President Ronald Reagan signed the bill in 1983 and the first federally recognized MLK Day was celebrated in 1986. All 50 states had made it a state government holiday by 2000. Each year, the nation celebrates the late Baptist minister's birthday on the third Monday of the first month of the new year.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
The ABCFT negotiating team met with the district on the day before winter break, Thursday, December 22 (Editorial Note: This bargaining session was 8 hours long~ Ray). We had a productive session but have yet to come to an agreement. I met with Dr. Zietlow yesterday to discuss our progress and potential next dates.
A review of the timeline of the process is that once a tentative agreement has been reached with the district it would then be taken to the ABCFT executive board for approval. If approved by the executive board it would then go to the full site rep council for approval to take out to the full membership for a ratification vote. If approved by the rep council, a general meeting for all members would be scheduled and an annotated version of the agreement would be sent out to members in advance of the online ratification vote. If the tentative agreement were approved by a majority of the members, it would then go back to the school board for approval. Once a majority of the school board approves of the agreement, it becomes official and we could look forward to seeing the negotiated raise on our upcoming checks.
While we are obviously focused on bargaining for the 2022-2023 school year, Governor Newsom will be presenting his initial budget for the 2023-2024 year and members of the ABCFT negotiating team will be attending the School Services budget conference next week to get a preview of this budget and its implications for education funding. The budget plan released in January will then be subject to negotiation with the state legislature as well as the revenue figures collected in taxes in April. The May revise is thus the update with the most relevant numbers and what the governor and legislature will work with as they agree on a budget by June. The 2023-2024 budget is separate from this year’s bargaining but it always helps if the projection for next year is positive. The district is typically more comfortable negotiating a given raise in the present year if the projections for the following year are favorable.
I hope that everyone had a happy and safe new year. Every year presents new challenges but I am optimistic that 2023 brings promise and opportunity as well.
In Unity,
https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-legislature-bills-passed-2022/
In 2022, the California Legislature passed nearly 1,200 bills — and nearly 1,000 became law with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.
New Laws Taking Effect Next Year and Why They Matter
SACRAMENTO – This year, the California Legislature passed and Governor Gavin Newsom signed historic measures to fight climate change, protect women’s right to choose, support small businesses, pay equity and more.
“California leads, and we do so by following our moral compass and staying true to our values,” said Governor Newsom. “The Legislature is an invaluable partner, and I thank them for their leadership and courage, and look forward to continuing our work to improve the lives of Californians across the state.”
Here’s a snapshot of some of the bills that will take effect in the New Year:
HOLDING OIL COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE
Why it matters: Californians deserve the right to know what oil companies are up to. SB 1322 by Senator Ben Allen will require oil companies to post how much money they’re making off Californians on their websites.
PROTECTING CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Why it matters: Your favorite artists are now better protected in the state of California. Tyga, YG, Meek Mill, Too $hort, Killer Mike, E-40, & Ty Dolla Sign all partnered with Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer and Governor Newsom with AB 2799. This bill restricts the use of creative content like song lyrics and music videos against artists in court.
SUPPORT FOR STREET VENDORS
Why it matters: Sidewalk food vendors make some of the tastiest food. Governor Newsom signed SB 972 by Senator Lena Gonzalez to make it easier for these street vendors to obtain local health permits. This not only increases community health and safety, it also helps vendors formally enter the economy so they can build a successful business and better provide for their families.
DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Why it matters: Books open up a whole new world of imagination and wonder. Thanks to SB 1183 by Pro tem Atkins & Senator Grove, children in California from ages 0-5 will be able to sign up for free books in both English and Spanish.
FREEDOM AND ABORTION
Why it matters: California prioritizes the safety of women. Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan’s bill, AB 1242, prohibits law enforcement and California corporations from cooperating with or providing information to out-of-state entities regarding a lawful abortion in California. It also prohibits law enforcement from knowingly arresting a person for aiding in a lawful abortion in California.
