KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
As noted elsewhere, it has been what feels like a long year. Not the worst, not the most dramatic, but a lot of work. I think ABCFT members should be proud of all they were able to accomplish under challenging conditions.
I have optimism regarding next year. We have a new superintendent who understands and appreciates ABCUSD’s unique culture. We have new leaders at our sites and in new roles at the district office. ABCFT has a newly elected executive board. We will be working with a new school board member as well. There will, of course, still be issues to deal with as we advocate for our members. But next year will be an opportunity for all of us to work together with colleagues, both veteran and new, to solve problems and continue our focus on student achievement.
When we return in August, the negotiating team will schedule sessions to begin bargaining salary and benefits for the 2023-2024 school year. We have an 8.22% COLA for 2023-2024. This 8+% COLA stands in positive contrast to the 3+% COLAs that are projected for the following three years. The challenge will be to balance our priority of maintaining salary schedules that can attract and retain the best possible personnel for ABCUSD with the fact that for every 100 students of declining enrollment, we correspondingly lose 1 million dollars in funding. We will continue our commitment to maintaining health benefits, including options for free family coverage, despite rising cost projections from both Kaiser and Blue Cross.
Remember to inspire, empower, and ignite during the summer professional learning on August 8 and 9 at Artesia High School. A registration form went out via email this week to sign up for your preferred sessions. All members can participate in these voluntary trainings for one or both full days at a special negotiated rate of $474 per day.
Congratulations to our ABCUSD graduates. The excitement and pride our students and their families feel at their accomplishment are inspiring. Please take a moment to reflect on the role we have all played in the journey of every student who walks across a graduation stage. From their very first exposure to our schools, perhaps in an early childhood program, all the way through their elementary, middle, and high school career, there have been caring and committed ABCFT members to support them every step of the way. Thanks also to our brothers and sisters from our other employee groups for helping with these students' success. It truly does take a village.
I wish you all a restful and productive (if short) summer vacation. We’ll “make it back” next year with the school year ending before the month of June!
In Unity,
KEEPING YOU INFORMED: Union Office Update
The rental lease for the union office is set to expire on June 30, 2023. We have been in negotiations with the landlord regarding the office space but have been unable to reach a deal that meets our financial needs. Just as instructional tools have changed the landscape of your classrooms, the days of having larger meeting office spaces have also changed.
We have until the end of our lease to vacate the current office space of about 2000 square feet; therefore, we are moving to a temporary workspace of less than 200 square feet within the district limits for the next six months. Anyone who has had to move unexpectedly knows how incredibly challenging it can be, but we will get the move done on time. ABCFT is also in discussion with the district administration on the possibility of being housed in a district space at the end of the calendar year. When we have more concrete details, we will share them.
If you need to contact us over the summer, please contact us by email at ABCFT@abcusd.us. We will monitor it during the month of July on a weekly basis.
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. This weekly report informs members about issues impacting their working/learning conditions and mental well-being. Our work as a Union is a larger conversation, and together we make the YOUnion.
“I didn’t realize that it was the last day of school.” said no teacher or nurse ever.
We made it! Another year in the books and a nice Summer slowdown for everyone. I hope you take some time to relax and recuperate from the school year. This is a time to reconnect with family, friends, and yourself. Let’s not worry about next year until next year. This has been a long three-year push, and I feel like this year bookends the ABC Pandemic Saga. Next year we start with a new superintendent with a new vision in a new era. Even though I am looking forward to the future, I will be firmly focused on staying in the moment and enjoying some downtime.
Thanks for all your hard work throughout the year. Thank you for making this YOUnion strong and a national example of how teacher/nurse voice, when heard and understood, can be the cornerstone of solution-driven public education.
Lastly, thank you for allowing Tanya, Ruben, and me to be a part of your routine each week as we navigate our way as a YOUnion in the ever-changing world of education. Cheers!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT Celebrates Pride Month
CFT is proud to join communities across the state and country celebrating Pride Month this year. The first Pride celebration took place on June 28, 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall uprising, when protests swept New York to resist police brutality and persecution of the LGTBQ+ community.
