KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
The ABCFT negotiating team does not have any formal sessions scheduled with the district at this time. Our salary and benefits for 2022-2023 have been settled and we await the latest numbers at the May revision to inform our bargaining for salary and health benefits for the 2023-20224 school year.
But we are continuing to meet about ongoing issues and programs. For example, the evolution of the ABC Virtual Academy is something that we want to discuss in terms of practices and language that works for our members.
One of the most valuable resources we have as a team is time. We utilize our time together as a team to write surveys, assess data, crunch budget numbers, craft proposals, and write contract language. We are all volunteers on the team but being able to judiciously use days to sub out our team members makes our bargaining that much stronger. These planning sessions have yielded some of our most innovative ideas to be presented during our formal negotiations. During our most recent negotiations, we were able to use sub days to invite members to the table to present information regarding their specific group or programs. In the past, negotiation team members have been able to attend conferences and trainings to share ideas and bring new strategies to the bargaining table.
Tanya wrote last week with great detail and insight about our history of local dues and the services we are able to provide as a result. As we move forward with a union wide conversation about just what services we want to be able to maintain, let me offer that the flexibility and added effectiveness that these substitute days provide the negotiating team is yet another aspect of ABCFT that is positively impacted by our local dues.
In Unity,
ABCUSD EDUCATION FOUNDATION AWARDS
$60K IN TEACHER GRANTS!
On Monday this week, ABC Education Foundation gave away over sixty-thousand dollars in grant money for teachers’ classroom or school-wide projects. The ABC Ed. Foundation’s mission is to “provide financial support for the schools of ABC in order to maintain consistently high-quality educational opportunities for the children of the communities served.” Established in 2011 under Dr. Mary Sieu, her dream of providing support for classroom teachers is alive and thriving under the leadership of the ABC Education Foundation President Heather Summers (pictured). She has been a tireless volunteer for this organization since its inception.
The statistics speak to the success of this thriving organization that is designed to facilitate support ABC students. Since 2014, the ABC Ed Foundation has funded 219 mini-grants for over $323,366. They have also funded nearly $512,000 in programs since 2012 and have provided 7,450 backpacks with supplies to ABCUSD students between 2012-2022.
ABCFT was given a certificate of appreciation for being a generous donator over the years. The money that the ABC Federation of Teachers donates to this organization goes directly back to support teachers' projects in ABC classrooms.
MEMBER-ONLY RESOURCES
ShareMyLesson's 2023 Virtual Conference
Register now for the annual Share My Lesson Virtual Conference—where you can choose from 30+ webinars on a variety of topics and content areas—all for FREE. That's more than 30 hours of PD credit you can earn while wearing your PJs! This year you can take a deep dive into teaching strategies for preK-college, covering:
Also available is three timely keynote sessions, running each evening at 6 p.m. EDT:
Exploring The U.S. and the Holocaust, a Film by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein with Sarah Bostein and Facing History and Ourselves
The State of Public Education 2023 with AFT President Randi Weingarten
And if these don't grab your attention, here's an AI (aka artificial intelligence) commercial on our Share My Lesson Virtual Conference that did ChatGPT in seconds. And yes, there will be two sessions that will touch on ChatGPT during the conference, including the education implications of ChatGPT on original thinking and media literacy.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - School Board Report
This Tuesday was a regularly held ABC School Board meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, there is usually a “Focus on Learning” presentation that highlights either a school or program in the district in a short presentation. These presentations are designed to inform the school board members and community about the various programs and accomplishments within ABC schools.
This week, the newly expanded after-school program called EXCELS was highlighted. This afterschool program impacts 2,500 students in ABC and provides these students with extra support and time for academic success in addition to a number of other fun activities that keep the students engaged. You can find their presentation by the Director of Child Development and Special Programs, Dr. Eveline Huh who was promoted to this newly created position last school year. ABC EXCELS Presentation
Click here for the ABC Federation of Teachers Employee Report where I spoke about teacher working conditions and how they impact teacher retention.
The current ABC Board President Mr. Brad Beach has been on a “30 schools in 30 weeks tour” of ABC. This quest to visit and explore every campus and program in ABC is being documented on the ABC YouTube Page in the form of short clips that outline the strengths and richness of programs found at every school. I would encourage you to watch these short videos (around two minutes) to get a peek into what is happening across the district. So far Mr. Beach has visited Melbourne, Juarez, Bragg, Carmenita, Hawaiian, and Wittmann.
