ABCFT - Week in Review - March 8, 2019
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(ABC Federation of Teachers)
In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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ABCFT Attends First CFT Special Education Summit
by Tanya Golden
Last week, ABCFT President, Ray Gaer, Executive Vice President, Tanya Golden, and Special Education Teacher, Amy Pacheco along with other CFT local presidents and special education practitioners attended the EC/TK-12 Council Special Education Summit.
The Summit was created as a result of the local presidents voicing their concerns about the changing landscape of special education and how we can shape it to support educators. Participants spent 1 ½ days networking and building relationships with educators and union activists across California. They were tasked to learn what common problems educators face and the scope and scale of challenges. Make no mistake, the time was not spent commiserating about the challenges we all face but instead sharing solutions achieved through contract language and brainstorming solutions to state-wide problems. Needless to say, special education is a multi-layered and very complex so the participants focused on the issues we could influence.
It was eye-opening to hear how many districts make decisions about special education based on fear of lawsuits is a bad policy and does not necessarily serve the best interests of the students with different needs. Which, as an educator, can be one of the most aggravating aspect of the special education landscape.
We did learn the creative ways other locals have addressed special education issues by achieving class size caps, processes for inclusion, co-teaching, PD and supports for teachers with highly qualified and trained paraeducators to name a few. What also was apparent during our discussions was the overwhelming social emotional needs and extreme behaviors of general education and students with special needs and how these challenges add to the dynamic issues already within the classroom.
So what were the big takeaways from this Summit? Besides forming relationships and support systems with other educators, participants learned and created new contract language in regards to caseloads, mainstreaming or inclusion and language that addresses the supports general education and special education teachers need. Also how to negotiate professional development and define effective PD, and creative ways to deal with the lack of time to write IEP’s, testing, meetings, and collaboration.
This was not a one and done Special Education Summit but a first step toward helping educators across California with all the demands and stresses of educating all of our students. The EC/TK-12 Council and CFT will continue to advocate for a systematic way to best support our students and teachers and fully funding special education so we can do the job we are expected to accomplish.
ABCFT Delegation Lobbies in Sacramento for Public Education - more testimonies
VP of High Schools, Megan Harding brought her son John Harding as part of our Teacher Leader Delegation to Sacramento this year for CFT Lobby Day. John is a senior in the Long Beach School District and is interested in politics and how our system of government operates. Here are his thoughts on his day of lobbying for education in Sacramento with his local representatives.
I had an amazing experience at lobby day in the Capital. It was a great way for me, as a student, to really understand how the legislative system works and how we as constituents and citizens can impact our lawmakers. This also gave me a first hand experience of what lobbying really is. I discovered that it isn't Corporate representatives giving politicians incentives for voting in their interest as I previously thought. I would definitely recommend this for any and all students who are available.
Thank you so much, John Harding
This year’s ABCFT sent the largest delegation to Sacramento at one of the most crucial moments in education’s recent history. There is definitely a different a change in the air in Sacramento when the subject of education funding is discussed with state representatives. Next year we are hoping to open more spaces up for ABCFT members who would like to join the Teacher Leader delegation to lobby in Sacramento. Your teacher/nurse voices need to be heard and you have the experience and stories to illustrate to policy makers that education needs funding for teacher salaries, classrooms, and support services. If you’ve never had the opportunity to lobby in Sacramento make it part of your bucket list, you’ll find the experience enlightening and empowering. 
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 Rhonda McNutt in her 25th year as an educator. She is currently teaching 2nd grade at Gonsalves Elementary.
If you could give ”first year teacher you” advice what would it be?
Be flexible, engage your students, let them know you love and respect them and find a mentor/friend that you can share laughs, reflections, and strategies with.
Have fun~
How did you get involved with the union?
I was voted to be a Co-Union Rep because ours had retired.
Describe a day in the life of being a Rep at your site.
The Union has helped me to understand the importance of being part of something bigger than myself results in high quality public education, better health care and services, and political activism. Opportunities such as attending CFT and AFT conventions and the ABCFT Teacher Leader program has made me realize I can make a difference in the life of colleagues, students, and my community. VIVA LA UNION!
What is your favorite movie/show, song, or book?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter...MySpace?
Instagram
What do you do for fun?
Laugh and travel with those who shall not be named (Tanya and Jill), and buy shoes!
Do you have a bucket list?
Travel to all 7 continents , 2 down, 5 to go, learn to speak another language, and play the ukulele.
