ABCFT YOUnionews for November 12, 2021
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
The ABCFT negotiating team met with the district on Tuesday. We made another round of proposals in response to their most recent one. The district will now review our proposal in advance of our next scheduled meeting next Tuesday. The two teams have been meeting virtually but recent changes in distancing rules will allow us to meet in person at the bargaining table next week.
To review the longer-term process; when the negotiating teams come to an agreement, ABCFT will then take this tentative agreement to our executive board for a vote to present it to our representative council. If the representative council approves the tentative agreement we will then call a general meeting to review it with all members. At that point, we will then take the tentative agreement to the membership for a ratification vote. If a majority of our members approve of the tentative agreement then it will go to the school board for a vote. If a majority of the school board approves of the tentative agreement it will be enacted.
Thanks again to all of those who participated in our recent surveys. The data and comments truly help us at the table. And if you thought I could conclude any update without another jeremiad regarding our substitute situation, well, I don’t want to disappoint. Best wishes to Ray as he covers an elementary classroom as a substitute today. Though I often recommend that our members do not volunteer for such extra assignments I appreciate Ray’s willingness to gain this perspective and his insights will support our continued efforts to address this districtwide issue.
In Unity,
MEMBER BENEFITS - SCHOLARSHIPS
The Raoul Teilhet Scholarship program is now accepting applications from high school seniors with a deadline of December 15. Raoul Teilhet Scholarship program has now awarded more than $2 million in student scholarships. To date, CFT has helped 741 children or dependents of members reach their higher education goals through this prestigious benefit of union membership.
Find our scholarship section on the CFT website.
The Raoul Teilhet Scholarships flyer contains info about our CFT program.
The All Union Scholarships flyer has info about the CFT, AFT, and AFL-CIO programs.
ABCUSD Education Foundation - Mini Grants
Earlier this week teachers in ABC were notified via email that The ABC Education Foundation annual Mini-Grant Program application are now open. There are a new set of dates and deadlines, but will be able to provide funding by mid-January 2022 as we have in the past. Please refer to the email to find the documents which include: official announcement, calendar/timeline, and applications (general and special programs) for more information. The ABC Education Foundation, and our generous sponsors and donors who have contributed to this program are excited to see all of the wonderful programs you are submitting for funding! While this is a competitive grant process, the ABC Foundation seeks to fund as many projects as possible to support our students. Mini-Grant submission deadline is December 17, 2021 by 4:00 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding the 2021-22 ABC Education Foundation Mini-Grant Program, please contact Sasha Leonardo at sasha.leonardo@abcusd.us or 562-926-5566 X 21197.
MEMBER-ONLY RESOURCES
Thanksgiving Lesson Plans with Share My Lesson
Explore new ways to take your students on a historical journey this holiday season and help them discover the meaning of Thanksgiving. Share My Lesson’s curated collections of free, engaging preK-12 Thanksgiving lesson plan templates, resources and activities will help teach your students about this tradition from multiple historical perspectives, including a focus on studying indigenous people and endangered cultures.
Thanksgiving Lesson Plans that Challenge Our Perspectives
Get your students into the holiday spirit with the Great Thanksgiving Listen podcast, Charlie brown, writing prompts and exciting history lessons too.
ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
This month’s academic service update is vital for all teachers. We hope that you will take a moment to look at this monthly report which discusses changes in academic services. This document provides the union with a means of giving the District feedback on the many programs or changes they are proposing at any one time. Without your feedback or questions on these changes, it is harder for ABCFT to slow down and modify the district’s neverending roll out of new projects. Please submit your comments and questions to the appropriate ABCFT liaison.
For Elementary curricular issues please email Kelley at Kelley.Forsythe@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
For Secondary curricular issues please email Rich at Richard.Saldana@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
Click Here For This Month’s Full Report
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with the membership is focused on the end result of negotiating for the future prosperity and wellbeing of ABCFT members. This weekly report aims to keep the membership informed about issues that impact their working/learning conditions and their mental well-being. Together we make the YOUnion. Picture background is At the YOUnion Hall where we have a wall of evolving pictures every school year.
