ABCFT - Week in Review - October 19, 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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Get involved in the YES on Measure BB Campaign.
RESEARCH FOR YOUR CLASSROOMS
Educating English Language Learners
A Review of the Latest Research on Language acquisition. By Diane August (AFT)
It’s October in the Rio Grande Valley; the summer heat has receded and the school year is in full swing. Rolando Diaz teaches sixth-grade science at Del Valle Middle School. His class is a mix of English language learners (ELLs) with varying levels of English proficiency. He also has a few newcomer students, mostly from Mexico and Central America. Although all the students are Latino, they have varying degrees of Spanish proficiency.
A longtime teacher, Mr. Diaz has effectively planned and carried out instruction on a specific science topic. He has ensured that students with varying degrees of English proficiency can access the academic content, strengthen their literacy skills, and engage with and learn from their peers.
The Ice Cream Social/Open House was a Success!
Last week ABCFT had an Open House Ice Cream Social so that members could drop by to get a tour of the Union Hall and meet people congregating around the refrigerator/freezer. Is the Union office a big place because you keep calling it a “Union Hall”? The answer is that the ABCFT office is probably the smallest office space we have had in a decade, but we are living within our budget and the facility is big enough to have meetings for the ABCFT Executive Board. 
Thank you to those who stopped by to visit and take a tour. Any social gathering is first and foremost about fun but it’s also an opportunity to speak with the ABCFT officers about an issue you are dealing with or just to share with others how your school is doing. 
The ABCFT leadership hopes that you will come by the Union Hall at one of our future events we will be holding at the office. We had all kinds of ice cream left over so if you get the urge to pop in as you drive by 19444 Norwalk Blvd (between Del Amo Blvd and South St).
SCHOOL BOARD REPORT
Last Tuesday night was the final school board to take place before the November 6th election where the fate of the ABCUSD Measure BB bond will be decided by voters. The agenda for the evening was light and the most important item on the agenda was the enrollment and demographic study update. In June of 2018, the number of students in ABC was projected to drop by 274 students which amounts to about three million dollars in lost revenue. To put that in perspective it takes about 1.3 million dollars to fund a 1% raise so a decrease in the number of students has a compounded impact on salary and health benefits.
The good news is that as the final student count is only a decrease of 98 students which is 176 student fewer than predicted. This is good news for a couple of reasons. First, this is an indication that there is a positive trend starting in our attendance which validates the increases we are seeing in our Head Start, Transitional Kindergarten, and our Kindergarten classrooms. Second, the district is waiting to get a new demographic report that takes into account this latest data. The demographic report is important because it will be used in the newly formed Ad HOC District Committee that has been formed to look at school of choice issues. ABCFT will have a voice on this committee and will be pushing for a more balanced approach for school of choice populations.
The other important portion of the school board meeting were the board member reports that were given at the end of the night. This is typically a time when trustees give an accounting of their activities around the district. Last Tuesday, each of the board members gave impassioned speeches in support of Measure BB. Having teacher and school friendly school board members make a difference and as you listen to their speeches you will see that our current board is wholeheartedly in the fight to pass Measure BB.
Highlights are:
Trustee Apodaca - 2:10 (Hawaiian Gardens)
Trustee Vice President Mendoza - 2:17 (Artesia)
Trustee Nishii - 2:21 (Cerritos)
Trustee Clerk Rios - 2:26 (Artesia)
Trustee Tse - 2:31 (Cerritos)
Trustee President Yoo - 2:40 (Cerritos)
MEET A MEMBER
by Tanya Golden
We have begun a new section where you will have an opportunity to meet fellow ABCFT union members from across the district. So often, we work within our own bubble be it in our grade level, work site, or program so now you’ll get a chance to learn more about other hard working educators that make ABC a nationally recognized district as well as ABCFT known as a strong and innovative union.
Meet Monica Harrison, Rep at Bragg Elementary and teacher for 18 years at ABC
If you could give ”first year teacher you” advice what would it be?
Don’t worry if you don’t know every answer, just know where or who can help you find it.
Why did you get involved in the Union?
I believe in what the union represents. By representing teachers, so students can be successful gives me great joy. It’s true, research shows students that have teachers that are union members perform better.
Describe a day in the life of being a Rep at your site.
I am mostly asked questions regarding what is in the contract. So I have made sure I have read and highlighted important details. If a teacher comes to me asking for help with an issue, I am the one to talk with our administrator to figure out a solution. Monica just described the basic job of a union rep, knowing the contract and seeking solutions in partnership. A big thank you to all Reps that do the work of the union everyday!
What is your favorite movie/show, song, or book?
Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter...MySpace?
This was left blank so we can guess social media is not her thing.
What do you do for fun?