Celebrations for what is now known as Pride Month grew to include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and millions of people all over the world participated. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
But as we continue to proudly celebrate Pride Month, we also know that this is a fraught time for our LGTBQ+ communities. Attacks on gay and trans youth in our schools and in our society are once again making headlines, as extremists are harming our students to score political points.
“So as we celebrate Pride this year, let us hold our heads up high and stand together and renew our commitment to our LGBTQ+ youth and coworkers,” says CFT President Jeff Freitas. “Like all students, LGBTQ+ youth deserve to learn and live in a safe environment free of fear and intimidation. And like all workers, all CFT members should be able to work with full rights without harassment or fear.”
To help you celebrate Pride, check out this curated collection of Pride Month resources on the CFT website, which includes an updated CFT Pride zoom background.
CFT – A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals
Contact: Matthew Hardy, 510-703-5291
State Assembly Votes 77-0 to Approve Legislation to Raise Educator & School Worker Wages to Transform California’s Education System
SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday the California State Assembly approved AB 938 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) with a bipartisan vote of 77-0. AB 938 would commit the state of California to raising funding for educator and school worker pay in all public schools by 50% over the next 7 years.
“We have an education staffing crisis in the state and must take bold action to address it. By overwhelmingly passing AB 938, the California Assembly has made it clear to educators and classified professionals that they deserve a wage that lifts up their work, enabling them to focus on the success of their students without having to worry about how to pay their bills. Our students succeed when their school employees are on solid ground financially and we cannot invest in our students’ futures without investing in our educators and classified professionals as well,” said Jeff Freitas, CFT President.
"We need to pay our teachers and essential school staff what they deserve," said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. "Schools across the state are facing a workforce shortage, with many teachers and school employees unable to afford to live in the communities they work in. AB 938 sets the goal of giving teachers and staff a 50 percent pay raise by 2030 to address the growing wage gap between teachers and comparable college graduates in other fields and to also get more young people to aspire to become educators."
AB 938 now heads to the State Senate.
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-----
In Missouri, more school districts try to suspend licenses of teachers who break contracts
The amount of financial penalties imposed on teachers who break contracts has grown. It ranges from $500, which used to be fairly common, to as high as $10,000.
Missouri teachers who quit their jobs on short notice face increasingly severe consequences, as school districts facing staffing shortages impose financial penalties as high as $10,000 or seek to suspend the teaching licenses of teachers who break their contracts.
The number of teachers who have faced contract-related suspensions jumped during the pandemic and hit a record high of 11 in the past year. On Tuesday, three of the 11 cases will go before the State Board of Education, which has final say on whether a license is suspended or not. The circumstances varied but in each of the three cases, a teacher submitted a resignation after the contract deadline, the school board voted to reject the resignation and the district initiated action to suspend the teacher's license. Hearings were held in each case.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Education spared as Biden signs debt ceiling deal
President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 into law on Saturday, ending for now the threat of a default on the nation’s debt. The U.S. Senate had on Friday passed the bipartisan legislation that flat-funds federal education spending for fiscal 2024. The agreement also limits nondefense spending, including education, to a 1% increase in fiscal 2025. Notably, the legislation would rescind unspent COVID-19 emergency relief funds but, according to an emailed statement from a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson, this does not apply to the allocations under K-12’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds as that money is considered to already be obligated. Additionally, the department said $390m of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding that would be rescinded includes funds that were either returned or not claimed by institutions of higher education - a small portion of the $76bn in total funding for recovery efforts. Many Republican and Democrat members of Congress, as well as several education organizations, praised the efforts to find a compromise that avoids severe cuts to education and social services but still guarantees the country will pay its bills. The Treasury Department had warned it would be unable to pay all of its bills today if Congress had failed to act.
K12 Dive New York Times Reuters
Sexual violence incidents have tripled in public K-12 schools
According to a report by the Defense of Freedom Institute, sexual violence incidents in public K-12 schools have tripled between 2010 and 2019. The report highlights underlines the "pass the trash," procedural challenge, whereby a known abuser is able to gain employment at a new school by resigning before having a negative mark on his or her record. The report also accuses teachers unions of allowing abusive teachers to remain in classrooms by including a clause in collective bargaining agreements which allows for teacher records to be scrubbed after a few years. The report recommends implementing a mandatory reporting law for all school employees to report suspected sexual abuse to state or local authorities, mandating all school districts report teacher-on-student sexual misconduct, and banning confidentiality agreements among schools and teachers unions that "prevent future employers from discovering sexual abuse investigations and findings."
