ABCFT - YOUnionews - January 17, 2020
Click the picture for a kid friendly introduction into the life of Martin Luther King, JR.
2020 New Laws | What’s New in Education in California
With each year there are new laws that go into effect. Here is a quick video that does a quick summary on some of the most important changes for 2020. The year school start times will begin moving toward later hours, changes for charter schools, school lunch changes, gender reporting to reflect student gender identification, and changes for the suspension laws for willful defiance. Some of them go into effect immediately on Jan. 1, 2020 while others set a deadline in the future.
- School districts will have more power over the creation of new charter schools in their communities, and new teachers at charter schools will be required to hold the same credentials as those in traditional public schools (with the requirement being phased in over five years for existing teachers).
- Children whose parents have unpaid school lunch bills won’t be denied access to at least an alternate meal selection, and can’t be shamed or treated differently than other students.
- Students up to fifth grade can’t be suspended for disrupting school activities or willful defiance, effective with the school year that begins in August. Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders will also be protected from such suspensions for the next five years.
- Schools must update records to accurately reflect a former student’s name or gender if changes have been made to the person’s official government identification. This includes reissuing high school diplomas, GEDs and transcripts, as needed.
- Mandating late-start times for older students. SB 328 - The new law will be phased in over three years and rural schools will be exempt from the law. High schools can start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and no sooner than 8 a.m. for middle schoolers. School districts in California will have a three-year window – until the start of the 2022-23 school year – to implement these schedules for high schools and middle schools. The new law does not mandate that middle and high schools adhere to a specific bell schedule and does not change the instructional minutes required of schools. The law does not apply to “zero” periods, which could still be held before the new mandated start-times. ABCFT has begun preliminary discussions with District administrators about this law could impact ABC schools.
GOVERNOR’S BUDGET IS RELEASED by Ray Gaer
Members of the ABCFT Negotiating team attended the annual budget conference discussing the proposed California budget for 2020-2021. Each January, the California Governor releases a preliminary budget proposal that school districts use to do their preliminary budget planning for the next school year. The Governor’s proposal is revised in the month of May and typically the state legislature passes the budget after further negotiations during the month of July. ABCFT has attended the School Services budget conference for over twenty years and it is a critical information piece that your negotiating team uses to begin planning for compensation negotiations for the following school year.
Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to give members a chance to see some financial information and factors that are taken into account when a school district looks at creating a school budget. This week we will look at an overview of the financial conditions currently in the State of California in relation to the national economy. Here are the slides that cover the national picture. Overall, the U.S. economy is at full employment, housing starts are still increasing, and consumer spending is positive. The national GDP is still moving at a moderate rate (2-3%) and the talk of a recession has somewhat quieted for the moment. If you look at the stock market chart you will continue to see robust growth in this sector of the economy. A couple red flags for the economy that we all need to keep an eye on is the ballooning of subprime or rolled over auto loans, the impact that Boeing problems in production mean to the GDP (-.5%) , a high federal deficit and low interest rates. You're probably saying, hold on, aren’t low interest rates good for the economy. Yes, this is true but during good financial times it is prudent to slowly ease interest rates up so that when the economy dips you can lower them to stimulate the economy. It is one of the levers that the Feds use to stimulate the economy in conjunction with deficit spending.
Next week, I’ll point out some of the slides that discuss the health of the California economy and how that will impact education in the future.
SCHOOL OF CHOICE - IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS
There are two Schools of Choice parent information meetings scheduled for next week. ABCFT encourages all employees to attend this meeting to receive the most updated information on the process. These parent meetings are one of the results of the School of Choice Committee’s objectives in helping make the process more transparent and user friendly. If you have specific questions we encourage you to attend the SOC meetings being held next week.
January 22, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. in the District Board Room
January 23, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. at Cab Lane MPR
MEMBERS ONLY PUBLIC SCHOOL PROUD JACKETS
By popular demand, we are offering Public School Proud jackets for all members at a reduced cost of $30.00. The lightweight jackets come in graphite grey in both women's and men's styles and sizes. The picture and size descriptors are listed in the link below. Don't be left out in the cold order by Thursday, January 23rd.
Place your order here----> ABCFT Public School Proud Jackets
January ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
Each month Kelley Forsythe 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 the 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 Kelley give reports and take questions on all things related to academic services.