I love spending time with my family and friends on the boat during summer. In the winter, family snow ski trips are the best! Maybe there’s room on her boat for a union social, Monica? (Is it bad manners to invite yourself).
Do you have a bucket list?
I would love to travel the world. Said almost every teacher!
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
To heal the sick.
Thank you Monica for sharing your story with the ABCFT community. If you’d like to be featured in the Meet a Member Click this link here.
Measure BB - Why did this come as a surprise?
By Ray Gaer
Ernie Nishi who is a board trustee and the chair of the YES on Measure BB Committee spoke with the site representatives at their last meeting about measure BB and why people should get involved. After the meeting was over he was a little surprised about how the site reps were not as enthusiastic as he had hoped and he didn’t get as many volunteers as he had thought he would recruit. It was a teachable moment so I took the opportunity to inform Mr. Nishi that teachers have been surprised by the decision of the school board to pursue a bond and there is confusion and some resentment about how quick this was decided. Also, over half of the site reps have less than three years experience and have never been involved in a political campaign of any kind, it can be intimidating for some and training is crucial so people feel comfortable about their participation.
______________________________
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.
We are already halfway to Halloween says almost every kid in America and mix that with the Santa Ana winds and you’ve got lots of extra energy with the kids in your classrooms. This week’s issue is packed with info so I’ll be brief with my report. A big thank you to the Bragg Staff for having Tanya Golden and myself come and speak with them during their union meeting they held after school this week. We had a good discussion about the importance of Measure BB bond, school of choice, contract language and future negotiations. Thank Bragg teachers for all of the good questions and insights you shared with us. Your stories and observations will help ABCFT when we negotiate in the future. 
I hope you take a moment to check out what the board members said about Measure BB in their closing board reports. It was refreshing to hear all of the board members give some of their best speeches for Measure BB. Elections matter and who the teachers support to be on the school board makes a big difference when it really counts and this is one of those moments. This bond is important for our classrooms, for our students, and for our continued robust enrollment in our schools. More students mean more robust programs with more opportunities for teachers and medical professional to shine. This bond ensures that renovations to classrooms and schools won’t be done at the expense of the employees. Please come to our event on Saturday November 3rd at the Yes on Measure BB Campaign office. Save that date and drop by to eat, celebrate a great campaign, walk the neighborhood, phone bank or just to socialize with community members. The ABC parents want to express their support for ABC see teachers, nurses, and speech teachers in person. Take a moment to come out to this important event. There will be more details early next week as we work out the final details.
Thank you for all you do everyday. Your hard work is recognised and you have the support of the community members that know what’s right for your classrooms and your students.
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 Thurmond for 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
Click here → > Yes, every child: Tools to protect immigrant students’ rights to attend school
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Rise of the Radicals
Writing for The 74, Mike Antonucci looks at the increasing numbers of teacher union leaders expanding their focus from the traditional needs of members, such as salary, benefits and working conditions, toward the pursuit of a broader social justice agenda, noting they are a growing influence within both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. He says that, although there are many hurdles facing such “radicals” looking to work their way up the teacher union hierarchy – including unwritten succession practices, and low turnouts at rank-and-file officer elections – their presence on the ballot is “a healthy sign for teacher unions going forward.”
America’s public schools aren't failing, academic asserts
Jack Schneider, assistant professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and author of “Beyond Test Scores: A Better Way to Measure School Quality,” examines how U.S. public schools are coping. NAEP results over the last several decades do not illustrate a decline in school quality, he says, as standardized test scores offer only a "snapshot" of school performance, and while the nation’s schools have suffered, he adds, actual satisfaction with schools remains fairly constant. Reform rhetoric about the failures of America’s schools is both overheated and off the mark, he asserts, schools haven’t failed - the problem is the limit of our embrace: “When a school fails, it is because we have failed," Schneider concludes.
High school route still providing many good jobs
Some 13m jobs are still available for those with nothing more than a high school diploma, according to a report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, which indicates that the high school pathway still provides 20% of all "good jobs," which are defined as ones that pay at least $35,000 and average $56,000 for workers with less than a bachelor's degree. "The fact that good jobs for high school workers have persisted to the extent that they have is a testament to the resilience of this pathway. The high school economy will likely remain a stable pathway to good jobs in the near term even as older workers with no more than a high school diploma continue to retire," researchers asserted.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Improvements seen in California test scores
California students performed slightly better on the state's standardized test, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests (CAASPP), this year than in 2017, and substantially better than in 2015. Just under half – 49.88% - of students taking the exams met or exceeded their English Language Arts/Literacy standards, up 1.32% on last year, while in the math portion 36.65% of students met or exceeded expectations, an increase of just over 1%. "We're encouraged by what we see, especially since these tests are more rigorous than previous paper and pencil tests," said State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson in a press release. "However, we need to make sure all students continue to make progress. We must continue our work to narrow achievement gaps as we raise the bar for our students, and better prepare for them for 21st century college and careers."
