ABCFT - Week in Review - October 5, 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 - Get the Facts and Get Involved
What is Measure BB? 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 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.
TEACHER LEADER UPDATE
Last year ABCFT embarked on becoming the only AFT local on the West Coast to have a consistent Teacher Leader Program. This year, we have ten teachers who have committed to volunteer their time to do research for their classrooms, participate in political actions like going to Sacramento to talk to legislators, and to network with other educators to help advocate for teacher voice in ABC. Last year, Kelley Forsythe became a teacher leader and originally wasn’t sure what the program would encompass. We asked Kelley to write a short testimonial about what she discovered by being involved in the ABCFT Teacher Leader Program.
Last year, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be part of the first Teacher Leader program sponsored by ABCFT and our national organization, the American Federation of Teachers. During my time with this program, I met some wonderful people from other sites who shared experiences about their time in our district and we all shared a common goal in learning more about our union and how we can get further involved. Since completing the program, I personally have accepted different roles within our union such as VP-At Large position on the executive board, Teacher Leader Co-facilitator with Tanya Golden for this year’s program, continued site rep as well as joining a few other committees that I believe will offer a teacher’s perspective. Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to mentor several new teachers with issues that have come up in their classrooms and assist with general support.
My experience has not only been rewarding in so many ways, but it’s given me a new respect for what our union does to support all of its members and continue to strive for a stronger relationship with the district. I look forward to the coming year and how we, as a union, can continue with the positive momentum put forth by all ABCFT members.
We hope that this testimonial offers you a glimpse into the professional development and leadership opportunities available to you when you become involved in the ABCFT YOUnion. Thank you Kelley for taking the time to share your experiences.
ABCFT PROUD! Get Your Polo While Supplies Last….
You’ve probably seen a few more ABCFT Blue Polos on your campus, now is your chance to get your own YOUnion wear. Great for blue rally days or to show you are sticking with the Union.
Get a complimentary ABCFT Public School Proud polo shirt, see below. The first 25 members that respond to this email will get their own “Members Only” ABCFT polo.
EQUALITY AND JUSTICE
ABCFT is going to test out a new feature over the next couple of weeks by highlighting important social issues with resources and ways for members to get informed and active to exercise your voice. This week we are highlighting a page from the California Women’s Law Center website. Every week this organization sends out . Please let us know if you like this feature.
Women comprise half of the workforce in California and are the primary income-earners in many families. Despite that, many women are often forced into minimum wage or part-time jobs that stifle their earning capacity. Furthermore, many of these women lack affordable child care, often having to choose between their families and their job. In addition, over the next two decades, the older adult population in California will nearly double by more than 4 million people, which will have demonstrative effects on many of these same women, further complicating their economic challenges.
Equal Pay
More than 50 years after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, requiring equal pay for equal work, the gender wage gap persists in nearly every industry and profession in the country. This gap varies by state and city, by education level and occupation, and is magnified for minority, disabled, and transgender women. In every state, the wage gap exists and will remain stagnant unless a serious effort is made to address the workplace barriers that leave women shortchanged.
Contracts Ready to be Delivered! repeat
Yesterday at the ABCFT Site Representative meeting we distributed 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 repeat
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.
Boy, what is it with ABC and Bonds? It seems like each time ABCUSD goes out for a bond there is a lot of drama in the community. A couple of days ago ABCFT sent out an email that tried to clear up some detail about a school board incident that happened and was reported in the paper with an incorrect headline. Since that time there has been posts of the clip of the woman at the board meeting who spoke to the board during the public comment section of the school board meeting. As I stated in the previous email, the anti bond people are using the accusations and firing of a para educator as an example that our schools are unsafe and that our administrators are corrupt. These caricatures of ABC school employees and the administrators are just a diversion from the anti bond campaign to cause the community to lose faith in the district prior to the bond vote. I smell desperation. ABC teachers are some of the most hardworking and conscientious educators I’ve ever seen and the community members that know our schools and staff won’t be swayed by these exaggerations and falsehoods about ABC teachers. Click here to get the official news release from ABCUSD.
Hopefully, you will receive your Master Contract in your box in the next couple of days. If you don’t receive yours by next Friday please let us know. You will note that the contract is from 2017 - 2020 on the cover. A master contract is renegotiated every three years. Last year, we spent an additional year working on updating contract language and adding a new article in the contract for CTE - Career Tech Education teachers.
I’m going to keep it short this week since we had more information than usual up top and to be honest I’ve been spending the bulk of my time working on the bond. Next week, ABCFT in conjunction with the California Federation of Teachers will be sending out a pro bond mailer to 10,000 homes in the trustee area. ABCFT has been working with CFT to design this mailer and it will pour about $10,000 back into our school district from the California Federation of Teachers. ABCFT is always conscious about making sure that even money we send off to our state organization is put back into the local for ABC local elections.
