ABCFT - Week in Review - November 30, 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 PASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bond Measure BB for $256 million dollars for ABC facilities will pass with just over 58%. The final official day votes will be certified by the LA County Registrar Recorder/ County Clerk is on November 30th. ABCFT was able to sit down with Superintendent Dr. Sieu to ask her some of the important questions we all have about the facility changes we will see in the future.
What changes can I expect to see at my school? Is there a plan for that?
If you follow the link below you will see the allocation of monies for each school site and a broad category of the upgrade changes you will see at your school site or program. The pdf is large and takes a minute to load but the details for each school will give you an idea of the projected money to be spent updating your facilities.
When will we start to see the changes in the facilities?
Dr. Sieu described the process of making the bond official over the next couple of months starting with Los Angeles Board of Supervisors approval and ending with the school board officially bringing it to the school board meeting in January. At the school board meeting in January, the school board trustees will begin the process for the creation of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee. By Dr. Sieu’s estimates the Citizens’ Oversight Committee will commence sometime close to Spring Break. Quote from Dr. Sieu Monday message:
An important feature that will be required of the District will be the development of a Citizens’
Oversight Committee to ensure that all bond funds are expended in accordance with the legal
requirements set by Education Code and the California Constitution. The Citizens’ Oversight
Committee shall consist of at least seven members and may be larger to serve a term of two years,
without compensation, and for no more than three consecutive terms. The Committee shall not
include any employee or official of the school district or any vendor, contractor, or consultant of the
school district.
The Committee must include all of the following: a) One member who is active in a business
organization representing the business community located within the school district; b) One
member active in a senior citizens organization; c) One member active in a bona fide taxpayer
association; d) One member shall be the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the district; and
e) One member shall be a both a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the district and active in
a parent teacher organization such as the PTA.
The purpose of the Committee shall be to inform the public at least annually concerning the
expenditure of the bond proceeds. In addition, as required by State law, there will be two separate
audits by an independent auditor. There will be a Financial Audit that will be on the proceeds from
the sale of the bonds as well as a Performance Audit that will be to ensure that the bond funds
have been expended only on the specific projects listed in the bond measure.
With the bond in 1998 it took over two years before we saw anything happen at the school sites. How long will it take this time?
With the 1998 bond there was a lot of transition going on at the school board and administration level so there was a two year delay until we finally started to see movement at our school sites. Superintendent Ron Barnes was instrumental in getting the work for that bond moving. The current school board and administration have worked hard to prepare plans and the infrastructure in anticipation of the passing of Measure BB so we should see movement over the Summer. In the finance and audit district committee it was reported that the first bond monies of $67 million dollars would be issued in April and typically work commences once the funds are received by the district.
ABCFT will continue to have updates and timelines as the details become available.
AFT Member Benefits
As an AFT member, you belong to a community of colleagues -- with benefits that go beyond the workplace. AFT+ Member Benefits brings you the purchasing power of AFT’s 1.7 million members. With a union , you don't have to go it alone on or off the job --or in making financial decisions big and small. Need a great deal on your next car? A competitive mortgage rate? A choice of no-fee credit cards? A great wireless plan? The AFT+ Benefits program is just one more way that being a member has its benefits. Next week ABCFT site representatives will be placing a brochure for AFT benefits in your school mailbox but if you are curious now click the link below for more information.
Negotiations Update (repeat)
We wanted to update you on the timeline for the off schedule/one-time 2% monies that was a part of the two year deal from last year. We were told that this 2% off schedule extra check would be issued by February 15, 2019. We were getting a little bit of the run around from the district about when this would happen and when human resources hinted that it would by in April we decided that was too late and not what we negotiated. As an example of our power as a YOUnion, ABCFT told the District that we were considering having every teacher and classified employees in the district call to question the timeline for this check. Well, they didn’t really want all 3,600 employees calling the district office and very quickly thereafter we got a reasonable date when this check will be issued.
When do negotiations for salary raises start again?
The timeline for negotiations begins in January when the Governor proposes his preliminary budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The negotiating team will be attending a budget seminar that analyzes his proposed budget and its impact on the State's educational budget. Therefore, you can expect to see an update on the State’s funding and how it will impact ABCUSD sometime in late January. The final election results and the passage of Measure BB facilities bond will be external factors that will have influence on the District’s budget priorities.