ABCFT - RETIREE REPORT
By Silvia T. Rodriguez
President of ABCFT-Retiree Chapter
Happy New Year!
Our ABCFT-Retiree chapter is always working tirelessly to serve our ABCUSD Community and we kicked off the new year by organizing a wonderful and easy event to help fund our various programs.
The two major programs that we are always fundraising for are: the Scholarship Program and The Community Outreach Program. As many of you know, we award $2,500 yearly to a senior who graduates from one of our high schools.
Twenty one baskets a year are distributed to families in need from ABC. The Community Outreach Committee identifies the families, shop accordingly to their needs, packs and distributes the baskets.
Here is how you can help, on February 25th Polly’s Pies will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to our various programs. From 3:30 to 8 pm, you can dine in and savor one of their signature dishes in a friendly environment. Just print and present the attached flyer or save it in your phone. (CLICK HERE to see the flyer).
I plan to arrive at 4 pm and hopefully I’ll see some of you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
See you there!
PERSONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
School Resilience 101 - Registration Still Open!
The fifth in the series of free members-only Personal Learning Opportunities is School Resilience 101 offered by Alicia Loncar of Kaiser Permanente. This engaging workshop will be a mixture of presentation, interactive discussion, and short exercises to help understand stress in schools and to identify next steps.
Studies have found that children who have experienced trauma are six times more likely to have behavior problems and three times more likely to experience academic failure. Educators who support these students have some of the highest levels of job-related stress, vicarious trauma, and burnout. Kaiser Permanente’s Thriving Schools is working to provide support and resources for all school teachers, staff and leaders to build their resilience, help them understand their students, manage their own stress, and maintain emotional wellbeing in and out of the workplace.
This session will outline some of the key contributors to stress and burnout in school environments and identify action items for developing resilient schools, as well as provide information and resource links that support resilient educators and schools.
We will also review action items that educators can take to support their own resilience.
Objectives:
1. Build awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs); secondary or vicarious trauma; teacher and staff stress; and positive steps towards school resilience.
2. Identify action items and links to resources that support schools in creating environments that foster resilience and emotional wellbeing of their employees and their students on a larger systems level.
School Resilience 101
Personal Learning Opportunity
Tuesday, January 21st from 3:30-5:00 p.m.
at Fedde Middle School MPR
21409 Elaine Ave. Hawaiian Gardens
Light refreshments will be provided.
ABCFT 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. Throughout the year I find articles that are interesting and food for thought;
I hope everyone had a productive week and that you are going to take a moment to reflect on the thoughts of Martin Luther King, JR and his belief that love can triumph over hate. That is truly a message and lesson we need to take a good look at in modern society.
This weekend, Tanya golden and I will be attending the American Federation of Teachers Western Regional Conference where nearly a dozen state union representatives will convene to hear from AFT President, Randi Weingarten about the direction and health of the union. This annual event is somewhat new and it is a chance for local leaders to hear Randi speak about the state of education. I imagine that ABCFT will be mentioned in her speech because your YOUnion is one of the top organizations on the West Coast and the good works of all teachers and nurses in ABC are well respected for your strong voice and commitment to excellence.
For example, the fact that seventy-five percent of the membership voted for the 2020-21 salary agreement and that 98.2 percent of you voted to approve this agreement is getting national attention. Your ABCFT negotiating team has been recruited to do a presentation at the AFT National Collective Bargaining Conference in February to share how we do bargaining campaigns in ABC for compensation and master contract renewals. But, it all comes down to one thing and that is the power of teachers, nurses, and SLP voices at their sites and a union that lets those voices lead the membership. ABCFT is not a top down organization. I like to think we are all equal and valuable in ABCFT and regardless of what and where you teach or do your medical work, you matter.
I promised you a look at our new strategic plan this week but there is a change of plans on the ratification. Just like in the classroom when you see your students engaged and your lesson plan needs to be modified I sometime call an audible like a quarterback who changes the play on the field when it is necessary. Last week, we took the strategic plan to the Rep Council and had them give their input on the plan. Just like in a classroom, in a safe environment where people are confident they will be heard, your site representatives modified some of the language in the strategic plan to better reflect what was needed as a focus for teachers/nurses in the classrooms. These changes were needed and they were welcomed, so the next step is for the ABCFT Executive Board to wordsmith some of the changes and the modified strategic plan will have final approval by the ABCFT Site Representative Council in February. After that we will send it out to the membership so you can better understand the plans of ABCFT for the next four years.