----- STATE NEWS -----
California AG to review school board's rejection of Harvey Milk curriculum
California Attorney General Rob Bonta will review the Temecula Valley Unified School District's decision to reject social studies curriculum that included gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Bonta's office requested documents justifying the decision and information on the district's curriculum adoption policies. The attorney general's office expressed concern over comments made by two members of the board's conservative majority, who accused Milk of being a "pedophile" without evidence. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond warned school leaders against restricting curriculum, and content rejections would be reviewed by the attorney general. This is the first review of its kind.
California teacher shortage worsens
California's teacher shortage crisis has deepened, with a 16% decline in new teacher credentials issued by the state in 2021-22. The decline in new credentials could have a significant impact on California schools, which are already struggling to fill teaching positions. The shortage is felt most acutely in elementary schools, which primarily employ teachers with multiple-subject teaching credentials. The lack of interest in teaching is attributed to changes in student discipline policies and an increasingly difficult work environment for teachers. California has spent $1.2bn since 2016 on programs meant to address teacher shortages, but the lack of new candidates is making those shortages worse.
----- DISTRICTS -----
L.A. school board approves LGBTQ+ education resolution
The Los Angeles Unified School District board has unanimously approved a resolution to raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community. The resolution encourages all schools to incorporate lessons on the LGBTQ+ community and make use of the “Queer All Year” calendar, and hold “commemorative activities” at various points throughout the school year. The resolution also recommits to publicizing the “OUT for Safe Schools” campaign by providing posters, staff badges, and other inclusive materials to schools. The resolution was passed after more than 100 demonstrators protested against a gay pride assembly at Saticoy Elementary in Sun Valley. The resolution “proclaims and commemorates June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, October as LGBTQ+ History Month, as well as October 11 as National Coming Out Day, November 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance, March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility, and April 12 as Day of Silence.”
Los Angeles Times
Arrests as fight breaks out over California school board's Pride Month discussion
At least three people were arrested this week after several hundred protesters gathered outside a California school board meeting discussing a resolution to recognize June as Pride Month. The Glendale Police Department responded to the protest, which at times erupted into violence, at the Glendale Unified School District headquarter in Glendale “ensure public safety and facilitate peaceful demonstrations.” GUSD Superintendent Dr. Vivian Ekchian recommended the Board of Education to adopt a resolution at Tuesday's meeting to designate June 2023 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Police said some protesters vehemently opposed the GUSD recommendation and others supported it.
L.A. Schools lengthens school year
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has achieved his goal of lengthening the school year, but had to give up on shortening winter break from three weeks to two. The district and union will negotiate what happens after the next two school years. During the restored three-week break, the district will host three days of optional learning. The deal affects students, teachers, and all school-based employees. Local 99 of Service Employees International Union will work the required days and receive extra pay. The district and unions will dismiss outstanding legal claims. The teachers union will give up its challenge of whether the district can impose an instructional calendar. UTLA's ratification vote will take place Tuesday through Thursday. Based on district surveys, most parents and teachers had favored the three-week break.
Capistrano Unified narrows superintendent search
Christopher Brown, an assistant superintendent at Long Beach Unified, has emerged as the preferred candidate for the superintendent position at Capistrano Unified, the largest school district in Orange County, with more than 47,000 students and nearly 4,000 employees across 50 schools. Brown is a former principal at California Academy of Math and Science and has worked as a science teacher, high school director, assistant principal and dean. The district hired the Education Engagement Service Group to assist in the search. According to CUSD’s timeline, a new superintendent should be approved by the governing board around June 14. The search began after the board voted to end Kirsten Vital Brulte’s contract.