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.
“It's not what’s said, it’s what’s heard.” Randi Weingarten - This really resonated with me this week after Tanya Golden and I visited with the teachers of Ross Middle School. Visiting with members face to face we get to build relationships and bridges of understanding of what challenges or successes a school is experiencing. Thanks to the Ross staff for your time and thoughtful conversations. Thanks also to the Ross ABCFT site representative, Cami Hadden, and alternate Beccie Souza for facilitating our day and conversations.
Those of you who are regular readers hopefully have learned that we put out the YOUnionews each week so that we can not only report what is going on in the district each week but also to provide you with a broader perspective of the broader education system and climate. We try not to overload our readers with information each week but we try to balance what is virtually important with educational context. Furthermore, the YOUnionews is partially there to illustrate to you all the advocacy and support we are providing for teachers and nurses. We are not always able to highlight all the work we do. For instance, I was asked by a teacher why ABCFT doesn’t focus on teacher wellness more and it caused me to reflect on how we can better spotlight how we are supporting employee wellness in such trying times. You might have opened an email from Dr. Zietelow this week that highlighted a number of wellness programs that the ABC district is providing for its employees. ABCFT doesn’t take credit for creating those programs but we will take credit for consistently working with Human Resources on the need for employee wellness options and which programs will best support teachers and nurses so they can avoid feeling depleted.
Over the next month, we are preparing information that will outline supporting evidence on how the leadership of the ABC Federation of Teachers supports its membership. I can honestly say that being forced to sit down to reflect on what the leadership of ABCFT (this includes the rep council, negotiations team, and executive board) does for the membership is what I hoped to accomplish twelve years ago when I became President of ABCFT. In May, ABCFT will have officer and site representative elections. I look to elections as a reflection point that causes any leadership team to assess their progress and the ongoing changes that help to improve our service to the membership. Your support and guidance are the teacher and nurse voices that drive how the ABCFT leadership engages its members. We are in this together!
(Added at 1 pm) - I’ve been made aware by the district office that over the next week there will be a number of announcements by principals about possible site administrative changes for the next school year. There has not been a history of these types of changes in ABC but over the past couple of years, there has been a greater amount of administrative positions that have been shifted, filled, or moved. ABCFT is not aware of any of these specific changes because these decisions are made exclusively by the interim Superintendent and Administrative Cabinet in consultation with the school board members. After next week, ABCFT will consolidate a list of the changes and post them in the YOUnionews. ABCFT will work closely with the district, site administrators, and staff members throughout this transition process.
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT-sponsored wealth tax introduced in California Assembly
In a coordinated effort with seven other states, this week CFT President Jeff Freitas and Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José) reintroduced a tax on extreme wealth in California as AB 259 and an accompanying proposed constitutional amendment, ACA 3.
The tax, which is sponsored by CFT and includes nine co-authors in addition to Lee, would apply to households with net worths of more than $50 million, or the top 0.1% of Californians, and would generate an estimated $21.6 billion annually — roughly the same amount as the projected budget shortfall from the Governor’s proposed budget this year.
“CFT is proud to support AB 259 and ACA 3,” said CFT President Jeff Freitas. “Billionaires and mega-millionaires should pay what they owe in taxes. Working families shouldn’t have to subsidize the ultra-rich so that our communities can have the schools, roads, and essential services they deserve.”
“With this modest tax on the ultra-wealthy who pay a lower effective tax rate than the bottom 99%, we would have sustained investments in our schools, tackle homelessness, maintain and expand needed services, and much more,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee.
Read more about the Wealth Tax 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
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
‘I just found myself struggling to keep up’: Number of teachers quitting hits new high
The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states – the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date.
In Washington state, more teachers left the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina saw a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year.
The turnover increases were not massive. But they were meaningful, and the churn could affect schools’ ability to help students make up for learning loss in the wake of the pandemic. This data also suggests that spiking stress levels, student behavior challenges, and a harsh political spotlight have all taken their toll on many American teachers.
----- NATIONAL CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE -----
CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE
House Republicans Introduce Parents Bill of Rights Legislation
On Wednesday, March 1, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) introduced the Parents Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5). The legislation was co-sponsored by 73 Republican colleagues in the chamber, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), among other members of House Republican leadership. The bill aims to establish additional legal protections and enumerated rights for parents regarding their children’s education. “As a mom of two and a former educator, I believe for a child to succeed, they need families and educators to work together as partners throughout the learning process,” Letlow said as part of the bill’s introduction.