----- DISTRICTS -----
Mediation fails between LAUSD and teacher union
A third day of mediation efforts between Los Angeles USD and its teachers' union failed to produce a labor agreement Friday, making a first teacher strike there since 1989 ever more likely. Following Friday's mediation session, the district filed another unfair labor practice charge against United Teachers Los Angeles. "By UTLA's own admission, the only reason UTLA participated in mediation was to ensure that it could move quickly to a strike," LAUSD attorney David Holmquist said in a statement. The dispute now moves into a fact-finding period, during which an independent third party reviews the arguments of both sides and recommends a potential solution; should that prove fruitless, the union could call for a strike, with its membership having already voted to authorize industrial action.
----- LEGAL -----
Stephen Miller teacher returns to classroom
Nikki Fiske, the 72-year-old former teacher of Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump’s key advisors, has returned to her classroom at Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica. Ms Fiske told the Hollywood Reporter that Mr Miller, the official behind the White House’s controversial immigration policies, had said he was a messy child who used to eat glue in the classroom – an article that was denounced by many who felt she was out of bounds to disclose a child’s behavior in this way. Santa Monica school officials won't say whether Ms Fiske was disciplined.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Reassignment for teacher over White House advisor comments
A 73-year-old Santa Monica-Malibu USD elementary school teacher has been placed on home assignment, after describing senior White House police advisor Stephen Miller as a “strange dude” who ate glue as a third-grader. Nikki Fiske, of Franklin Elementary School, told the Hollywood Reporter that Mr Miller was “a strange dude,” who reminded her of the Peanuts character Pig Pen. District spokeswoman Gail Pinsker said Ms Fiske’s reassignment is “non-disciplinary in nature,” but will stand while officials decide what to do about the disclosures. The district says it's concerned about the public release of student information.
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Re-evaluating laptops in the classroom
Jill Barshay examines the extent to which giving laptop computers to students improves a district’s test scores, focusing on Mooresville, in North Carolina, which saw 88% of students hit the proficient threshold on state tests a year after the computers were introduced to classrooms, up from 73%. A re-examination of the district found that test scores also soared by about the same amount in neighboring counties, which didn't give laptops to each student. Later in 2012, however, Mooresville's test score gains started to outpace those in neighboring counties. In the final year of this study, 2013, Mooresville's reading score improvements fell back down, returning to the same pace as its neighbors. Only math scores were still elevated and by a relatively modest amount. Researchers also found that Mooresville students reduced their time reading books by more than four minutes a day, on average, to roughly 40 minutes a daily in 2011 from more than 45 minutes daily when the laptop program was introduced.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Harvard trial opens with weighty allegations of racial bias
In the first day of the trial on Monday, lawyers challenging Harvard laid out several examples of how it discriminates against Asian Americans through its admissions process - including how Harvard recruits black and Hispanic high schoolers with lower test scores than Asian Americans. Harvard denies such claims and says it assesses each applicant on an individual basis, sometimes using race as a "plus" factor, to achieve the best mix among students for its educational goals. The case, which many believe is destined for the US Supreme Court, was begun by those who hope to end racial affirmative action.
Court rules in favor of students defrauded by colleges
A U.S. district court has ruled that Obama-era rules to protect student loan borrowers defrauded by colleges will take effect without further delay. Initially slated for July 1, 2017, the borrower to defense rule was put on hold by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who said the rules made it too easy for borrowers to have their student loans canceled. The new ruling will see the delay come to an end, meaning that students who attended predatory for-profit schools might now qualify for cancellation of their student loans. Education Department data show that as of June 2018, around $535m across 48,000 claims have been granted to students for student loan debt relief. More than 100,000 borrowers - many of whom attended now-defunct, for-profit colleges - are still waiting for their claims to be processed. The Education Department will continue to work on a new rule that they believe protects both borrowers and taxpayers.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Australia to ban schools from expelling gay students
Australia is set to prohibit schools from expelling gay students, following the leaking of a report showing that the practice was being enforced at some religious schools. Laws allowing faith-based schools in some states to discriminate against students and teachers on the basis of their sexuality were highlighted in a review into religious protection.
----- OTHER -----
Parkland shooting documentary debuts
The first feature-length documentary about the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre has opened in Florida. “Parkland: Inside Building 12” is two-hours of tearful, dramatic interviews, interspersed with cell phone footage inside the school during the attack. The movie does not name the shooter - director Charlie Minn said he believes a focus on the attacker would be disrespectful to the victims and potentially lead to copycats, a view many Parkland victims present at the first screening shared.
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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