“It’s more about how to reach the kids rather than what to teach the kids.” - From an ABC Teacher expressing her frustration with the current push at the district for more and more academic rigor which is in contrast to the mental health of our students who are all reeling from the collective trauma that we are all facing. Teachers are concerned about a growing number of students who are not exhibiting the same work habits since returning to in-person instruction. How do we create systems to support this growing population of at-risk students?
These key questions above are some of the questions I will be asking next week when I participate in the American Federation of Teachers Policy and Planning Committee (PPC) with fifty other union presidents from across the country. Even though ABC is a midsize local in comparison to the other unions in the room (namely every major city in America) it doesn’t stop me from interjecting observations of classroom teachers since you are nearest to the ever changing challenges in education. The topics for next week’s PPC are Teacher workforce changes, State Assessments, Equity, and Climate Change. What I don’t see are discussions on the state of mind of our students and how student behaviors are straining districts and teachers to the breaking point. I’ll do what I can to provide ground truth and insight to the leadership of AFT. Teachers need the state and national leadership of their unions to be aware of what is happening to teachers, nurses, our students, families, and our communities.
I want to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the ABCFT surveys. The negotiating team is using this data at the bargaining table as guidance and hard evidence about the increased workload on ABCFT members. If you follow this link you will see some of the results from the survey on the impact of Short Term Independent Study and how it has impacted the planning of time of teachers to varying degrees. In the chat last week, I stated that ABCFT would be filing a grievance following our Tuesday negotiating session. When I said this I was feeling like the District was not listening to ABCFT leaders who were expressing concern about how STIS is impacting teachers across the district . I have not filed the grievance yet, but the District is aware of ABCFT’s intention to file this grievance if this change in working conditions is not addressed. In this week’s negotiating session I do think that the District recognized the importance of the STIS issue. The ABCFT negotiating team is working at the bargaining table to address this workload increase as part of a larger compensation package. The grievance process is still on the table, and it depends on how negotiations go next week to decide if ABCFT will have to pursue the grievance process to address this situation. I want to assure you that the ABCFT negotiating team is fully committed to delivering a tentative agreement that honors your dedication to the students of ABC.
Lastly, I’m actually writing this on Thursday night which is unusual for me. Most of the time I have time to gather my thoughts on Friday morning as I summarize the week. This week is different. Friday I will be a substitute teacher for a second-grade class in the district as part of the emergency measures to cover classrooms. I volunteered to substitute for a couple of reasons but the most important of these reasons is to experience firsthand what teachers are experiencing across the district. I cannot speak next week about classroom teachers with conviction unless I walk in your shoes.
Thanks for all you do! Have a great weekend...
In YOUnity,
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
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
U.S. adolescents receiving less sex education than 25 years ago
Only half of young people in the United States are getting sex education that meets minimum standards, according to a Rutgers researcher who found that adolescents are not receiving critical information. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and conducted in collaboration with the Guttmacher Institute, also found significant gender and racial disparities in adolescents' access to comprehensive sex education. Females were more likely than males to report receiving instruction in waiting until marriage to have sex, while significantly fewer Black and Hispanic males than White males received instruction in saying no to sex, birth control and HIV and STI prevention. Queer youth were less likely than their straight peers to report instruction about HIV/STI prevention and where to get birth control. "The findings show that most adolescents are not receiving sex education that will enable them to manage their sexual lives," said Leslie M. Kantor, professor and chair of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health. "Policymakers at every level must invest in inclusive and comprehensive sex education programs with an eye toward greater equity and inclusivity."