----- WORKFORCE ----
South San Fran USD using TeachStart to help navigate teacher shortages
TeachStart, a subsidiary of Scoot Education, is helping to address the teacher shortage in the South San Francisco Unified School District. The company pays future teachers while they work as substitutes and earn their teaching credentials and in-class experience. The program helped place 10 full-time substitutes at SSFUSD campuses for the most recent school year, three of whom are poised to begin next semester as full-time educators with their own classrooms. Each fellow was paid $55,000, provided with a week of training before starting at their respective campuses, monthly workshops and paid time for completing their studies. The program is funded in part by philanthropic support and in large part through participating districts that sign a contract with TeachStart. TeachStart Executive Director Jenny Jordan said the organization is looking to enroll 356 more educators next year, given the demand the company has seen from districts and campuses.
Number of new California teacher credentials declines after seven years of increases
A seven-year increase in the number of new teacher credentials issued by the state of California ended last year with a 16% decline, exacerbating the state’s ongoing teacher shortage.
----- NUTRITION -----
House Committee wants whole milk in schools again
A bill approved Tuesday by the House Education and Workforce Committee, in a 26-13 vote, would allow schools to offer whole and 2% milk. Supporters, including the dairy industry and more than 100 lawmakers, claim that children are more likely to drink milk when it tastes better to them. Opponents of the milk legislation said lawmakers shouldn’t be meddling with the recommendations crafted by nutrition officials. “It’s vital that any nutrition standards are guided by science, not politicians,” said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the House Education committee. Schools participating in the Agriculture Department’s school meals program haven’t been permitted to serve either whole milk - which has 3.25% milk fat - or 2% milk, since 2012, when new rules went into effect intended to align school offerings with the country’s dietary guidelines. Those recommendations advise that children over the age of two should consume either non-fat or 1% milk as part of an effort to limit how much saturated fat they consume.
----- LEGAL -----
‘Wave of litigation' expected as schools tussle with social media companies
About 40 and counting school districts nationwide are suing social media companies over claims that their apps are addictive, damaging to students’ mental health, and causing adverse impacts on schools and other government resources. Many of the lawsuits, which were originally filed in a variety of court jurisdictions, were consolidated into one 281-page multidistrict litigation claim filed March 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The consolidated lawsuit, known as the Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, was filed against Meta Platforms Inc., which operates Facebook and Instagram, as well as the companies behind Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. There’s no cost to school systems to join the litigation since the plaintiffs’ law firms are working on contingency, meaning they’re paid only if they prevail. "Schools are on the front lines of this crisis," says Lexi Hazam, an attorney with Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein and co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs’ consolidated complaint, who adds: "Districts are often having to divert resources and time and effort from their educational mission in order to address the mental health crisis among their students." Eric Goldman, law professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law, cautions however that getting involved in the case may actually make school districts vulnerable to legal action by parents who cast blame on them for not doing more to support students’ mental well-being. The case also discounts the positive aspects of teens’ social media use, he adds. Regardless, Aelish Marie Baig, an attorney with Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, who is representing several plaintiffs, including government organizations like Broward County Public Schools in Florida and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, predicts a “wave” of litigation as more school systems and local and state governments join the complaint.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Students' social-emotional skills and mental health take toll
Students' social-emotional skills and mental health have taken a toll due to the pandemic and some feel after-school programs can supplement classroom learning and help kids. The primary focus of after-school programs should not be limited to providing academic support, but to support kids holistically. Funding and staffing challenges are faced by schools and other after-school providers, but educators can teach a different grade or subject after school or lead programs they're passionate about. Community partners can also help staff after-school programs. Policymakers need to create separate funding streams for after-school programs. "After-school programming has always been a huge opportunity to supplement what kids are learning in school," says Jodi Grant, the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization Afterschool Alliance.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Oklahoma approves nation's first religious charter school
Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board has approved a Catholic-led bid to open the country's first publicly funded religious charter school, despite concerns over government support for sectarian education. The decision is expected to spur litigation over constitutional limits between church and state. The split vote from the board caps months of debate over the issue that has divided the state's educators and elected Republicans. The legal battle over public religious charters could reach the US Supreme Court before the Oklahoma decision is challenged. “It's hard to think of a clearer violation of the religious freedom of Oklahoma taxpayers and public-school families than the state establishing the nation's first religious public charter school,” says Rachel Laser, head of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
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