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
Make every child a fluent reader by age 8. That may be the best superpower of all!
Thank you Rhonda 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 1 by Ray Gaer
Over the next couple of weeks I will be describing the process and progress of the District School of Choice Committee. I am the ABCFT representative on this committee along with representatives from AFSCME, CSEA, Administrators, along with community members that have been appointed by the ABC Board Trustees. There are fifteen members in total for this committee. For the next couple of weeks I’m going to take you through what has been discussed and accomplished in the last five months. If you have the need a question about what is presented in this report, please write to abcft@abcusd.us.
In the Spring of 2018, the ABCUSD School Board agreed to form a district committee on the issue of school of choice. Many of the citizens who were against supporting the bond made the case that school of choice was responsible for the school district’s desire to put a facilities bond on the ballot in November of 2018. These citizens were correct that there was a need to have a discussion about school of choice politics and realities but it is false assumption that declining enrollment was the reason that the district decided to propose a bond to the ABC Community. There are some committee members who in the begining of the SOC meetings didn’t trust what the process of selection for SOC nor the need for students from other districts in ABC. Over the past five months I have witnessed a change in their attitudes as we get deeper in the data.
The first meeting was held in November 29th, 2018 and in this meeting we discussed the meeting norms, rules, and the purpose and scope of the committee. The second meeting was on January 10th and was a pivotal meeting because the committee began discuss what data we would have access to over the timeframe of the committee. I felt this was a crucial meeting because every member of the committee agreed that there needs to be more transparency on how the lottery for SOC functions, the impact of the federal magnet application process, how military, Title 1 students , homeless students, foster students, and students in danger are all treated in the laws mandating schools of choice. For the meeting minutes and the power point presentation click this link. If you have the time, take a look at slides 12-14 on page six entitled Demographic Data and slide 16 on page 8 with the performance data. The performance data clearly shows that these students are not a drag academically on our schools. They have lower special ed percentages, lower chronic absences, and are college bound in compared to students living in the ABC attendance area. It is definitely food for thought.
I’ll be back next week with part 2 of this report where I will share the distribution data and pair that with the demographic study that was just approved by the school board this week.
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Education Strike Watch 
This week the strike in Oakland but it’s a mixed bag in the end. Each strike has different pressures and conditions that are contributing factors of why there is a strike. As you will see in the articles below, the school board can have a dramatic affect on how the community perceives the post-strike landscape. You will see below that the school board for Oakland has an entirely different financial reality than in Los Angeles and teachers are receiving criticism from the community because the school board is linking the strike to the need for closures.. Prior to the Oakland strike there was a plan to close 20+ schools to shave the current school deficit but community groups rallied to stop the plan to close their community schools. The decision to close the schools just days after the end of the Oakland strike now puts the teachers and the community at odds. Take a look at the articles below to see different sides of this issue.
Oakland teachers end strike, accept new contract offer
Oakland USD teachers will return to the classroom today after the Oakland Education Association voted in favor of a new contract offer on Sunday. The deal gives 3,000 teachers and staff members an 11% raise spread over four years, plus a one-time 3% bonus. Additionally, the contract reduced caseloads for counselors, resource specialists, psychologists and speech therapists, and trims classes at the highest-need schools by one next year, followed by a reduction of another one in 2021 at all schools. Nurses receive the salary increase plus 9%, as well as $10,000 bonuses in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. "We look forward to being in our classrooms again after having to strike to bring our Oakland students some of the resources and supports they should have had in the first place," Keith Brown, the union's president, said in a statement. Oakland Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Tramell said she is “grateful” that the strike has come to an end, ad ding: “While there is still healing to come, I know we will all work together to welcome our students and families back to school.”
Oakland board cuts $22m from budget
On a day that saw Oakland USD teachers return to classrooms following a seven-day strike, the school board voted 4.3 to make $21.75m in cuts to help keep the district fiscally solvent. The district faces a $9m deficit this year, $6m next year and $15.7m the following year, according to an independent analysis by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, released Friday. The cuts will eliminate the restorative justice program, reduce an Asian Pacific Islander support program, lay off all five foster youth case managers, and take money away from school libraries. “When you’re talking about the structural deficit that we as a district have, we could cut everybody at the top. Everybody. And we still wouldn’t be able to cover our structural deficit,” said Oakland Unified School District spokesman John Sasaki. “So a lot more has to happen.”