Expect to see a summary of the Governor’s report in January from ABCFT and a timeline for salary negotiations for the 2019-2020 school year.
RSVP For a Members Only Debt Clinic
Tuesday, December 4th at Haskell Middle School (new venue)
3:30-5:00 p.m.
Got Student Debt? Want to apply for Loan Forgiveness? CFT and AFT are holding a student debt clinic at the Union Hall. You’ll learn how to qualify for Loan Forgiveness, how to make your payments manageable, and how we can work together to address the student debt crisis in California.
MEET A MEMBER
The ABCFT YOUnion is made up of 1,100 great teachers and medical professionals and each one of us has a story to tell. Each week we will highlight a member of ABCFT.
Meet Marci Levins in her 27th year as a Special Education Teacher and Site Rep Alternate at Cabrillo Lane. 
If you could give ”first year teacher you” advice what would it be?
Have a vision for your students. Own your classroom and guide it. Rely on your instinct on what is best for your students. Students first always!
Why did you get involved in the Union?
The Union protected me when an aggressive student made me his target.
Describe a day in the life of being a Rep at your site.
We have a very small number of members at our site. There is little Union involvement. Although there is limited involvement, it’s reassuring to know the union is available to support our members when needed.
What is your favorite movie/show, song, or book?
The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver, Bob Dylan, John Denver, Jackson Browne.....too many!
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter...MySpace?
Facebook.
What do you do for fun?
Travel, line dancing, and hanging out with family/friends.
Do you have a bucket list?
Stay healthy, travel more, and find a lifelong companion.
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
The power of touch that heals people.
Thank you Marci for sharing your story with the ABCFT community.
If you’d like to be featured in the Meet a Member
RESEARCH FOR YOUR CLASSROOMS(repeat)
Supporting Language Development
Given that nearly one in four school children in the United States speaks a language other than English at home, significant numbers of educators across the country teach multilingual, diverse student populations in their classrooms.
On the one hand, the challenge is simultaneously teaching academic content and skills while helping English language learners (ELLs) acquire English and, in many cases, navigate a brand-new culture. On the other hand, the challenge is to establish high-quality second language learning programs for children whose first language is English, especially in the early grades.
Meeting the language needs of both categories of students is important in a globally competitive world. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate and encourage the assets that multilingual speakers can bring to the classroom.
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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.
I don’t know about you, but the Thanksgiving break is just a teaser for the Winter Break and I’ve been counting the days. I can tell from the emails and phone calls we are getting here in the office that teachers are seeing some unusual behaviors among students and their parents. More than a handful of teachers this week have asked to have a union representative in either IEP’s or parent meetings. Unfortunately, we cannot legally attend these types of meetings. In the meantime, we work with the principals and the teachers to calm the situation, create a sensible plan of action, provide extra classroom supports and other ideas to smooth out the situation as best we can for the teacher. It is heartbreaking to hear what some teachers endure at the receiving end of badly behaved parents and it is an issue I bring repeatedly to the District Offices awareness. Plain and simple, what impacts teachers, impacts our students and if unnecessary conflict is happening with parents it is crucial that principals protect their teachers. I’m happy to report that almost all the principals in ABC are supportive to teachers when we have extraordinary parent behaviors.
On another topic, I have begun to see lots of teachers wearing their black employee identification cards across the district and for the most part everyone sees the value of having this for safety. This feels almost like a pilot year for the ID’s as we adjust to these new times. During the ABCFT Executive Board meeting yesterday, multiple vice presidents asked if there was going to be contract language saying that we had to wear employee identification. My answer is that ABCFT will more likely want to put language protecting people from ever being tracked through their name badges similar to the language we have protecting teachers/medical professionals from having cameras used for evaluation or monitoring. But, as I told the Melbourne teachers, if we got a 10% raise in exchange for wearing employee dog tags, it would be a worthwhile trade at the negotiating table.
Next Tuesday, I will be spending the entire day at Gahr high school meeting with teachers in their classrooms. I’ll be listening for feedback and questions on issues that are impacting teachers in their classroom. The following week I’ll be spending an entire day at Tetzlaff Middle School for the same reason. Tanya Golden and I are getting out to union meetings and school site lunches as much as we can so we can continue to gather information, help solve local issues and continue to be a strong voice for teachers in the district.
