ABCFT - Week in Review - May 3, 2019
National Teacher Day is Tuesday May 7th - Thank you Teachers!
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(ABC Federation of Teachers)
In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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National Teachers Day on May 7th
Americans in cities and towns all over the nation are celebrating National Teacher Day on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The celebration is part of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, with special events honoring educators happening in every community. Two goals to hold in mind about this important week:
- Thank America’s teachers for their commitment to students and for their work to create great public schools for every student.
- Encourage talented and committed individuals to consider the rewarding and intellectually demanding profession of teaching.
School of Choice Update by Ray Gaer
This week has been a week of confusion, aggravation and disappointment for ABC employees who have children and have signed up for the ABC School of Choice lottery. Many teachers, principals and classified employees were surprised by ABCUSD’s sudden priority change for employees who were participating in ABC schools of choice. Employees who had been given the top priority in the SOC lottery suddenly found out that they no longer had the top priority and that they would not be placed till after June 1st. Why?
The short answer is that the district reverted to the board policies in place to make sure that they did not violate any policies that currently describe the School of Choice procedures. In the ABC School Board procedures there is currently no language that gives ABC employees SOC priority over district school of choice intradistrict transfers. For the last two years there has been a practice where employees were given top priority. This was happening because the district committee which convienes every year thought that giving employees the top priority would streamline the process and encourage employees to not only commit to staying in ABC as employees but also offset declining enrollment and allow ABC to collect the additional ADA (money) for programs. The logic of this decision is sound and this is just another way for the district to provide incentives for employees to invest their career time and children in ABC.
So what happened?
There are many factors that have caused the District to make their decision to change the priority of employees. The number one reason is that there is a small loud minority of community members who are vocal about their frustration with the ABC School of Choice process. The reason that they are frustrated is that these parents are not able to place their kids in their first choice of school in ABC. I believe that if you take a good look at all ABC schools you’ll find that each school has unique strengths; however, there is among some parents the desire to put their kids in schools where they believe they that school will provide a superior experience in hopes that that will be a deciding factor in their child’s academic growth. Therefore, this line of thought among parents means that there are specific schools that are more highly sought after. When so many people want to get into a few schools but there are so few spots to fill, many parents are disappointed when they find out that they are not chosen in the lottery for a specific school.
The most important result to come out the the current school board SOC Ad Hoc committee is that there needs to be better communication by the district on how the school of choice process is administered. Because there has not been much transparency for so long, the community has created myths on how the SOC process is being abused so that they are shut out of the schools they desire. This is completely wrong, but it is true that the process was a mystery to every new generation of parents. As a result of this false thinking, there are a number of community members on the school board SOC Ad Hoc committee who are hostile about the SOC process and want specific changes that will favor the community members so that ultimately they can hope to place their children in specific schools. This again is faulty thought since there are so few slots that open up every year for SOC. If you refer back to my second report handouts that clearly shows the limited number of slots available at all ABC schools.
If you have been negatively impacted by the dramatic procedural change for ABC’s School’s of Choice lottery, I would encourage you to write to Tim.Catlin@abcusd.us - Tim is the administrator in charge of the entire school of choice process and he should hear about how this sudden change has negatively impacted you. Personally, I’m not surprised that the community is asking for more information but I am surprised at the decision to change the process without prior notice for employees about the change in priority. Many employees are disappointed and they deserve to have their stories heard.
Next week, I’ll share the handouts from the April Ad Hoc Committee so you can see the priority lists if you haven’t seen them. I will also continue to share with the District administration how many employees are disappointed in their treatment as parents and employees in ABC.
The last School of Choice Committee meeting was Thursday, April 11th. The previous three updates and information can be found here when you click this link.
ABCFT Teacher Leader News by Tanya Golden
All year long the ABCFT Teacher Leaders have been busy learning how to be union activists, polish their speaking skills, complete their action research which included a close analysis of their topic with a literature review, surveys, and sharing a summary of their findings with a written report and oral presentation.
Please join as we celebrate the hard work of our Teacher Leaders at our 2nd Annual ABCFT Teacher Leader Showcase on Friday, May 17th from 3:30 to 6:30 pm at Fedde Academy multipurpose room.