April 7 from 3-6 PM. ←--click link above to view the flyer
This concert will benefit the ABCFT-R 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 ABCFT-R
Please mail your payment to:
ABCFT-R
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.
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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 February.
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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’ll try to keep my comments short this week. As you already have seen we are bursting with new articles to report to you so you can stay informed about what's happening in ABC and the world of education.
This week I had the privilege to represent the state of California on a national press call with 12 local union presidents from across the country. ABCFT President Randi Weingarten along with Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to fully fund special education and other Federal programs. Right now the Federal government pays states less than 40% of the money that states are entitled to from the federal government. Special education is another example of an unfunded mandate that drains the general fund of dollars that could go to salary and classroom sizes. 
On Wednesday I had the opportunity to join Gahr and Tracy High School at the HS-PBIS Symposium where teachers, principals, and district administrators gathered to learn more about PBIS at the secondary level. I was able to hang out with the staff of Tracy High School as they attended workshops, exchanged ideas, and discussed their implementation of PBIS at their school. Thanks to the Tracy staff for the opportunity to listen and join in on their conversations as they work to move Tracy into the future. Keep on your eye on them as they continue to move their school to new models and new opportunities for students to succeed. Thanks Tracy!
Have a good weekend!
Next week: School Board Report, School of Choice part 2
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT Launches Massive National Campaign to Fund Future of Education
Educators’ strikes targeted pervasive underinvestment—now it’s time to supercharge our demands in Congress, state houses and communities
WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers has launched a sweeping, multipronged campaign to fund the future of American public education.
Amid the continuing wave of teacher activism shining a spotlight on massive shortfalls in education investment, the Fund Our Future initiative aims to take the teachers’ megaphone into Congress, state houses and communities nationwide.
This ambitious new deal for public schools and colleges, launched today by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT leaders from across the country, zeroes in on the concrete steps necessary to do three things:
1. Reverse the economic austerity masquerading as the reform that has stripped support from K-12 and higher education, hurting children and sending tuition and student debt skyrocketing.
2. Recognize those states that have made commitments to fund our future where the campaign will be to sustain and build on that investment.
3. Fight for a national commitment to the programs that can provide necessary and equitable investment in public schools and universities across America.
Fund Our Future will include an array of community- and state-based legislative initiatives, and strategies paired with national demands to fully fund Title I; fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; increase investment in school infrastructure; secure operating funds at the national and state levels to counteract disinvestment in public colleges and universities; and forgive outstanding student loan debt under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
A six-figure advertising campaign, rolling out today across print, digital and online streaming services in 14 states, will draw attention to the necessity of increased investment to give students a shot at a better life for themselves and their families. Community events, rallies, lobby days and petition drives will take place daily, with the AFT serving as a national clearinghouse for advocacy. Fund Our Future priorities will also provide the 2020 presidential and down-ballot candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to students, their parents and their communities.
While some states have sustained their commitment to public schools and universities, many have not. Twenty-five states spend less on K-12 education than before the Great Recession, and 41 states spend less on higher education, while the federal government has continued to underfund its education commitment by hundreds of billions of dollars. That disinvestment in public schools and colleges has hurt students and faculty and led to overcrowded classrooms; schools without nurses, librarians, guidance counselors and supports to ensure children’s well-being; deteriorating school buildings with outdated teaching materials and technology; and unhealthy, unsafe environments. The testing fixation, coupled with austerity, has meant the loss of instruction in the arts, music and other programs; and disinvestment has led to huge increases in tuition and student debt as well as fewer course offerings and full-time tenured faculty.
Parents and communities are standing with educators. The 2018 PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools made clear that most Americans have trust and confidence in public school teachers. Ninety-one percent of Americans send their children to public schools and say they want public schools strengthened. When asked about strengthening public schools or moving to private alternatives, nearly 80 percent said they wanted to strengthen public schools. Americans believe teachers are underpaid and said they would support them if they went on strike for better wages.
“We have some notable exceptions, but for far too long, our public schools and colleges have been shortchanged, particularly in relation to our nation’s staggering wealth,” the AFT’s Weingarten said. “After a decade of neglect and austerity, the American people have had enough—and want a reordering of priorities to make their lives better. That’s why educators and communities have hit the streets over the last year to demand not just a small course correction, but a sustainable investment in public schools and colleges.
