ABCFT YOUnionews for November 19, 2021
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
Your ABCFT negotiating team met with the district on Tuesday and received their most recent proposal. We will now look at the different components of their offer and construct our counter-proposal. We are scheduled for another in person bargaining session on Tuesday, November 30.
I am aware that these recent updates lack much specificity but that is a necessary part of the process. Just as I expect our partners to maintain confidentiality at the table, we need to hold to that same standard of good faith negotiations. Our members will have an opportunity to review every aspect of the tentative agreement and ask any questions they may have before the ratification vote occurs but at this point, we can simply share the outlines of any progress thus far.
I wish all of you a healthy and restful next week for Thanksgiving. I am thankful to work alongside such a talented and committed group on our negotiating team; Ray Gaer, Tanya Golden, Jill Yasutake, Patty Alcantar, Laura Lacar, and Daren Ham. On a personal note, I am excited about my son returning from his first semester of college this week. His parents, his siblings, his grandmother, and his dog (!) are eager to have him back home for at least a couple of days. Please take the opportunity to enjoy special time with your loved ones during your much deserved break
In Unity,
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 BENEFITS - Wellness Wednesday Archive
Maintaining our mental health and well-being is important for all of us. Last year, ABCFT offered Wellness Wednesdays members had an opportunity to virtually participate in Guided Meditation and Chair Yoga. These weekly sessions gave members a chance to practice self-care. Even if were not able to attend these wonderful restorative practices you can still access the archive by using the link below.
Click here to view the recording of the Guided Meditation and Chair Yoga for the weekly archives
In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, you can also access mindfulness resources for all ABCFT members. For Kaiser members, you have free access to the app Calm and myStrength which offers personalized self-care programs based on the cognitive behavioral therapy model. Please be kind to yourself and find time in your busy schedule to take care of yourself.
MEMBER-ONLY RESOURCES
On-Demand Webinar: Creating Welcoming Classrooms: How Understanding the Concept of Implicit Bias Can Strengthen Your Teaching
Some researchers contend that to create safe and welcoming classrooms, we must dive into what they call implicit bias. But what is implicit bias, and what lessons can we learn from this concept? To answer these questions, we look to presenters Stacy Davison, formerly with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and social worker Alaisa Grudzinski, who explain why they believe this is such an important concept in school environments. This handy PDF provides an introduction to the concept, strategies for combating implicit bias in the classroom, and links to videos and resources for learning more. For more educational resources, visit https://www.ilctr.org/
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.
WE MADE IT! They said it couldn’t be true but this year has been an even bigger challenge for classroom teachers than last year. Who would ever have imagined that was even possible, but you’ve made it to Thanksgiving Break, congratulations and your beverage of choice is waiting for you. Think back to your first year of teaching (for some IT IS your first year) when in November you were having second thoughts about the profession you’ve chosen as your lifelong passion. We all remember that first November that seemed endless and I remember the wise words of my mentor teacher who warned, “don’t make any major life decisions in November, you’ll feel better after the break.” It was true and I’m betting that this year is no different.
Last week, I was preparing for my second-grade tour of duty as a substitute teacher…… I survived and IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE that has forever changed me. I know that sounds dramatic but it’s true and here are a few reasons why. First, students are students and it doesn’t matter what size the body is because the hearts and minds of our students and their love of learning are infectious at each age. It’s sometimes harder to spot that desire in some secondary students but it’s in there somewhere. The second-grade teacher left unbelievable substitute plans which were a lifesaver for someone who hasn’t been in a classroom in a decade as a teacher in front of students. This teacher took all the pressure off of me with her classroom routines, well-planned technology integration, and thoughtful side notes on how to best help the students in her class (you know who you are, thank you!). I have no doubt that all of you take the same amount of time as professionals to provide a path of success for your substitute teachers. It was a wonderful day of actual teaching and reaffirmed my belief that ABC teachers and students are truly special. Having the opportunity to spend such quality time with our students is a true gift of our profession. I hope you also see it that way as well.