Next year, we will be offering the program again and we are seeking ABCFT members to join this exciting and dynamic program. If you would like to learn more information please join us at the Showcase to get a better idea of how the program works. We will be sharing the application for the 2019-20 ABCFT TLP soon so watch your inbox for an email!
CDE Wants YOU! by Tanya Golden
One of my roles as an officer for the CFT EC/TK-12 Council is to represent our member across the state on the CDE Assessment Workgroup. We have monthly webinars and meet in-person twice a year. The purpose of the workgroup is for the CDE to get feedback and input about state assessments from the stakeholders.
The California Department of Education is seeking the help of science and dual immersion teachers. The science teachers will be tasked with California Science Test (CAST) standard setting. The dual immersion teachers are being asked to set standards and range finding for the optional California Spanish Assessment (CSA). There is also an opportunity with an ELPAC item writer workshop.
I hope you truly consider sharing your expertise and using your teacher voice to form and influence state tests that thousands of students will take. Depending on which task you apply for, there is reimbursement for travel expenses to Sacramento and an honorarium of $150 per day may be available. The details are in the links below.
NEGOTIATION TIMELINE
At this time, the ABCFT Leadership and Negotiating Team are researching data, attending budget workshops, and working with ABCFT member groups. ABCFT will have a full review of California’s May Revised Budget which is released later this month. As we wait for the state to sort out the revised budget, we thought it would be good to highlight the State’s budget process over the past eleven months. Hopefully, if you were not aware of the budget process for the state of California this timeline would shed light on how the process works.
California State Budget Timeline Made Easy
July 1 - Fiscal year begins.
July 9 - September 15 - Department directors and agency heads initiate detailed reviews and develop budget proposals for their programs for the next fiscal year. These requests are then reviewed by the Department of Finance for review.
October- January 10 - The Governor evaluates the requests as reviewed by the Department of Finance and sends his or her proposed budget to the legislature.
January - February - The budget committee chairs in each house introduce the Governor's’ budget proposal in bill form. The Legislative Analyst’s Office prepares a detailed review of the budget bill.
March - May - Each house refers its budget bill to their respective budget committees. The bills are then broken down by subject and assigned to the appropriate subcommittees by subject areas. After completion of the hearings , each subcommittee votes and send its report to the full budget committee.
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MAY 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.
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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.
Okay, I’m reporting that there are only 28 days left with students, but I’m sure you already had that marked off on your calendars. I hope all of you had a great much need spring break and that your week went quick. Before we know it this school year will be at a close.
I hope that you are never be sorry for reaching out to get help, support or answers. When teachers, nurses, and SLP’s call the union office there is always a point in the conversation where the member’s voice gets quieter and they mention that they never usually call the union for help or for clarification. Let me say it here, it is our pleasure to help you and you should never feel awkward about calling the YOUnion because we are here to help you. You are the YOUnion.
This school year both Tanya Golden and I have been supporting a number of teachers with their evaluation process. As you know the challenges of being a teacher continues to become more challenging year after year. I like to use the example of how even our best students need some type of support throughout the school year and we should make their asking for assistance a safe activity that has no repercussions. If we can have that understanding for our students than why can’t we as teachers be allowed to also ask for help when it is needed. I think that there is no shame in asking for support or in seeking out fresh tools and resources to help your teaching.
I bring this topic up because ABCFT is actively in discussions with the ABC Administration about providing teacher supports in the key areas of curriculum, classroom management and teacher wellness. All three of these areas are clearly universal needs for all teachers in general and over the course of your teaching career almost all of us will experience a situation where we need additional supports. It’s my vision that we create a support system that teachers can access that doesn’t have any negative stigma attached to it.
I hope that teachers will stop feeling like they have apologize for asking for help because asking for help is not only human but it means you are being solution driven to overcome challenges and obstacles in your pathway. We all need each other and helping each other is part of our community norms. Your thoughts on this subject are always welcomed.
