ABCFT - Week in Review - June 7, 2019
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(ABC Federation of Teachers)
In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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ABCFT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE by Ruben Mancillas
Update - ABCFT Negotiating Team will begin negotiations with a preliminary proposal to the District on June 24th. During these negotiations, ABCFT will present a salary and health benefits proposal for the 2019-2020 school year. At this time, we are proposing no changes for health benefits. The ABCFT negotiating team is still analyzing budget data to prepare a salary proposal. We expect that the school board will evaluate the ABCFT proposal at the July board meeting and ABCFT/ABCUSD will resume negotiations in August. ABCFT will update members concerning negotiations with bargaining updates when teachers return in August. Any salary agreement reached in negotiations will be voted on by the ABCFT membership for approval.
Members of the negotiating team attended the School Services budget workshop on May 21 to get the updated numbers regarding the May Revision. Governor Newsom proposed his budget in January but the May Revise gives a more accurate assessment of state budget numbers because it takes into account actual tax revenues collected in April. The Cost of Living Adjustment or COLA went down slightly from 3.46% to 3.26%. LCFF funding went down slightly as well from $2.023 billion to $1.959 billion. The Proposition 98 minimum guarantee for 2019-20 increased slightly from $80.7 billion to $81.1 billion. There are no one-time discretionary funds scheduled for 2019-20. There is a proposal to increase special education funding from a mix of ongoing and one-time to $696.2 million in ongoing dollars but there are competing specifics in the legislature of exactly how this will be applied. The one clear piece of good news is that additional money has been allocated to fund CalSTRS, from $3 billion in one-time dollars to $3.15 billion. The practical impact of the additional STRS money is that the district will not have to contribute quite as much for employees which then frees up money in the base for potential additional compensation.
So where do we stand? The May Revise gives the most accurate numbers but the budget process continues. The Governor and the Legislature will negotiate their priorities until a final budget is passed by June 15. We are currently in what is being described as a “COLA-only” environment, that is districts should only expect to receive funding for the COLA as the LCFF is close to being fully funded. There are proposals to increase overall state funding, at the moment California is ranked 32nd nationally with $8,961 per student, but until additional revenue is generated COLA will provide the bulk of the funds we have available to consider as part of our base to negotiate for increases in our salaries.
Finally, last year we were able to negotiate a voluntary professional development day in August at a per diem rate. This year the district will not be offering the same professional development day in August. The number of unduplicated students declined so the LCAP budget came in lower than projected and the PD day was cut as a result.
ABCUSD School Board Update - LCAP and Budget
NOTE: In this week’s Review we will focus on the ABC District LCAP budget and next week we will focus on how the state and national picture are impacting ABCUSD. 
This last Tuesday there was a school board meeting that will have significant impacts on ABC schools and student services. The biggest news was revealed when Dr. Mayfield was describing the changes in ABCUSD’s LCAP during this last year of a three-year budget cycle. ABCUSD has a total budget of $240 million dollars and the LCAP is a specific $18 million dollar part of the overall budget. This budget is how the district gets additional ADA dollars per student for specific categories of unduplicated students (counted once as either ELL, Foster Youth, and homeless students). ABCUSD has approximately 54% of our population falls into one of the unduplicated student categories. As you can see on the chart we are not eligible to meet the additional criteria to receive the 55% threshold to obtain Concentration Grant monies. This drop has forced the District to make budgetary cuts and reallocations for the 2019-20 LCAP budget.
Are there any major adjustments being made for the 2019-2020 budget?
There is one significant change in the LCAP for next year. Each year the school board assess and monitors the progress of the current LCAP budget priorities. Over the span of the school year, the school board has been receiving input from stakeholders (parents, students, teachers, administrators) about each groups priorities and needs. This year there has been a major concern from all stakeholders about the mental health of the students in our classrooms. There is research that clearly shows an increase in the difficulty of behaviors and how they are impacting our classrooms. You can review an excellent research study that helps to illustrate the changes in behavior by clicking the link below.