A couple of ideas did pop into my head throughout the day that I’d like to bounce off of you. I know we are in the middle of a crisis at the moment but when things settle down wouldn’t it be interesting for different grade level teachers to experience and teach students from a different level for a day. This training could be facilitated with supports so that the participating teachers not only experienced a different grade level but also were provided supports to explain what they were experiencing. For example, for me as a special education teacher at the high school level, it was helpful for me to interact with a resource student at the second-grade level so I got to see firsthand what reading and math challenges look like for those types of students at a different level. There are universal truths and teaching strategies that we could share with each other. Or perhaps it could be a way for elementary teachers to experience what a middle school looks and feels like for modern students so that they could better prepare them in their own classroom students. Seeing the teaching strategies used at the second grade and how they shaped the students was eye-opening and made my time with those students invaluable. Let me know if this is something we should explore in the future.
When we get back, I’ll share what I learned this week in Washington D.C. and the direction of education at this moment. For now, I will share one thing that won’t be a surprise and it’s that the turmoil in education caused by the pandemic, spiraling staffing shortages, and trauma-impacted students and adults are universal challenges. There’s a ton of money available and lots of ideas but politicians and national education organizations are overwhelmed by the scale of the mess in front of their eyes. But, that’s a talk for another day.
For now, find your happy spot this next week, refresh your resolve, clear your mind for a week if you can, and enjoy the time with family and friends. On behalf of the ABCFT Leadership and Negotiating team, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Be safe out there!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Free trauma counseling for CFT members courtesy of the AFT
CFT members work hard – now more than ever – to educate, heal, help and serve our communities. Sometimes our own stress is compounded by a personal or workplace trauma; still, we struggle to be fully present for others.
Now the AFT is offering a new, free benefit – trauma counseling – to provide help and healing for our members, whenever needed, wherever a member may be.
For more information about the benefit, and to access services, click here.
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
Statement by AFT President Randi Weingarten on
Bounties on Heads of NH Teachers
WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on a $500 bounty offered by Moms for Liberty to someone who alleges a New Hampshire teacher is teaching so-called divisive concepts and breaking the New Hampshire law called Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education:
“Putting bounties on the heads of New Hampshire teachers, much like the controversial vigilante bounties envisioned by Texas law to thwart the legal right to reproductive choice, is offensive and chilling in any context. The New Hampshire bounty effort is a result of a state law that bans something that doesn’t happen in New Hampshire or anywhere else—teaching that any group is inherently superior or inferior to another. We teach honest history and respect for all. Culture warriors offering bounties for a teacher supposedly violating the law are doing this at a time when we all need to work together. The stakes are high—unjustified accusations against teachers could cost them their teaching licenses. The clear intent is to undermine public education and scare teachers.
“State Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut even set up a webpage to facilitate complaints against teachers. Perhaps Edelblut’s judgment should lead him to a different line of work. We need school leadership that believes in safe and welcoming environments, not one of fear and division. This is distracting from teachers’ focus on helping our kids thrive and excel. Teachers shouldn’t have to worry that history, literature, science or art lessons can be misconstrued and lead to a public flogging or worse. The overwhelming majority of parents support and trust their children’s teachers, value their neighborhood public school as the center of the community and are astounded by this brazen attempt to stifle learning.
“Parents and teachers are partners in supporting children. Teachers work very hard to help our children through tough times like the pandemic and now to get them back on track. We should do everything we can to support them, not put a price on their head.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
U.S. lawmakers reintroduce bicameral legislation to fully fund special education
U.S. Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) have reintroduced the IDEA Full Funding Act, a piece of bipartisan, bicameral legislation that aims to enshrine Congress' commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under the 1975 IDEA legislation, the federal government committed to pay 40% of the average per pupil expenditure for special education. However, that pledge has never been met, and current funding is at just 14.7%. The IDEA Full Funding Act would require regular increases in IDEA spending to finally meet that original commitment. The legislation is supported by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), along with almost 100 other national organizations, including AASA – The School Superintendent Association, American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Jared Huffman Chris Van Hollen
----- SCHOOL BOARD QUESTIONS -----
Does school board members working for free raise representation issues?