----- COVID-19 Vaccinations -----
Secretary Cardona, First Lady Join Administration To Lead Campaign To Have Children Get COVID-19 Vaccination
The AP (11/8, Miller) reports, “The Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots” and as part of that, “First lady Jill Biden and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy visited the Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean, Virginia, on Monday” while “Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona are sending a letter to school districts across the country calling on them to organize vaccine clinics for their newly eligible students.” The AP adds that “The Food and Drug Administration studied the shots in 3,100 vaccinated kids in concluding the shots are safe.”
The New York Times (11/8, Stolberg) reports that Dr. Jill Biden and Dr. Vivek Murthy visited Franklin Sherman Elementary School for “the kickoff of what the Biden administration said would be a nationwide push to persuade parents and guardians to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11.” The Times also reports that “Xavier Becerra, the secretary of health and human services, and Miguel Cardona, the education secretary, sent a letter to school superintendents and elementary school principals across the country urging them to encourage childhood vaccination, including by holding clinics.”
The Hill (11/8, Schnell) reports that Becerra and Cardona “penned a Dear Colleague letter to superintendents and elementary school principals on Monday, pleading with them to assist in the vaccination push for young children following the CDC’s approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for kids ages five to 11.” The Hill also reports that Biden and Murthy “are also pushing for schools to get their students inoculated.”
Schools begin distributing vaccinations to younger children
School in New York, Florida, California, Illinois, Texas and Georgia are among those already serving as important facilities for distributing vaccines for children aged 5 and older, after the CDC last week recommended Pfizer-BioNTech shots for that age group. Starting today, younger kids can get vaccinated at public schools in New York City, which is offering incentives such as $100 debit cards, trips to the Statue of Liberty and tickets to sporting events, while Chicago school officials plan to offer $100 rewards to children who are getting their first shots but declined to say when the vaccinations for younger children would begin at schools. There are 28 million 5-to-11-years-olds in the U.S. who are eligible for the vaccine. Roughly 68% of people in the U.S. ages 12 and over are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the latest data.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
School modernization funds removed from $1tn infrastructure package
President Joe Biden has hailed congressional passage of a long-delayed $1tn infrastructure bill as a "once in a generation" investment and predicted a broader social safety net plan will be approved despite tense negotiations. Negotiations over the sweeping public works bill had created a split among Democrats, before it eventually passed the House of Representatives with 228-206 vote. However, the legislation lacks the $100bn originally mooted for school construction and modernization. "This is really an incredible loss," Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund, says of the elimination of the school infrastructure funding. "And it's not just a loss in construction itself. It's a loss in the way that facilities knit together so many elements of what they're trying to do in Build Back Better." "It's an incredible lack of appreciation for what a lever school facilities are on equity, what a lever it is on climate, what a lever it will be on child care and universal pre-K," she added.
Reuters US News and World Report Washington Post
----- STATE NEWS -----
California data reveal rise in chronic absenteeism
As statewide school attendance data from 2020-21 gradually rolls in, an analysis of 17 California school districts reveals chronic absenteeism is worsening this academic year. The research conducted by School Innovations & Achievement, a company that provides programs to districts to reduce school absenteeism, found a chronic absenteeism rate of 27.4% in October 2021, compared to 18% in October 2020 and 11.2% in October 2019. Black and Hispanic/Latino students experienced the highest chronic absenteeism rate; Black students had a 34.6% rate, while Hispanic/Latino students had a 29.9% rate, White students had a 22.4% rate, and Asian students had an 11.4% rate. Among the report's recommendations are the prioritization of outreach to students who were chronically absent last year and involving all school departments to focus on attendance by sharing data across teams, the implementation of a separate pandemic-related absence code for "excused," and for improved public communications regarding the importance of attendance.
State schools chief apologizes for mishandling federal COVID aid
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has apologized profusely to hundreds of leaders of private schools serving low-income families for delays in distributing tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID aid. The California Department of Education mismanaged dispatching $187m for 547 private schools that applied and were approved for the first round of Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools. Congress approved that funding last December and included a second round of $181m for California private schools from the American Rescue Plan. Promising to quickly remove the bottlenecks, Thurmond said Tuesday, “We regret any heartburn or difficulties that you have experienced.” He asked for “some grace” as the department fixed the problems it created.