Later in the day, Speaker McCarthy, Chair Foxx, and other House Republican leaders held an event (see article below) to highlight the legislation and elevate stories from parents and families who are supportive of the proposal. A factsheet for H.R. 5 can be found here, and the full text of the measure can be accessed here.
Comprehensive Labor Bill Introduced Amid Historic Public Support for Unions
On Feb. 28, a bipartisan group of House and Senate Members introduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023 (H.R. 20), a comprehensive proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The House bill was introduced by the Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The Senate companion was introduced by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Read more about the bill here.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Much for education in Biden's budget plan
President Joe Biden released a wide-reaching spending plan for FY 2024 on Thursday, calling for $90bn for the Department of Education, which is a 13.6% ($10.8bn) increase over current allocations. The proposal's two largest spending categories for K-12 are support high-poverty schools, with $20.5bn for Title I, and $16.8bn for pre-K-12 special education services. The budget plan would also boost federal funding for childcare and early childhood education by billions of dollars to ensure free preschool for the nation's four million four-year-olds. Biden's proposal includes $22.1bn for existing early care and education programs, up 10.5% from the 2023 enacted level, including $9bn for federal block grants. The White House claimed that the higher level of funding, totaling some $400bn over 10 years, would increase childcare options for 16m more young children while lowering costs for parents. The 2024 plan would boost funding for Head Start programs by more than 9% to $13.1bn, with more than $500m dedicated to boost pay for Head Start teachers and staff. Higher federal funding for preschool would reach $200bn over 10 years. It provides an additional $2.7bn over FY 2023 enacted levels for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs, including a $2.1bn increase for Part B grants to states and preschool programs, a $392m increase for Part C grants to support proposed reforms to expand early intervention services for underserved children, a $150m increase in grants to recruit and retain special education personnel, and wider supports for schools to design and adopt formative and diagnostic assessments to support effective teaching and learning. The proposal also invests $3bn in educator preparation, development and leadership, including $30m in Hawkins and $132m in Teacher Quality Partnerships to support a more diverse teacher pipeline, $200m to support school-based models of distributed leadership, with $303m to address shortages of special education teachers and $428m dedicated to meeting students' mental health needs, school staff and teachers by increasing the number of school-based counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals. Biden's budget also includes $1.47bn for Career and Technical Education (CTE) state grants, which is an increase of $43m, and a $200m investment to re-design high schools to build career and college pathways to "better align" with the post-secondary system.
School finances impacted as automatic enrollment in Medicaid ends
Starting in April, millions of children currently insured under Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program could lose their coverage. Since March 2020, children and families’ enrollment in their public health insurance programs have automatically renewed without confirming their eligibility on a yearly basis, as required pre-pandemic. In April however, the continuous enrollment will expire, rendering uninsured those who don’t renew their eligibility. An estimated 6.7m children could become uninsured starting April, according to estimates from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, while a federal report from 2022 suggests the majority of children predicted to lose coverage are still likely eligible. Sunsetting continuous enrollment will disproportionately impact children of color, with two-thirds of children who are likely to lose coverage being kids of color, according to the UnidosUS advocacy organization. For schools that benefit from the Medicaid reimbursement program, unenrolled children and families means a loss in reimbursements for services such as physical and speech therapy schools will still be required to provide. As of June 2021, more than 40m, which is around half of the nation’s children, were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families. “It’s gonna be one of the most significant events Medicaid has ever seen,” says Jenny Millward, executive director of the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California urged to invest in climate-resilient schools
A coalition of health, city planning and education nonprofits have issued a report urging state leaders in California to invest $150bn over the next decade to build and renovate schools to mitigate to the increasingly hazardous effects of climate change on children’s health and wellbeing. Groups in the coalition include the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research and the Center for Innovation in Global Health at Stanford University, UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools and Ten Strands, which strengthens strategies on TK-12 environmental literacy. Their report, entitled "Climate-Resilient California Schools: A Call to Action," makes several recommendations; adopt sustainable construction practices, power schools with solar technology and battery storage, electrify building energy systems to transition away from fossil fuel dependence, upgrade HVAC systems to electric heat pumps, improve the efficiency of water use, and create green schoolyards that increase shade and reduce the presence of asphalt. Jonathan Klein, co-founder of Oakland nonprofit UndauntedK12, which is also part of the coalition, comments: "As global warming intensifies and severe weather becomes increasingly frequent, it will become more and more difficult for California’s aging schools to maintain conditions that are safe, healthy, and conducive to learning.”