REMOVING THE PINK TAX
Why it matters: Paying for certain necessities is now more affordable. AB 1287 by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan prohibits anyone from charging a different price for 2 goods that are similar, like razors, just because they’re marketed to women. The pink tax is no more in California!!
TRANSFER LEVEL COURSES AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Why it matters: The future is in the hands of the next generation. Assemblymember Irwin’s AB 1705 calls for community colleges to enroll their students in transfer level math and english courses if the program they want to transfer into requires those subjects. The new law aims to remove barriers to degree completion and help students meet their academic and career goals.
LUNAR NEW YEAR, ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBERANCE DAY, AND JUNETEENTH
Why it matters: Coming up next year Lunar New Year, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, and Juneteenth will all be state holidays! Big thanks to Assembly Members Low, Nazarian, and Jones-Sawyer!
PAY EQUITY
Why it matters: Hard workers deserve to reap ALL the benefits. Senator Limon’s bill SB 1162 brings California a big step closer to shrinking the pay gap. This bill will expand on existing transparency laws, which mandate pay data reporting by employee sex, race, and ethnicity.
ABCFT PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Consistent and regular communication is a union’s most important tool for advocating for its members at the bargaining table. Every conversation with members is focused on the end result of negotiating for the future prosperity and well-being of ALL ABCFT members. The goal of this weekly report is to keep members informed about issues that impact their working/learning conditions and their mental well-being. Our work as a Union is a larger conversation, and together we make the YOUnion.
“So, where are we on a scale of 1 to 10 in the bargaining process? You’ve been good about letting us know about your meeting, but is there much progress?” - Comment from a member from Carmenita Middle School.
What a great question because progress is what matters, right? I’m pretty careful about not saying too much more about the bargaining process than Ruben Mancillas who is the ABCFT Chief Negotiator, but I think I can stretch a little in this case. We are close to an agreement and there is a desire on both sides to get the job done. In my personal opinion, we are closer to a 10 (agreement) than a 1 (just starting to bargain). Once the agreement is signed, we will go through the legal process that Ruben outlined in his bargaining update this week. ABCFT will let you know as soon as we can when we complete the bargaining process. As is tradition, members of the team have refused to cut their hair till we sign an agreement, so when you see me with even less hair than I currently have, you’ll know we are on our way to voting on the agreement.
This week Tanya and I caught up on paperwork that has been accumulating at the office over the busy month of December. However, we did visit Carmenita Middle School on a rainy Tuesday. As always, it was great to see familiar faces and make new friends along the way. Every school we visit has a unique culture and a special sense of community and pride. Carmenita is dealing with declining enrollment and shrinking staff numbers like all schools in ABC. There isn’t a single school or program in ABC that hasn’t been impacted by a 10% decline in overall enrollment over the past three years. Losing staff members makes the job more complicated for those still at the school but it also is tough to see friends and colleagues leave for other opportunities or retirement. The ABC middle schools have been particularly hit hard by enrollment numbers over the last three years and they have all lost a number of Full Time Equivalents (FTE) positions and sections, which has presented unique challenges for each of our district middle schools and their staffs.
When I taught at Artesia High School, I remember feeling similar to many current ABCFT members when Artesia’s enrollment dropped from around 2000 students down to 1600 students in a short period of time. As veterans and key members of the staff retired or found other opportunities, the remaining staff was left with fewer staff members to do the same work and many of us found ourselves doing things that were “historically” cultural as part of our school. It seemed like everything had changed. The process of finding out who we were as a staff again took time. It wasn’t easy to lose colleagues and it was just as challenging to find new ways to engage students, create new solutions to existing situations, and to change cultural systems that reflected this new reality. It was a team effort.