Breaking Bad Behavior 
The Rise of Classroom Disruptions in Early Grades and How Districts Are Responding
As a result of the input, the school board heard from the stakeholders, starting in 2019-2020 ABCUSD will now have permanent status social workers at every school and an additional social worker at all comprehensive high schools. This is a major victory for students, parents, and classroom teachers because it provides critical support for students who cannot function in our schools without mental health systems to address their needs. Congratulations to all of those social workers/wellness coordinators who have helped to provide ABCFT with the information we needed to become advocates for additional mental health supports in our schools. Departments throughout the district reallocated funds to create the monies needed to pay for this change in services.
The ABCFT leadership is happy to see that the district understands that student’s mental health is a vital component in the development and success of our students. Look for our report next week on how national and local issues impact the ABCUSD budget. We want members to have a good idea of some of the financial data that the negotiating team is assessing prior to opening negotiations on June 24th.
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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
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.
ABCFT-R: RETIREE CHAPTER REPORT
Why I love this picture? Here we are at the 2019 Recognition Dinner this past May 23rd as a big union family. This is a reminder for me how we have stayed connected even though many of us in this picture have retired. For the past two years, I have proudly served as the President of ABCFT-Retiree Chapter. I have felt that one of my greatest accomplishment has been keeping the close-knit relationship with the local union and your President Ray Gaer.
Together we have created a trusting bond and friendship for the betterment of both organizations. We are a strong retiree chapter thanks to ABCFT who has supported us every step of the way. With your help, we will continue with all the activities both community based and political.
Ray and I have many wonderful ideas for the coming year to continue this bond. Have a great vacation sisters and brothers.
With love and light and in unity,
Silvia Rodriguez
ABCFT-Retiree President
ABCFT MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE by Jenise Page
Once Upon A Time...
The You & Me club at Cerritos High school sponsors a wonderful Prom for students with disabilities.
They fundraise during the year and spend at least one lunch time a week with the LIFE program students (students with moderate to severe disabilities) getting to know them and providing social opportunities to communicate, play games or just hang out. The You & Me club picks a theme and plans the Prom with guidance from the club advisors (teachers Brittney Parker-Goodin and Melissa Lajci). Along with the club, the staff of the LIFE program (Brittney, Melissa, Nate Rodgers-Madsen and Lori Eulberg) and their amazing classroom adults spend countless hours preparing for the prom-creating decorations, selling tickets, booking a DJ, ordering refreshments and transforming the gym into a magical place to come dance, eat, take pictures and participate in a time honored high school tradition.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED
Best and worst U.S. cities to live in on a teacher's salary
USA Today features an analysis of teacher pay vs. housing costs in almost every U.S. metro area, basing its standard for "most affordable" and "least affordable" on finance experts' recommendation to spend no more than 30% of salary on housing. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is listed at number one, as it “offers healthy salaries in the local school district, set against very low local housing prices”. This is attributed largely to its being a former steel worker town. California cities fared the worst in the report, with Santa Cruz listed as the least affordable. Teachers here take home about $63,000, with the median rent costing about two-thirds of salary.
The Ins and Outs of Teacher Salaries
May 2019
With strikes and walkouts happening across the United States, teacher salaries are a hot topic. Even presidential contenders are weighing in, making education at least a talking point in the 2020 election.
This month, the District Trendline takes the teacher salary conversation back to the basics. Using data from the NCTQ Teacher Contract Database on the 100 largest districts in the country along with the largest in each state, we take a look at how teacher salaries are structured, how much teachers make, and investigate if salaries have kept up with inflation over the last five years.
Steps and lanes still reign supreme
Traditionally, teachers have been paid on "step and lane" salary schedules where teachers earn raises for each additional year of experience ("steps") and can move to higher "lanes" by earning additional education credits and degrees. Step and lane schedules continue to be the most common salary structure for teachers in the 124 large districts in our sample, with 61 percent of districts using steps and lanes.
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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.