Thank you for all you do every day. We have fifteen more days till the next break….YOU CAN MAKE IT!
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT provides members important information about professional issues and workplace rights through numerous newsletters and publications. You can find a summary of each publication below and download the current issue of each newsletter. Click on the links to read some stories online, to get more information or contact the editor, and to access the archives.
As the CFT's flagship publication, California Teacher contains news and information that affects all members. It also contains news specific to each division of the CFT. California Teacher is published four times during the academic year. All members receive California Teacher.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT’s Weingarten Responds to Betsy DeVos’ Lies on Fox News
WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attacked teachers’ unions today on the Fox Business Network:
“Betsy DeVos is showing her true colors. We are fighting for the safe and welcoming public schools that kids deserve, healthcare protections so people aren’t one pre-existing condition away from bankruptcy, affordable college without life-burdening student debt, and decent wages. Since she is against all of that, Betsy is attacking the unions that create a voice for teachers to advocate on these issues. As secretary of education, it is her sworn duty to help kids and their communities reach their full potential. Comments like these do the opposite, and she knows it.”
- 11/30/2018
Our Conversation with Steven Spielberg
- 11/30/2018
Faculty, stripped of union, face new employer
- 11/28/2018
From blue wave to union wave: The AFT welcomes new members in three states this November
2018 Post Election Summary (repeat)
One week after the 2018 elections, the dust is still settling but one thing is very clear: Election Day was a big win for Democrats and for working families across the country. The AFT, our state and local affiliates, and our members can take pride and credit in our joint efforts to win these elections. Even with our sharply divided electorate, the American people sent two strong messages in these elections: First, on the federal level, they voted for a check and balance on President Trump by changing control of the U.S. House of Representatives. And second, on the state level, people voted for problem solvers to serve as their governors and in their statehouses—candidates who believe in public education, access to healthcare, rebuilding infrastructure and finding solutions that make life better for all people. We clearly see that voters were motivated to make a change.
Here are some key statistics based on initial exit polls: Voters turned out at the highest rate for a midterm election in more than 50 years. (click this link)
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Tony Thurmond wins race for State Education Superintendent
Assemblyman Tony Thurmond has won the race for California state superintendent of public instruction, defeating Marshall Tuck in the nonpartisan contest. The most recent results showed Mr. Thurmond 152,000 votes ahead, and leading rival Marshall Tuck 50.8% to 49.2%, with 9m votes tabulated. Although 2m votes are still to be counted, Mr. Thurmond said Mr. Tuck had conceded the race in a “gracious call to congratulate me and wish me well.” The victor is a two-term assemblyman representing parts of Oakland and other East Bay communities. A social worker by training, he ran several nonprofits serving children before turning to political office, and has served both on the board of West Contra Costa USD, and on the Richmond City Council.
Children who start school early more likely to get ADHD diagnosis
A paper published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine shows the youngest children in kindergarten are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in early grades. Harvard University researchers looked at the records of more than 407,000 children from every state and found that younger children in the same grouping of students had a 30% higher risk for an ADHD diagnosis than older students. “Our findings suggest the possibility that large numbers of kids are being overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD because they happen to be relatively immature compared to their older classmates in the early years of elementary school,” said Timothy Layton, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of health-care policy at the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
How the Government tracks child autism numbers
The U.S. Government estimates that one in every 40 children could be classified as being autistic – a figure arrived at from one of three periodic surveys it uses to assess autism rates. The figure is higher than that reported in a survey earlier this year; however, that survey used a different method to arrive at its conclusions. Because there’s no medical test, “autism spectrum disorder is a particularly challenging condition to track,” government researchers wrote in a report for the Pediatrics journal. The true occurrence of autism likely ranges from about 1 in 59 kids to 1 in 40 kids, researchers say, taking into account information from all three surveys. The latest estimate is based on responses from about 43,000 parents of kids aged three to 17. They were asked if their child had ever been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the formal name that encompasses mild to severe cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent collects nationally representative information from in-person interviews. A third report, also from the CDC, looked at health and school records of eight-year-olds, and found that one in 59 kids have autism. Autism Speaks, an advocacy group, is among organizations that use the CDC’s network estimate, claiming it is potentially more accurate than parents’ reports.