Republican Governors looking to leverage parental agency movement
While House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's recently introduced “Parents Bill of Rights Act” will likely die in a Democratic-controlled Senate, Lauren Camera suggests that the signal it sends to parents is indicative of the road ahead. The strategy is already playing out in real time in red states across the country as Republican governors pitch sweeping K-12 overhauls seizing on the parental education movement, she writes, and is set to continue in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. "At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last week, the message was clear: Elevate the role of parents in their children’s education – even above that of life-long educators and child development experts – and they’ll back you at the ballot box."
Riverside legislator introduces bill to ban book bans
A bill introduced last month would require that textbooks used in California schools represent people from all races, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations. The author of Assembly Bill 1078, Corey Jackson, D-Riverside, said the current curriculum used in schools often erases Black, Latino, Asian and LGBTQ+ voices. “When students are exposed to a narrow range of experiences, they may struggle to relate to the material, which causes them to disengage from learning, or even develop biases that limit them from engaging with people from different backgrounds,” Mr. Jackson told The Bee.
Plan to direct more funding to high-poverty California schools opposed
The Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending that lawmakers reject $300m in new state funding to address low performance and racial disparities in California's poorest schools. Instead of relying on more money, “We find that the key issue is increasing transparency to ensure existing funding actually targets the highest needs schools and student subgroups,” the nonpartisan adviser wrote in a formal report. The additional funding - dubbed an "equity multiplier" by Gov. Gavin Newsom - would be a part of a larger effort to address the underachievement of racial and ethnic groups in all schools and districts. Together the pieces would make up the biggest change in the Local Control Funding Formula since the Legislature passed the equitable funding and school accountability law a decade ago. The Legislative Analyst’s Office is also recommending holding off on a proposed additional $250m for literacy coaches for about 300 additional high-poverty schools. Responding to the report, H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, said the administration would stick with its proposal. “While the Analyst’s report reflects a different approach, the governor’s proposal reflects the administration’s continuing focus on providing equitable pre-K-12 educational opportunities through ongoing support for a Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier, accompanied by further investment to support literacy coaches in high-need elementary schools.”
----- DISTRICTS -----
Stockton Unified board approves layoffs that includes five directors
Last night the board of Stockton Unified approved layoffs for 19 full-time positions that include five directors.This comes on the heels of an audit revealing potential fraud and other illegal fiscal practices, and just a week after the board terminated the contract for the district’s emeritus contract of Superintendent John Ramirez Jr.The Stockton Record reports that some of the positions cut include the assistant superintendent of student support services, the director for the family resource center, maintenance and operations, educational services, community relations and business development, and technology. The layoffs will be effective July 1.
These positions were funded through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER), one-time federal funds doled out due to COVID-19.Two district directors and an assistant superintendent included in the positions are already on leave, though the district declined to say why. One of those is Director of Family Resource Center Motecuzoma Sanchez, the founder of the website 209 Times.
LAUSD service employees move closer to possible strike
Los Angeles USD officials said on Wednesday they are preparing for a possible strike by thousands of cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants and other workers who this week announced plans to cancel their contract amid stalled labor talks on a new pact. According to the Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents the more than 30,000 LAUSD workers, the district was notified Tuesday of the pending cancellation of the contract, moving closer to a possible walkout. District officials issued a statement Wednesday saying they were “disappointed that SEIU is walking away from negotiations with so much on the table.” They added that Superintendent Alberto Carvalho made the union “one of the strongest offers ever proposed by a Los Angeles Unified superintendent.” According to the district, the offer included a 5% wage increase retroactive to July 2021, another 5% increase retroactive to July 2022 and another 5% increase effective July 2023, along with a 4% bonus in 2022-23 and a 5% bonus in 2023-24.
