ABCFT - Week in Review - September 28 , 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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Measure BB - Teachers/Medical Professionals Can Get Involved in Supporting Our Schools.
Measure BB is a $258 million general obligation bond measure that will provide our students and community with improved and upgraded school facilities that are safe, secure, and modern. Measure BB will provide funding to support the five key goals identified in the Facilities Master Plan - the acronym is STEPS.
S (Safety/Security): Improve student safety and campus security systems.
T (Technology): Keep instructional technology up-to-date and provide instructional network, infrastructure, and furnishings.
E (Evolution): 21st Century Learning environments, computer labs, and media centers - Provide the classrooms, labs, and facilities needed to support high quality instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, as well as Career and Technical Education classes.
P (Parity): portable replacement, new facilities - Upgrade older schools so they meet the same academic and safety standards as newer schools.
S (Sustainability): solar arrays, energy management, irrigation, finish materials, and fixtures.
All volunteer inquiries should be directed to Emily at volunteer4measurebb@gmail.com or 626-675-0116.
Contracts Ready to be Delivered!
Next Thursday at the ABCFT Site Representative meeting we will distribute the paper copies of the ABCFT/ABCUSD Master Contract. You should see the very bright and shiny contracts in your boxes shortly after the Thursday, October 4th rep council. 
In the meantime, 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.
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Here are some time sensitive highlights from your new contract:
1) October 1 is the new date by which administrators have to get classes adjusted. This was a priority noted on a number of member surveys and is a change from the longstanding date of October 15.
2) TK-Kindergarten teachers have no fewer than 20 minimum days for the purpose of assessing students. These days are exclusive of any other minimum days the site may choose to have.
Update: Because of the lateness of the contract ratification ABCFT heard from some schools who had not scheduled to have at least 20 minimum day for assessments. ABCFT worked with ABCUSD to ensure that those schools that felt they needed more time would be allotted substitute time to finalize their assessments. Furthermore, ABCFT will be training site reps in January to give them the information that will help them implement school schedules that will have at least 20 days for assessment in the 2019-2020 school year.
Evaluation Pilot Update
We provide a little bit of background about the evaluation changes so there is no anxiety about the pilot process that is currently being done at Cerritos Elementary, Burbank Elementary, Elliott Elementary, Fedde Middle School and Whitney High School. The changes to the form are updates on the language of the elements under the standards and no changes in the timeline or process of the evaluation. There have been changes in the language used in the California Standard for Educators over the past couple years.
The current ABCFT/ABCUSD Stuff Evaluation language still contains the Education Standards language predating 2010. For the 2018-19 evaluation pilot, teachers and principals will be using a form that has the updated 2009 language that are the latest State Education Standards; however, the process for the evaluation will be unchanged. It is the desire of ABCFT and ABCUSD to provide a Stull Evaluation form that is reflective of what you are doing in your classrooms, in the the current academic language, and aligned to the current State Educators Standards.
Only teachers who are scheduled teachers (including temporary teachers) for their evaluation during the 2018-19 school year will participate in this pilot year .
ABCFT and ABCUSD will ask all teachers and medical professionals In ABC to provide survey feedback prior to the implementation of the pilot evaluation. There will also be a post pilot exit survey for those schools that participated in the pilot at the end of the year to provide crucial feedback about the process of the evaluation, feedback on the changes of the evaluation form, and feedback on how teachers feel about the evaluation as a professional growth activity.
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KEEPING YOU INFORMED - repeat
When to bring a union representative
You have the right to have a union representative at any meeting or investigatory interview with a supervisor or administrator that you reasonably believe might lead to discipline. These are called your Weingarten Rights, named after a 1975 U.S. Supreme Court decision. Your supervisor does not have to notify you of your right to union representation — you must assert your Weingarten Rights. This applies to everyone who works in a unionized child care center, school, college or university, whether public or private.
To assert your Weingarten Rights, say:
“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined, terminated, or could affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative be present.”
> If you have a problem on the job or you see a violation of your union contract, contact your site representative or local grievance officer. If you think you have a legal problem, contact ABCFT at Ext. 21500 or ABCFT@ABCUSD.us or ABCFT2317@gmail.com immediately.
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.
Life seems to throw us weekly themes and if we look close enough there are patterns. For me this week it was about health benefits and taking care of people who are in need. On a couple of occasions this week I spoke with ABCFT members who have had serious medical issues that they were recovering from or treatments they were going through. When we go through a health crisis we are already in a state of stress and the last thing we need if for their to be complications with our health plans and the services we receive. It was good for me to hear that there were positive experiences with both Kaiser and with Trio and that our colleagues were thankful for the coverage and the fact that there was little or no financial impact on their lives during this stressful time. This December will be the first meeting for the district health committee to meet and to look at the usage data so ABCFT won’t have a report to share till then, but it is good for the committee and the negotiating team to hear about how employees are being served by our benefits.