I am forever an optimist, and I know there is light at the end of the tunnel for all of you who find yourself in this situation. We got into education because we are all about relationships. Most teachers are not the type of people who would thrive sitting in a cubical all day and I appreciate those who can and do that type of valuable work. If I could go back in time and tell myself any nugget of wisdom about declining enrollment and its impact on staff this is what I would say. Rethink your surroundings, find opportunities for changes in culture and in your teaching environment, but most importantly, invest in each other. Plan together, work together, and play together. If you are a veteran, now is your time to give a hand to those newer teachers/nurses in the profession. This is a time to reinvent yourself and your schools. My job as ABCFT President is to make sure you get the tools you need to make those changes and that your thoughts and concerns are heard by those at the district level who don’t know what you are facing. Visiting the awesome staff of Carmenita Middle School and all the other ABC schools and programs provided the ABCFT leadership and me the opportunity to advocate for you on all levels. I’m proud to be an ABC teacher, and I can see that pride in all of you. We can do this. Tomorrow is happening today.
I hope you have a great three-day weekend and remember our ally Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his strength and determination to make a change. You are following in Dr. King's footsteps by being public school teachers and nurses and the work you do, never forget that.
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT – A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals
January 10, 2023
Contact: Matthew Hardy, 510-703-5291
CFT Commends Governor Newsom’s Commitment to Education Funding in January Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO, CA – CFT President Jeff Freitas released the following statement on Governor Newsom’s January budget proposal released today:
“We are grateful to see public education funding prioritized in Governor Newsom’s budget proposal in light of the projected budget deficit. We face unprecedented staffing shortages in our public schools, and funding will be critical to retaining our experienced educators and classified staff, attracting new talent into the profession, and elevating public education careers to ultimately improve student achievement and well-being inside and outside the classroom.
“CFT applauds Governor Newsom’s years-long commitment to raising California’s per pupil funding. Nevertheless, as the world’s fourth largest economy, we can and must do more for our public schools.
“As we continue to hash out the details of our state’s budget in the coming months, we will work with the Governor and fellow public school champions in the Legislature to fund California’s future through critical investments in public education. Our key priorities will be addressing staffing shortages and lowering class sizes, so that our students can receive the consistent, individualized education they deserve.”
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CFT – A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals represents 120,000 teachers, faculty, and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the AFT. More information at www.cft.org.
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-----
California schools to face first drop in funding in a decade
Funding for schools and community colleges will fall next year for the first time in a decade, under the first pass at the 2023-24 state budget, which Gov. Gavin Newsom released Tuesday. Mr. Newsom projected a drop of $1.5bn below the $110.4bn the Legislature approved last June for Proposition 98, the formula that apportions how much of the state’s general fund goes to TK-12 and community colleges. He said that the state would meet the statutory requirement to pay a projected 8.1% cost of living adjustment, the highest rate in four decades. The COLA increase would apply to general funding through the local control funding formula as well as special education and other ongoing programs. At the same time, he said he would continue the big initiatives he funded during the past two years, including $4bn for community schools, $12.5bn for learning recovery from COVID and $4.7bn for mental health needs. “We’re going to continue these commitments. We’re not backing off,” he said during a lengthy budget presentation.
----- STUDENT SUPPORT ISSUES -----
LGBTQ students' mental health provisions vary significantly
Barriers to mental health supports exist across all states for the nation's LGBTQ students, according to a state breakdown of LGBTQ youth mental health by the Trevor Project. LGBTQ students show high levels of mental health challenges, the report found, but the majority of LGBTQ students in every state except two said they sought mental healthcare but were unable to access it. The state showing the highest percentage of such students was Mississippi, at 71%, and the state with the lowest was Vermont, at 45%. Forty-four per cent and 41% of LGBTQ students in California and New York seriously considered suicide in the past year. In Texas and Florida, the rates are 47% and 45%, respectively. The Trevor Project's Keygan Miller comments: "LGBTQ students spend a significant amount of their time at school, making it imperative that educators, administrators, and school leaders consider the unique challenges that this group of students face."