“This funding hole for public schools is not inevitable; it’s the direct result of deliberate and harmful political choices. That’s why we’re launching Fund Our Future—to supercharge the work teachers, parents and students have been doing into a set of comprehensive demands to take to the halls of state legislatures and Congress. What better time than now and who better than us to take on this challenge and win?”
Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram said: “Fund Our Future is a campaign focused on our country and actualized in our communities. The lack of investment in Florida’s schools is a real crisis. And when our students are in crisis, we know that educators are the first responders. Our members have stepped up to the plate and responded to the needs of their students time and time again; and with this campaign, we are holding our legislators accountable.” He continued, “We know what’s best for our students, and we’re committed to supporting students throughout their journey to reach their full potential. We just need the politicians in Tallahassee to give us the tools necessary to do that. We need our legislators to fund the future and invest in the success of our students.”
AFT Washington President Karen Strickland said: “In Washington state, the community and technical college system has been defunded over the last 30 years, with the recession exacerbating the damage. Our budgets reflect our values, so investing in our students and our communities is about choices. Our state’s tax system is the most regressive in the country, so we’re effectively telling our students: Your higher education is less important than protecting the wealth of Washington’s highest earners. Our CTCs prepare students for civic engagement, employment and attainment of higher degrees. Employers benefit from a well-prepared workforce. And the economy is fueled with $20 billion of activity each year. Investing in the CTCs is a smart investment that pays huge dividends. That’s why AFT Washington is joining the Fund Our Future campaign to fight for the reinvestment in our colleges that makes a difference in people’s lives.”
Randi Weingarten: Acosta's Got to Go
Teachers union President calls on Labor Secretary to resign over sex trafficking case
When Trump appointed Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta many questioned the appointment due to the sweetheart deal that Acosta cut for Trump friend, billionaire and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Last week a judge in Miami slammed Acosta for his handling of the case saying he broke the law. Now leaders of a number of unions are calling for his resignation. Below, AFT President Randi Weingarten is asking union members to take action to pressure him to resign. CONTINUE
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
AFT launches national education campaign
The American Federation of Teachers has launched a major education initiative to press the federal government and state lawmakers to increase funding for public schools and universities. The Fund Our Future initiative, which includes a six-figure advertising campaign, focuses on the fact that 25 states spend less on K-12 than they did before the Great Recession in 2008 and 41 states spend less on higher education. At the federal level, the union is calling for increasing funding for Title I, the federal program for low-income children, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal program for students with special needs, and for the clearing of student loan debt for those enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Abstinence-only education does not lower teen births
U.S. government spending on abstinence-only education has been shown to actually result in an increase in the number of teen pregnancies in some areas, according to a study by the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany, New York, which analyzed data on more than $2bn in federal grants for abstinence-only education and sexuality education between 1998 and 2016. For every $1.00 per pupil increase in funding for abstinence-only education, the teen birth rate rose by 0.30 per 1,000 in conservative states compared with moderate states, the researchers found.
America’s public schools are crumbling
Michael Addonizio, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Wayne State University, who also served as assistant Michigan state superintendent for research and policy, highlights the poor state of repair of schools in the U.S. and warns that the way in which infrastructure repairs are funded, based on property taxes, means that wealthier communities have more to spend and neither state or federal funding can make up the difference. While the House has begun hearings on the Rebuild America’s School Act of 2019, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, which would invest $100bn over 10 years to fix America’s public schools, he notes, a 2014 Department of Education study found that it would cost about $197bn to bring the nation’s deteriorating public schools into good condition.
Judge rules on special education policy implementation
An Obama administration policy which would require districts not to place disproportionate numbers of minority students into special education or otherwise isolate them at school, must go into effect, a Washington federal court ruled Thursday. Federal judge Tanya S. Chutkan argued that the Trump administration’s delay in implementing the rule violated administrative law, noting that the claim states were unprepared to comply in time was not supported by evidence. The issue is related to Education Department data which show that black students are more than twice as likely to be identified as having an intellectual disability or emotional disturbance than other students, with those of Hispanic background 40% more likely to be identified as having a learning disability and Native American students 90% more likely. The department is now reviewing its legal options, according to spokeswoman Liz Hill.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Gov. Newsom signs charter school transparency legislation
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill requiring California’s 1,300-plus charter schools to follow the same laws governing open meetings, public records and conflicts of interest that apply to school districts. “It’s common sense,” Gov. Newsom said in a news release issued by his office yesterday. “Taxpayers, parents and ultimately kids deserve to know how schools are using their tax dollars.” SB 126 does allow employees to serve on the school’s governing boards, although they’re required to abstain from voting, or influencing or attempting to influence other board members, on any matter affecting that member’s employment. The California Charter Schools Association called the bill “a fair, balanced application” of the Brown Act, requiring board meetings to be open to the public, adding that “the majority” of the state’s charter schools already follow the practices it sets out.
