning for the future of American democracy in the Trump era, and framed the 2018 election as a battle for decency over cruelty and a check on the Trump administration’s cruel policies.
“We are a year and a half into this presidency, and we have cause for great concern. This state of affairs is not normal. I cannot be silent and neither can you. … Beyond demanding decency, we must defend democracy at this most crucial moment for American democracy since the rise of fascism and authoritarianism in the 1930s,” Weingarten said.
She called for AFT members to unite with our communities in the lead-up to the November midterm elections and framed voting as the way to translate the activism we are seeing across the country into enduring change.
“These elections won’t just determine whether Republicans or Democrats prevail, but whether cruelty or decency prevails. We must be a check and balance for our democracy and for a society that is safe, welcoming and sane,” Weingarten said. “America’s labor movement is central to defending democracy. Authoritarian governments invariably attack unions, seeking to undermine them, because unions have always been in the forefront of the fight for democracy.”
“So when it comes to November 2018, we must be together and we must be all-in, which is why I am so glad that both Secretary Clinton and Sen. Sanders are with us at this convention.
“Our members feel the urgency. This year, nearly 300 of your fellow AFT members aren’t just casting their ballots—they’re on the ballot. Walkouts are turning into walk-ins to the voting booth.”
Weingarten zeroed in on the challenges and opportunities facing labor unions in the post-Janus era, amid continued threats from a right wing and an administration determined to deny workers a shot at a better life.
“Right-wing groups and their wealthy allies want us gone, because unions are often the only organized force challenging their enormous power in politics and the economy,” she said. “It’s part of their trifecta strategy: suppress the vote, privatize public education and eliminate unions—the three ways working folks have any agency, any real power, in America.”
“They know that working people gain strength in numbers,” Weingarten continued. “And they know working people do better when they join together in unions. So the right wing is doing everything they can to stop us, so people have to fend for themselves.”
Weingarten juxtaposed the feeling of apprehension during the Janus oral arguments—when the conservative justices made it clear that they wanted to “destroy unions and, with them, the aspirations and dreams of working folks,” overturn 41 years of precedent, and weaponize the First Amendment—with the hope and inspiration of the teacher walkouts that launched two weeks later in West Virginia and spread across the country.
“People see that despair is not a strategy, and that—together—these fights are winnable,” she said.
Weingarten continued, “Like so much of the recent activism, the teacher walkouts are stoking a movement for social justice, for workers’ rights, for women’s rights, for civil rights and children’s rights, for decent healthcare and well-funded public schools, for safety—on the streets and in our schools. People acting together and accomplishing together what individuals can’t do on their own.”
And she noted that the Janus decision, which its wealthy funders hoped would encourage members to “drop” the union, has in fact galvanized members to join and recommit to the AFT in record numbers.
“Where our opponents have waged their bare-knuckle opt-out campaigns, the stories of drops have been few and far between. We have seen just the opposite: members recommitting and new members joining.”
More than 530,000 AFT members have recommitted to the union, and Weingarten proclaimed that the AFT had reached its highest membership ever at 1,755,000 members.
That’s not stopping right-wing groups from targeting union members. Weingarten noted that in the days since the Janus decision, “right-wing billionaires have spent millions of dollars, literally millions, on opt-out campaigns and lawsuits. The Mackinac Center, for example, with funding from the Koch brothers and Betsy DeVos, is spamming every educator in nearly a dozen states on their school email accounts.”
Weingarten, who has served as AFT president for a decade, said the way forward for unions in the face of these attacks is to engage members and involve community around issues that matter—safe communities and welcoming, well-funded public schools; affordable healthcare and higher education; good wages, a secure retirement, and a voice at work and in our democracy; decency and fairness, and fighting hatred and bigotry; and fighting for family values and a better America.
Concluding with a call to action to keep caring, fighting, showing up and voting, Weingarten said, “We are in a battle for the soul of our nation. It’s terrifying, but we have confronted dreadful times before. … But I come down on the side of hope.”
Weingarten continued, “America can and does change. Power concedes nothing without a demand, as Frederick Douglass taught us, and we have been fighting powerful forces for centuries. ... The arc of the universe does bend toward justice—but not on its own. It bends because people like you and me put our hands on it and bend it. So now it’s our turn. This is on us. This is our moment.”
Hillary Clinton, honored with the AFT Women’s Rights Award, was set to take to the stage immediately after Weingarten’s address. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will address delegates on Saturday afternoon, with Sen. Bernie Sanders scheduled to appear Sunday morning.