So this weekend when you get a chance to reflect on Martin Luther King, JR., think about your voice and how you can create environments where others can feel like they are heard because your voice is powerful and a tool for positive change.
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
In 2016, the Obama administration formalized a “borrower defense to repayment” rule meant to protect student borrowers who had been defrauded by their colleges. This rule would cancel student debt for students who were misled by their colleges. But when Betsy DeVos became secretary of education, she worked to undermine this rule, and she’s even been held in contempt of court for continuing collections on student loans that should have been canceled.
To see more of this article and how to post your support click here.
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Amid shortages, schools settle for underprepared special education teachers
Due to statewide teacher shortages, many of California’s approximately 800,000 special education students are being taught by teachers who haven’t completed teacher preparation programs or have received only partial training. There were more special education teachers with substandard credentials than in any other subject area in 2017-18, the most recent year for which data is available. About 60% of first-year special education teachers were working without a full special education teaching credential, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. That year, the number of first-year special education teachers without full credentials totaled 5,196.
California Governor’s Proposed State Budget Includes $900M To Recruit, Retain Teachers
The Los Angeles Times (1/11, Blume) reports Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “proposed state budget includes $900 million to recruit and retain teachers, part of a plan to attack a critical statewide shortage of instructors, especially in math, sciences and for students with disabilities.” The California governor’s proposals would “make it more affordable to become a teacher and offer more pay for them to serve where most needed. “ The plan, included in his “$222.2-billion budget unveiled Friday in Sacramento, was among a range of education measures that also includes the creation of an early childhood development department, significantly more money to cover the costs of teaching students with disabilities and a funding boost to the school lunch program, a hedge against possible reductions at the federal level.”
EdSource (1/10) reports Newsom’s plan is based on an expected $4 billion increase in education funding revenues and would “continue massive investments for teacher recruitment and training and for transforming special education. He also proposed spending hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to improve performance in the lowest-performing districts and to expand community schools, which address the physical and mental health of students through partnerships with community services.”
----- TEACHER STRIKES -----
Florida Teachers Throng Capitol To Demand More Education Funding
The AP (1/13, Calvan, Farrington) reports thousands of teachers and allies “thronged Florida’s Capitol on Monday to press Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature to more than double the nearly $1 billion the governor is proposing for teacher raises and bonuses.” Demonstrators “streamed into the Capitol’s main thoroughfare, some hoisting signs beseeching Florida lawmakers to ‘Fund our Future.’ Rally organizers said as many as 10,000 demonstrators would descend on the Capitol on the eve of the official start of the 2020 legislative session.” DeSantis “has made the raises a centerpiece of his $91.4 billion budget plan, which also includes significant spending on environmental programs. His agenda may wrest control of key political issues – education and climate change – long championed by Democrats.”
The Miami Herald (1/13) reports demonstrators “came from all across Florida...creating a sea of ‘Red for Ed’ T-shirts, and marched from the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center to the historic Old Capitol – hoisting signs all the while.” DeSantis has “unveiled a proposal to set a statewide minimum teacher salary at $47,500 and to create a new bonus program. After years of stagnant pay following a steep cut left Florida teachers with some of the lowest average salaries in the nation, DeSantis’ renewed emphasis on the issue signaled a possible – and significant – bipartisan win.”
The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (1/13) reports the rally “was designed to focus public attention on what teachers claim is the Legislature’s failure to adequately fund public schools.” The state “ranks among the bottom 10 states nationally in funding for students, with education spending below pre-recession levels when accounting for inflation. And the state is 26th in the nation for starting pay, according to the National Education Association.” Also reporting are CNN International (1/13, Yan, Murphy, CNN) and WFLA-TV Tampa (FL) Tampa, FL (1/13).