Thank you for all you do everyday. Your hard work is recognized 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
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Health outcomes linked to education
Adults without a high school diploma are at the greatest risk of the leading causes of disease and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention latest health data, for 2016, which reveals that almost two-thirds of adults with no high school diploma did not engage in physical activity, compared to 55% of high school graduates and 38% of adults with some college or more. Adults with low levels of education experience more stress, which leads to poor health, researchers say, while not completing high school education is linked to poor health literacy skills - which are necessary to navigate the U.S. healthcare system.
U.S. now 27th globally for human capital investment
The U.S. has ranked 27th globally in terms of its citizens’ overall education, health and other attributes, that can help drive national economic growth, according to a study published in British medical journal The Lancet. Finland invests the most in human capital, while Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Taiwan, round out the top five. "Our findings show the association - between investments in education and health and improved human capital and GDP - that policymakers ignore at their own peril," said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California teacher shortage fueled by attrition, high demand
California needs to do more to address its persistent teacher shortage, according to “Getting Down to Facts II,” a research project focused on a wide array of statewide education issues. Declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs after the economic downturn and teacher attrition have also contributed to the shortage of educators. Teacher turnover currently accounts for 88% of the demand for new teachers, according to the research. The state has earmarked almost $200m over the last four years to hire and retain more teachers, including $45m to help school staff become credentialed teachers; $10m for new undergraduate programs for teacher education; and $5m to open the California Center on Teaching Careers. The authors recommend new economic incentives to target teachers in high-needs fields such as STEM and special education, and to increase the salaries of new teachers.
Teachers raise concerns over Trump challenge to net neutrality
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a law designed to protect net neutrality - a term used to broadly describe the free flow of information over the internet - and challenging a federal policy that critics fear would restrict schools' ability to access online educational content. Last year, the FCC passed a law reversing past policies stopping ISPs from blocking or throttling content and from engaging in "paid prioritization" or assigning content to fast lanes based on monetary arrangements. The FCC immediately announced it would file a lawsuit to block the California law. Some K-12 school officials and librarians have said that stopping the California law could lead to providers of educational materials forced to put up with slow, unreliable connections to classrooms, with internet giants such as Google, Facebook and Netflix taking all the “fast lane” delivery services.
California's standardized test scores inch up
Over 3m students in third through eighth grade took the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress in the spring, with standardized test scores edging up on last year. Just under half the students met standards in English and fewer than 4 in 10 in math. The strongest gains were in reading scores in third grade (up 4.3 percentage points) and fourth grade (up 3.6 percentage points). The youngest students tested also made the biggest strides in math, although those gains were not as large. Schools have had 2018 results since May, but the public release was delayed because of a single eighth-grade math question that was incorrectly categorized, resulting in a “scoring anomaly.” About 30% of eighth-graders received the question, and the tests had to be rescored .
Gov. Brown rejects ethnic studies bill
Concerns about high school students being overwhelmed by homework, tests and graduation requirements led Gov. Jerry Brown to veto a bill, authored by Assembly members Jose Medina (D-Riverside), Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), for a pilot program requiring students to take a semester or year of ethnic studies in order to graduate. The legislation also called for the California Department of Education to provide grant money and technical assistance to participating districts and required those districts to report back to the Legislature by 2024. “School districts already can, and are, requiring ethnic studies for graduation,” Brown said in his Sunday, Sept. 30, veto statement. “While I recognize the value of these courses, I am reluctant to encourage yet another graduation requirement, especially when students are already overburdened by multiple tests and endless hours of homework.”
----- 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 -----
Ex-student sues girls school over school trip supervision
A former Ramona Convent Secondary School student filed a lawsuit this week against the Alhambra school, saying chaperones failed to adequately supervise a class trip, which led to her being sexually assaulted by another teen. School employees who chaperoned the trip to Lake Hughes, northwest of Palmdale, did not stay in the cabins with students during the weeklong trip, but instead slept in a separate house on the grounds. The lawsuit says a Ramona counselor told the girl that after interviewing both students, she found the encounter was consensual. The girl denied that claim and was told to “calm down.” Sister Kathleen Callaway, the school’s president, said Friday she had not seen the lawsuit and was unable to comment.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Pasadena teachers pass ‘no confidence’ verdict on Superintendent
The United Teachers of Pasadena union has passed a vote of no confidence in Pasadena USD Superintendent Brian McDonald, describing him as a “bad fit” for the district who promotes a “culture of divisiveness and non-accountability.” The letter, which also said that “more teachers are feeling over-worked and under-appreciated,” comes amid contract talks; salary and benefits are under negotiation, at a time when the district finds itself at risk of insolvency.
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Education Department launches financial aid app
The Education Department has unveiled its new myStudentAid mobile app - designed to make it easier for students to apply for federal financial aid. Students have long complained that the standard paper-based form is cumbersome and some say it deters many from seeking aid. The department said the "engaging and user-friendly" new app would even allow applicants to compare information about schools and electronically transfer their tax data from their tax returns.
.----- OTHER -----
Giants games to start early on school nights
The Giants announced that Monday through Thursday night games at AT&T Park will begin at 6:45 p.m. in 2019, instead of 7:15 p.m., to “better serve fans and families during the work week.”
Just don’t call me grandma or grandpa, kids....
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