Hedge Fund Billions Invested in Private Prisons Exposed
AFT Asset Manager ‘Watch List’ Sent to Retirement Fund Trustees Recommends Immediate Divestment from Firms Exploiting Breakup of Families at Southern Border
WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers is urging public pension trustees with more than $3 trillion under management to review their holdings in the wake of a new reportexposing hedge funds and corporations that are profiting off the jailing of immigrant families in private prisons.
The AFT periodically issues reports ranking asset managers, to both educate trustees of pension funds and shine a light on assets held by public pension systems. A new edition, released Friday, reveals that Longview Asset Management, Renaissance Technologies, Wellington Management Group and 25 other funds hold $15 billion in stock in General Dynamics, GEO Group and CoreCivic—three firms making money off the Trump administration’s policies at the southern border.
The hedge fund industry has invested billions in for-profit detention, and many public pension funds are exposed through these funds or via direct shareholdings.
The AFT Trustee Council, which helps educate and support trustees that oversee the retirement security of 1.7 million AFT members and their families, will now review the report, which recommends a thorough examination of the fiduciary and legal risks of investing in businesses that trade in bigotry and hate.
The report advises pension trustees to examine portfolios for exposure to the named asset managers and to consult the watch list when making asset allocation decisions. They are strongly encouraged to ask hedge funds to divest their private prison holdings and commit publicly to avoid them in the future.
AFT President Randi Weingarten said, “Hedge funds that invest in private prisons are not only profiting off a broken justice system and abetting the administration’s policies of family separation and the permanent harm it has caused children. They are also making a risky bet on an industry rightfully under siege. Trustees have a fiduciary duty to ensure workers’ capital is invested in a fiscally prudent manner. The AFT will continue to work closely with the AFT Trustee Council to safeguard workers’ retirement security from those who would prefer to undermine it by exposing our members and retirees to unacceptable risk.”
Jay C. Rehak, president of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund Board of Trustees and chair of the AFT Trustee Council, said: “We should not be in the business of putting our pension dollars at risk by investing in the types of industries that hurt our children and society as a whole. The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund is taking a very hard look at its investments, and we encourage other public pension funds to do the same.”
California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt said, “California educators do not want to fund family separation through their retirement savings. We have called on CalSTRS [California State Teachers’ Retirement System] and CalPERS [California Public Employees’ Retirement System] to stop profiting from family separation, and CalSTRS has begun to evaluate its exposure to these private prisons. We plan to use this report to take further aim at the hedge funds profiting from family separation and look closely at where our pension funds may invest in them.”
The political and legal tide is turning against private prisons and the administration’s failed “zero tolerance” policies. Illinois, Iowa and New York have already passed legislation banning private prisons, and a federal judge has ordered the administration to reunite separated families. The vast majority of the American public opposes the president’s immigration policies as midterm elections loom.
It is precisely this vulnerability that makes private prison investments not only immoral but also a bad financial bet. Both New York City and the New York State Common Retirement Fund recently dumped private prisons across all asset classes. And in California, CalSTRS is evaluating the investment risks, and the CalPERS investment committee will meet this month and will hear from teachers urging divestment.
The AFT has a long history of demanding transparency from the investment community. After the AFT contacted investment managers with exposure to gun companies in April, four funds—Fidelity, Vanguard, Dimensional Fund Advisors and Voya—engaged directly with manufacturers regarding their concerns. And hedge fund managers who manage defined benefit retirement funds have stepped away from their hypocritical involvement in political think tanks working to undermine them.
A second private prison watch list, to be released next month in part 2 of this report, will target investment managers who profit from the policies of mass incarceration targeting communities of color.
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Many teachers working second jobs, study says
One in five teachers has a second job, according to a new study from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which suggests that teachers are about 30% more likely to have a second job than other workers due to lower starting salaries and college debts. Dick Startz, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who analyzed federal labor statistics for the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, discovered that secondary teachers are more likely than elementary school teachers to have a second job, and also that male teachers are more likely than female teachers to hold another position outside school.