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT President Randi Weingarten Welcomes Democrats’ Appropriations Proposal
WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement about the proposed education and labor appropriations bill headed for markup in the House of Representatives tomorrow:
“House Democrats’ plan to increase funding for our public schools by $4.4 billion would make an extraordinary difference in the lives of children and their educators. This is a budget to fund our future, and it counters the years of deep disinvestment in our public schools. It would invest in programs that really matter for children and teachers—programs that Betsy DeVos has tried to eliminate, like smaller class sizes, community schools, teacher professional development and after-school programs—as well as in early childhood education, child care and ways to make college more affordable. It would start making good on promises previous presidents and Congress have made to kids who have special needs. And it would focus on equity by targeting resources to our most vulnerable children and high-need schools.
“The investments House Democrats put forward in their budget stand in stark contrast to the deep cuts President Trump and Secretary DeVos are proposing. At a time when 25 states still spend less on public schools than before the Great Recession, and with the teacher uprisings spotlighting how disinvestment has harmed our students, schools and profession, Democrats are stepping up with a plan to reverse a decade of disinvestment. At the same time, Trump and DeVos are doubling down on their agenda to defund and privatize our public schools with a budget that cuts education by 10 percent. Parents, teachers and communities can see who is on the side of kids and public schools. It’s time to fund our future by passing the Democratic budget for our public schools.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
- 05/03/2019
PSRPs: Sticking with the union
- 05/02/2019
Communities devastated by natural disasters call for immediate aid
- 05/02/2019
Safe care, safe work major focus at 2019 healthcare conference
- 05/01/2019
Early childhood support requires adequate staffing
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHTS-----
Over 50% of Americans believe teachers ill-equipped to handle disruptive students
New Gallup data released Wednesday reveals that some 54% of respondents believe educators do not have the skills required to handle discipline issues in the classroom, with 43% saying that teachers are either prepared or very prepared. Nearly 90% agreed that increased access to school mental health services would help to improve discipline, while stricter disciplinary practices were supported by only 24%. Stephanie Marken, executive director of education research at Gallup, said during a Communities in Schools (CIS) discussion on school discipline as part of a Milliken Dialogues and Policy Summit that: “Safety was an extreme concern among those that we interviewed,” while Michael Petrilli, president at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, called the 2014 guidance on school discipline, which aimed to reduce racial disparities in suspension and expulsions, “awfully close to a mandate.”</ span>
Majority of Californians support teacher strikes
Sixty-one percent of Californians polled by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) say they support public school teachers striking for better pay and classroom conditions. This year has seen educators in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Oakland all take action over salaries, and other matters such as charter schools. The poll found that Californians are less keen on educators’ demands to crack down on charter schools, with 49% supporting them and 46% in opposition. “Charter public schools get mixed reviews,” PPIC President Mark Baldassare said in a statement. “Many Californians say it is important to have the option of a charter school, but there are concerns about the fiscal impacts on traditional public schools.”
MCGRAW HILL EDUCATION NEWS
All students deserve to be engaged, valued, and empowered to learn in science class. In response to rising concern around science education equity, researchers continually are working to identify equitable teaching practices. In this whitepaper, Dr. Dale Baker from Arizona State University reviews key research findings on gender equity in science education, including the importance of fostering self-efficacy, drawing relevant connections, and prioritizing student-centered learning. Read the full white paper here .
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Warren details debt forgiveness proposal
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has proposed a $1.25tn plan to redesign higher education by eliminating undergraduate tuition at public colleges and universities and canceling most student loan debt. She would eliminate up to $50,000 in student loan debt for every person with a household income of less than $100,000, while borrowers who make between $100,000 and $250,000 would have a portion of their debt forgiven. Leveraging revenue generated by a proposed increase in taxes for America’s wealthiest families and corporations, which the campaign estimates to be $2.75tn over a decade, Warren, a candidate for the 2020 United States presidential election, would also expand federal grants to help students with non tuition expenses and create a $50bn fund to support historically black colleges and universities. “This touches people’s lives,” she said in an interview.< /span>
Sen. Harris calls for teacher support ahead of S. Carolina rally
Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) held a roundtable discussion with invited teachers in South Carolina on Monday, as she continues a push for federal investment in teacher pay for the first time. “Part of my teacher pay initiative will give higher salaries to rural communities and high-need communities,” Harris said, including in what she said was South Carolina’s “aptly named” Corridor of Shame, a string of poor, largely African-American counties along Interstate 95. “Shame on us for not putting the funding into an area,” she said. As president, Harris would call for a law to raises teacher salaries in the United States by an average of 23%. Under her plan, the federal government would start off by giving each state the first 10% of funding needed to close the teacher pay gap, then encourage states to close the remainder of the gap by investing $3 for every $1 states contribute toward meeting that goal. Thousands of teachers in South Carolina are expected to attend a rally at the Statehouse in Columbia today, which districts across the state cancelling classes, saying they wouldn’t have enough educators on hand to maintain order.