The Patch Los Angeles Daily News
SFUSD discloses significant payroll problem
San Francisco USD Superintendent Matt Wayne disclosed on Tuesday that the district failed to file three quarterly wage reports to the state in 2022, an omission that could delay tax returns and refunds to teachers and other district employees. While the district collected taxes and paid them to the state on schedule, the payments did not differentiate the amount of taxes paid by each employee. After discovering the accounting error, the district began to work with California’s Franchise Tax Board to file the necessary paperwork. It is not yet known if this mistake is related to the district’s use of EMPowerSF, a payroll deduction software system that has been the subject of major complaints from the teachers union. “We are deeply sorry for the stress and concern this has caused our staff and their families,” Wayne said in a statement. “SFUSD is undertaking accountability measures to ensure this does not happen again. We are urgently working to rectify this error and the possible cascading impacts for employees.”
Dozens of school districts in Texas have switched to four-day weeks
At least 59 school districts in Texas have made the switch to a four-day week, according to an analysis by KXAN, which also notes at least seven other districts offer a hybrid schedule, with four-day weeks for part of the year. Districts in all parts of the state have made the change, with the schedule proving particularly popular in rural districts in north and east Texas. Crosby ISD in Harris County just outside Houston, which serves almost 6,500 students, recently became the largest district in the state to adopt a four-day week. “Our why is simple and straightforward,” explains Superintendent Paula Patterson. “We want to find, recruit and retain the best teachers in the state in the classrooms for our students. This change immediately makes Crosby ISD a top destination for educators in Harris County.” A related found a record number of teachers retired or resigned in the 2021-22 school year, many citing low pay and increasing workloads without additional planning time.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Strategies to attract and retain K–12 teachers
Research by consultancy firm McKinsey examines the main talent challenges school districts currently face and offers a strategic blueprint that leaders and school systems could consider for attracting and retaining more K–12 educators. Meaningful work is by far the top reason that motivates teachers to stay. Educators are nearly 20% more likely than private-sector employees to identify meaningful work as a top reason to stay in their jobs. Community and colleagues also play a key role in teacher retention. Among those citing these two factors as reasons for staying, 87% say their coworkers show genuine concern for one another, 83% say their coworkers help one another to achieve their work goals, 85 % say they fit in with the culture of the organization, and 84% say they can be themselves at work. Compensation is a top driver of both attrition and retention, he research asserts, but to increase teachers’ sense of purpose and meaning in their job - school leaders could employ nonfinancial incentives that are common in other workplaces, such as public recognition. By tailoring solutions that address the root causes of attrition, leaders could also potentially build more fulfilling and equitable environments that better serve not only educators but also students and society at large.
Teachers of color most likely to feel brunt of seniority-based layoffs
Seniority-based policies are the second most common factor used by major districts when looking at teacher layoffs, according to a recent National Council on Teacher Quality analysis of the nation’s 148 largest districts.
Nearly a third, 31%, of those districts said they primarily rely on seniority when determining teacher layoffs, NCTQ found. The top factor — performance — was just slightly higher at a full third.
The TNTP-Educators for Excellence report found that, in 37 of 40 states analyzed, teachers of color are more likely than White teachers to be in their first or second year of teaching.
Teacher turnover hits new highs across the U.S.
This story was co-published with USA Today. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education in communities across America. Sign up for our free newsletter to keep up with how public education is changing.
The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states — the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date.
In Washington state, more teachers left the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina saw a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year.
Teacher turnover rates hit new highs
Attrition rates amongst teachers increased last school year, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data between the 2021-22 year and this school year. The federal government doesn’t regularly track teacher staff turnover rates, and neither do state education officials in California, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania amongst others, but in eight states - Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington - researchers found that turnover was at its highest point in at least five years. In Washington state, more teachers left the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina saw a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year. Relatedly, in a recent nationally representative survey from RAND, school district leaders reported a 4 percentage point increase in teacher turnover. Data from a handful of districts show a similar trend. For instance, turnover among licensed staff, including teachers, spiked from 9% to 12% in Clark County, Nevada, the country’s fifth-largest district. In Austin, Texas, turnover jumped from 17% to 24%. Other school staff too appear to be leaving at higher rates. Hawaii experienced a jump in aides and service staff who exited public schools, while North Carolina saw over 17% of principals depart last school year, compared to an average of 13% in the three years before the pandemic. The RAND survey also found a sharp increase in principals leaving.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Educators concerned about post-pandemic student behavior
With the pandemic introducing additional trauma and stressors, educators fear behavioral challenges have become more prevalent in schools. Even as some school systems have strengthened support systems, teachers say it hasn’t always been enough to meet student needs and experts warn the long-lasting effects on students are not yet fully understood. Nearly 70% of educators surveyed last fall said behavioral disruptions had increased since the 2019-20 school year, according to a report by education consulting firm EAB. Relatedly, a May 2022 National Center for Education Statistics survey that found more than 80% of public schools had noticed slower behavioral and socio-emotional development in students amid the pandemic. The recent EAB survey also highlighted a disconnect between teachers and school administrators when it came to addressing behavior issues in the classroom. It indicated that school administrators overestimated how much training staff and teachers had received — with more than 70% of administrators stating their staff had been trained in various behavioral management techniques, while 53% or fewer teachers reported that was the case.