Samantha Smylie explores whether Chicago’s future elected school board members not being compensated for serving raises questions about barriers for representatives from marginalized communities. Under a compromise bill passed by the Illinois legislature and signed by Gov. J.B Pritzker in June, Chicago will have a 21-member school board starting with 11 seats appointed by the mayor and 10 elected in 2024. The board will transition to a fully elected school board by 2027, with a second election held in 2026. Until then, board members will not be paid. Sen. Robert Martwick, the architect of the city's elected school board bill, comments: “My bill had a provision to compensate board members as a way of acknowledging that if we truly desire adequate and diverse representation, then we have to get people from marginalized communities. We have to remove the roadblocks that prevent them from serving.” Sean Schindl of Kids First Chicago, a non-profit education advocacy organization, who works closely with parents, agrees, and says that most favor paying board members between $25,000 to $50,000 a year. “I think that’s because it is something that would make it more accessible for working-class parents,” he asserts.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
FBI tracks threats against teachers, school-board members
The FBI has set up a process to track threats against school-board members and teachers, moving to implement a Justice Department directive that some law-enforcement officials and Republican lawmakers say could improperly target parents protesting local education policies. The heads of the FBI’s criminal and counterterrorism divisions instructed agents to flag all assessments and investigations into potentially criminal threats, harassment and intimidation of educators with a “threat tag,” which the officials said would allow them to evaluate the scope of the problem. Agents should tag such threats “EDUOFFICIALS” to better track them. Some Republicans, including Glenn Youngkin, who won Virginia's governorship earlier this month, say the Justice Department is pushing the FBI into what is usually considered a local issue. They say the tactics are an effort to silence parents who speak out at school-board meetings about topics such as mask mandates and how race is addressed in schools.
President Biden signs $1.2tn infrastructure bill into law
President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, at a White House event with lawmakers from both parties. "The bill I'm about to sign into law is proof that despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results. We can do this. We can deliver real results for real people," Mr. Biden said, speaking from the South Lawn at the White House The legislation will deliver $550 billion of new federal investments in America's infrastructure over five years, including money for roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, airports, ports and waterways. It also includes a $65 billion investment in improving the nation's broadband infrastructure, with one in four households expected to be eligible for a $30-per-month subsidy to pay for internet access. Additionally, $5 billion has been allocated for zero-emission buses, including thousands of electric school buses. The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) applauded the enactment of the bill, which included the original “Stop for School Buses Act.” The bill calls for a comprehensive federal program for preventing illegal passing of school buses and requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to review illegal passing laws, penalties and levels of enforcement in all 50 states.
CNN School Transportation News CNBC New York Times
Nearly 1m kids 5-11 vaccinated against COVID
The White House says that almost 1m children have gotten COVID-19 shots since the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was cleared for 5- to 11-year-olds last week. “We’re off to a very strong start,” said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, during a briefing with reporters Wednesday. Because of a lag in reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which gathers vaccination data, the White House did its own analysis by collecting information from pharmacies and state and local health officials, Mr. Zients said. He said officials “estimate conservatively” that 900,000 children have had their first shot. He said an additional 700,000 pediatric vaccination appointments have been scheduled at pharmacies across the nation. The administration is encouraging schools to host vaccine clinics on site to make it even easier for kids to get shots. The White House is also asking schools to share information from “trusted messengers” like doctors and public health officials to combat misinformation around the vaccines.
U.S. Ed Dept publishes COVID mitigation data
The U.S. Department of Education has published an update on how it has worked to support school communities offer safe in-person instruction this school year. In partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has launched a data dashboard to help the public keep track of the impact of COVID-19 on K-12 schools. The platform, which will be updated weekly, aggregates data on pediatric COVID-19 cases, youth vaccination rates, and numbers on schools that are operating in-person, hybrid or remote. It is the first time that the information has been presented in a single location to the public. CDC researchers worked with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to develop a model to estimate the most likely learning modality (in-person, hybrid, and remote) for public and public charter school districts nationwide. These findings were originally presented in a recently published MMWR, and now CDC will be providing the data on a weekly basis. The Department of Education also noted that the CDC has recommended that children five to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNtech pediatric vaccine, and that it is working with the Rockefeller Foundation to accelerate school-based screening testing for students and staff.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Handful of districts to defy Newsom's vaccine mandate
A handful of Northern California school districts have said they will defy the governor’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students, despite the resulting loss of millions in state funding for violating the law. The school boards in the Mark Twain Union and Calaveras Unified school districts, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, as well as Happy Valley Union, in Shasta County, have voted against the requirement, which will kick in for public and private students after the vaccine is fully approved by federal officials in their age group. That could come as early as January for those 12 and up. The local revolts echo the often discordant pandemic response since the first shelter-in-place orders were issued last year. While some Bay Area counties enacted public health mandates that were more stringent than the state’s, in other regions local officials refused to enact or enforce shelter-in-place, mask mandates or other state orders. “I wonder how many districts will hold to their views when it’s real show time, when the cost of refusal is really losing funding,” said Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a professor at UC Hastings College of the Law and expert in vaccine mandates. “Especially given the fact that unless the Legislature acts, the mandate will have an open-ended personal belief exemption, so no parent would actually have to vaccinate if he, she or they do not want.”