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Chronic absenteeism persists in U.S. schools
Schools nationwide are seeing high numbers of students who are chronically absent, state and national data show, in districts regardless of size and income levels more than a year after the full return to in-person learning. In many poorer communities, that have long fought high absenteeism, rates rose even higher during the pandemic. Several states that have released data for the 2021-22 year so far show roughly a doubling of chronic absenteeism from 2018-19, the last full academic year before the pandemic hit. California this month reported a 30% statewide chronic absentee rate last school year, up from about 12% in 2018-19, while, in Michigan, statewide chronic absenteeism jumped to 38.5% last school year from about 20% in 2018-19. Students are generally deemed chronically absent if they miss at least 10% of school days, whether in person or virtual, regardless of whether absences were excused. That works out to 18 days over the course of a typical school year. “There’s a huge number of places that didn’t have challenges with attendance that now have them,” says Hedy Chang, executive director of the Attendance Works absenteeism initiative. “If we care about having a next generation that has the literacy, the numeracy, the citizenship skills to make for a strong country, we have to be extremely concerned about the levels of absenteeism.”
Schools reintroducing mask mandates as COVID cases rise
Increasing numbers of schools across the United States are reintroducing mask mandates in place as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Before winter break, districts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania announced they would temporarily be requiring masks among students and staff members amid a surge of respiratory illnesses. Now, schools in Massachusetts and Michigan are following suit, while Chicago schools are asking students to take rapid tests before classes start. Data from the CDC shows that COVID-19 cases are increasing even as cases of RSV and influenza are trending downward. Weekly cases have risen from 309,253 for the week of November 30 to 470,699 for the week of January 4, data shows.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Thurmond sworn in for second term
Tony Thurmond was sworn in for a second term as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Saturday. Key tenets during Thurmond's campaign for office included expanding access to mental healthcare, high-quality tutoring, free meals, teachers' professional development and implicit bias training, and STEM learning opportunities. “When I took the job as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I made it clear that education is the key and gateway to a world of opportunities, especially for our vulnerable students and communities. Today, we are much stronger than we ever have been and have created many historic initiatives to transform our schools and uplift our students,” he said. “As we turn to the next four years, I ask you to help us keep the promise alive for our six million students in the great state of California.” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona administered the oath at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Press Enterprise Press-Telegram
----- DISTRICTS -----
Orange USD fires its superintendent
The Orange USD board voted 4-3 last night to fire Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen and place Cathleen Corella, the district’s assistant superintendent of education, on immediate paid administrative leave pending an academic audit. They also appointed Edward Velasquez as interim superintendent, and Craig Abercrombie, Canyon High’s principal, as assistant superintendent.
Pasadena USD sued over 2019 school closures
Pasadena USD is being sued for discrimination by the parents of seven Latino elementary school students, after the district's 2019 closure of three schools with a large Latino enrollment. On behalf of the parents, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) has filed a suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging that, by closing Roosevelt, Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools, the district harmed students and violated their right to an education, guaranteed by the state’s constitution. “PUSD failed to take into account basic racial equity when it decided to close three majority-Latino schools” said Erika Cervantes, a MALDEF attorney in a statement Wednesday. “PUSD has placed these schools last when it comes to investment in the students’ education. Latino children deserve better, and we’re holding PUSD accountable through this lawsuit for its discriminatory practices.”
Capistrano super ousted by board majority in special meeting
Capistrano USD Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte will leave her post by December 31st, following a special meeting Wednesday night in which school board trustees voted 4-3 to end her contract. In a Thursday letter sent to district staffers, administrators and teachers, school board president Krista Castellanos announced the decision to “release” the superintendent from her contract, saying, “It is important to mention that the action taken was not for cause. We are grateful for her leadership and wish her the best in her future endeavors.” Castellanos said Vital Brulte will be replaced by Deputy Superintendent Clark Hampton as of January 1st on an interim basis, while the district begins its search for a permanent leader.
