ABCFT - Week in Review - March 15, 2019
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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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Negotiations Calendar Survey
The negotiating team is seeking your preferences for the 2020-21 school calendar. The survey is designed to give the ABCFT Negotiating Team guidance on the academic calendar for the 2020-21 school year. The intent of the survey is to get calendar preferences from our members and use this information to guide our negotiations with the district.
An email with the survey attached was sent to all members, but you can click here to take the survey→ 2020-21 ABCFT Calendar Survey
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 educator Claudia Fontoura. She is currently teaching 4th grade at Elliott Elementary and serves as Assistant to the Principal.
If you could give ”first year teacher you” advice what would it be?
Have fun, advocate for teachers and students, and red Supercharged.
How did you get involved with the union?
I wanted to grow as a professional.
Describe a day in the life of being a Rep at your site.
My day always begins with advocating for students and teachers by using positives words and actions with both groups.
What is your favorite movie/show, song, or book?
My favorite movie is a foreign film called Malena and Avatar.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter...MySpace?
Facebook
What do you do for fun?
Spend time with family and friends -go out to eat- listen to music and dance.
Do you have a bucket list?
Go to Portugal and go back to Italy.
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
To be invincible.
Thank you Claudia for sharing your story with the ABCFT community.
If you’d like to be featured in the Meet a Member Click this link here.
School of Choice Update Part 2 by Ray Gaer
Last week I wrote about the first couple School of Choice meetings that took place in November and January. Those two meetings discussed the legal requirements for school of choice, how the lottery was used to chose students, and the demographic data of the 3,000 interdistrict transfers we get from other districts. There is a direct correlation between the amount of LCAP and supplemental funding ABC receives due to these interdistrict transfers since a majority of them qualify as non-duplicated students (a term describing students who are either foster youth, homeless, ELL, and free and reduced lunch). To see the first part of this article go to the school of choice article in Review for March 8, 2019.
The third meeting for the School of Choice Committee was a broader discussion among the participants about the actual numbers of students that are intradistrict school of choice placements in every school (these are placements of students who live within ABC boundaries) . In addition, there was a discussion about the process of placing interdistrict transfers (from other districts) to fill spots that are not taken by intradistrict transfers. You can find the minutes for the February 7th meeting, the question replies, and the School of Choice placement data here. It should be noted that interdistrict transfer permits for a school happen only after a deadline window for intradistrict (ABC residents) closes in late Spring. Residents of ABC are given first priority but if they refuse the school of choice placement after the deadline it opens these slots up for interdistrict permits (out of district). When you look at the data, you will see that a big majority of our school of choice students are interdistrict transfers. You will find the data for each school on page 14 of the document. Also included in this document are the school board policies and the CA Ed Code numbers that spell out the process of intra and inter district transfers.
What I thought was most important at this meeting was that it busted the myth for some of the north side parents who thought that it was the out of district students who were filling up the schools. I think it was eye-opening for the committee to look at the data for each school. When you look at this data in conjunction with the enrollment trend data you begin to see a picture forming about what is happening in our schools. However, hold on for next week when I discuss the demographic data that was just approved by the school board last week. To be honest, the demographic data I’ll post next week will blow your mind because it will tie all the pieces together.
I hope that you are finding this ad hoc committee reports interesting. As teachers, we can usually only make assumptions about our students and how they ended up in our classrooms. I think it’s important that teachers have a good idea about the how and why a student is at your school so that we can better meet the needs of the students and their parents. Understanding the community we work in can only be helpful in understanding where our parents are coming from. Look for part 3 of my School of Choice report next week.
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ABCFTR is hosting a house concert on April 7 from 3-6 PM. ←--click link above to view the flyer flyer
This concert will benefit the ABCFTR scholarship fund.
There are a limited number of $25 tickets available.
Please include your name and the number of tickets you are requesting.
Make checks payable to ABCFTR
Please mail your payment to:
ABCFTR
19444 Norwalk Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703
See the attached flyer for more information about the concert and electronic payment options.
(Your tickets are not guaranteed until we receive your payment)
Hope to see you at the concert.
ABCFT-R
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MARCH ABCFT ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
Each month Connie Nam and Rich Saldana work with Beth Bray and Carol Castro to provide teacher input about professional development, curriculum changes and testing changes. ABCFT believes that the biggest working condition impacting teachers are the key curriculum and the professional development being churned out of academic services. Many times the district is implementing changes that are coming from the State of California but rarely do unions get involved in those changes. ABCFT believes that teacher voice helps to provide the district office with classroom advice and input that helps to deliver better comprehensive changes. Each month at the ABCFT Representative Council Rich and Connie give reports and take questions on all things related to academic services. Here is the report for the month of March.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
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’m sure this has been a busy week for everyone, but I hope you are all taking time to do self-care time. What do people say about taking time to notice the flowers or the butterflies? If you walk around or are out driving I’m sure you’ve noticed the migrating butterflies heading north. Spring is upon us.