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
American History Textbooks For Same Ages Differ Markedly In California And Texas
The New York Times (1/12, Goldstein) looks at the differences between two American history textbooks produced by the same publishers for students in California, a state with liberal education guidelines, and Texas, which has conservative guidelines. On an annotated Bill of Rights, the California edition “explains that rulings on the Second Amendment have allowed for some gun regulations. In the same place, the Texas edition of the textbook contains only a blank white space.” The Texas editions also largely omit the LGBTQ issues covered in California.
Calls to fully fund IDEA heard on campaign trail
In the 45 years since Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), providing federal funding to help cover the excess costs of meeting students’ individual education needs, advocates have consistently called for more money to be put in the system. Education groups say more federal funding for IDEA, which receives $13.6bn in the current budget, would not only help special education programs in themselves, but would also more broadly affect all students as schools would no longer have to pull as much from their general education budgets to meet the law's mandates. Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination are heeding these calls, and are including pledges to "fully fund" IDEA in their education plans alongside calls to dramatically expand federal education spending across the board. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a former special education teacher herself, has pledged $20bn in additional funding for IDEA. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who has just dropped out of the race for the nomination, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, have also pledged to fully fund IDEA, but have not included a specific dollar amount in their plans. In an August 2019 EdWeek Research Center survey of 700 principals and district administrators, 56% of respondents listed special education among the factors that had a "major effect" on increasing per-pupil expenses in their districts. Thirty-two per cent of respondents listed special education among the top five areas most in need of funding in their school systems.
Trump advocates for school prayer
President Donald Trump has pledged to advocate for school prayer, tapping into the issue of religion in class. Speaking at a rally for evangelical supporters in Florida, Trump, who is scheduled to announce “guidance on constitutional prayer in public schools” later today, asserted: “Very soon, I’ll be taking action to safeguard students’ and teachers’ First Amendment rights to pray in our schools. We’re doing a big action, Attorney General Bill Barr.” At present, while the First Amendment supports the free exercise of religion, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public schools cannot promote prayer or religious symbols. Bruce Grelle. director of the Religion and Public Education Project at California State University, Chico, comments: "The Supreme Court and lower courts have been clear. Schools themselves, administrators, teachers, are supposed to be neutral when it comes to religion. They’re not to be promoting it. But students, themselves, are free to initiate and participate in various kinds of religious activities.” Writing in The Conversation, David Mislin, Assistant Professor of Intellectual Heritage, Temple University, notes that the announcement comes after a year in which officials in six states, including swing state Florida, considered bills permitting the study of the Bible in classrooms. "Given that this issue was among the first to divide religious liberals and conservatives, it is hardly surprising that it is gaining steam at this moment of heightened cultural tension," he says.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Suspension Rate For African American Students In California Continues To Decline
EdSource (1/13) reports after “nearly a decade of school discipline reform in California, the suspension rate for African American students continued to decline last year,” according to the latest state data. Reform efforts were “aimed at improving outcomes for students, especially those of color, who are more likely to end up in prison as adults if they were suspended in school.” Instead of being “sent home, students would see counselors or social workers on campus, who would help address the underlying cause of the student’s misbehavior.”
Bill calls for full compensation for teachers on extended sick leave
A new California Senate bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Connie Leyva would require school districts to fully compensate teachers for extended sick leave. If passed, the legislation would shift the financial responsibility for long-term substitutes from teachers to districts. According to California state law, full-time public school teachers earn 10 paid sick leave days each year. After using paid leave, they may be placed on extended sick leave for up to five months during which time their pay is reduced. The law could be affecting certain teachers more than others, according to lawmakers. "Early-career employees that do not have a large amount of leave stored are more likely to feel the potentially devastating impact of the current policy," Ms Levya said. In addition, female employees that have used up their leave during or after pregnancy are "far more likely to exhaust what little sick leave they may have remaining," and could be more likely to utilize extended leave during which time their pay is cut.
California Governor’s homelessness plan leaves out schools
Los Angeles USD Superintendent Austin Beutner has written to California Gov. Gavin Newsom asking him to consider the role of schools in supporting the district’s 17,000 homeless students, as part of his plans to spend $1bn to address rising homelessness across the state. The governor’s proposals include funding for rental assistance, and to address health needs among “chronically unsheltered populations.” As part of an executive order signed last week, Newsom also announced the creation of a “multi-agency state crisis response team” that will focus on “street homelessness,” but it’s unclear whether the education sector would be a part of that effort. “The state should create a pilot program to provide funding to certain schools in Los Angeles Unified to hire counseling staff with the specific responsibility to connect these students and their families to services," Mr Beutner wrote. “To date, no funding has been provided to schools to do this work. All of the state and local funding has gone to the counties and cities and their efforts, however well-intentioned, have not been directed at these students and their families who we know are experiencing homelessness.”