U.S. to scrap affirmative action in college admissions
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it is abandoning policies that call on universities to consider race as a factor in diversifying their campuses, in favor of race-blind admissions standards. A joint letter from the Education and Justice Departments stated that the past guidelines “advocate policy preferences and positions beyond the requirements of the Constitution.” Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association, criticized the decision, commenting that “affirmative action has proven to be one of the most effective ways to create diverse and inclusive classrooms.” The American Council on Education, meanwhile, said it will not alter its approach to admissions: “Colleges and universities that consider race and ethnicity as one factor in a holistic admissions review are committed to following the law of the land,&rdq uo; said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “And make no mistake, this is the law of the land”.
Widespread parental opposition to arming teachers, survey finds
Asked to choose between two potential ways of addressing school safety - 76% of all adults and 71% of parents of school-age children preferred mental-health services for students over armed guards in schools, according to a poll by professional education association PDK International, which also revealed that just one in four parents are confident that sufficient security exists at their child’s school to prevent a shooting attack. Separately, a poll by Phi Delta Kappa International, another professional organization for educators, has revealed that one in three U.S. parents fears for their child's safety while at school – the highest level of concern in two decades. Joshua Starr, its chief executive, said: "The conversation that's happening at the policy and the political level may not jibe with what parents want to see happen in their schools to make sure their k ids are safe".
Billionaires funding charters 'a problem for democracy'
Philanthropists' private foundations and charities, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have given almost half a billion dollars to sustain, defend and expand the charter schools movement across the country, according to Associated Press analysis of tax filings and Foundation Center data. While the Walton Family Foundation, run by the heirs to the Walmart fortune, argues that charter groups' resources "pale in comparison" to those of teachers unions, John Rogers, an education policy expert and UCLA professor, says "it’s a problem for democracy that billionaires who back a certain model of education reform can go toe-to-toe with a critical mass of professional teachers".
Pension funds urged to cut investment in private prisons
The American Federation of Teachers has urged pension funds to cut their exposure to investment firms that have funneled millions of dollars into private prisons, saying the companies are getting rich on the U.S. government’s practice of separating migrant families. The labor union, which influences over $1trn in public-teacher pension plans, published a report identifying more than two dozen firms that bet on jail operators CoreCivic Inc and GEO Group Inc and defense contractor General Dynamics Corp, which has contracts with migrant shelters. It sent the report to pensions around the country, warning such investments could be hazardous.
Reuters
Kavanaugh could unlock religious education funding
School voucher advocates are hoping that Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh reignites the debate over public funding for sectarian education after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for Missouri to exclude a church-based preschool from competing for public funding to upgrade its playground. Kavanaugh was part of the legal team that represented former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, in 2000, when he defended a school voucher program that was later ruled unconstitutional as it had used public funds to help pay the tuition of students leaving some of the state’s lowest-performing schools for private or religious schools.
----- STATE NEWS -----
High school football participation down for third straight year
Since 2015, nearly 10,000 fewer students are playing 11-man high school football in California. There were 94,286 students participating in the sport during the 2017-2018 season, a decline of 2.87% on the previous year. Despite the continued decline, football remains by far the most popular boys student sport. Track and field had the second highest gross number of participants with 56,606 competitors, while soccer led the way among girls.
State waiver allows migrant workers’ children to stay in school
A new waiver passed by California will exempt migrant farmworker families with school age children from the state’s “50 mile rule” - requiring workers to move 50 miles away from their subsidised worker accommodation for three months of the year — in order to avoid disrupting children’s education. The waiver means that up to 50% of the state’s subsidised migrant farmworker housing will remain available year round, so that children do not have to move to a different district mid-semester.
School budgets swamped by teacher pension debt
(please note that State divirted money away from schools and into a $13 billion dollar rainy day fund.)
Over the next three years, according to the state Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst’s Office, California’s schools may need to use over half of the new funding they’re projected to receive, just to cover their growing pension obligations. The problems stem from the state Legislature’s reticence to mandate steeper payments into the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. Districts were forced to take on the greatest share of the new costs, agreeing to increase payments from 8% of their payroll in 2013 to 19% by 2020 to cover an unfunded liability currently standing at $107bn.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Humboldt County minority students over-referred for special education
A grand jury report has found that Humboldt County’s disproportionately high population of Native American, Hispanic and foster youth students in special education may be down to a failure of teachers to recognize and accommodate different learning styles. Humboldt has one of the highest overall state-wide percentages of K-12 students in special education programs (17%), with some schools seeing over 80% of Native American and Hispanic students referred for special education. The report suggests that many pupils may in fact not need special education, but rather a more flexible teaching style, stating: “When the teaching staff fails to recognize and adapt to children’s learning styles, children may not progress at the same rate as their mainstream peers…and teachers may feel there is a learning disability because of this."