Teachers and students warm up to ChatGPT
Teachers and students are using ChatGPT regularly and see it as a positive force in education, according to the first national survey of their attitudes toward the breakthrough generative AI platform.
Why it matters: Many school districts have banned ChatGPT, fearing rampant plagiarism — but attitudes among educators are changing rapidly.
Driving the news: The Feb. 2–7 survey of 1,000 teachers (grades K–12) and 1,000 students (ages 12–17) found high levels of adoption, with teachers relying on ChatGPT more heavily than students.
51% of teachers reported using ChatGPT, with higher usage among Black (69%) and Latino (69%) educators.
Teachers say they're using it for lesson planning (30%), coming up with creative ideas for classes (30%) and building background knowledge for lessons and classes (27%).
A third of students 12–17 say they've used ChatGPT for school (33%), including 47% of those 12–14.
The poll was commissioned by the nonprofit Walton Family Foundation and conducted by Impact Research.
----- LEGAL -----
House Republicans issue subpoenas to former NSBA heads
House Republicans issued another series of subpoenas Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into what they contend is the mistreatment of parents who protested “woke” school board policies. Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded documents and testimony from three individuals, including the former heads of the National School Boards Association (NSBA), for “requesting federal law enforcement assistance to target parents voicing concerns at local school board meetings.” The Ohio Republican is flexing his newly appointed subpoena power to probe a September 2021 letter, which warned of rising threats against school board members over coronavirus restrictions and teaching around race, that the nonprofit representing U.S. school boards sent to the Biden administration. The controversial letter to the Justice Department, signed by Chip Slaven, then the interim executive director of the NSBA, and Viola Garcia, then the president of the NSBA, outlined more than 20 instances of threats, harassment, disruption and acts of intimidation in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and other states.
----- CHILD DEVELOPMENT ----
Kids of color not always receiving early intervention
By the time they turn two, according to a study from public health researchers at Boston University, eligible Black toddlers with developmental delays are five times less likely than similar white children to receive “early intervention” services offered from infancy to the age of three. Moreover, recent federal data shows that more than 15 states serve fewer than 200 Black children statewide through early intervention, a fraction of the number that experts say need the support, which can include physical and speech therapy. In 1986, the federal government mandated that states provide therapy for newborns and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities, but the program has been dogged by severe racial gaps in access and quality since its inception. Research shows that even where Black and Latino children enroll in high numbers, they have worse experiences than their white peers. That can include longer delays in finding therapists and less access to the most helpful therapies, including in-person sessions. “One of the things we consistently see in pediatrics is that children of color get less of everything,” says Katharine Zuckerman, an associate professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, who has studied racial disparities in diagnoses of autism and other disorders. “They get less antibiotics. They get less early intervention.”
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
School voucher plan approved in Arkansas
Lawmakers in Arkansas have this week approved an education overhaul that creates a new school voucher program. The Republican-held Senate voted 26-8 to send to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders the 145-page bill, which also raises minimum teacher salaries and puts new restrictions on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity. Over three years, the plan will phase in an “education freedom account” to pay for private and homeschooling costs equal to 90% of the state’s per-student funding for public schools, which is currently $7,413.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
More Americans skipping college
Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment declined 8% between 2019 and 2022, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse, with declines even after students returned to in-person classes. Most alarming are the figures for Black, Hispanic and low-income students, who saw the largest slides in many states. In dozens of interviews with The Associated Press, educators, researchers and students describe a generation "jaded by education institutions." Largely on their own amid remote learning, many took part-time jobs. Some felt they weren’t learning anything, and the idea of further education held little appeal. If there’s a bright spot, experts say it’s that more young people are pursuing education programs other than a four-year degree. Some states are seeing growing demand for apprenticeships in the trades, for example.
----- OTHER -----
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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