SAT and ACT slip in priority among California students
EdSource reports that many fewer high school seniors in California and elsewhere are taking SAT or ACT tests, and that, of those who do, more will not submit their scores if they are not happy with them. Last year during the pandemic, many test centers closed. Now, while more testing opportunities are available, fewer colleges and universities demand it. Eric Blanco, a school counselor in Santa Maria and former president of the California Association of School Counselors, says the decline is a welcome development, noting that by eliminating costs for tests and prep classes, students “can shift their resources, use the money toward another college application or other supplies," and spend more time on their applications. Beyond UC and CSU, about 100 California colleges and universities will not require ACT or SAT scores for fall 2022 admission, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing organization, or FairTest. Nationwide, the trend has accelerated so much that about three-fourths of the 2,330 bachelor-degree granting colleges and universities this year are either test-optional or test-blind, meaning they won’t look at them at all in admissions, FairTest says.
----- DISTRICTS -----
LAUSD to spend $5m on student vaccination incentives
The Los Angeles USD Board of Education has authorized an estimated $5m for prizes and treats as incentives for students to get vaccinated, including gift cards to Amazon and Target, tickets to Hamilton and food trucks on campus. The incentive program, already underway, is part of a broad-based effort to boost vaccination rates by November 21st, the school district’s self-imposed deadline for students 12 and older to receive the first of two doses. Students must be fully vaccinated by the January 10th start of the second semester, or they will not be allowed on campus. Their options would be to pursue their education outside of Los Angeles Unified or transfer to City of Angels, a district independent study program. The incentives are mainly raffles, and anyone in compliance is eligible, meaning those who are vaccinated, have an approved medical exemption or have a rare authorized extension. Religious exemptions are not being granted. The number of students who have had at least one dose or have otherwise complied is about 71.9%, said board member Jackie Goldberg, adding that “probably 64%” are fully vaccinated.
Oakland teachers express concerns over holiday COVID surge
Teachers in one of the East Bay's largest school districts are worried there's a holiday COVID-19 surge on the horizon, and are demanding that administrators act before its too late. In Oakland USD, several teachers are so concerned they've documented what they say are red flags including crowded cafeterias and poor ventilation. A YouTube video that serves as testimony from eight teachers and staff members from various public schools in Oakland shows students eating indoors. Teachers said its been that way since the beginning of the school year. Oakland spokesperson John Sasaki said there will be school testing sites available next week and the weekend after Thanksgiving, adding: "We are also giving away 20,000 home tests for students to take and we're asking them to test themselves on Sunday and then again on Wednesday."
SFUSD: Queer and trans parents could get own school board advisory group
Queer and transgender parents may be granted their own official advisory group to San Francisco USD under a proposal made this week. The idea for the Queer and Trans Parent Advisory Council was first introduced by Our Family Coalition, an LGBTQ advocacy group; the resolution introduced on Tuesday by school board member Alison Collins calls for the new council to adopt and develop “affirming practices” that affect LGBTQ parents in San Francisco Unified School District. School forms asking questions or including language more relevant to cisgender heterosexual mothers and fathers, rather than gender-diverse families, are a running problem for queer and trans caregivers, noted nonbinary SFUSD parent M Villaluna. “This is something that queer and trans parents in the district have been wanting for a long time and it’s finally coming together,” said Villaluna, who serves on both the Coalition and the general SFUSD Parent Advisory Council. “So many times society tells you you don’t count as a parent. (Affirmation) might seem small but it’s actually really big.”