California to audit districts on homeless student procedures
California’s Joint Committee on Legislative Audit has approved an audit of school districts to study barriers that schools face in identifying students experiencing homelessness, why, and if, those students are going unreported, and best practices to identify and provide services to them. The audit, the first of its kind, is expected to take six to nine months to complete. The auditor’s office will examine districts that have reported zero homeless students entirely, or at-large schools in the district. They also will look at a district that has been successful at identifying homeless students and providing services to them. As of 2017, about 2,700 schools and 400 districts have reported that none of their students are experiencing homelessness, according to data from the state Department of Education. However, an EdSource report from the same year found that the number of homeless youth in California has jumped 20% since 2014, to more than 202,329, accounting for nearly 4% of the overall public school population.
UC will not raise tuition for California students this fall
Undergraduate tuition for California residents at University of California campuses will not increase this fall, UC President Janet Napolitano said on Wednesday - the seventh time in the past eight years that officials have kept tuition flat for them amid rising costs and enrollment numbers across the UC system. Speaking at a Sacramento hearing, Ms Napolitano said she was optimistic that a “strong partnership” with Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature would help the university find “additional resources, in lieu of tuition revenues, to ensure that UC students can succeed.” California residents at UC campuses will pay $12,570 in tuition and fees, as they are doing for the current academic year, although Ms Napolitano has recommended that regents vote next week to raise nonresident fees by 2.6% to $29,754.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Palos Verdes to admit grandchildren of residents
Faced with declining student enrollment, Palos Verdes Peninsula USD is to begin accepting children whose grandparents live in the district. Over the past five years, the district has seen its enrollment drop by 500 students, to 11,000. Until now, the district has accepted students living outside the district only if a parent or guardian worked on the Peninsula or if a parent or guardian is a member of the U.S. military.
Jserra student pictured in swastika photos ‘no longer attends school’
A teenager who was enrolled at the private JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, photographed at a party with teenagers raising their arms in a Nazi salute next to plastic cups arranged in the shape of a swastika, no longer attends the school, officials have written to parents. “When an action takes place that is so gravely contradictory to our Christian values, we take intentional steps both to correct the behavior of the individuals involved and to instruct the entire student body as to our school’s expectations,” the letter says.
Oakland board member apologizes for putting hand on teacher's throat
A member of the Oakland USD school board has apologized "deeply" after footage of her putting a hand on the throat of a teacher at last week's strike protests emerged. Director Jumoke Hodge, who was trying to get into an elementary school for a meeting at the time of the encounter, called the incident "deeply disturbing" and added that she had "acted out of fear and self-defense" after demonstrators "physically threatened...board members."
Decision imminent on Azusa school closures
The Azusa USD board could decide as early as March 19th to proceed with a campus closure and consolidation plan that would ultimately shutter Sierra High and Mountain View Elementary schools. The plan has been devised to help the district cope with an enrollment of 7,000 students in 2021, less than half the 15,000 it had in 200. Sierra High and its adjoining Adult Education Center would move to the Gladstone Street Elementary campus, whose students would be disbursed to Magnolia and Murray elementary schools. Meanwhile, Mountain View’s dual immersion Spanish students would move to Valleydale, and its students taught in English would move to Paramount Elementary.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Many ADHD students receive no school interventions
One in three students with ADHD receive no school-based interventions, according to the largest study of children and teens with ADHD ever conducted, which also reveals that two in three receive no classroom management. At least one in five students with ADHD who experience significant academic and social impairment - those most in need of services - receive no school intervention, the study notes, and the gap is particularly evident for adolescents and youth from non-English-speaking and lower income families.
----- FINANCE -----
Oakland board cuts $22m from budget
On a day that saw Oakland USD teachers return to classrooms following a seven-day strike, the school board voted 4.3 to make $21.75m in cuts to help keep the district fiscally solvent. The district faces a $9m deficit this year, $6m next year and $15.7m the following year, according to an independent analysis by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, released Friday. The cuts will eliminate the restorative justice program, reduce an Asian Pacific Islander support program, lay off all five foster youth case managers, and take money away from school libraries. “When you’re talking about the structural deficit that we as a district have, we could cut everybody at the top. Everybody. And we still wouldn’t be able to cover our structural deficit,” said Oakland Unified School District spokesman John Sasaki. “So a lot more has to happen.”