U.S. college enrollment stagnates
New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show more than two-thirds of 2018 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities the following fall. In October 2018, 69% of 16- to 24-year-olds who graduated high school in 2018 were enrolled, with 9 out of 10 reporting they were full-time students – a marginal increase over 2017 high school graduates, 67% of whom were enrolled in college or university. Over the last decade, that figure has fluctuated between 66% and 70%. Last year marked the first time the report included employment data among recent degree recipients age 20 to 29, finding that 78% of those who earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 were employed. But this year that figure is 6 percentage points lower, with the bureau reporting just 72% of those who earned a bachelor's degree in 2018 were employed. The report also documents high-school dropouts, finding that between October 2017 and October 2018, 527,000 young people dropped out of high school. Notably, the labor force participation rate for recent dropouts, which was at 47%, was much lower than the rate for recent high school graduates not enrolled in college, 74%.
Florida moves closer to arming teachers
The Florida Senate voted 22-17 on Tuesday to pass a bill which addresses several school safety issues - the most contentious of which is a provision that makes all teachers eligible for the state’s "guardian program," that allows them to carry guns in schools. School districts would have to approve participation in the program and teachers would have to volunteer, undergo psychological evaluations and be trained by a sheriff's office. Critics include Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, who said already overburdened teachers shouldn’t have to provide armed security as part of their responsibilities, while supporters include Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, who said districts should have the flexibility to arm staff because an armed teacher might be able to stop a shooter. The proposal (SB 7030), expands the state’s Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program created in the wake of last year’s Parkland shooting, and now heads to the House, which is solidly supportive, and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has already indicated that he will sign it into law if it passes.
School choice advocates making strategic moves
While Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos pushes the Trump administration's newest school choice priority, a $5bn tax credit scholarship that would help families cover the cost of private or public K-12 school of their choice, or pay for online classes, tutoring and after-school programs, among other things, Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who's carrying the administration's proposal in the Senate, is devising a rebranding of the school choice sector to boost adoption. "We need to expand our coalition. We need to bring in new allies," Cruz told an education conference hosted by The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute this month. Such legislation is unlikely to see the light of day in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives however, writes Lauren Camera, and even influential conservative organizations, like the Heritage Foundation, have come out against the proposals - wary of opening up private schools to federal oversight and regulations.
DeVos presents Teacher of the Year award
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has presented the National Teacher of the Year award to Rodney Robinson, a teacher at the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center in Virginia and the state's current Teacher of the Year. The president has traditionally presented the award, since its creation in 1952, and though he presented it in 2017 and 2018, President Donald Trump took a back seat this year. "My lessons always contain a local reference or connection to inspire my students to change their surroundings and themselves," Robinson himself said.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California falling short on fully-qualified teachers
A new report from the Learning Policy Institute claims that, although enrollments in teacher preparation programs in California are rising, they are not doing so at a sufficient pace to put fully-prepared teachers in all the state’s classrooms. The report, produced for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTCC), found that the state issued 16,518 new teaching credentials in the 2017-18 school year, just six up on the previous year. Of the newly credentialed teachers, nearly 4,000 were already-qualified teachers who came from out-of-state. However, some 24,000 new teachers were needed in California; to fill the remaining spaces in individual school districts, the credentialing commission issued thousands of so-called “short-term staff permits” and “provisional internship permits,” for which no teacher training is needed, just course work in an undergraduate degree program in the subject they will be teaching. Mary Vixie Sandy, CTCC executive director, said: “ We need to see that number (of enrollments) increase by leaps and bounds and for the others (emergency and other temporary teaching permits) to decrease if we want to feel we are making significant progress in addressing the teacher shortage.”