Paradise students receive laptops as schools stay closed
Paradise USD remains the worst affected district in California by the deadly wildfires which have closed schools across the state. 3,500 students remain displaced and eight of the district’s nine campuses were destroyed in the fires, with just Paradise High remaining. Butte County super Tim Taylor has established a relief fund to buy 5,000 laptops for PUSD students, with State Superintendent Tom Torlakson calling the fund “very important” to “help students get in touch with teachers and keep up with their lessons.”
Feds challenge poor student loan practices
A Department of Education audit of practices at Navient, the United States' third-largest student loan servicing company, has revealed that it may have driven tens of thousands of borrowers struggling with their debts into higher-cost repayment plans. Auditors wrote that many customer service representatives failed to ask questions to determine if other plans, including income-driven repayment arrangements, might be more beneficial to borrowers. Five states suing Navient - Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, California and Mississippi - say the behavior breaks their laws regarding consumer protection, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's own lawsuit alleges that the practices break federal consumer protection laws.
Education reformers seek to make sense of Midterm Blue Wave
The recent Midterm elections saw Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, as well as state legislatures and governorships, bringing in a number of politicians against key elements of the party’s education reform agenda, including charter schools and test-based accountability for schools and teachers. Democratic political strategists James Carville and Joel Benenson say that centrist education advocates need to tell success stories, and keep working with politicians across the ideological spectrum, arguing that elections will be won more often by appealing to moderates than by energizing the most progressive voters. Both men said that supporters of reform have to be careful not to demonize teachers, with Mr Carville calling teachers “heroes.”
----- STATE NEWS -----
Why California pension promises should be kept
Writing in the Union Tribune, Deborah Beaver, a real estate specialist with San Diego USD and a member of California School Employees Association San Diego Chapter 788, urges the California Supreme Court to leave intact the California Rule, that once a retirement benefit is vested, it cannot be taken away. She notes that if the rule is overturned in the case, which involves Cal Fire pension benefits, teacher pension benefits would be placed at serious risk. “California is one of the most expensive states in the nation and pensions are an important recruitment and retention tool, “ she writes. “This tool will be weakened if the law is changed to allow retirement promises to be broken in the middle of an employee’s career.”
Absenteeism ‘wake-up call’ for California districts
Cecilia Leong, an associate director of programs for the San Francisco-based Attendance Works, says that the updated California School Dashboard accountability system, which will show absenteeism levels next year for the first time, will be a “wake-up call for a lot of districts.” The dashboard designates a district as having a “high” rate of chronic absenteeism if between 10 and 20 percent of K-8 students miss 18 or more days, under the criteria approved earlier this month by the State Board of Education. A district’s chronic absenteeism is deemed “very high” if 20 percent or more of its students fall into this category. Based on these breakdowns, the dashboard’s color-coded system will show that approximately 30% of districts have high absenteeism rates through the 8th grade, and 10% have very high rates.
Thurmond names Chief Deputy Superintendent
Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Tony Thurmond has announced Lupita Cortez Alcalá as his pick for Chief Deputy Superintendent. Cortez Alcalá is currently executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, administering over $2bn in financial aid, and is a prominent voice in the statewide discussion on college affordability and reform of financial aid. Cortez Alcalá will be the first Latina ever to hold the position of Chief Deputy Superintendent of the California Department of Education. Thurmond said: “Lupita Cortez Alcalá’s deep and comprehensive grasp of California education policy makes her the most qualified choice to serve as my Chief Deputy Superintendent. I know that she will be a champion for every California student, working closely with me to improve public education at every level.” Cortez Alcalá brings more than 12 years of experience with the California Department of Education and has worked closely with the State Board of Education.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Oakland teachers threaten to strike
The Oakland Education Association is set to resume negotiations with Oakland USD officials tomorrow, with the threat of a strike hanging over the talks if requests for a 12% pay rise over three years, and smaller class sizes are not met. “Teachers are just sick and tired of being pushed around, and the quality of education is eroding because people aren’t coming into this profession anymore,” said Ismael Armendariz, vice president of the Oakland Education Association. According to Armendariz, the district had 571 teacher vacancies last year, and 40 positions remain vacant. However, Board of Education member James Harris said the district cannot afford to match the union’s requests: “Our problem, as a district, is that we are too large. We operate too many schools. What we won’t do is put ourselves and our city on the hook for money we don’t have, so we have to be thoughtful and smart about how we’re doing this,” he said.