This week, I worked behind the scenes in a few cases to make sure people got paid when they saw a shortage in their checks, or the requisition didn’t get processed, or they are having to scramble to make ends meet. I must say that in most cases ABCFT is able to help out the member so that they are paid on time or paid what they are owed so that they can pay for their living expenses. There is nothing scarier than not having money that was supposed to be in the bank when it isn’t. The ABC district payroll and fiscal employees do a good job of making sure everyone is taken care of and I want to give them and HR a shout out for going over and above to make things happen for ABC employees.
I attended the Fedde and Whitney staff meetings about the the evaluation pilots that they are doing this year. All of the staffs from Cerritos El, Burbank, Elliott, Fedde and Whitney asked some great clarifying questions which will further help the discussion about the evaluation process. On Thursday, I worked with a high school team of site reps and their administration from Gahr to help facilitate team building activities where they could develop communication structures that would positively impact their staff.
Speaking of help others, did you know that ABC is a national leader in labor management relations? Each year ABCFT and ABCUSD hold a two day conference that highlights communication structures and labor management problem solving techniques. About a hundred and forty attendees come each year to hear about ABC and how teacher/medical professional voice helps to guide the district to be successful in delivering top notch public education. ABC has a lot to be proud of and the ABC culture of excellence is known throughout the county. Here is a list of this years West Coast Institute Participants
Well, I’m off to the YOUnion Social. I hope I see you there and if not I hope to see you all on your campus soon. Say goodbye to September and have a great weekend.
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT recommends Thurmond for State Superintendent & Newsom for Governor
Tony Thurmond for Superintendent of Public Instruction
The CFT endorses Richmond Assemblymember Tony Thurmondfor state superintendent of public instruction. President Josh Pechthalt said Thurmond, a former social worker, has demonstrated “time and again he is a champion of public education. His policy positions solidly align him with the needs of students, parents, and educators.”
He recognizes the critical need to address California’s teacher shortage, and advocates for attracting and retaining qualified educators by providing affordable housing, recruitment bonuses, scholarships and higher wages. He supports raising California up from near the bottom of the states in per pupil funding through progressive tax reforms. He sponsored a bill to bolster early childhood education enrollment by taxing private prison corporations.
In comparison to the Trump/DeVos education agenda, Thurmond—a former school board member—opposes vouchers and other schemes to shift taxpayer dollars from public education to private hands. He believes charter schools should be held to the same standards of access, transparency and accountability as public schools, and firmly opposes for-profit charters.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Senators call for American civics education improvements
Two senators in Maine are pitching for civics education to play a bigger role in school curriculums across the country. Independent Sen. Angus King and Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe say schools are not required to teach the Constitution or the Bill of Rights and assert that the Constitution Education Is Valuable In Community Schools, or CIVICS Act, would "piggyback" the American History and Civics Education program to improve students' knowledge. Separately, Carolyn DeWitt, president of political inclusion nonprofit Rock the Vote, says it's not the fault of "teachers, principals, school boards, superintendents or school districts" that civics education is lacking - it's the fault of elected leaders. She also details a new, free class on voting for educators to use.
Lack of education linked to poor health
A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed several key trends – including that Americans who don't finish high school continue to lag behind. Furthermore, the trends across educational levels continue to indicate that adults with no high school diploma or GED are consistently at the greatest risk for the leading causes of disease and death. The report found that heart disease has declined in the U.S. since 1997, down to 10.7% across the population. Heart disease declined among people with less than high school education across years, yet this population consistently had the highest reported percent for heart disease compared to adults with a high school diploma or higher, according to the report. Meanwhile, a separate report by the Administration for Healthcare Research and Quality found adults with low levels of education experience extra stress, partly due to probl ems with finances and getting employment. Adults who report low levels of education also tend to have experienced a greater number of childhood adversities.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Gov. Jerry Brown blocks later school start time mandate
Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill requiring California middle and high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., stating that the decision of when to start classes should be up to schools not the state. "This is a one-size-fits-all approach that is opposed by teachers and school boards," Brown said of Senate Bill 328 yesterday, noting that several schools have already moved to later start times while others prefer to start the school day earlier. "These are the types of decisions best handled in the local community." The California School Boards Association and the California Teachers Association were among those that fought the legislation; proponents of the bill said the change could decrease students’ risk of depression, suicide and car accidents while increasing their attendance rates, GPAs and test scores. Gov. Brown also signed a bill preventing public schools from withholding diplomas for students who have overdue bus fare or library books.