Ruling favors teachers union in Sac City salary dispute
A court-appointed arbitrator has ruled in favor of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, in its salary schedule dispute with Sacramento City USD, ruling that the district has breached a tentative agreement with the union. The deal was originally brokered in November 2017, and provided a 7.5% salary increase for teachers, with an additional 3.5% adjustment to mid-range salaries; however, not long after, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon said that the agreement would drain Sacramento City’s reserves within two years, and the district would have to propose new cuts to avoid being placed on the state’s early financial warning list. In a statement, the district said: “The arbitrator’s decision will cost the District more than the 3.5% maximum increase we had agreed to and planned for in our budget… we are now carefully reviewing the details of the decision to assess how much our financial obligation will increase by and the impact of this decision on our current financial challenges.”
Teacher shortage continues
April findings by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing have revealed that California continues to face a qualified teacher shortage crisis. While 23,832 prospective teachers were enrolled in state teacher prep programs during the 2016-17 school year, an increase of nearly 2,500 over the previous year and 4,000 more than in 2012-13, that is a relatively low number compared to the 77,705 enrollment over 2001-02. California’s newly appointed State Board of Education president Linda Darling-Hammond noted that “half the people coming in are not yet prepared and most likely are teaching in the highest-need communities.” She called for the state to restore discontinued programs, including scholarships that cover teacher preparation program costs, or student loan forgiveness in exchange for teaching in high-needs schools or hard-to-fill subject areas.
Senate approves bill banning ‘willful defiance’ suspensions
The California State Senate has approved SB 419, which bans schools and principals from suspending students for “willful defiance” of teachers, staff, and administrators, by a vote of 30-8, sending it on to the Assembly. As part of the new bill, superintendents or principals would be asked to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion that are “age appropriate and designed to address and correct the pupil’s specific misbehavior.” Pilot programs have been conducted in Orange County and Butte County and would provide the framework for the new statewide system. Several school districts, in San Francisco Unified, Los Angeles Unified, and Oakland Unified have already banned school from issuing willful defiance suspensions and expulsions.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Ruling favors teachers union in salary dispute with Sacramento City Unified
After weeks of deliberation, a court appointed arbitrator on Thursday ruled in favor of the teachers union in its salary schedule dispute with the Sacramento City Unified School District. The district and the Sacramento City Teachers Association entered voluntary arbitration in March, after disagreeing over a salary increase for mid-career teachers.
According to the arbitrator’s ruling, the district breached its tentative agreement with the union regarding the salary schedule during the current school year. “We look forward to working with the District to implement the arbitrator’s award immediately and hope that this decision encourages the District to honor our contract going forward,” read a statement from teachers union President David Fisher.
In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, the district said while it is disappointed with the decision, it will respect the arbitrator’s ruling.
The Sacramento Superior Court arbitration is legally binding and must be implemented immediately, according to court documents.“The arbitrator’s decision will cost the District more than the 3.5% maximum increase we had agreed to and planned for in our budget,” read the district’s statement. “It will have negative implications on our budget situation and we are now carefully reviewing the details of the decision to assess how much our financial obligation will increase by and the impact of this decision on our current financial challenges.”
LA Mayor pushes new parcel tax to aid city’s schools
In his annual State of the City address yesterday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made an extended sales pitch for a new tax for public schools. Measure EE is on the June 4th ballot, and aims to collect an additional $500m annually for Los Angeles USD, through a tax of 16 cents per sq ft of building improvements on properties within the district. Backers say it would result in an additional $160 per year in taxes for the owner of a 1,000 sq ft house. The Mayor, speaking at Lincoln High School, said the measure would allow the district to lower class sizes, keep school libraries open, and staff campuses with nurses and counselors. The alternative, he argued, would be layoffs of teachers and school support staff within the next two years.
San Diego schools move to later start times
Three schools in San Diego USD are to shift their school days to embrace later start times in a bid to improve sleep health for students. La Jolla High School, Muirlands Middle School and the San Diego School of Creative Performing Arts are all moving school to start an hour later, with principals saying that "healthy start times" are linked to boosted attendance, test scores and graduation rates. SDUSD school board voted last year to have all high schools start at 8.30am or later by 2020, with many campuses currently commencing the day at 7.30am.