LAUSD expands tutoring offering, evening bus services
Los Angeles USD Superintendent announced on Monday that the district will begin offering tutoring during the school day and expanded bus service for students who are tutored after school. Tuition during daytime hours will be offered at specific schools across the sprawling district, while the evening bus service will begin at the Young Empowered Scholars Academy in Hyde Park this week — with a goal of expanding it to about 100 schools in coming weeks. Both new programs seek to break down barriers children face in accessing the tutoring they need and to make sure that the district’s highest need students are receiving targeted learning support. “We recognize that with darkness coming in earlier during the winter days of school, if we want kids to take advantage of tutoring services we ought to be smarter about the way we deliver,” Mr. Carvalho said. Tutoring “provided during the ‘time between bells’” — meaning during normal classroom time — “ensures that you have a captive audience, so you’re able to address the needs of more students,” he said. The school day sessions will pull small groups of students out of class for 30 minutes of targeted tutoring at a time, Mr. Carvalho said. The daytime tutoring will be in addition to existing after school and weekend tutoring programs. The evening bus service, which will run between 4:45 p.m. and 6 p.m., will allow students to participate in after school tutoring programs without worrying about how they will get home safely in the dark, with many parents unable to pick them up because they are still at work.
Fontana USD names new superintendent
Miki Inbody has been chosen to replace former Fontana USD Superintendent Randall Bassett. The Fontana High School graduate and former district employee, who currently serves as assistant superintendent of education support services at the San Bernardino County at the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, will be extended a contract Wednesday, February 1st. After five years as superintendent, Mr. Bassett stepped down from his position in August amid an administrative investigation into allegations that a Fontana school police detective had been insulated by his superiors and school district administrators against allegations of violent and inappropriate conduct involving students and fellow officers spanning more than a decade. Juan M. López has served as interim superintendent since September.
----- CLASSROOM -----
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Small Shifts to Limit ‘Teacher Talk’ and Increase Engagement
Guiding students to regularly direct their own discussions brings academic rewards as they gain confidence working independently on challenging tasks.
Teachers want students to reach high goals in the classroom, but Tori Filler, an elementary school literacy teacher in Brooklyn, believes that teachers often undermine themselves by taking the reins of the most important “doing” in the classroom. They might walk students through challenging parts of a lesson, or over-explain concepts that students should, ideally, grapple with on their own.
“As we all do our best to help students meet the high bars we set,” Filler writes in Achieve the Core, “could it be that we’re missing out on opportunities for kids to do the very work that will help get them there?” Putting the work in students’ hands, Filler writes, “flexes the muscle” they’ll need to tackle more challenging work on their own in the future and reap academic rewards.
When it comes to teaching literacy skills, for example, Filler notes that research shows students benefit the most from frequent, direct engagement with challenging texts. Younger learners, whose oral language generally outpaces their ability to read and write, also need time and space to connect the rigorous reading and writing they do to speaking and listening, ideally with their peers.
----- SECURITY -----
First grader shoots his teacher in Virginia
A 6-year-old boy was taken into police custody Friday after he shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Parker said: “We need the community’s support, continued support, to make sure that guns are not available to youth and I’m sounding like a broken record today, because I continue to reiterate that: that we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people.” Officials are also looking into any past instances that may have transpired before the shooting, while the elementary school will remain closed today and Tuesday to give the community “time to heal.”
----- FINANCE -----
Grim forecast for public pension funds in California and elsewhere
CalSTRS, the pension fund for teachers and school administrators, recorded its first loss, for the year ending June 30, after a year with a record gain and a string of positive returns since the Great Recession. It was only minus 1.3%, dropping its portfolio to $301.6 billion.
Pension funds in all three states are underfunded, and a recession, which many on Wall Street are predicting, could set back a timetable for recovery and eventually lead to higher employer contributions by school districts to both CalSTRS and CalPERS, the nation’s largest public pension fund. The latter serves county, state and local employees, including classified workers, such as classroom aides and bus drivers in schools.
CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost acknowledged a difficult year is coming in a statement to Politico, stating she sees “a challenging road ahead as major economies around the world continue to slow and market volatility grows. We understand these low-returning environments can put pressure on our employer partners and local government budgets. CalPERS reported a loss of 6.2% in value. Both it and CalSTRS rely on an annual return of 7% on investment to meet current and future obligations to employees.
https://edsource.org/updates/grim-forecast-for-public-pension-funds-in-california-and-elsewhere
----- LEGAL -----
LAUSD, two administrators sued for failing to report sex abuse
Two Los Angeles USD administrators who were convicted of criminal charges for failing to report sex crimes by a science teacher are being sued along with the district by a former student victimized in the assaults for their role in covering up the sexual abuse. Administrators Jesus Angelo and Maria Sotomayor, who formerly served as principal and assistant principal, respectively, of South East High School, were previously convicted of violating the state's mandatory reporting law. Both pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor offense in 2008 after they failed to report to authorities that a 17-year-old girl had informed them she had been sexually abused. Despite heavy public criticism from prosecutors, both administrators were allowed to return to school and were eventually promoted within L.A. Unified, according to the lawsuit and the victim‘s attorneys. “This case represents the most glaring example of victim shaming and the organized cover-up of child sexual abuse,” said Morgan Stewart, who represents the victim, now 32. “Not only were the administrators who committed these crimes retained by LAUSD, they were promoted! That tells parents everything they need to know about LAUSD's abject failure to protect students from sexual predators.”
Los Angeles Times
----- WORKFORCE ----
Teacher turnover tied to chronic absenteeism in San Francisco
According to the District Readiness Index, which compiles data to assess California school districts' ability to improve student outcomes, San Francisco USD lacks the foundations needed to keep students in the classroom and learning. Specifically, teacher turnover is higher than the national average, with a quarter of teachers leaving their schools in the 2017-18 school year; and, as of 2018-19, teachers without a full credential were more concentrated in the district's highest needs schools, where chronic absenteeism is significantly higher than the state and national average, towering at 90% in some schools. Although the causes of chronic absenteeism are multi-faceted, with many of them being beyond a school's control, the California Department of Education (CDE) is calling attention to the problem by focusing on how educators and staff can positively affect attendance. A chief obstacle is a district's ability to hire and retain quality staff — a burden that has afflicted SFUSD since the start of the school year. Statewide, according to the CDE, chronic absenteeism doubled from 14% in the 2020-21 school year to 30% the next year.
Burnout contributes to nationwide teacher shortages
While staffing levels can vary significantly by state, district, school, subject and grade level, the pressures of the job are among the major reasons teacher shortages remain nationwide. Low pay and morale, mounting political and academic pressures, health and safety concerns are all contributing to the challenges human resources departments across the education sector are tasked with. One recent working paper, by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, analyzed available data and found that vacancies were particularly pronounced in Florida, Illinois and Arizona. Subject-wise, special education continues to have it worst, with 7% of positions unfilled. English-language-learning programs are also especially understaffed (6%), as is computer science (5%). Shortages also tend to be worse in low-income areas. Fifty-seven percent of high-poverty schools that participated in the October School Pulse Panel reported at least one teaching vacancy.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
School lunch survey provides insight for food service directors
A new report by the No Kid Hungry nonprofit reveals several tasty takeaways from students’ experiences with school meals. Sixty-four percent of students surveyed said that school meals taste good, while 55% said they are high quality. Eighty-seven percent of teens said that if schools asked them for their input on how to improve school meals, they would be more likely to eat them. Eighty-three percent of students said that having meals available to them throughout the school day would make them more likely to eat school meals. Ninety-two percent said that knowing what is in the food that schools serve would motivate them to get school meals. Seventy-seven percent said that knowing that school meals have to meet specific standards to ensure students are eating healthy, nutritious meals would make them more likely to participate in school meals. Eighty percent said that having a website with detailed information about school meals would be an additional motivator, and 73 percent said the same about seeing updates on social media about school meals. Notably, almost three-quarters said that school meals gave them an opportunity to build friendships and community with other students
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Biden administration approached over legal status of charter schools
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Biden administration to weigh in on a pending appeal, regarding a North Carolina charter with rules barring girls from wearing slacks or shorts, about whether charter schools are acting with government authority when they adopt rules for student behavior. The court’s request that the U.S. solicitor general weigh in on the question suggests at least one justice is interested in granting full review of the case. The high court did not set a deadline for the Biden administration to file a brief in response, however past practice suggests that a request from the court midway through its term would likely result in a brief being filed near the end of the term in June. “The question presented in this case … warrants this court’s attention because it may dictate whether charter schools can continue to exist,” says a brief filed by Texas and signed by nine other Republican-leaning states.