Are you already thinking about next year or are you so ready for vacation so much that just the thought of next Thursday puts a smile on your face. If you answered yes, then join the ranks of those ready to file the 2018-19 school year behind us. It never matters how long you’ve been teaching there’s always a bittersweet emotion to the end of the year. As teachers, nurses, and SLPs we all put our hearts and souls into our positions and no matter who you are, we all have emotions and made bonds with our students. They become our extended family over the year and we ride the rollercoaster of ups and downs together for 180 days. With every student, we have to release them from our protective nest so that they can fly on to chase their dreams. In our hearts we know we’ve done our best to give them the tools to survive the next year’s challenges. Take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back, your efforts are not in vain and you’ve all had a lasting impact on your students.
This last Tuesday was the last school board meeting held with students still in session and I was pleased to see the school board take ownership in providing additional mental health supports for our schools. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with our ABC social workers over the past year so I was able at firsthand to take their stories forward and advocate for their permanent status as ABC employees. I would like to thank those principals, parents, and administrators who worked with the school board to make this investment in our classrooms possible.
I would like to thank the Whitney High School teachers for their hospitality during my all day visit this past Monday. I am honored when teachers open both their classrooms and their hearts to me about the school and students they love. The pride that all ABC teachers, nurses, and SLP’s shows as their eyes light up when they talk about how much they devote to their students and school sites. Next year, membership coordinator Tanya Golden and I will continue to visit schools to visit with members in their classrooms.
Lastly, make sure you fill out the ABCFT President’s Survey next week. You should see it in our inbox on Monday. Each year I do a survey in hopes of gathering data to both guides the union but also to get information about areas/schools that ABCFT can focus on to make sure members get the support they need to be successful. I look forward to your survey feedback.
ABCFT will have this year’s last Week in Review in our inbox on Wednesday next week. Until then…..
In Unity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
100 Years Union Strong – The Early Years
Click the Picture to Watch part one of CFT’s four-part series, celebrating our 100 year anniversary!
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
AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Trump Administration’s Cancellation of Critical Resources for Minors in Migrant Shelters
WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten following the announcement that the Trump administration is canceling English classes, recreational programs and legal aid for unaccompanied minors staying in federal migrant shelters nationwide:
“This is a cruel, craven and illegal move. Kids who have been separated from their parents, caged and dehumanized, did not cause their circumstances—yet this administration insists on treating them with blatant and inhuman disregard.
“This action isn’t only unjust, it’s illegal. It violates the settlement in Flores v. Reno, which ruled explicitly that detained children are required to have access to things like education services, English language training, recreation time and social work staff. How you treat children says a lot about your character and your values, and with at least six migrant children having died in federal custody in the last year and countless more have suffered, Donald Trump has failed them and a generation of kids looking to this country for a better life, opportunity and an education.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Voters reject L.A. 'school-friendly' parcel tax
Voters have rejected a tax on real estate which would have raised approximately $500m a year for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The overwhelming defeat represents a major setback to teachers and many other backers of the measure, including the Los Angeles school board and Mayor Eric Garcetti. Superintendent Austin Beutner stood firm, saying that despite the result the district was in good shape: “We’ve put together the broadest, deepest, most diverse coalition in support of public education in our community in a generation,” he added.
Best and worst U.S. cities to live in on a teacher's salary
USA Today features an analysis of teacher pay vs. housing costs in almost every U.S. metro area, basing its standard for "most affordable" and "least affordable" on finance experts' recommendation to spend no more than 30% of salary on housing. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is listed at number one, as it “offers healthy salaries in the local school district, set against very low local housing prices”. This is attributed largely to its being a former steel worker town. California cities fared the worst in the report, with Santa Cruz listed as the least affordable. Teachers here take home about $63,000, with the median rent costing about two-thirds of salary.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Full-time online schools growth slowing
Full-time online education for K-12 students is plateauing amid increasing concerns over performance, financial mismanagement, and inadequate regulation and accountability structures, according to new research from the National Education Policy Center. As of the 2017-18 school year, there were 501 full-time virtual K-12 schools in the U.S., enrolling more than 297,000 students - representing enrollment growth of less than 1% over the previous year.