California students with disabilities can enroll in independent study
California students in special education who had been denied access to independent study won their first round in court Friday when a judge ordered those students’ school districts to reinstate their remote learning plans. The suit, filed by disability rights groups, claimed that the state discriminated against disabled students by not allowing them to participate in independent study this school year. In Friday’s order, Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court in Northern California ordered the California Department of Education to provide funding and ensure the students named in the complaint get the same remote learning plans they enjoyed during the 2020-21 school year, including whatever services they received, such as behavioral or speech therapy. On November 30th, the judge is expected to expand the order to include all children in California who have been affected, potentially hundreds or thousands of students. Claudia Center, an attorney with Disability Rights and Education Fund, one of the groups that filed the complaint, said the ruling is an important step in eliminating discrimination against students with disabilities in the state’s return-to-school plan.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Three lawmakers to discuss Riverside teacher’s mock Native American dance
The Riverside school board plans to meet with three prominent state lawmakers from the Inland Empire next week to chart an educational path that is more sensitive to Native American students, officials announced late Tuesday, Nov. 9. The calling of the special meeting follows widespread outrage triggered by an Oct. 19 incident at Riverside’s North High School in which a teacher put on a faux headdress, danced around a classroom and performed a mock chant, while attempting to impart an advanced math concept. Riverside Unified School District spokesperson Diana Meza said board members and lawmakers intend to examine how district policies, practices and curriculum affect Native Americans. They also plan to discuss how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
South Sacramento school investigating ‘racially motivated’ graffiti
A high school principal in Sacramento on Tuesday told parents an investigation is underway after graffiti with a racial slur was found on a wall outside the campus gym facing its new soccer field. West Campus High School Principal John McMeekin also said in a letter to parents that he's aware of online activity, including social media, that contains racially derogatory statements directed at the school's Assistant Principal Elysse Versher, along with threatening electronic communications made directly to her family. Mr. McMeekin said the school hasn’t been able to identify the person behind the graffiti and asked for students and families to reach out if they have any information about the vandal. “We have much work to do as a community in order to heal from this,” he wrote. “Regardless of how any individual feels about our school’s policies, there is simply no place for hate speech or threatening behavior.”
California school warns parents of new psychedelic drug
Officials from Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights are warning parents about a new psychedelic drug called Paint that is potentially being sold to students. Principal Colin Bross shared a message to families earlier this week asking them to talk to their children about the dangers of drug use. The drug is a clear pill capsule with reddish brown dust and they are being sold for $5 per pill. School administrators said they are actively investigating the issue and that they are making progress. Read more at:
----- TRANSPORTATION -----
States call in National Guard to address bus driver shortages
School district leaders in at least 11 states have asked for help this school year from their state’s National Guard on bus driver shortages that have become more acute than ever, according to an Education Week analysis of local media reports. Guard members in Massachusetts enrolled in rapid-turnaround training programs to be able to safely drive students in buses and vans, filling the gaps school districts are facing as a result of pandemic pressures and broader labor disruption in the U.S. economy. In addition to the welcome manpower for school transportation and COVID-19 testing administration, the deployment of the state’s National Guard generated widespread headlines that drew the general public’s attention to the scope of the staff shortage, said Tom Scott, the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.
----- FINANCE -----
Making the business case for public investment in early-childhood programs
Leslie Fenwick, dean in residence at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and dean emerita and professor of education policy at Howard University, Roger W. Crandall, chairman, president and chief executive officer of MassMutual,and JD Chesloff, president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, set out the business case for investing in early childhood programs. Investing in universal child care and pre-K is a proven cost-effective strategy for promoting economic growth and closing equity gaps, according to James Heckman, Nobel laureate in economics. In fact, Heckman argues that these investments can profoundly improve life chances (specifically, education, health, social and economic outcomes) for all children, especially those from families experiencing poverty - ultimately reducing future social program expenditures. As Mr. Heckman suggests, this human capital is a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure and vital to its secure future. Early childhood investments today will pave the way for a more equitable, resilient workforce of tomorrow.