LAUSD urged to prioritize resources for students of color
Education equity advocates are calling on Los Angeles USD officials to invest in items and programs that will benefit historically underserved students of color. Youths who identify as people of color, including those who are Black and Indigenous, were more likely to worry about having their basic needs - such as food, housing and access to broadband and technology for school - met, more concerned about their mental health and less likely to feel they have an adult on campus they can confide in, according to results from a survey conducted over the summer to assess their needs and level of preparedness for returning to in-person learning this fall. “We saw students support their families and continue to push through multiple challenges,” Norma Rodriguez, director of education programs and policy at United Way of Greater Los Angeles, said, reflecting on the survey findings. “Now we have an opportunity to apply the lessons learned and the feedback that students provided to strengthen the recovery not just academically but in their personal lives.” In total, 769 middle and high school students from more than 100 schools and organizations throughout the county responded to the survey, and feedback was collected through focus groups with more than 50 LAUSD students. Those findings were published in a report Wednesday, Nov. 10, put forth by Communities for Los Angeles Student Success, which advocates for equity in education, and United Way of Greater Los Angeles, one of the members of the CLASS coalition. The report focused on LA’s “Black, Indigenous, People of Color” communities, or BIPOC for short.
San Diego schools reverse course on mental health day off
San Diego USD in California has reversed course on plans to close schools on Friday for a mental health day, and is now making school attendance optional while also allowing anyone who wants to take the day off to do so. The news came one day after interim Supt. Lamont Jackson said district staff was planning to ask the Board of Education at its upcoming meeting to approve this Friday as a day off. The news prompted a wave of concern and criticism from parents, some of whom said finding affordable last-minute child care would do more harm than good for their family’s mental health. The day off would create a four-day weekend for those who choose to take it, because schools are already closed for Veterans Day on Thursday.
Riverside teachers address racial insensitivity and bias
Riverside USD educators have announced steps they have taken to confront a North High School teacher’s dressing up as a Native American and acting out a mock chant while teaching a math class. Those steps have included emphasizing to North High teachers “the need to immediately address insensitivity and bias,” and providing content for events such as Halloween and Thanksgiving to make sure they are observed in an accurate historical context that respects various cultures, according to a statement from the district board and Superintendent Renee Hill. The district also is “convening an action team” to develop a plan for expanding diversity, equity and inclusion training...
----- CLASSROOM -----
English teachers should have anti-racist training, says NCTE
Prospective middle and high school English teachers should be trained to be anti-racist and to incorporate digital media in their curriculum, according to a new set of standards by the National Council of Teachers of English. The council’s standards for educators preparing to be English/language arts teachers in grades 7-12 were released last week, developed by an NCTE committee that is comprised of educators in both K-12 and higher education to be used in teacher education programs to determine the coursework for teacher candidates. Requirements for teacher candidates in the standards include: an ability to understand student identities and foster an inclusive learning environment, and to plan and implement relevant, standards-aligned, differentiated, and anti-racist instruction and assessment to help all students meet their learning goals. “It’s a map—it helps teachers think about what they want to teach and how they can teach it,” said LaMar Timmons-Long, a 10th grade English teacher in New York City and the secondary representative-at-large on NCTE’s executive committee.
Gifted education's future requires more diversity, inclusion and access
School systems that commit to more equitable gifted and talented programs are changing mindsets, identification practices and services. Instead of using arbitrary, one-point-in-time test scores, educators across the country are incorporating multiple data points at various stages during a child’s schooling to determine talent potential and including giftedness in the performing arts, leadership, and career and technical education. School systems also are using local norms, even at the building level, to determine who their gifted and talented students are, rather than using national or state comparisons. Additionally, schools are placing students in talent training programs so educators can provide individualized supports to help students succeed when they do enroll in accelerated classes. Broadening access to gifted and talented programming for diverse learners is more than identifying higher numbers of Black and brown students, experts say. Schools also are aiming to include students from low-income households, students with disabilities, English learners, and others from underrepresented backgrounds and experiences.