Spelling Bee crowns eight champions
The 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee concluded with eight co-champions. The spelling bee was stopped after it went 20 rounds, which included a run of 47 correct words to end the competition. The unprecedented move was made after round 17, when it was decided that while there were plenty of words left in the dictionary, there were only enough challenging words for three final rounds. The eight co-champions are: Rishik Gandhasri; Erin Howard; Saketh Sundar; Shruthika Padhy; Sohum Sukhatankar; Abhijay Kodali; Christopher Serrao; and Rohan Raja. "We have plenty of words left on our list but will soon run out of words that would challenge you," said the Bee's official pronouncer Dr. Jacques Bailly, calling those remaining in the 17th round "the most phenomenal assemblage of super-spellers" in the competition's history.
Education Department forms disaster-response initiative
The U.S. Department of Education has created a dedicated full-time team to aid schools recovering from natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. The full House this week sent a $19.bn disaster-relief bill to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it, which includes $165m for the Education Department to distribute to schools, and the House Education Subcommittee heard about the new dedicated staff at the same time they heard testimony from educators about schools' recovery from emergencies in California, Florida, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "We need to know what has gone right, what has gone wrong, and what needs to improve for the sake of our children and their schools," said subcommittee chairman Del. Gregorio Sablan.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California must better support K-12 charters
Trish Boyd Williams, a former member of the California State Board of Education, writes that California’s 6.2m students need the "expanded choices" in types of educational opportunities that charter schools help provide. To help charters' development, she suggests: "To increase the state’s capacity for appeals, one option might be to expand the membership and role of the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, first established by State Board of Education policy in 2002, to more strongly support the state board and the California Department of Education in authorizing decisions and in oversight of charters authorized by the state board."
----- DISTRICTS -----
Los Angeles voters to decide on parcel tax
Los Angeles voters will be asked to approve a parcel tax tomorrow that would provide major relief to the financially strapped school system. Measure EE is projected to raise about $500m annually for both traditional public schools and charter schools within the district, and has the backing of United Teachers Los Angeles, the California Charter Schools Association, and LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner; however, to date only 13% of school districts in California have ever passed a parcel tax, and the measure on the ballot for a 16 cents per sq ft levy is opposed by several business groups, including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. If Measure EE were to pass, the district has pledged to use the money it raises toward teacher salaries, reduced class sizes, more support staff and improved school programs.
Oxnard picks finalist for superintendent position
Karling Aguilera-Fort has been selected as lone finalist for the position of Superintendent at the Oxnard School District. Mr Aguilera-Fort is leaving his role as El Rancho USD superintendent to take up the new job; he was also formerly the assistant superintendent of elementary education at San Francisco USD. His departure follows allegations that El Rancho board members engaged in pay-to-play politics, financial cover-up, conflicts of interests, and willful violations of California’s Education Code.
Sonoma Valley school district heads into deficit spending
The Sonoma Valley USD board is to consider approving the use of reserve funds, slipping back into deficit spending after a year on budget. The district’s reserves are at about 18%, and deficit spending is expected to total about $1m for the 2019-2020 school year. “We will be fine in about three years,” associate Superintendent Bruce Abbott said, provided they can control costs and property taxes continue to rise at their projected 4% annual rate. Part of the rising costs will stem from the results of the collective bargaining agreements with the Valley of the Moon Teachers’ Association (certificated employees), California Service Employees Association (classified), and the district’s non-represented employees.
----- TEACHER STRIKES -----
New Haven parents initiate board member recall action
A group of parents in New Haven have moved to recall three school board members, over what they see as a lack of leadership during the district’s ongoing teacher strike. Colleen Weaver, one of the parents leading the effort, said: “The board of education has successfully driven a wedge between the district and the teachers and parents and students of this community. This is not a playground for disagreements. The choices they have made are affecting the lives of our children.” The strike is entering its 14th day, affecting around 11,000 students in Union City and Hayward. The New Haven Teachers Association yesterday rejected two new optional offers from the district. "Disappointment is our reaction," said district spokesman John Mattos. "That package the teachers put together will cost $17.2m, ours would cost $10m, we came up from $6m, so we made some significant movement."