----- CLASSROOM -----
Communication with teachers can be vital to success
Kim Jackson, a counselor at Calder Road Elementary in Dickinson ISD, explains to parents why oftentimes a child’s teacher is the best point of contact for most of their questions. For the first day of school, Jackson recommends that parents keep it simple so as not to overwhelm themselves or the teachers. Ms. Jackson said: “Working in partnership with your child's teacher is one of the best ways to support his/her learning. Both parent and teacher share the same common goal - to provide the best educational experience for your child. There is no doubt that parents know their child best. When you partner with the teacher, teachers receive a better understanding of your child, and you in turn may learn some new things about your child. Additionally, your child will receive the benefit of knowing that their education is important and that the school and home are on the same team."
How to make students care about writing
The Atlantic examines veteran English teacher Pirette McKamey’s guidance on how to make students care about writing. Ms. McKamey spent 29 years teaching in majority black and Latino schools. Over the years, she observed that many of her students came into her classroom believing that they “don’t like writing” or are “bad writers.” Since McKamey first started teaching at San Francisco’s Luther Burbank Middle School in 1989, she has been refining her own methods to help dispel these self-perceptions.
Educators turn to crowdfunding
Teachers across the U.S. are increasingly turning to crowdfunding sites to pay for books, supplies, and field trips. As of August 3, more than 72,000 projects were posted on DonorsChoose.org, where teachers raise money for everything from books to clothing for students. The figure is up from 39,391 on the same date in 2016 and 23,599 in 2015. Educators use the site to request funding for classroom supplies and school projects, and the public can choose which campaigns to support. Once a project is fully funded, Donors Choose ships the materials directly to the teacher’s school. Chris Pearsall, a spokesperson for Donors Choose, said that teachers are “the front lines for a lot of their students.” “Many Americans don’t realize that teachers buy a disproportionate amount of classroom supplies while also paying for students’ needs,” Mr. Pearsall added.
Vox
----- LEGAL -----
Fears that federal policy changes could hit students' rights
Amelia Harper considers the lawsuit initiated by the National Federation of the Blind, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, and the NAACP, arguing that changes to how the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights processes complaints are “illegal and contrary to the purpose of the office”. Not only does the policy restrict the cases the department examines, she suggests, it does so without the possibility of appeal - a major concern to parents and advocacy groups who fear an increase in dismissals of lawsuits without appropriate examination. The department has also scaled back staff since Betsy DeVos took the lead, Harper adds, an issue that can only contribute to further delays.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Cities where a teacher’s salary goes the furthest
Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the lowest-paid 10% of high school teachers earn less than $38,180 and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $92,920. Meanwhile, jobs site Indeed analyzed job postings and salary data for teachers in the 25 largest metro areas in the U.S. and adjusted salaries for cost of living, which revealed the cities where a teacher’s salary goes the furthest. Teachers in Seattle earn an annual average salary of $62,557. However, when adjusted for cost of living, teachers' wages in Seattle look more like $55,989, according to Indeed. Following Seattle is Richmond, Virginia, where cost of living actually plays to the advantage of teachers. Indeed's analysts found that teachers in Richmond make an average of $53,477 a year, which translates to $55,563 when adjusted for cost of living. Notably missing from the list are expensive cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where the cost of living puts a serious dent in teacher salaries.
Banning teachers begin three-day strike
Banning USD teachers have voted to strike for the first three days of the new school year, which begins today – the first industrial action taken by educators in Riverside County since 1979. Over 70% of Banning Teachers Association members voted on Monday to authorize the strike, union president Anthony Garcia said; he explained that the “final insult” was the district extending the workday at Nicolet Middle School by one hour last year, without giving teachers information about the move or consulting them, leading to an unfair labor practices complaint. Superintendent Robert Guillen said substitute teachers will be at all Banning campuses, while elementary and middle schools will be placed on a minimum-day schedule.
