ABCFT - Week in Review - June 13, 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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Previous Editions of The Week in Review
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Teacher Leaders Application for 2019-20 Program
With the support of AFT our national union, we are again honored to offer the ABCFT Teacher Leaders Program for the 2019-20 school year. To honor your time AFT offers a $1500 stipend for participants that complete the program. Below are the details regarding this national program as well as the online application process. To learn more about the TL program click here to access the 2018-19 action research papers.
The recruitment flyer which highlights the program
TLP guidelines are here--->TLP Participant Guidelines
ABCFT Teacher Leaders Applications are now due by Friday, June 14, 2019
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June 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's 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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Free AFT Resources For Educators and Nurses
Pride Month LGBTQ Lesson Plans
June is Pride Month and a good time to make sure your classroom is a safe and welcoming place for all students. Explore this collection of our best preK-12 free lessons, activities and resources to make a difference supporting LGBTQ families in your school and community. For related resources, follow ADL and GLSEN on SML.
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.
Yippy, this school year is over!!!
A big thank you for taking the time to read the Week in Review, fill out our surveys throughout the year, talk with your site representatives, and advocate for students/teachers/nurses and SLPs.
Thank you for all your responses to the 2019-2020 President’s Survey. I’ve already glanced at the great input and we will use that input to help us design new ways to help and inform ABCFT members. If you didn’t answer the survey yet, you can find the link here.
There will be a negotiations update for you when you return.
Have a wonderful summer!
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
The latest CFT articles and news stories can be found here on the PreK12 news feed on the CFT.org website.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
----- TEACHER STRIKES -----
New Haven teachers ratify the contract, end strike
Teachers with New Haven USD yesterday ratified the latest contract offered by the district, ending a 14-day strike, a deal that will see around 585 teachers at 11 schools in Union City and south Hayward, as well as the district’s 11,000 students, return to classrooms this morning, in time for the last week of school. The agreement gives members a 4% on-schedule pay increase over the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, plus a 2.5% one-time bonus for this school year. Sixty percent of teachers voted in favor of the deal, which also gives teachers up to a 1% additional on-schedule additional pay increase next year should the school district’s revenues come in higher than projected. In a short statement Sunday night, New Haven district spokesman John Mattos said, “We are happy that all of the New Haven community will be able to participate in our students’ end-of-the-year activities and celebrations.”
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
U.S. unlikely to meet graduation goal
States are off pace to hit the “90% graduation rate by 2020 goal” set by the Alliance for Excellent Education and America’s Promise Alliance, according to the latest Building a Grad Nation report from the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University and policy and research organization Civic. Though the national graduation rate continued to inch higher in 2017, to 84.6%, up from 84.1% in 2016, an additional 199,466 students would have needed to graduate on time in 2017 to reach that goal.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California releases air quality guidelines for schools
North Coast state Sen. Mike McGuire has announced new guidelines aimed at helping schools make better decisions about the health of students during wildfire season. The guidelines break down air quality levels into five groups with level 5 being the most hazardous. “School districts may consider school closers based on site-by-site concerns,” the level 5 recommendation states. It also urges no outdoor activity or sporting events are a good idea when those conditions persist. In contrast, level 1 conditions have no restrictions for outdoor activities such as physical education. “These guidelines are coming just in time, just in time for fire season and the 2019-2020 school year,” McGuire said Tuesday morning in Sacramento.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Sac City budget faces rejection
Sacramento City USD will wrap up the school year with yet another disapproved budget, according to its business office. Jacquie Canfield, the district’s contracted budget consultant, surprised many attendees by saying she had identified more than $5m in savings after combing through the budget, correcting errors and eliminating funds that had been going unspent. While the official budget report has yet to be submitted to the Sacramento County Office of Education, she said it will be rejected despite recent cuts.
El Rancho appoints interim superintendent
Reynaldo Reyes has been selected as interim superintendent at El Rancho USD. Currently, assistant superintendent of human resources, he will take temporary charge of the district when Karling Aguilera-Fort leaves. Although Mr. Reyes was the unanimous choice of the El Rancho board, trustees differed on the hiring of search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to find candidates to fill the role on a permanent basis. The national firm’s methods have been called into question in Southern California and in other states following several controversies with its picks. Board member Carolyn Castillo said that, in addition to HYA’s questionable past choices, she takes issue with its “fast-track” timeline to put forward candidates for the board’s consideration this summer.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Charter school report echoes calls for tighter charter school regs
A highly anticipated state report on charter school reforms was made public Friday, recommending that California school districts be financially buffered from the loss of students to charters and get more flexibility in deciding whether to approve any more of the privately run, publicly financed and mostly non-union schools. Charter school operators, meanwhile, would get to keep the existing appeals process under the “consensus” recommendations, in exchange for the “broader discretion” that districts would get in denying new charter petitions. Santa Cruz Sentinel CBS Sacramento
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Millions of students lack internet at home
An estimated 17% of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home, according to Associated Press analysis of census data, which also indicates that 18% do not have home access to broadband internet. In what is becoming known as the "homework gap," a third of households with school-age children that do not have home internet cite the expense as the main reason, according to federal Education Department statistics released in May, which also note that the number of households without internet has been declining overall - but was still at 14% for metropolitan areas and 18% in non-metropolitan areas.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
San Bernardino launches free tuition program for 1,000 students
San Bernardino Valley College is offering two years of free tuition to 1,000 students, under its new Free College Promise program. The initiative, funded by a $10m endowment established by trustees, is available for students who commit to studying full time at SBVC or Crafton Hills College, with president John Longville saying the offer will give students "a heck of an advantage" in their further education.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Vatican guidance to teachers rejects gender fluidity
The Vatican has rejected the idea that people can change or choose their gender. Issued by the Congregation for Catholic Education, Vatican office that oversees Catholic schools and universities, as teaching instruction to those who work with children, the guidance document for priests and teachers describes an "educational crisis" around gender and criticizes the view that gender and sexuality can be "fluid". However, it also says that children and young people should be taught to respect every person so that no-one suffers bullying or other discrimination.
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.
If you are interested in exploring NTA as an insurance provider, you can contact a local representative here:
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