Union makes counter-offer in New Haven strike
The New Haven Teachers Association has made a counter-offer to New Haven USD, as part of an attempt to end a 10-day teacher strike. The proposal includes a 6% salary increase over two years, restoration for the days on strike and opportunities for retiring teachers to earn a full year of credit toward their retirement. Teachers originally asked for a 10% pay hike over two years then proposed cost-of-living adjustments of 3.7% for this year and 3.26% for next year. In response, the district said the new offer would actually cost the district more than prior offers due to the restoration pay, and is a “bad faith” offer. “If an individual chooses to strike, they will not be paid by the district for any day(s) they are on strike,” the district added. Leading into Sunday’s negotiations, NHTA president Jo Ku’e Angeles called Superintendent Arlando Smith a “dictator who is unwilling to compromise and is hurting teachers by keeping them out on strike.”
Thurmond calls for action at New Haven
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has called on New Haven USD, and its striking teachers, to find a resolution. Teachers in the district, which serves Union City and parts of Hayward, have been on strike since May 20th in a dispute over wages; the union is seeking a 7% raise over the next two years, while the district is offering a 2% raise starting in January, and a one-time 3% bonus for the current school year. Mr Thurmond said: “This has gone on long enough… I am happy to do what I can to help with this strike, but I want it known that my priority is to end it, and I will do what I can to encourage all parties to stay at the table until a resolution is reached, preferably as soon as possible.”
----- CLASSROOM -----
Teachers favour social-emotional skills
Almost three-fourths of principals say developing students’ social and emotional skills is either their school’s top priority or one of the top goals, according to new results from the American Educator Panels - an ongoing project of the RAND Corp. Teachers and school leaders place greater importance than principals on students developing specific skills, the survey suggested, such as understanding and managing emotions, showing empathy, and setting and achieving positive goals, and Laura Hamilton, lead author of the report, said: "Teachers, therefore, might be more attuned to the skills that students bring to school and the need for students to develop and apply these skills in the classroom." Separately, the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations has released a fiscal year 2020 budget proposal that includes $260m for social-emotional learning (SEL) and “whole-child ” approaches, $170m for Education Innovation and Research grants, $25m for professional development related to SEL, $25m for mental health professionals and child development experts in schools, and $40m for full-service community schools that address students' non-academic needs. The House proposal clashes with President Donald Trump’s budget plan however, which would eliminate the Full-Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhoods programs - which both take a "whole-child" approach.
----- LEGAL -----
Ex-UCLA football players sue school over injuries
Three former University of California, Los Angeles football players are suing the school, alleging they suffered concussions and other injuries when playing under coach Jim Mora, that worsened because they were forced to play instead of receiving proper treatment. Offensive linemen John Lopez and Poasi Moala filed negligence suits Wednesday seeking more than $15m each in damages; Zach Bateman is also suing over severe injuries to both of his feet that he claims occurred and worsened because of negligent conduct.
Ex-USC soccer coach to plead guilty in college bribery case
Ali Khosroshahin, a former women’s soccer coach at the University of Southern California, is to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Prosecutors say a firm that orchestrated the bribes directed $350,000 to a private soccer club controlled by Mr Khosroshahin and Laura Janke, another former USC soccer coach, to get four students designated as soccer recruits even though none played competitive soccer.
Ex-USC basketball coach avoids prison after plea
A former assistant basketball coach for the University of Southern Californiahas been sentenced to 100 hours of community service and two years’ probation, for accepting a bribe to steer young athletes to a particular manager. Students, players and universities were victimized by the bribery scandal revealed when 10 individuals, including the coaches, were arrested in September 2017. Mr Bland was the first of four assistant basketball coaches who pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy to learn his fate; two others will be sentenced later this week.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Newhall involuntary teacher transfers face opposition
More than 50 Newhall School District teachers and parents attended a school board meeting on Tuesday night to oppose plans for involuntary teacher transfers. Superintendent Jeff Pelzel says that the school district plans to rotate teachers to new schools and grades in a bid to maximize student learning. Teachers however say the move will create "less-effective teachers" who are constantly having to "re-establish themselves in a new environment," with some also citing fears of financial loss due to transfers and issues for English language learner students.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Many unvaccinated kids enroll without waivers
In many states, schoolchildren using religious or philosophical waivers to avoid vaccinations are outnumbered by those who give no excuse at all for missing their shots. Amid the worst measles outbreak in decades, a majority of unvaccinated or undervaccinated kindergartners in at least 10 states were allowed to enroll provisionally for the last school year without any formal exemption, according to data reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fresno roiled by student’s racist Facebook posts
Video of a 14-year-old girl posing in blackface and using a racial slur has sparked backlash in Fresno. The videos began circulating on social media last week. Fresno Superintendent Bob Nelson described the girl as a 14-year-old Bullard High School student. “We need to hold her accountable for her actions and the implications thereof. I don’t want to diminish the significance of the pain and anguish that this causes in others,” he said.