----- FINANCE -----
Shift to renewables could slash school funding
As oil and gas companies slowly become sources of cleaner energy, Texas schools may pay part of the price, according to research from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Researchers found that because of the emerging energy transition, K-12 education funding — which in Texas relies heavily on taxes from oil and gas production — could begin to fall short of spending needs sometime between 2022 and 2029 with average annual deficits of $2.5bn to $5.8bn. Annual shortfalls could add up to well over $100bn over the next three decades, researchers say. “We predict that education funding will decrease by between $13bn and $120bn over the next 30 years because of the shift toward renewable energy,” the authors wrote.
Infrastructure plan would replace lead pipes in schools
The replacement of lead service pipes that can bring toxic drinking water into school buildings was one of education's biggest wins from the newly passed $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $55 billion to deliver clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools and child care centers. Even low levels of lead in children's blood can have adverse impacts on cognitive development, ability to focus and academic achievement, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2018 Government Accountability Office report found only 43% of school districts tested for lead in their drinking water. Of those that tested, 37% found elevated levels of lead. A new Environmental Protection Agency rule is expected to require more regular testing for schools and child care centers.
----- LEGAL -----
Schools in most states are shielded from COVID lawsuits
Schools in more than half of the states now have legal immunity from pandemic-related lawsuits that might come their way such as, for instance, if a student allegedly caught COVID-19 while in a school building, according to an analysis of state laws around COVID liability by Education Week, Husch Blackwell, and Education Commission of the States. Fifteen states passed laws in 2020 that protect schools from liability around COVID-19. So far in 2021, fourteen more have passed similar laws. In at least nine other states, proposed bills with similar protections have thus far languished in legislatures. However, most of the laws say the exemptions don’t apply if schools engage in “willful, intentional misconduct.” Some states, including Louisiana, Nebraska, and Oregon, emphasize that schools have to follow active federal, state, and local COVID-19 protocols in order for exemptions to be effective.
Proposed measure would give parents standing to sue for better schools
Californians could vote next year on whether students should have a constitutional right to a high-quality education, potentially opening the door to litigation from parents dissatisfied with their children’s schools. The effort to get the measure on the November 2022 ballot is just getting started, but such a statute would give parents “legal standing” before a judge to argue that districts should make better use of education dollars, said initiative spokesman Michael Trujillo, a veteran political strategist. “Here’s a chance for parents to become effective policymakers on behalf of their children,” said Trujillo, who has long worked for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a supporter of the initiative. The California initiative would be the third effort nationally to enshrine a child’s opportunity to receive a high-quality education in a state constitution. Supporters have launched similar campaigns in Minnesota and New Mexico. “Having that right in the constitution could be very helpful in addressing long-standing inequities in our educational system and closing opportunity gaps,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, an Oakland-based advocacy organization. He added that “getting more dollars to kids of color and English learners has to be part of the equation.”
‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ underscores furor over curriculum and transparency in schools
New legislation in Congress to prioritize parents’ rights to know what books their children are reading in school and the identity of guest presenters in classrooms underscores how such culturally divisive issues could stay in the political spotlight as conservative politicians champion what they see as a winning issue in 2022. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), said his Parents’ Bill of Rights Act would prohibit nondisclosure agreements concerning curriculum; let parents make copies of classroom material; require schools to have parents opt their children into field trips, assemblies, and other extracurricular activities; and in general require more transparency from school boards and educators concerning things like student records and safety. His legislation would also institute cuts in federal funding for districts that repeatedly flout such requirements, and would allow parents to sue and get injunctive relief. Supporters say people are rightfully objecting to opaque and damaging policies from often-unaccountable teachers and school officials. Critics charge that such efforts, cheered on and aided by cynical politicians, are really meant to intimidate educators and also hurt students’ learning opportunities in the process.