On Monday, I attended a conference held by the CA Labor Management Initiative to help districts learn about labor management practices. ABC’s Superintendent Dr. Sieu, CSEA ABC President Rebecca Macias, and I were the key presenters for about ten different districts in Southern California including Inglewood, Montebello, El Monte, Fullerton, and another handful from the CA Central Valley. We presented on the labor management and communication structures that are unique to ABC and how those information gathering/communication structures help to provide teacher voice, feedback, and program development. The communication structures in ABC are unique to ABC which has made us the nations leader in labor management structures. For example, Dr. Sieu’s Monday Message and the ABCFT Week in Review are driven by the desire of both organizations to be transparent and to encourage increased capacity, program awareness, and employee satisfaction. ABCFT continues to be on the cutting edge of progressive communication structures and labor management development.
On Tuesday, ABCFT sponsored our second Student Debt Clinic for those who wanted on information on what debt relief programs are available and what steps one would need to take to qualify for these programs. If you would like a couple of summary documents that will provide an idea of the topics covered just click this link. Thank you to all of those members who encouraged us to have a second debt clinic. We are always looking for new ways to provide you with information and services to address your needs. Look for announcement for our next after school information meeting that will focus on parental/maternity leave and lactation protections for employees. For more information on women’s rights and protections click this link to see the information at the California Women’s Law Center.
On Thursday, I attended the high school stipend subcommittee that was a joined effort between ABCUSD and ABCFT to gather information about the state of stipends across the school district. ABCFT Chief Negotiator, Ruben Mancillas is working with Human Resource Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Zietlow and continue to hold a series of meetings to explore the use of stipends across the district. This data will be compiled to refresh an outdated stipend list in hopes of creating stipends that reflect what is actually happening in ABC schools. I believe these meetings are providing both the district and ABCFT the necessary information to understand what changes will need to happen to address our changing teaching landscape. A special thank you to all of those who have attended these meetings. Your perspectives and thoughtful input will have a lasting impact on all current and future teachers in ABC.
On Friday, I had the pleasure to speak with the members of the ABCFT-Retirees Chapter at their quarterly member meeting. When I attend these meetings I am given the opportunity to speak with ABC veteran teachers who still like to have a connection to the ABC school district where they spent a large part of their lives effort helping students succeed. Each meeting, I am able to report about ABCFT activities and the state of the district. In conjunction with each of these quarterly meetings the retirees produce a newsletter where they highlight what the ABCFT-Retirees have been doing to stay active in education. Click here to see the latest issue. Getting involved in ABCFT-Retirees is a way for ABC teachers who retire to stay connected to each other and to stay informed about the ABC community.
Next week 36 ABCFT delegates will attend the CFT Convention and we hope to have special coverage of that event in the coming weeks to report on the activities and results from that convention. I know that there is a push right now for you to fill out the PAL Survey and I encourage to fill out these important climate surveys. Hopefully your surveys will allow you to give constructive feedback that will help to drive change and supports at your school sites. For those of you who want to vent and tell it how it really is I totally understand the desire to speak truth to power. At the end of May, I’ll be sending out my annual PRESIDENT’S SURVEY where I hope I get your totally unfiltered opinions about the things that matter. Save the colorful language for my viewing. I look forward to reading your president surveys each year because they provide me with a playbook of what areas I need to focus on in the next school year.
Thanks for all you do. Go out and see those butterflies and the super blooms. Self-care is the key to keeping your energies up. Have a good weekend.
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
Phone app speeds repairs to Philly’s schools
- 03/13/2019
Education on the chopping block: Trump proposes $7 billion cut
- 03/08/2019
Vermont techs celebrate new contract
- 03/04/2019
AFT launches massive national campaign to fund public education
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT----
Dozens charged in college admissions cheating scheme
Federal prosecutors have charged dozens of wealthy parents, including prominent law and business figures and two Hollywood actresses, with using bribes, bogus entrance-exam scores and faked athletic achievements to get their children into elite colleges. The sprawling case, the largest college admission scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, was the result of a 10-month multi-agency federal investigation, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues. Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, described a “culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for students trying to get into these schools the right way, through hard work, good grades and community service.” The investigation involved several unnamed, but “prominent” Southern California prep schools. Among those charged were Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin; Loughlin and her husband “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team” even though they did not participate in crew. Huffman is accused of disguising a $15,000 charitable payment in the bribery scheme, according to court records. Prosecutors alleged Huffman met with a confidential witness who explained that he could control an SAT testing center and could arrange for someone to proctor her daughter’s test and correct it.