The Press Democrat USA Today
Paradise takes "trauma-focused" approach to chronic absenteeism
As Paradise USD strives to clamp down on chronic absenteeism rates within the school district, administrators are taking a "trauma-informed approach" to the issue, working with students to understand and address the causes of chronic absenteeism. 98 school districts in California have "very high" chronic absenteeism rates of over 20%, 84 of which are in rural areas, with all of the top 10 in rural areas. PUSD student service director Dena Kapsalis says of the change: "I really feel educationally that we have blood on our hands as administrators, as educators, from the failed zero-tolerance policies of the past," adding that the traditional, stricter approach "gave the impression that [students] weren't wanted."
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Teacher diversity higher at charters, study claims
Black students are much more likely to encounter a same-race teacher in a charter school than a traditional public school, according to a new report by the Fordham Institute, which carried out decade-long case studies in Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina showing that K-12 students perform better academically if they’ve been assigned to a same-race teacher. The study’s author, American University Professor Seth Gershenson, says that the greater likelihood of racial matching might help explain charters’ success with minority students.
Millennium high school charter revoked
In a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the Monterey County Board of Education moved to revoke Millennium Charter High School’s charter, shuttering the school after six years of existence and recent controversy over alleged violations of state law and fiscal difficulties. According to a county office of education release, the Millennium charter was revoked due to fiscal mismanagement as a result of continuing to operate at a deficit and failing to pay its bills, failing to maintain an appropriate budget reserve and properly account for attendance, failing to employ a properly credentialed principal and teachers, and failing to provide adequate special education services. The county office release also noted Millennium’s academic achievement measures in English Language Arts and Math had declined over the past three years.
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
N.Y. school district to install facial recognition software
A New York school district is set to install facial recognition software in schools to boost security. Lockport City School District will begin implementing the Aegis facial recognition system in schools on June 3 as part of a testing phase. The district hopes to have the system ready by September 1, according to reports. The district said that the software would only recognize and store data for sex offenders, suspended students, staff who were terminated or on leave, people prohibited from the school district's property and anyone believed to pose a credible threat. Video would be stored for 60 days before being erased from the server. The New York State Education Department said in a statement that it had not yet approved the district's use of the software. "We have made it clear, the Department has not approved the testing of the system planned for next week and we told th e District not to commence the testing of the technology until we receive information that assures us that student information will be properly protected," the department said. Meanwhile, the New York Civil Liberties Union said it was concerned that the software could perpetuate racial profiling and biases, saying that the system would compare faces to police databases that "have large numbers of minorities arrested from profiling." "Facial recognition technology is widely inaccurate and has difficulty identifying women and people of color, and there are so many unanswered questions about the technology," Stefanie Coyle, education counsel for the NYCLU, said.
School facial recognition systems raising privacy concerns
The Lockport City School District in New York has competed the installation of a new facial recognition system, intended to spot potentially dangerous intruders, however officials are speaking out about privacy concerns. Such rapidly-developing technology is being rolled out in airports, stores and stadiums across the U.S., and Lockport is preparing to bring its system online as cities elsewhere are reining in the technology's use. In California - San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban its use by police and other city departments.