No permission slips needed for sex ed in California schools
California Democrats blocked a contentious bill this week that would have required parents to sign permission slips for their younger kids to attend sex education classes in school. State Sen. Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) said his office has received thousands of letters from concerned parents frustrated over a lack of transparency and certain elements of the curriculum taught to kids kindergarten through 6th grade. His bill would also have required local education agencies to provide written and audio curriculum materials for parents to review, a provision that was generally supported by committee members and the opposition as a way to increase transparency and parental involvement. However, it was defeated in Senate committee on a 4-2 vote.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Newport-Mesa reaches tentative deal with teacher union
Newport-Mesa USD has come to a tentative agreement with the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers, a deal that includes a 3.5% raise backdated to December 1, 2019, and an increase in district contributions toward members’ health and welfare benefits. The union is required to post the tentative agreement for at least 15 days and a ratification vote will be completed by January 31.
LAUSD settles sexual abuse claims
Attorneys representing victims of two convicted pedophile teachers announced an $18.4m settlement Wednesday on behalf of their clients in litigation against Los Angeles USD, as part of a $25m settlement of child sex abuse claims. The attorneys alleged that district officials allowed Robert Pimentel and Paul Chapel to remain in the classroom despite complaints and reports of sexual misconduct.
Dumping Of Jet Fuel Over Los Angeles Schools Raises Questions
The New York Times (1/15, Bogel-Burroughs) reports on questions and outrage that have arisen after “jet fuel rained down from the sky in Los Angeles on Tuesday when an airplane making an emergency landing dumped its fuel over schools, playgrounds and homes.” The plane was carrying “enough fuel to reach its intended destination of Shanghai when it experienced engine trouble shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport.” FAA officials are “investigating the fuel dump, which fell over at least a five-mile swath of the Los Angeles area, including on a school playground where children were playing, officials said. The episode raised questions about why the plane would be emptying its tanks over a populated area.”
Bay Area parents declare state of emergency over district’s failure to educate black children
A group of West Contra Costa USD parents is declaring an “educational state of emergency” and demanding that the district invest in closing a growing achievement gap between African American students and all others. The parents, who are members of the district’s African American Site Advisory Team, presented their demands Wednesday night to a meeting of the district’s school board. Data shows the achievement gap between African American students and others is growing in the district, where only about 20% of African American students met or exceeded English standards on statewide tests last year, and a mere 10% met math standards. In contrast, about 61% of white students met the English standards and half met the math standards. The board unanimously approved the resolution presented by the group and agreed to implement all of its recommendations next year, which are expected to cost up to $7m, by shifting money the district is currently spending on student programs to services that will better serve African-American students.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Can a new term for 'at-risk' change a student's trajectory?
As of January 1, all uses of the term 'at-risk' in California’s educational and penal codes have been changed to 'at-promise,' a term that supporters argue is less stigmatizing. “We know that language matters, and we know that using asset-based language is important,” said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, the executive director of Education Trust–West, a research and advocacy organization focused on California students. The organization signed on in support of the change. “One of the reasons the name is so important is because of unconscious bias and all of the things we see play out when students are inappropriately labeled,” she said. “Changing the name is one important step, but there’s many other things to do as well.” Criticism of the term 'at-risk' has floated around for years, from researchers and educators who say that the ill-defined description punishes children and youth for factors in their lives often outside their control. California is the first state to officially eliminate the term in state code.
Indiana House Backs Away From Several Accountability Measures Related To Student Test Scores
The Fort Wayne (IN) Journal-Gazette (1/13) reports with “two unanimous votes, the Indiana House on Monday backed away from several accountability measures related to student test scores.” Not only did the chamber sign off on a bill that “holds teachers and schools harmless from drops in test scores related to A to F grades and bonuses,” legislators approved a measure that “ended a state policy of tying teacher evaluations to student achievement on standardized tests.” State Rep. Dale DeVon “said the measure gives students, teachers and schools a two-year reprieve from any negative consequences while getting accustomed to the new test.”