Concerns raised at Biden's faith-based schools accreditation plans
A former Department of Education official is voicing concerns that the Biden administration's new regulatory agenda could negatively impact religious colleges and universities that participate in the federal student loan program. Bob Eitel, the co-founder and president of the Defense of Freedom Institute and a former senior counselor to the secretary of Education, said the decision to revisit the accreditation rule is notable because the rule implemented in July 2020 by the Trump administration was the product of a lengthy rule-making process that achieved consensus from stakeholders. The administration last week announced that it intends to revisit departmental regulations on a host of issues in 2023, including accreditation, student loan deferments, distance education, and other issues.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Cal State teaching assistants to negotiate on pay
CSU academic student employees, support staff and service workers in the nation’s largest university system are set to start wage and employment negotiations with university officials this spring - and have expressed a willingness to emulate their counterparts at the University of California in taking strike action. “We will be fighting for a lot of the similar things that the UC folks have been fighting for,” said Lark Winner, president of UAW 4123, which represents more than 11,000 teaching assistants, graduate assistants and instructional student assistants across the 23 campus system. “Many of our members are rent-burdened, the vast majority of them have limited access to transit support, and our wages are not satisfactory to cover our living expenses.” She added that she’s hopeful that CSU will be more willing to negotiate than UC initially was with its graduate employees. “A strike didn’t have to happen if the UC had shown up to the table ready to negotiate fairly,” she said. “We are hoping that the CSU is ready to negotiate a fair contract, and we would hope that we would not have to strike for the CSU to negotiate fairly with us to reach a contract that is going to improve the quality of life for the academic workers.”
Newsom’s higher education budget includes promised increases to UC and CSU
Despite California’s $22 billion budget shortfall, the state’s four-year university systems would get another year of funding increases in 2023-24 under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal unveiled Tuesday.
Newsom proposed base funding increases of 5% for the University of California and California State University, meaning he plans to fully fund the second year of the multiyear compacts he introduced last year. Under the agreements, Newsom has pledged annual budget increases of 5% to the university systems as long as they show improvement in graduation rates, making college more affordable and increasing the enrollment of California residents. In 2023-24, the 5% bump equates to an increase of $215.5 million in ongoing funding for UC and $227.3 million for CSU.
----- OTHER -----
Why Schools Should Stop Adding and Adopt a ‘Subtraction Mindset’
For educators, the past few years have been punishing. Emerging from the pandemic, they’re now putting in longer days packed with classes but also juggling meetings, emails, grading time, and professional development that often stretch far beyond their normal workday.
In the face of the latest emergency—lower test scores and concerns over learning loss—teachers have been given precious little respite. The solution for schools has too often been to “add and accelerate,” introducing new programs and tech tools, longer school years, or more remediation. The problem is this solution rarely works, argues Justin Reich, a professor at MIT and director of its Teaching Systems Lab, in a new piece for ASCD.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-schools-should-stop-adding-and-adopt-a-subtraction-mindset/
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
Leann.Blaisdell@horacemann.com
Click here to schedule an appointment
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