Los Angeles Times Washington Post U.S. News and World Report Wall Street Journal Houston Chronicle Miami Herald CBS Sacramento
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Department of Education Drops Religious Restrictions
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has announced that the Department will no longer enforce restrictions barring religious organizations from serving as contract providers of equitable services solely due to their religious affiliation. Under ESEA Sections 1117(a)(2) and 8501(a)(2), school districts must however continue to ensure that any contractor is independent of the private school for which it is providing services, and that the educational services and other benefits being provided by the contractor are “secular, neutral and non-ideological.”
Proposals to cut billions from education budget
The federal government has proposed decreasing the Education Department’s funding by $7.1bn on last year, equating to a near 12% cut, as part of next year’s proposed budget. The proposals suggest eliminating 29 programs - after-school and summer programs for students in high-poverty areas, among other things - and feature requests for an increase in $60m for the Charters Schools Program. The budget requests $700m for school safety measures from multiple agencies, including the Education Department, the Justice Department and Health and Human Services, and features a recommendation to eliminate the $2bn grant program for teacher professional development. Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said: "Secretary DeVos is proposing gutting investments in students, teachers, public schools, and even school safety - all to make room for her extreme privatization proposal that no one asked for."
Congress to address school lunch 'shaming'
Calls to stop the "shaming" of students and parents who have fallen behind on their school lunch debts is placing school districts across the U.S. in a tight spot financially, having to choose between pushing harder to get paid or cutting spending elsewhere. Some 75% of school districts across the country reported unpaid school meal debt, according to a 2018 SNA survey, with the median district debt being $2,500 in 2018, up 25% from $2,000 in surveys in 2016 and 2014. New Mexico and Virginia are among states that have passed bills prohibiting schools from shaming those who have fallen behind and, with schools participating in the National School Lunch Program administered through the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service providing meals subsidized by the federal government, Congress is now getting involved. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), a member of the House Education Committee, said there's no excuse for shaming, adding: “The debt needs to be looked at.”
Students to protest over climate change
Students across the country are planning on missing school today as a protest to call for more action to address climate change, in an event that has been dubbed “U.S. Youth Climate Strike”. The strikes and rallies are scheduled in all but a few states (along with others around the world.) In Denver, 12 year-old Haven Coleman is a co-founder and co-director of the organization planning the first school strikes in the U.S. Inspired by Greta Thunberg's protest in Sweden, Coleman says she searched for other young activists to organize a similar school strike here. Now she co-directs the project with Isra Hirsi, 16, of Minneapolis, and Alexandria Villaseñor, 13, of New York City. Their platform includes a call for Congress to pass the Green New Deal, which is aimed at speeding the country's transition to carbon-free energy and re-making the economy to spread wealth more evenly.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Teachers bring forced dues lawsuit against CTA
Bethany Mendez, a special education teacher from Fremont USD, is leading a lawsuit against the California Teachers Union and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, for failing to inform public school teachers of their right to not pay union dues. Ms Mendez, represented in part by the politically conservative Freedom Foundation think tank, says she was not informed that a June 2018 Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, meant she was no longer required to have the annual $1,500 union dues deducted from her pay. Teacher unions across the country have been bracing for litigation since the high court ruled 5-4 that requiring dues payments forces public sector workers to endorse political messages that they may be counter to their beliefs. "This is just another lawsuit from the Freedom Foundation to continue the attack on public education and public employees," California Teacher Association spokeswoman Claudia Briggs said.
Coachella Valley USD To Lay Off Staff
The Coachella Valley USD Board of Education has voted to lay off dozens of teachers, support staff and administrators for the second consecutive year, as it faces a projected multi-million dollar deficit. A public meeting at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal saw the seven-member board approve the dismissal of 81 staff members in three separate votes. Carissa Carrera, president of the Coachella Valley Teachers Association, noted: "We have teachers who were just brought back from last year's cuts. Now they're gonna be back on the list again. This is a morale issue." Erik Lee, district assistant superintendent of Business Services, said: "This problem finds its origin in the state placing the responsibility of retirement on school districts. Our pension obligations this year are over $13m higher than they were four years ago."
DeVos to investigate college admissions scandal
Betsy DeVos is to investigate whether Education Department regulations were violated in the sprawling college admissions scandal. The Education Secretary's comments come just one day after 50 people, including coaches, parents, a private college consultant and a private school test preparation director, were charged as part of the FBI's Operation Varsity Blues, an investigation into an alleged scheme to get wealthy, well-connected children into elite schools. The University of Southern California, one of the schools at the center of the scandal, has said that all applicants connected to the scheme will be denied admission, while a case-by-case review will be conducted for students already enrolled and who have links to the scheme. Elsewhere, University of California President Janet Napolitano has ordered an internal investigation into any UC involvement. UCLA has already placed soccer coach Jorge Salcedo on leave after he was indicted for allegedly accepting $200,000 in bribes for helping two students win admission as soccer athletes, even though they did not play the sport competitively. A UC spokeswoman said it was not clear whether other UC campuses were implicated in the scandal.