According to the Statehouse File (IN) (1/13), “poor results statewide on the new ILEARN standardized exam could have meant poor evaluations for teachers and poor grades for the schools.” Those “concerns were among the issues that brought an estimated 15,000 educators and supporters to the Statehouse for the legislature’s organizational meeting in November.”
----- WORKFORCE ----
California Employing More Special Education Teachers With Substandard Credentials Amid Shortage
EdSource (1/10) reports “due to statewide teacher shortages, many of California’s approximately 800,000 special education students are being taught by teachers who haven’t completed teacher preparation programs or have received only partial training.” According to recent data, about “60 percent of first-year special education teachers were working without a full special education teaching credential” during to 2017-2018 school year. Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the Learning Policy Institute and the State Board of Education, says “underprepared teachers are more likely to suspend or expel special education students or to use other exclusionary discipline.”
----- CHILD DEVELOPMENT ----
Head Start forges new partnerships to support children’s transition into kindergarten
Transition into school is harder for new kindergartners when the family has never visited the new school, when they haven’t met the new teachers or other staff members, and when they are unfamiliar with the practices, routines and expectations of the classroom. The Office of Head Start is hoping to ensure more children leaving the federally funded preschool program have those experiences and that Head Start and K-12 leaders collaborate on ways to improve the transition process. To that end, it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and AASA, The School Superintendents Association agreeing to work across these systems in an effort to guide how Head Start centers and schools address transition. The new collaboration comes as OHS is already emphasizing local transition activities in 13 sites across the country as part of a one-year Head St art-Public Schools Collaboration Demonstration Project. “The intention is really to provide the support, make sure folks are aware of the resources and help them to understand what some of the obstacles might be,” says Jennifer Boss, director of the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Fresno Unified takes steps to prevent flu absences
Fresno USD administrators say preventative measures have managed to reduce the number of students absent with the flu. The district launched its new FLUency pilot scheme this year, offering all parents free smart thermometers. After taking a reading, the parent is sent a detailed report to their phone, informing them whether or not the child needs medical attention.
New Jersey Legislators To Vote On Bill Eliminating Religious Exemptions For Public Schoolchildren’s Vaccinations
CNN (1/13, Haider) reports on its website that New Jersey lawmakers “are set to vote Monday on a controversial bill that would eliminate religion as a reason not to vaccinate public schoolchildren.” The “bill includes an exemption for private schools and private day care centers,” allowing “private schools and centers to decide themselves if they want to accept non-vaccinated students as long as they disclose to all students their [vaccination] rate in that particular school.” Voting on the legislation “will take place Monday in both the Senate and Assembly.” If the measure “doesn’t pass on Monday, it would be put off until the next legislative session, which begins on Tuesday.”
NJ News (1/12, Livio) reports “state Senate leaders struggled again to find enough support to pass a bill that would end religion as a reason for children to avoid vaccinations to attend day care and public school in New Jersey.” Senate Democrats “do not have 21 votes needed to pass the bill, according to legislative sources.”
Editorials Laud New Jersey Bill Eliminating Religious Exemptions For Vaccinations. In an editorial, the Burlington County (NJ) Times (1/12) discusses the New Jersey bill eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations, and says, “We are erring on the side of the greater good and supporting this measure.” The Times says “we are gambling unnecessarily when we ignore the research and expertise of doctors and scientists. Shouldn’t we feel just as passionately about our own health and that of our children as we do our religious views?” The paper concludes, “We shouldn’t reserve faith just for religion. We should have it in our medical community, too. We believe in vaccinations.”
In an editorial, the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger (1/10) said that “it is with some ambivalence that we hope both chambers pass the vaccine bill Monday.” The Star-Ledger said if the bill “is what it takes to move closer to full” vaccination “compliance and keep kids out of danger, it’s a timely compromise.” The editorial board concluded, “No matter where the vote lands Monday, lawmakers should not be surprised if they have to revisit our vaccine policy, perhaps soon. And if that’s the case, they should also summon the courage to remind protesters that public health is a civil right, not a nanny-state excess.”