San Diego County improves high school graduation rate
San Diego County’s high school graduation rate improved a little from the previous year but lags behind the statewide average, according to new graduation rate data published Monday. The county had an 81% four-year graduation rate for the class of 2018, compared to 83% for the state. San Diego USD again had the highest graduation rate - 87% - among California’s five largest urban school districts, including Los Angeles USD, which had a 7% graduation rate. All but two school districts in San Diego County - Grossmont Union High and Mountain Empire USD - had graduation rates that were at least as high as the state average. San Dieguito Union High, a district with high test scores, had the top graduation rate at 96%.
Monterey districts move to help teachers buy homes
Three school districts in Monterey County have introduced a new down payment assistance program to help school teachers and employees buy homes, in a bid to encourage staff to remain in the area long term. Monterey Peninsula USD, North Monterey County USD and Pacific Grove USD all adopted the Landed program last week, with MPUSD superintendent PK Diffenbaugh calling the initiative an “exciting” opportunity to help staff “get into the housing market” in expensive districts. Teachers on the program receive half of a down payment on a home –up to $120,000 – in exchange for which the district receives a percentage stake in the house’s value when it is sold.
----- CLASSROOM -----
U.S. classrooms must teach evolution, scientist asserts
Ann Reid, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, highlights a raft of legal cases, in states across the U.S., for and against the teaching of evolution. "Many dedicated science teachers are willing to work to improve evolution education, but they need the support of all of us who value the integrity of science education, to create a world in which teaching evolution no longer requires heroics," she says.
----- LEGAL -----
Education Department updates civil rights complaints procedures
The Education Department will no longer dismiss civil rights complaints because the filer had submitted other, similar claims. The department’s update also restores the right of appeal when the department finds insufficient evidence to substantiate a claim. “It is clear that this is a cover-your-rear litigation response,” suggested Catherine E. Lhamon, who chairs the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Lawsuit claims Danville teacher on cell phone as student drowned
The parents of a teen who drowned during a PE class last May, filed a lawsuit against the district and the teacher in charge of the lesson. Fifteen-year-old Benjamin Curry’s family filed the suit against PE teacher Aaron Becker and San Ramon Valley USD for the incident, which occurred in May at San Ramon Valley High. Attorney Andy Schwartz claims a surveillance video allegedly shows Mr Becker using his cell phone as Ben drowned. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that he was negligent, had "minimal training in water safety," and that his lifeguard certification had expired on March 16th 2018.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Increasing numbers of non-white teachers still more likely to quit
Data for 2015-16 shows that 20% of the 3.8m public school teachers in the U.S. were non-white, up from 17% in 2011-12. The largest racial or ethnic group among the roughly 760,00 non-white teachers are Hispanics, with more than 335,000 teachers, data show, followed by blacks with more than 250,000 teachers, and Asian teachers, which numbered fewer than 90,000. Richard Ingersoll, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who has been documenting changes in the teaching labor force, commented: “It’s actually sort of an unheralded victory. It’s all the more remarkable because minority teachers have higher quit rates.”
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Los Angeles USD Accused Of Lead-In-Water Secrecy
Parent advocacy group Speak UP has accused Los Angeles USD of failing to keep families fully informed when tests find high levels of lead in school drinking water. California’s largest school district has long had one of the most extensive lead testing programs in the country and has spent more than $30 million on lead remediation over the past decade. However, Speak UP says the district needs to do more. “This is a really serious health issue and LAUSD has done nothing to proactively inform parents at the schools where the water can permanently damage their kids’ brains,” Daphne Radfar, Speak UP’s director of operations, told members of the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education during public comment at their meeting last week. Los Angeles Unified posts its test result to a webpage that is said to be difficult to find and, unlike other district communications with parents, is available only in English. Other school districts, such as Oakland Unified, send letters home to parents with the results of lead testing and whether levels of the toxic metal exceeded the federal and state limit of 15 parts per billion.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Parkland survivors awarded International Children’s Peace Prize
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has awarded survivors of the Parkland school shooting in Florida the International Children’s Peace Prize for campaigning against gun violence. He called the March for Our Lives movement one of the most significant youth-led movements in decades and, during a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, praised the founders as “true change-makers”.
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.