Oakland teacher contract to cost $36m
The Oakland USD school board will vote Wednesday on whether to approve the contract agreement that ended a seven-day teacher strike at the beginning of March. The contract, which provides teachers with an 11% raise through the end of the 2020-21 school year, will cost $3.6m during the 2018-19 fiscal year, $15m during the 2019-20 fiscal year, and $17.4m during the 2020-21 fiscal year. Documents also show the cost of the contract will put the district over budget by $463,470 over the next three years.
Task force faces tight deadline on charter school law reform
A report on the California Department of Education’s Charter Task Force notes that it was set up by newly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond last month, after Gov. Gavin Newsom requested it in the wake of the Los Angeles USD teachers’ strike. The school board there had urged a “comprehensive study” of charter schools in the district, including their “financial implications.” The task force is to develop recommendations by July 1 on various issues, while the California Charter Schools Association pushes for a huge expansion of charter enrollments. This comes as the California Teachers Association and other unions call for greater transparency in the charter school network. Ed Manansala, the superintendent of schools in El Dorado County, noted that the task force’s “initial presentations and dialogue have been engaging”.
Pasadena announces further round of job cuts
The Pasadena Unified school board has voted to eliminate 26 positions across the district, the cuts coming on top of a decision made in March to do away with more than 30 certificated positions, including teachers and principals, as part of implementing a plan the Los Angeles County Office of Education demanded to financially stabilize the district. The jobs include custodians, special education aides, administrative staff and cafeteria workers. A 27th position, a library coordinator, will see a slight reduction in hours. “These (cut) positions are either lack of work or lack of funds,” Steven Miller, the district’s head of human resources said at Thursday’s meeting.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Many agree climate change should be covered in class
Over 80% of U.S. parents favor the teaching of climate change to children, according to a poll by NPR/Ipsos. A separate poll of teachers found that 86% agree that climate change should be taught in schools. Notably, 55% of teachers surveyed said they do not cover climate change in their own classrooms and almost two-thirds (65%) said the reason was that it's "outside their subject area".
----- WORKFORCE ----
San Marcos teachers crash board meeting
Hundreds of San Marcos USD teachers gatecrashed the district’s school board meeting on Tuesday, to demand a new contract amid stalled negotiations. San Marcos Education Association President Michael Devries told trustees: "We believe that our group is as good as any in North County and we shouldn't have to fall out of our placement. You are showing us our time is not valuable and in turn we are not valuable." He added they would agree to take less of a raise in exchange for capped classroom sizes.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Are charters exacerbating segregation?
Halley Potter, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation think tank and a former charter teacher in Washington, D.C., underlines how U.S. school districts are struggling to tackle segregation in schools. While charters have tended to be more segregated for low-income students and students of color than traditional public schools, at least historically, public school districts across the country are also experiencing difficulties in increasing equity for students. The issue is so divisive in New York, she notes, that officials, including both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have declined to take a position on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to reform the admissions process for the city’s specialized high schools.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
USC medical program loses national accreditation
The University of Southern California is losing national accreditation for a medical training program dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct. The decision from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is final and effectively shuts down the program, which had 15 slots for a three-year curriculum. The panel did not publicly state the reasons for the action. But it comes a year after revelations that a medical resident had accused a fellow in the program of sexual assault and alleged officials didn’t take her case seriously.
California seeks to prepare students for jobs of the future
California students are too often being taught the necessary skills for 20th century jobs rather than those they will need in the future, according to the Sacramento Bee’s California Influencers Series. University of California President Janet Napolitano has said: “(As) educators, we must think deeply about how to prepare students for jobs that do not yet exist. After all, companies like Google and Facebook weren’t even around more than two decades ago, and now they employ large numbers of UC graduates”. Meanwhile California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond noted: “In an era of rapid knowledge expansion and technology changes, employers need critical thinkers and problem solvers who can work together to create new solutions and products, not just follow routines”, while Vernon Billy of the California School Boards Association said oral and written communication, critical thinking, and collaboration now hold increased importance.
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
About three years ago ABCFT stated a working relationship with National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company. Throughout our partnership, NTA has been supportive of ABCFT activities by sponsorship and prizes for our various events. This organization specializes in providing insurance for educators across the nation. We have been provided both data and member testimonials about how pleased they have been with the NTA products and the opportunity to look at alternatives to the district insurance choice.
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