Follow up story after end of strike
Oakland could cut 340 jobs
In the next few months, Oakland USD officials will meet with employee unions to identify up to 340 positions that could be eliminated in 2019-20 to balance the district’s budget. Officials say it needs to make $30m in ongoing cuts to avoid a deficit on $20.3m in 2019-20 and $59m in 2020-21. The proposed job cuts include 234 certificated positions, which include teachers and principals, and 104 classified, management and confidential positions
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Toxic school supplies warning
U.S. Public Interest Research (USPIRG) groups are warning over toxic chemicals discovered in several popular back-to-school items - from crayons and markers available in stores like Dollar Tree, to binders and water bottles. Chemicals like asbestos, lead, benzine and phthalates have been linked to cancer and other health hazards and the warnings prompt consumers to look for the symbol which confirms the product has been tested and approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Parental phone addiction hits kids’ behavior
Researchers say excessive use of mobile phones by parents can contribute to behavioral problems among children. The study, from Illinois State University and University of Michigan Medical School, found that children whose parents were addicted to their phones were significantly more likely to have behaviour problems, with it shown that poor behavior was more closely linked to their mothers’ phone usage rather than the fathers’.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Women outpacing men in higher education
Woman attain more college education and advanced degrees, according U.S. Census Bureau data for 2017, with women aged between 18 and 24 earning three-quarters of professional degrees and 80% of doctoral degrees. Women in the same age bracket earned more than two-thirds of all master’s degrees and have earned more degrees than men since 1981.
Bloomberg
Reducing textbook costs
College students spent around $1,250 on books and supplies during the 2017-18 academic year, according to a survey by the College Board. Farran Powell, education reporter at U.S. News, details ways students can reduce these costs, such as buying digital or loose-leaf formats.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
French schools get tough on electronic devices
Children between the ages of three and 15 starting school in France this year will not be allowed to bring their smartphones in with them in a bid to tackle "screen addiction". The new law also includes tablets and any other internet-connected devices.
.----- OTHER -----
UN warns parents against sharing kids’ pictures
The United Nations warns that parents who share pictures of their children on social media are putting their human rights at risk. On a visit to the UK, UN's special rapporteur, Joseph Cannataci, found that children of nursery age were being surveilled by CCTV at school and in their bedrooms. "We've already seen the very first cases of kids suing their parents because of the stuff they have posted on Facebook about them," he said. Mr Cannataci also said children “require increased protection” from companies who collect and share their data.
Baby's cry may indicate later speech
A new study published last week in the journal Biology Letters suggests that the pitch of babies’ cries at four months may predict the pitch of their speech at age five. Carolyn Hodges, an assistant professor of anthropology at Boston University who was not involved in the research, said it was "especially intriguing,” noting that it “suggests that individual differences in voice pitch may have their origins very, very early in development.” She also noted that voice pitch affects our impressions of a person’s physical and social dominance, attractiveness and trust
Former teacher challenges increased surveillance
Former teacher Peter Greene examines Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act and the increasing use of surveillance in school society. "Do we really want to make a permanent data record of every dumb thing a student ever does? Is it good for us as a country to raise an entire generation that is accustomed to living under surveillance at all times?" he asks, urging: "We should probably start talking about whether we really think that's a good thing".
Forbes
'Ditzy DeVos' wants for-profit schools, former Trump advisor claims
Omarosa Manigault Newman's new book about President Trump claims he calls Education Secretary Betsy DeVos by the nickname “Ditzy DeVos.” A former assistant to the president and director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison, her book “Unhinged” says: "Her plan, in a nutshell, is to replace public education with for-profit schools. She believes it would be better for students, but the truth is, it’s about profit. She’s so fixated on her agenda, she can’t give any consideration to building our public schools, providing financing for them, particularly their infrastructure needs".
Arne Duncan slams current education leadership
Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has a new book out this week entitled "How Schools Work", has claimed that the current leadership is pursuing a low-educated workforce. “I’m not sure President Trump wants to have the best-educated workforce. I think it doesn’t play to his authoritarian tendencies,” he told CNN, going on to add: "I think we value our guns more than we do our kids. We have failed to keep them safe". He has also suggested that poverty can't be eliminated without proper financial literacy, and that education around other skills like computer software and coding don't rank high enough on the agenda.
Concerns over schools monitoring students' computers
As the Under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires any US school that receives federal funding to have an internet-safety policy, schools are increasingly using safeguarding technology to keep students safe. Many are utilising Safety Management Platforms (SMPs) like Gaggle, Securly, and GoGuardian to flag potentially worrisome communications to school administrators. “Parental consent can be a get-out-of-jail-free card for vendors,” says Bill Fitzgerald, a long-time school technology director who now consults schools and non-profits on privacy issues," while Daphne Keller, director of the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, asserts: "There should be a whole gradation of how this [software] should work.”
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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