Linda Darling-Hammond confirmed as SBoE president
Linda Darling-Hammond was selected to be president of California’s State Board of Education by fellow board members on Thursday, a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom named her to the post. Before being selected as president, she was sworn in as a board member by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond who is non-voting member of the board, with the official title of executive secretary.
----- DISTRICTS -----
San Ramon teachers to vote on new contract
San Ramon Valley USD’s Board of Education and the San Ramon Valley Education Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. The deal includes a 4% base salary increase, a 0.18% increase to the Retired Employees Health Benefit Plan and Trust, an extended work year and revised salary schedule for school nurses, and lower student-to-staff ratios for counselors, nurses and teacher librarians. The SRVEA will present the tentative agreement at a general membership meeting Monday at the Dougherty Valley High School Library. Voting will take place from Tuesday through Thursday. If the agreement is ratified, the district school board will ratify the pact at its March 26th meeting.
Santa Ynez makes cuts to address $1.43 million budget deficit
The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District board agreed on Tuesday to eliminate two support staff positions, reduce four others, cut the hours of two teachers, and give furlough days to six administrators. The decision will save the district $355,260 in personnel costs, as it looks to address a $1.43m budget deficit. Board members also unanimously approved a resolution changing the minimum reserve fund from 30% of expenditures to a flat $3m, a move that could free up $1m-$1.5m. The reductions came in response to pleas from teachers, support staff, students and parents to keep cuts as far away from classrooms and students as possible during a special March 4 board meeting.
Police investigate Nazi flyers at Newport Harbour High
Police are investigating after anti-Semitic flyers were posted around a school in Newport-Mesa USD, just days after a separate incident in which teenagers posted photos of themselves making Nazi salutes. Flyers depicting swastikas were found at Newport Harbor High School on Sunday morning, with one student whose grandmother survived the Holocaust calling the incident “super disheartening.” Principal Sean Boulton emphasized that the school “condemn all acts of anti-Semitism and hate in all their forms,” adding: “we continue to be vigilant.”
----- CLASSROOM -----
Schools getting wiser to student absences
In attempt to tackle absenteeism, Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Ky., where almost 70% of students qualify for subsidized or free lunches, has opened a new “laundry and loot” room, where students can bring their clothes to be washed and ironed, and also pick up donated items like socks and deodorant. According to the Department of Education and the Civil Rights Data Collection, approximately one out of six students was chronically absent during the 2015-16 school year, meaning they missed more than 15 days of school. Rebecca Nicolas, principal at Fern Creek High, says: “Now this data can be used as an early warning that we need to invest in relationship building, problem solving and understanding what’s going on,” adding: “We’re just trying to remove as many barriers to school attendance as possible.”
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Charter school task force holds first meeting
A new task force that will examine the financial impact of charter schools and report back to Gov. Gavin Newsom by July 1st met for the first time on Thursday. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond led the meeting, at Newsom’s request, and will chair the 11-member Charter Task Force. They include four individuals representing the state’s 1,300-plus charter schools, four public employee union representatives and three school district and county office of education representatives. In a statement, Mr Thurmond said, “We plan to research data and facts, and will review the fiscal impact and authorization process of charter schools. But more importantly, we are going to do this with thoughtful intention and through the lens of identifying what is truly best for kids.”
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
Political Incivility Dividing U.S. High Schools
Political grudges and racial animosity are dividing students at U.S. high schools, according to a report by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), who surveyed over 500 high school principals and found that over 60% reported students making derogatory remarks about immigrants. The UCLA report described a "charged environment" at high schools, with most principals having to deal with students who make hateful or hostile remarks about other people’s ethnic background or political beliefs, and researchers concluded that President Donald Trump, though by no means solely responsible, has however "exacerbated" problems with his rhetoric. “The report is a story of this particular time, not narrowly a story of the actions of this one president, although this president’s actions contribute to it,” said John Rogers, a professor of education at UCLA.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
UC regents hold off on raising nonresident tuition
The University of California backed away Thursday from a tuition increase for students from other states and countries after several regents expressed concern that it could limit diversity and hurt some immigrants. UC President Janet Napolitano had roposed the tuition raise, which would increase the UC Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) by 2.6% ($762), bringing it up to $29,754 for the 2019-20 academic year. Regent Hadi Makarechian noted that the strong dollar had devalued many foreign currencies, effectively doubling the cost of education for students from some countries. Others said that raising costs would hurt some local students, including those without legal immigration status who don’t meet the qualifications for in-state tuition.
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