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
Migrant shelters cut back on child provision
The Federal Department of Health and Human Services has instructed migrant shelters to begin scaling back or discontinuing awards for activities "that are not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education services, legal services, and recreation." Though Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chair of the House Appropriations HHS subcommittee, complained: "Basic educational, recreational, and legal services for unaccompanied children are imperative for their physical and mental well-being. ORR’s cancelling of these services will inflict further harm on children, many of whom continue to languish for months without being placed safely and expeditiously into a sponsor’s care," federal officials insisted that the refugee office is running out of the money to deal with a huge influx of unaccompanied minors at the southern border.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
College enrollments continue decline
Figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show that around 300,000 less students were enrolled in colleges and universities this spring compared to last. Overall post-secondary enrollment decreased 1.7% from the previous spring. Enrollment slumped by 20% among four-year for-profit schools as the sector continues contracting in the wake of increased federal oversight that's lead to several high-profile collapses. Community colleges recorded a 3.4% drop in enrollment and four-year public institutions recorded a 1% drop in enrollment. Notably, enrollments increased 3.2% at four-year private nonprofit institutions, but researchers said the increase was largely due to the recent conversion of a large for-profit institution to nonprofit status. The eight year slide hit Alaska, Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, Hawaii and Kansas the hardest, all of which experienced a 4% to 5% drop in enrollment. New Hampshire, on the other end of the spectrum, experienced a 10% percent increase in enrollment, followed by Utah, which saw a 7% uptick in enrollment.
USC online degrees blamed for social work school's crisis
The proliferation of online social work degrees at USC - intended to assure the social work school's future - may in fact be partially to blame for the school's severe budget crisis, with nearly half of staff currently at risk of losing their jobs. Enrolment in USC's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work increased from 900 in 2010 to 3,500 in 2016 thanks to the school's new online master's program, but costs associated with digital learning platform contractors and new hires have taken up over half of revenue from online tuition fees.
Fewer high school graduates hitting post-secondary enrollment
Postsecondary enrollment continues to decline, falling 1.7% year-over-year in the spring of 2019, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, some 300,000 fewer students. The strong jobs market and fewer high school graduates drove the decreases, noted Doug Shapiro, the center's executive director. Enrollment increased in 11 states, led by Utah (7.2%), Colorado (3.7%) and Georgia (3.6%), but fell by 5% or more in three states, including Alaska (5.2%), Florida (5.2%) and Illinois (5%). Moody's Investors Service has predicted that the slowdown in enrollment will continue through 2027.
California’s new community college named…
California’s new online community college has been named Calbright. The title was developed with the help of a marketing and branding firm and chosen recently by the college’s trustees from a list that started with more than 100 options. “Calbright feels hopeful. It feels as if you are going to step out in a direction that takes you out of your comfort zone toward something that is going to improve your life. This name certainly delivers the message of positivity and it’s unique to California,” said Steve Barretto, principal of Barretto-Co., the Oakland-based branding firm that helped devise the title.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
Kids better off now than ever, Save the Children says
Children in 173 of the 176 countries Save the Children evaluated have a better chance of growing up healthy, educated and protected from harmful practices like child labor and child marriage than at any time in the past two decades, the kids advocacy group claims. Singapore tops the rankings as the country that best protects and provides for its children, followed by Sweden, Finland, Norway and Slovenia. At the bottom were Central African Republic, Niger and Chad.
China cautions students against studying in U.S.
China has cautioned its students and academics about what it suggests are the risks involved in studying in the United States - highlighting visa refusals and limits on visa durations amid the ongoing trade war. “The education ministry reminds students and academics of the need to strengthen risk assessment before studying abroad, enhance prevention awareness, and make corresponding preparations,” a government statement said, leaving about $14bn in economic activity at stake - most of which is related tuition and other fees generated annually from the 360,000 Chinese nationals who study in the United States.
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Walmart extends education perks to high-schoolers
Walmart is planning to extend a previously-announced college-education perk to high-school students, offering free SAT and ACT prep courses, as well as more predictable schedules and debt-free college degrees. The retailer is also expanding its $1-a-day college education program to include degrees in cybersecurity, computer science and other technology fields for its 1.5m U.S. workers. Drew Holler, vice president of people innovation for Walmart U.S., said: “We know that teenagers are having a hard time finding that first job”, adding that the company is hoping to “connect high school students with not just a job but with a career, potentially”.
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