Lawmakers Call On ED For Nationwide Ban On Restraint, Seclusion
ProPublica (1/15, Cohen, Richards) reports a group of US Senators and House members, mainly from Illinois, called on ED “to tell schools to stop putting students in seclusion rooms” and asked Education Secretary DeVos “to issue federal guidance to prohibit physical restraints that restrict breathing and instead promote ‘evidence-based alternatives’ for dealing with challenging behavior that don’t involve hands-on contact.” The letter, initiated by Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), “cites a Chicago Tribune-ProPublica Illinois investigation, ‘The Quiet Rooms,’ that found public schools put children in seclusion, known in Illinois as isolated timeout, every day for reasons that violated the law.” The piece notes that ED “had not commented about the letter by late Wednesday,” adding later in the article that the department “last issued guidance about seclusion and restraint in December 2016, focusing on concerns that the interventions could result in discrimination against students with disabilities.”
Education Week (1/15, Blad) reports both Illinois Senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, signed the letter, quoting it saying, “We are gravely concerned by harmful student seclusion and restraint practices occurring in schools around our country. ... We respectfully urge you to update your federal guidance banning seclusion, banning restraints that restrict breathing and are life-threatening, and promoting evidence-based, positive behavior strategies and de-escalation techniques to reduce the use of physical restraint.” Education Week reports that guidance issued by ED in 2012 “outlined 15 factors school leaders should consider when developing restraint and seclusion policies. Restraint and seclusion should only be used when a student is in imminent danger of hurting himself or others, the practices should not be used as a punishment, and teachers and other staff members should be trained in effective alternatives, that document said.”
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
Panama-Buena Vista Union School District hit with ransomware attack
The Panama-Buena Vista School District is under a ransomware attack, causing a technology and phone outage at schools, according to a message to parents.
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
Congress urged to eliminate reduced-price meals
The School Nutrition Association's (SNA) legislative goals for the year include eliminating the reduced-price meal category in favor of free meals at no charge. The SNA argues that reduced-price meal offers, which allow students in households with incomes between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty line to receive school breakfast for no more than 30 cents and lunch for no more than 40 cents, leave families still struggling to make ends meet. The SNA also underlined how many families accumulate lunch debt. States should instead be allowed to use Medicaid data to automatically certify eligible students for free or reduced-priced meals, the SNA suggested, which could reduce excess paperwork and processing for schools while also improving certification efficiency and decreasing meal debt.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Head of California’s new online community college resigns
Heather Hiles, the president and chief executive of Calbright College, California's newly launched online public college targeting working adults without degrees, resigned Monday from her position effective March 31. The reason for her departure was not disclosed. The board plans to appoint an interim CEO until it hires a permanent replacement, according to a statement released by Tom Epstein, president of Calbright's board of trustees and of CCC's board of governors.
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National Parents Union To Launch This Week
U.S. News & World Report (1/13) reports parents, “frustrated with shifting political winds in K-12 education, are doing what parents have been known to do for centuries: Go it alone.” With several “high-profile advisers, foundation funding and bona fide union credentials of their own, Keri Rodrigues and Alma Marquez are set to officially launch the National Parents Union on Jan. 16, when they’ll hold an inaugural summit in New Orleans with 125 delegates from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.” During the event, the group “plans to evaluate, vote and adopt various education platforms that will form the basis of the union’s bylaws, which will be drafted by a former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association – now a supporter of the burgeoning effort.”
‘National Parents Union’ to challenge teachers' political influence
Frustrated with shifting political winds in K-12 education and the influence enjoyed by the big teacher unions, some parents are uniting to disrupt an education agenda which they fear is leaving behind poor students and students of color. Keri Rodrigues and Alma Marquez are set to officially launch the National Parents Union on January 16, when they'll hold an inaugural summit in New Orleans with 125 delegates from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Over the course of the two day meeting, the group plans to evaluate, vote and adopt various education platforms that will form the basis of the union's bylaws, which will then be drafted by a former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, who is now a supporter of the fledgling group - which is being advised by Andy Stern, the former president of the SEIU who infamously boosted the union's membership by more than 1m workers before leading its defection from the AFL-CIO.
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
About three years ago ABCFT started 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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