----- CHILD DEVELOPMENT ----
Kindergarten readiness scores fall during pandemic
The percentage of Mississippi children considered ready for kindergarten has fallen during the pandemic, according to state test results. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment showed 31.8% of kindergarteners scored kindergarten-ready this year, according to the Mississippi Department of Education. That is down from 36.6% in 2019 and 36.1% in 2018. Scores from 2020 were not released. The score to be considered ready for kindergarten is 530, which means students can identify most letters of the alphabet, match most letters to their sounds and are building their vocabulary and understanding of print. Research shows 85% of students who score 530 or higher on the assessment at the beginning of kindergarten are proficient in reading at the end of 3rd grade, the department said.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Teacher prep programs urged to add self-care skills
Teacher prep programs must prepare prospective educators with more than classroom knowledge for long-term success, equipping them also with self-preservation and self-care skills, say Lina Darwich and Alisun Thompson, both teacher educators at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Similar to the "3 Rs" of learning, the two teacher educators developed their own "3 Rs" for new teachers to aspire to: Building “relationships to reenergize you,” finding “rituals to restore you,” and having "reasons to remind you” why you chose the teaching profession in the first place. Severe substitute teacher shortages forced school districts in Washington state and Colorado to cancel classes last Friday, following Veteran’s Day, after so many teachers requested the day off. Teachers had cited intense levels of burnout and mental health concerns as part of the reason they needed a four-day break. And the problem is expected to get worse. A Rand Corporation survey released in June found a quarter of teachers are likely to leave their jobs by the end of the school year.
Helping students feel genuinely valued
In a piece for Education Week Greg Walton, Michael Forman University Fellow in Undergraduate Education and an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University, discusses the importance of making sure students feel they are genuinely valued. He says that merely telling students that they "belong" not only ignores specific concerns they might have in the classroom, it also shifts the onus to them, implying: "We’ve assured you that you belong. If you still don’t think you belong, that’s your problem." He sets out three ways to provide proper support: by making it obvious that they are not alone in worrying about belonging and fitting in with peer groups; by honoring and supporting positive representations of all student groups and identities; and by emphasizing that school is about learning, growth and the future, focusing on "the amazing things students can do learning and working together".
----- TECHNOLOGY -----
More high schools now offering computer science courses
The percentage of high schools offering computer science courses jumped from 35% in 2018 to 51% in 2021, according to the fifth annual State of Computer Science Education report from The Code.org Advocacy Coalition, Computer Science Teachers Association and Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance. Nevertheless, disparities continue to exist, with English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students are still underrepresented in the courses. Computer science education is valuable because it not only leads to high-paying jobs, but is a foundational skill for students who will interact with technology on a daily basis, said Katie Hendrickson, president of the Code.org Advocacy Coalition. Policy efforts and advocates working with teachers in schools have begun to address the disparities in access and enrollment over the years, albeit not at an ideal pace, Hendrickson said. “We are seeing those gaps shrink a little bit each year, which is really great. But that said, we really need to accelerate the closing of those gaps,” she said. “A percentage or two each year isn’t enough. We can’t wait 50 years for those gaps to be closed and for every student to have the same access and the same quality of education.”
What billions in broadband funding means for students
Students and teachers who struggle to access the internet at home may get some relief from a sweeping, more than $1tn federal investment in infrastructure. The package, to be signed into law by President Joe Biden on Monday, includes nearly $65bn to improve access to broadband and help the country respond to cyberattacks. The biggest chunk of the money, $42.5bn in “broadband deployment grants”, is aimed at expanding broadband infrastructure to reach families and businesses in rural and other underserved areas. The legislation also includes $2.75bn for “digital equity,” designed in part to focus on aspects of connectivity beyond broadband expansion. That funding could go to a wide-range of expenses, anything from laptops for students to digital literacy classes for senior citizens at the local library. “The media headline has been about the unconnected, but the under connectivity is extremely important,” said Keith Krueger, the chief executive officer of the Consortium for School Networking, which supports K-12 education technology leaders. “It isn’t just a matter of handing [kids] a hotspot or giving them a cheap device that can’t do video conferencing. We have to invest in robust tools.”