Research shows LCFF reducing student achievement gap
Extensive research released this week suggests that California’s 2013 Local Control Funding Formula reforms are positive impacting public education, although more remains to be done to boost student achievement. The ‘Getting Down to Facts II’ dossier, compiling research from over 100 authors, notes a correlation between the LCFF’s concentrated funding boosts for high-need districts and a trend of “significant increases in high school graduation rates and academic achievement, particularly among poor and minority students.” Despite this improvement, the studies found that ethnic achievement gaps were still worse in California than in other states, pointing to a need to invest in early childhood education and universal preschool projects.
Brown signs new teacher credential law
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed SB 557, the brainchild of Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), giving aspiring teachers to take community college classes toward their credential. The California Community College Teacher Credentialing Partnership Pilot Program authorizes three grants of up to $500,000 to community colleges working with accredited teacher-credentialing programs. Sen. Dodd said that around three-quarters of California school districts have reported teacher shortages; he added that the new law will help to alleviate the shortfall, particularly in underserved rural and urban communities.
California to grant diplomas to deported high school seniors
Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 3022 on Wednesday, retroactively granting diplomas to high school seniors deported from California. The legislation, penned by Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, is aimed at helping individuals who had to leave California against their will while enrolled as a high school senior with good academic standing, and has not yet received a high school diploma. In order to grant the diploma, the school district can consider coursework that the student may have completed outside of the United States or through online courses.
----- DISTRICTS -----
LA USD enters into mediation with teacher union
Los Angeles USD officials and United Teachers Los Angeles have entered into talks with a state mediator, in the hope of averting the first LA teachers’ walkout since 1989. On Tuesday night, the district updated its contract offer, to include a 6% pay raise over two years, and class-size reductions at the 15 middle schools and 75 elementary schools determined to have the “highest need.” However, UTLA described the proposal as “insulting,” and “a stunning example of disrespect” to its 33,000 members, reserving particular criticism for the decision to send the contract proposal to media outlets before sharing it with the union.
----- LEGAL -----
State Treasurer calls for CalPERS probe
California State Treasurer John Chiang has called for an independent investigation into the hiring of CalPERS chief executive Marcie Frost, to resolve questions about whether she misinformed the $360bn pension fund when she applied for her job. Ms Frost reportedly implied in her application, and in a statement announcing her hiring, that she was working on obtaining a college degree from Evergreen State College, even though she hadn’t taken classes there since 2010. Mr Chiang said that, if left unresolved, the allegations will discredit the pension fund and reduce public trust. He added that he has a “favorable opinion” of Ms Frost’s appointment.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Gilroy reaches “tentative” agreement with teachers
Gilroy USD announced on Tuesday that it has reached a “tentative” agreement with the Gilroy Teachers Association for a new labor contract, running from July 2017-June 2020 and allowing for a 2% raise for certificated employees each year. GUSD also agreed to increases in its health benefit contributions, staff’s hourly rate and extra duty stipends, after both sides attended an all-day hearing before an impartial, three person panel last Friday.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
More high-school students vaping
Data seen by the Wall Street Journal shows the number of high-school students who used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days has risen roughly 75% since last year. That would equate to about 3m, or about 20% of high-school students, up from 1.73m, or 11.7% of high-school students in the most recently published federal numbers from 2017. Nearly a third of 13-to-18-year-olds who responded to a separate survey conducted by the WSJ with research firm Mercury Analytics said they currently vape. Most of the teens who vape said they are doing it for reasons other than to quit smoking, according to the Journal’s survey conducted in 49 states in May. More than half said they do it because they like the flavors that e-cigarette liquids come in and they think vaping is fun. More than two-thirds said they believe vaping can be part of a “healthy life.”
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
U.S. institutions hold steady in global university rankings
American schools still dominate the Times Higher Education’s (THE) 2019 global university rankings, claiming seven of the top 10 spots. Though the UK's University of Oxford and University of Cambridge took the top two spots, Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked third and fourth, respectively, while the California Institute of Technology made fifth. A total of sixty American institutions made the top 200, down from 62 last year, and Phil Baty, rankings editor at THE, highlighted a “genuine shift” in other countries climbing the list.
UC faculty leaders announce SAT/ACT test study
University of California faculty leaders announced yesterday they would launch a study aimed at finding out whether SAT and ACT tests accurately predict college success. Robert May, the chairman of UC’s Academic Senate, said the issue was being examined at the request of UC President Janet Napolitano. Regent Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who heads the California Community College system, has argued that the requirement for SAT and ACT tests should be dropped: “It’s more of a measure of wealth than it is of preparedness,” he said. “It has created a whole industry around test prep, and it really does nothing to help a university determine who is the best applicant - so I think it should just be gone.”
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.