Balancing fiscal realities with the need for innovation
The expansion of virtual learning, 1:1 devices, high-dosage tutoring and attention to culturally responsive social-emotional supports are just a few positive initiatives on the rise during the pandemic, participants in The State of the American School District virtual panel said Tuesday. Yet there are still opportunities left untapped, such as comprehensive partnerships with local organizations that can better bridge school-student-family relationships, they added. The panel was hosted by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, RAND Corporation and other organizations to discuss school systems’ pandemic experiences. Merging the fiscal realities with the need for innovation is challenging but not impossible, Penny Schwinn, education commissioner of Tennessee, said. Her state is creating opt-in student support programs and providing matching grants for activities such as high-dosage tutoring, professional development and free access to Advanced Placement courses. “We do think that will pay off for both outcomes, as well as long-term financial sustainability for these programs if we can show that the investment and the return on investment really matters for kids,” she explained.
----- LEGAL -----
Philadelphia School District Proposes New Policy That Would Forbid Employees From Talking With Media Without Approval
The Philadelphia Inquirer (11/8, Graham) reports the Philadelphia School District is “mulling a policy that would forbid any of its 20,000 employees from talking to the media unless staff from its central office signs off.” Changes “to the district’s news media relations policy, discussed at a committee meeting last week, include language that says ‘staff members shall not give school information or interviews requested by news media representatives without prior approval of the Office of Communications.’” It would also “prohibit staff from sharing photographs taken inside school buildings.”
Chalkbeat (11/8, Calhoun) reports “board member Mallory Fix-Lopez called the proposal a ‘gag order’ during a committee meeting last week, where the issue was discussed.” The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers “tweeted that the proposed revised policy constituted ‘egregious and reprehensible attempts’ to limit its members’ ability to speak to the media, and promised to review its legality.” Lisa Haver, “president of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, told the board that teachers and staff ‘do not surrender their Constitutional rights when they become employees of the School District of Philadelphia.’”
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Student mental health days offer chance to recharge
Letting students miss a day of school to emotionally recharge when they are feeling overwhelmed has many benefits, but parents and educators need to be cautious that the time off isn't a procrastination tactic or an attempt to avoid situations that cause anxiety, says Rae Jacobson for the Child Mind Institute. Getting to the root of why a student is asking for a mental health break by asking specific questions about how they are feeling and knowing if they have gone through a stressful situation can help parents and educators better gauge if a day or afternoon off is the right decision. In the last few years, at least a half-dozen states have passed legislation allowing students to miss school due to mental health reasons. Whether a mental and behavioral day off is determined on a case-by-case basis or is implemented districtwide, experts suggest educators work with families to address mental health challenges when they arise.
NTA Life Insurance - An ABCFT Sponsor
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.
To All Members of the ABC Federation of Teachers,
National Teacher Associates (NTA) is committed in our efforts to helping educators through tough times. It’s what we do. After all…in our eyes, you are the heart and soul of our communities.
Protecting you and your families has been our goal for over 45 years. Despite the current global pandemic, we are not about to slow down now. We know that many of you have had our programs for years and sometimes forget the intricacies of how they work. NTA wants to help facilitate any possible claims for now and in the future. Fortunately, all claims and reviews can be done by phone and online. I personally want to offer my services to guide you in the right direction with your NTA benefits.
We also apologize for not being able to finish the open enrollment for those of you who wanted to get our protection. We are still able to help by extending our enrollment window for the near future. Again, this can be done over the phone, email, or online.
Please contact Leann Blaisdell at any time either by phone or email.
562-822-5004
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