Glendale board makes cuts to tackle $6.8m deficit
Glendale USD has spared two assistant principal positions and a summer middle-school program from planned cuts, after the school board made decisions on significant budget cut proposals last week. GUSD officials are aiming to slash $5m from their 2019-20 budget before making further cuts of nearly $2m the following year, as the district grapples with a $6.83m deficit. No layoffs are scheduled, but it is projected that 11.5% of vacant positions will not be filled in mostly administrative positions.
San Ysidro moves forward with first round of layoff notices
San Ysidro USD has issued a first round of layoff notices to 19 certificated employees, including teachers, administrators, a social worker and a psychologist. The planned layoffs are part of the district’s effort to cut expenses by $4.7mto $6.7m next school year to address a projected $5.7m budget deficit next year and a $5.4m deficit in 2020-21. More certificated employees, as well as classified staff that don’t hold teaching credentials, will be included in the layoff notices the board will consider in the coming weeks.
----- LEGAL -----
Police investigate Newport Harbor students over Nazi salute
The Newport Beach Police Department is investigating an image reportedly posted by high school students that depicts a swastika formed out of red solo cups. Newport Harbor High School and Costa Mesa High School students posted pictures on Snapchat of students playing beer pong with cups set up like a swastika and saluting Hitler with captions like, “German engeneraing (sic).” Newport-Mesa USD board president Charlene Metoyer commented: “As a school board, we’re not only concerned by the underage drinking, but also the mental health of the students who participated in this horrendous act and all their fellow students who will be affected by it. This is appalling to not just our Jewish student community, but to all of us who care about human rights.”
----- WORKFORCE ----
San Ramon contract talks continue
Closed-door talks were held yesterday by San Ramon Valley USD officials hoping to put off the strike action threatened by the district’s teachers. Ninety-eight per cent of the San Ramon Valley Education Association’s members voted last week to authorize a strike if the district doesn’t offer better pay, smaller class sizes, and more school nurses. The district said it is confident that the two parties “will be able to agree on a solution.” A meeting will be held tonight at Dougherty Valley High School, with more information to be offered about the contract negotiations and the possible strike.
San Ramon board, teachers, hopeful of agreement
Ann Katsburg, the President of the San Ramon Valley Education Association, said yesterday that the union is close to reaching a tentative agreement with San Ramon Valley USD that will avoid a teacher strike, but warned that “we are in it for the long haul.” Teachers recently voted to authorise strike action in the event that the district doesn’t satisfy its calls for better pay, smaller class sizes, and improved support services for students. Talks broke off yesterday, after a 13-hour bargaining session failed to produce a formal tentative agreement. However, the district joined the union in hailing the “tremendous progress” made, adding that it looks forward “ to returning to the table as soon as possible to reach agreement on the remaining few issues.”
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
O.C. board approves charter school requests
The Orange County Board of Education has approved proposals for two charter schools to operate within local school districts. The International School for Science and Culture wanted to open in Newport-Mesa USD, and the Sycamore Creek Community Charter School sought to operate in the Ocean View School District, but saw their requests rejected by each district. Newport-Mesa and Ocean View determined in their resolutions that the schools had “unsound education programs” and that “petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the charter.”
----- OTHER -----
The research on homework not favorable.
First Lady champions homework
Melania Trump opened a three-state tour to highlight her “Be Best” initiative with elementary schoolchildren in Oklahoma on Monday. The first lady’s visit, which included classroom tours, championed the importance of homework, child well-being, online safety and bullying prevention.
Holocaust survivor educates Newport Beach students
Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank, visited the Newport Beach students who attended a high school party that saw a swastika formed out of drink cups, and teenagers give Nazi salutes, to recount her experiences in Auschwitz. Eighty-nine year-old Eva said after the meeting that, when the students saluted the swastika at the party last weekend, “they didn’t realize what it really meant,” she said. “They just thought it was a joke.” They apologized profusely during the meeting, which also included parents, community members and student leaders from Newport Harbor High School. Ms Schloss had come to Orange County to speak at a scheduled program at Chapman University, but was asked by local Jewish leaders to meet with the students.
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