----- SOCIAL & COMMUNITY -----
Report stresses importance of teaching social-emotional skills
Counselors need more support and resources to help students grow their social and emotional skills, according to a report released this week by ACT and the American School Counselors Association, based on a survey done last year of counselors and district officials. Eighty-five percent of the counselors surveyed reported that they were “very interested” in incorporating SEL into their school counseling programs. Less than 3% said they were only “a little interested” or “not interested at all.” Meanwhile, the majority of district leaders, 72.5%, put developing students’ social-emotional skills on par with building their academic knowledge. Teaching social-emotional skills can take up a huge chunk of a counselor’s day. Thirty-nine percent reported that teaching social and emotional learning skills consumes at least half of their time, with 12% saying that it takes up three-quarters or more. To help, district leaders should make SEL a part of their comprehensive plans, use evidence to teach social-emotional skills, make sure school counselors have a leadership role on SEL at the school level, and use federal and state funding to support SEL development, the report recommends.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Community colleges urged to support students complete courses
Amid declining enrollment, California’s community colleges should do more to help students in the system stay enrolled once they get there and complete their college goals, faculty and members of the statewide board of governors said Monday. During a meeting Monday of the board, which oversees California’s 116 colleges, members learned that in addition to enrollment being down dramatically across the colleges, students who do enroll rarely go on to complete a degree or certificate. Enrollment across the system’s colleges has plummeted during the pandemic. The system estimates that enrollment declined during the 2020-21 academic year by between 9.6% and 14.8%. The system has been unable to fully count its enrolled students, especially those who were taking noncredit courses online. The problem resulted in a report to the board on Monday explaining the range of the loss in student head count, which includes both full-time and part-time students. As a result, the system now reports its student head count at about 1.8m. Before the pandemic, it had long reported its enrollment at about 2.1m. Iulia Tarasova, a student member of the board of governors and a recent graduate from Sierra College north of Sacramento, said the system shouldn’t focus just on enrollment declines “without helping students stay enrolled by providing necessary resources.” Tarasova added that the overarching issue is “that students are struggling to continue their education.”
Enrollment decline unlikely to cut community college state aid
The California community college system’s dramatic enrollment drop won’t have immediate financial consequences for the 116-college system. The state’s funding formula distributes money based partly on enrollment, but colleges that have lost students in recent years are funded based on higher and older numbers. Those protections will be in place until at least 2025. For part-time faculty, however, the consequences will be more immediate, as they work semester-by-semester based on the availability of classes. “We’re watching to see how it impacts part-time faculty assignments because the districts are going to give full-timers their assignments first,” said Stephanie Goldman, acting executive director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. The group advocates for issues of interest to the 42,000 adjunct faculty in the system, but it does not bargain for them. Local unions negotiate with each of the 73 locally elected districts that run the colleges. The statewide board of governors will be briefed on the issue at its meeting later today.
Gap between US education costs and earnings widens
While the cost of education continues to rise, the earnings of young adults fresh out of college have failed to keep pace with it. Since the 1980s, college tuition has increased by 169%, but wages for young people have only increased by 19% during the same period in the US, according to "If Not Now, When? The Urgent Need for an All-One-System Approach to Youth Policy," a report from Georgetown University. The study highlights how median earnings for young adults with college degrees hover around $45,000 and for those without college degrees the earnings are at $30,000. At the same time, typical costs for college tuitions range from $27,330 for public in-state universities to $55,800 for private non-profit colleges.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
One In 10 children worldwide live with disabilities
Nearly 240m children worldwide, or one in 10, live with disabilities and experience deprivation in indicators such as health, education and protection, according to a new report released by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Access to education is one of several key areas examined in the report. Children with disabilities are 24% less likely to receive early stimulation and responsive care, and have 42% fewer chances of achieving foundational reading and numeracy skills. The probability of never attending school is 49% higher for them. In health terms, they have 25% greater chance of suffering from wasting, and 34% greater chance of stunted development. They are also 53% more likely to have symptoms of acute respiratory infection. UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said: "[E]xclusion is often the consequence of invisibility. “We have not had reliable data on the number of children with disabilities for the longest time. When we fail to count, consider and consult with these children, we are failing to help them reach their vast potential."
----- SPORTS -----
NCAA rewrites constitution, sets stage for transformation
The NCAA is setting the stage for a dramatic restructuring of college sports that will give each of its three divisions the power to govern itself. Approval of a new, streamlined constitution is expected in January with minimal consternation or conflict, before a reshaping of Division I that will tackle revenue distribution, how rules are made and enforced, access to the most-high profile and lucrative NCAA events, and just how big the tent should be at the top of college sports. The rewritten constitution focuses more on the NCAA’s broad goals of athlete welfare and athletics as part of an academic experience instead of governing procedures and operations, both of which have come under increasing criticism. The proposal specifically notes that athletes should be allowed to compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness, something in place only since July, but stands fast on barring schools from paying athletes to play.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment