More information will be shared in throughout the month
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
At times throughout the year I will offer some insights as to our governing principles at the negotiating table. Of course, we listen to our members and if the will of the majority changes we will adjust to meet new priorities. But for now here are two rules regarding health benefits which I learned from those who came before us:
Rule #1 = never give up your health benefits.
Rule #2 = see Rule # 1.
Our health benefits can largely appear to be a given and that is a positive given how important continuity is regarding health care for our families. But, like everything at the bargaining table, this is a conscious choice. One of the ongoing costs that the district incurs is to pay for benefits. These costs are subtracted from the amount of ongoing dollars that are part of the available funds for raises. A large increase in health care costs in any year will thus negatively impact the amount of money left over to bargain for increases on the salary schedule.
ABCUSD has a health benefits committee made up of members of all of our labor groups. Thank you to our own Megan Harding and Marivel Aguirre for representing ABCFT. Each year they work with our broker to negotiate the best possible rate with our two providers, Kaiser and Blue Cross. These companies utilize the usage rates of our employees to present a cost for the coming year, often in the form of a percentage increase. The majority of our members use Kaiser so that provider is the single biggest driver determining our overall health costs. This year the combined health benefits increase was 6.2%, which works out to a cost of $1,650,000.
I have served on this committee in the past and there have been discussions about ways to lower these costs. At that time, increasing the costs of co-pays for office visits or the price of prescriptions was deemed too much of a disruption considering the small amount of savings that would result. Again, everything has a cost and these costs are eventually paid for by the district with the COLA provided by the state.
ABCFT is proud that we have bargained for and maintained free health care coverage for the entire family. This is not the norm in every district. A colleague shared his story:
“I worked in Compton Unified from 2009-2013. One of the biggest factors for me leaving was the health benefits. For a family of four, through Blue Cross, I was paying just over $800 a month for medical, dental, and vision insurance. When I made the transition to ABCUSD, not only did I save the $800 a month in health benefits, my salary was also more by nearly 10%.”
Last week I wrote about the solidarity necessary for any union to be successful. The commitment to free family health care is a choice with an attendant cost. A former ABCFT president explained to me that as a single man without children he was effectively subsidizing the health care of fellow members…and that he was proud to be able to contribute in this way because it was the right thing to do. A member who is close to retirement noted that if every available dollar to be bargained went towards her last year on the salary schedule rather than be used in part to pay for family benefits she no longer needs that it would help her pension calculation but she knows how important it is to support younger teachers and their families at that stage in their careers.
Other districts have made different choices with accompanying consequences. This is one reason we try and make true “apples to apples” comparisons when noting that a neighboring district has a higher salary schedule than ABCUSD does. But then negotiating the cap for however much is going an employee is going to have to contribute to their benefits becomes yet another new negotiating point. Rather than strictly negotiating for a salary increase and paying to maintain a continuity of benefits as we do here, the employees from other districts have to account for multiple factors when figuring out their actual compensation. The fact that they may have received a 5% raise, for example, is a positive, but if their health care costs went up by 7% then a 5% raise suddenly isn’t a 5% raise any longer.
In looking at the history of how other unions and districts have bargained regarding benefits the narrative is consistent that once the current framework is significantly altered it is difficult if not impossible to get them back again. Sometimes it is difficult to quantify exactly what having a “good benefits” package really means as the interpretation may be slightly different for each individual according to their needs. But the fact that we have maintained free family coverage as well as having two choices of providers is significant. On a personal note, it was important for my family to have access to Blue Cross so that we could access a network that worked with a specific specialist. Health care involves the most personal of choices. We want to be able to continue to provide these choices for our members. I’m proud to represent a union that feels that this commitment is the right thing to do and worth it when bargaining at the table.
In Unity,
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE-Student Debt Clinic
Student loan payments resume soon. If you are one of the thousands of educators facing student loan payments here is another union member-only benefits which may of be assistance for you and your family. For more information, register using the link below. There are many sessions available in September and October.
AFT’s Student Debt Clinic Registration
UNDERSTANDING THE MASTER CONTRACT
Sick and Personal Necessity Days
Sick and Personal Necessity Days
ABCFT unit members have access to ten sick days to be used for personal illness or injury annually. These days are allotted annually and if unused, may be accumulated on an unlimited basis.
The sick days can also be used to attend to an illness of his/her child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner. These family illness absences are a part of the annual sick leave allotment.
A part of the ten allotted sick days are identified as personal necessity (PN). Seven of these ten sick days can be taken as a personal necessity (PN) which is defined as when a unit member believes that his/her absence from duty is necessary. Each year members are allotted seven PN days but they do not roll over as PN days. Instead the unused PN days turn into accumulated sick days.
Sick and PN days can be taken in increments of one-half or whole day(s). Adult school teachers on an hourly salary may take sick an PN days of ¼, ½ or whole day(s).
If you have specific questions regarding sick time and/or PNs reach out to your site representative or contact ABCFT’s Membership Coordinator, Tanya Golden.
More information about paid sick leave and personal necessity days can be found in the ABCFT master contract Article XXI pages 75-77.
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY -
National Board Certification
Have you considered getting a National Board Certification? The 2023-24 California National Board for the Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Candidate Subsidy Application is now open at the following link: https://www2.cde.ca.gov/natboardteachers/
For more information about the application process you can register for a webinar. Here is a link to a flyer about the program.
National Board Certification: Informational Webinar
This webinar is for teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification in California. This webinar will provide an overview of the certification process and its components, as well as provide information about the California subsidy available to teachers in high-priority schools. Information will be shared about the subsidy application process, timelines, and next steps to begin your National Board journey.
Registration:
September 26th from 4 to 5 p.m. PDT
https://nbpts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rREkxthzTz2EJi9Kle79LA
October 17 from 4 to 5 p.m. PDT
https://nbpts.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VNF7vtULSQqlRPmHnUxTbA
ACADEMIC SERVICES UPDATE
This month’s academic service update is vital for all teachers. We hope you will take a moment to look at this monthly report which discusses changes in academic services. This document provides the union with a means of giving the District feedback on the many programs or changes they are proposing at any time. Without your feedback or questions on these changes, it is harder for ABCFT to slow down and modify the district’s neverending rollout of new projects. Please submit your comments and questions to the appropriate ABCFT liaison.
For Elementary curricular issues, please email Megan at Megan.Mitchell@abcusd.us and for Secondary curricular issues, please email Catherine at Catherine.Pascual@abcusd.us if you have any questions or concerns.
Click Here For This Month’s Full Report
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 united we make the YOUnion.
Parents have the most influence on students, “If we could brainwash students to do their homework, behave, and be model citizens, things would be amazing” - A comment from an ABC educator about the anti-teacher narrative in media.
I have to admit that a couple of weeks ago, when I heard that COVID cases were on the rise and that a couple of school districts in Kentucky closed for a week, my anxiety took a jump. I’ve been monitoring the national, state, and local situation and “knock on wood” it seems as though the COVID cases have already plateaued for the time being. State and County officials are not seeing any dramatic changes in the hospitalization rate or the number of positive cases. However, prior to this week, the month of August did have a higher rate of positive cases throughout the county.
Every month, I attend the ABC District Health and Safety Committee where the latest ABCUSD health and safety data is shared and discussed. Here are the COVID case numbers for August:
204 positive COVID cases = 151 Students and 53 adults (several “clusters” but no official “outbreaks”
These numbers are higher than in July but are not as dramatic as anything we saw during the height of the COVID pandemic. So far in September, we have 67 COVID positive cases which is a trend that is lower in comparison to previous weeks. As an added side statistic, there are currently 86 STIS contracts (30 elementary and 56 secondary) and about 286 total so far for the year. This is up from pre-pandemic years but not the higher numbers of STIS contracts that were occurring during the COVID pandemic. The new COVID vaccine will be released next week and the District still has testing kits available for employees on demand.
As always, this is a time to stay safe by washing your hands, masking as needed (like a medical facility), and making time for yourself and your own wellness needs.
I want to thank those who wrote to ABCFT last week concerning the comments made by ABC School Board member Soo Yoo. We appreciate your feedback and we will continue to highlight any future transgressions against public schools from Mrs. Yoo.
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Progress in Sacramento as CFT-supported bills make it past key legislative committees
Last week all 13 of the CFT-sponsored and cosponsored bills introduced this year in the State Capitol were passed out of the appropriations committees of either the California State Senate or Assembly.
Included in this list are two key priorities for CFT, AB 938 and AB 811. AB 938 would raise funding for TK-12 schools by 50% over seven years in order to raise educator and school worker salaries. AB 811 would allow students to repeat courses they already passed in our community colleges for skill-building and life-long learning.
The successful votes were the direct result of the incredible advocacy of CFT members, including 10,000 signatures on CFT petitions, and hundreds who met directly with legislative offices and testified in support of bills during lobby days and in legislative offices.
The next step for many of these bills will be a full vote in either the State Senate or Assembly, while others will be considered when the Legislature reconvenes next year.
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-----
Literacy gap in the U.S.: Over 50% of adults read below sixth-grade level
Almost 130m American adults read below a sixth-grade level, according to the Department of Education, more than half of the adult U.S. population. Four in five US adults (79%) have English literacy skills sufficient to "complete tasks that require comparing and contrasting information, paraphrasing, or making low-level inferences," according to the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). This is equivalent to scoring at a level 2 literacy rate or above. At the same time, one in five adults (22%) in the U.S. has difficulty completing these same tasks. The Education Department found that the national average literacy score is 264. Minnesota and New Hampshire have the highest literacy scores of any state at 279. Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico have the lowest average scores at 252. UNESCO data shows that the youth literacy rate was nearly 92% worldwide in 2020 up from 77% in 1975. But illiteracy remains a global problem. At least 763m adults around the globe lack basic literacy skills, and two-thirds of them are women. The COVID-19 pandemic and other crisis, such as climate change and international conflicts, according to UNESCO, have worsened these issues.
----- JOB ACTIONS -----
Judge orders end to teacher absences causing Vegas-area school closures
A judge in Nevada has ordered a teachers' union to end the teacher absences that have caused school closures, stating that they are "very clearly a strike." The Clark County School District has faced unexpected staff shortages, leading to eight schools canceling classes and two others combining classes. The Clark County Education Association, representing 18,000 teachers, denies responsibility for the absences. The district is already dealing with over 1,100 teacher vacancies, and negotiations over pay, benefits, and working conditions have grown tense. The union wants 18% pay raises over two years, while the district's final offer includes a 9% salary increase in the first year. If the union fails to stop the strike, penalties could include fines, jail time, or termination for striking members and leaders. The judge sympathizes with the situation but emphasizes that Nevada public employees cannot strike by law.
Fresno to enlist substitute teachers in event of strike action
The Fresno Unified Teachers Association (FTA) and Fresno USD are locked in negotiations over a new contract. The union's proposal includes pay raises, lifetime benefits, and investments in students, such as free laundry service and school supplies for those in need. The district insists that student support should not be part of the contract language. With less than a month before the union's strike deadline, the district plans to pay substitute teachers $500 per day during the strike. The district currently has around 1,600 substitute teachers ready to work, but concerns remain about having enough subs and completing necessary background checks. Both sides are frustrated with the negotiation process, and fact-finding sessions have taken place.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
School infrastructure challenges underline funding inequities
A CBS News analysis of federal data has found that school districts with more Black students were able to invest far less money in buildings than majority-White districts. The analysis also found that often-unequal funding practices by state governments can potentially make issues significantly worse. Between 2015-2020, districts that were at least 80% Black invested about half as much money in buildings than those that were less than 20% Black. Many states also give those majority-Black districts less money for capital outlay. Districts that were at least 80% Black got about a quarter of the money those with few Black students received. CBS News' analysis of federal data showed those with more students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch also invested less in buildings. Fontana Unified School District in California, for example, which had more than 80% students of color and more than 92% of its children qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, invested just $450 per student in buildings during those five years. Etiwanda Schools, just one district to the west and with fewer students of color and fewer students in poverty, invested more than $1,350 per student. "It's not the fault of wealthier school districts that they're able to invest more," says Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund, who has studied inequity in capital school funding for decades. "There's no way to address the structural inequity that we have between school districts without addressing how we fund them," she adds.
----- STATE NEWS -----
CA students could soon see renewed commitment to teaching cursive writing
California elementary and middle school students could soon see a renewed commitment to teaching cursive writing in their English and language arts classes. Assembly Bill 446, introduced by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, would require cursive handwriting instruction in first through sixth grade. The bill aims to give students the ability to read and write in cursive, as many historical documents are written in this style. It also anticipates that handwritten essay exams may become more common with the rise of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Former Gov. Jerry Brown was a supporter of the bill, and it has now been sent to Gov. Newsom's desk for approval. The bill was joined with two other education bills that mandate instruction on climate change and mental health.
Tax on firearms sales to support California schools
California lawmakers have approved Assembly Bill 28, which imposes an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition sales. The legislation aims to generate approximately $160m annually for violence-prevention, school safety programs, and victim-support services. It allocates $75m for city- and community-based gun violence prevention programs, $50m for school safety, and additional funding for law enforcement to remove firearms from individuals convicted of domestic violence. The legislation also sets aside funds for counseling and trauma services for victims of mass shootings and gun violence. If signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, the tax will go into effect on July 1st, 2024. Critics argue that the tax will be ineffective in curbing gun violence and will burden licensed gun owners. However, supporters emphasize the need to address the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Seattle Public Schools faces declining enrollment
Seattle Public Schools is facing declining enrollment, a trend that is not unique to the city but is happening nationwide. According to projections, public schools in nearly every state are expected to have fewer students by the end of the decade. In Washington, enrollment is projected to decline by 5.4% by fall 2030. The pandemic has had a significant impact on public-school enrollment, with a drop of at least 1.2 million students nationwide. Interest in alternative arrangements, such as homeschooling and private schools, has increased during this time. Demographic changes, including declining fertility rates and migration patterns, are also contributing factors. While some states are experiencing growth in enrollment, Washington is among the states where both pre-kindergarten through grade 8 and grades 9 to 12 are projected to decline.
Orange Unified to require parental notification for transgender students
The Orange Unified school board has become the sixth California school system to require parental notification when a student identifies as transgender. The board voted 4-0 in favor of the policy, triggering parental notification when a student requests to be identified as a gender other than their biological sex or listed gender on official records. The policy also covers a student's attempt to participate in athletic activities or use facilities that don't align with their birth-certificate gender. The resolution includes changes, stating that parental notification does not have to be made if a child is 12 or older and at risk. The board believes the policy is a moral imperative, while opponents argue it puts transgender students at risk. The decision was made after a lawsuit was filed against Chino Unified for a similar policy.
Temecula Valley School Board's PR contract draws scrutiny
The Temecula Valley School Board's conservative majority is facing scrutiny over their approval of a $30,000 contract with a communications consultant who is married to a former Inland Empire Republican state senator. The contract, awarded to Melendez Consulting led by Nico Melendez, husband of former state senator Melissa Melendez, has drawn criticism for its cost and lack of experience. The board member who proposed the contract, Danny Gonzalez, defended the decision, stating the need to control the narrative about Temecula's schools.
Future Norwalk High School to get new state-of-the-art athletic facility
Future Norwalk High School students will have a new, state-of-the-art, 43,000-square-foot athletic facility on their campus. The facility will include a new gymnasium, dance and cheer rooms, wrestling and weight rooms, locker rooms, restrooms, offices, auxiliary spaces, and site improvements. Norwalk-La Mirada USD officials hope that the new facility will promote students' health, physical education, and sports activities. The project is estimated to cost about $40m and was made possible by the community's support of Measure G, a $375m education bond measure passed in 2014. Superintendent John Lopez thanked the Board of Education and the community for their vision and commitment to improving the district. Once the gymnasium is fully constructed, the class of 1960 will be rededicating an original banner to the school.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Teachers work 'longer for less'
According to a new survey, teachers work longer hours and for less pay than other working adults. Teachers worked 53 hours per week last school year, which is seven hours longer than the average working schedule of other adults. While contract hours and extra paid obligations dominated teachers' schedules, one out of every four work hours for teachers went unpaid, covering tasks like as grading or day-to-day planning. The study found that teachers' dissatisfaction with the hours worked, their base salary, and working conditions, hurt their well-being and caused some to consider quitting. Almost 90% of teachers said they work more than the standard 40 hours each week, compared with less than half of all working adults. About half of teachers say they work for extra pay, but most of the extra work teachers do is unpaid. On average, teachers work 15 uncontracted hours per week, 12 of which are unpaid. Black and Hispanic teachers reported working more hours than their white peers at similar types of schools. The RAND report also found that teachers who reported being dissatisfied with their hours worked were more likely to report frequent job-related stress, feelings of burnout, difficulty coping with the stress, and symptoms of depression.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Tech-not-so-savvy: New teachers struggle to integrate technology in classroom
More than half of incoming teachers lack confidence in using learning technology, according to a report by the International Society for Technology in Education. The report reveals that 56% of teachers lack confidence in using technology before entering the classroom. A survey conducted by Jenna Conan Simpson found that 55% of early-career educators described their training to teach with technology as lacking. Only 9% of educator preparation programs reported that every faculty member embraces and models instructional technology. The report suggests that teacher-preparation programs should prioritize preparing teachers to use technology in the classroom and consider hiring technology coaches. The lack of adequate preparation to teach in technology-dominated schools is not a new issue, and more than 60 programs have signed a pledge to improve tech training for pre-service educators. The increase in virtual learning and the need for students to understand artificial intelligence is driving the demand for change in teacher-preparation programs.
Chronic absenteeism requires ‘all-hands-on-deck’
Widespread increases in chronic absenteeism between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 school years are large enough that they could have substantially contributed to declines in post-pandemic test scores, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The agency, which advises the president on economic policy based on data and research, partnered with the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics to analyze latest scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which saw steep and worrisome declines in both math and reading for 4th and 8th graders. The results, announced Wednesday in a White House blog post, show that even after considering other changes that could have contributed to score declines, ”the observed association between absenteeism and test scores is large enough” to account for 16-27% of the overall test score declines in math and 36-45% of the declines in reading. The percentage of chronically absent public school students nearly doubled from 15% in the 2018-19 school year to around 30% in 2021-22, following the pandemic, according to a recent study that collected administrative data from 40 states and the District of Columbia. The data accounts for over 92% of K-12 public school students in the United States.
Schools increasingly exploring A.I. to enhance teaching and learning
Districts are responding in divergent ways to artificial intelligence's (AI) potential to reshape teaching and learning. Most have refrained from defining a districtwide stance for schools to navigate AI. Many large districts initially banned the use of ChatGPT, but some are now adapting and embracing its potential. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Ohio introduced a tool called Amira that functions like a literacy tutor, while Newark Public Schools in New Jersey is piloting Khanmigo, an AI-powered "tutorbot." Mesa Public Schools, the largest public school district in the state of Arizona, and the Austin School District in Texas are piloting AI-enabled "early warning" programs to track student performance. Other districts are designing curriculum to build students' AI literacy.
----- LEGAL -----
More than 50 Bay Area Schools face sexual abuse lawsuits
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
9:46 AM
MALLIKA SESHADRI
REPUBLISH
Bay Area school districts have faced more than 50 sexual abuse lawsuits in the last six months of 2022 alone, the San Francisco Chronicle investigated. Only eight of the 52 cases had been previously reported, and some of them go back to the early 1960s. The investigation covered San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. All but five of the alleged perpetrators were men, and all of the perpetrators collectively allegedly abused 68 students. The survivors ranged from age 4 to 17.
These are the schools identified in the Chronicle’s Investigation:
https://edsource.org/updates/more-than-50-bay-area-schools-face-sexual-abuse-lawsutis
Orange Unified becomes sixth California district to adopt transgender parental notification policy
In a unanimous 4-0 vote, the Orange Unified School District passed a policy Thursday evening that would require school officials to notify parents and guardians if their child asks to use a name or pronoun different than what was assigned at birth, or if they engage in activities and use spaces designed for the opposite sex.
The policy, which has now percolated through a half dozen California districts, has its origins in Assembly Bill 1314, proposed by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, which was denied a hearing at the state level in April.
Rocklin Unified School District passed such a measure Wednesday. Previously, Temecula Valley Unified (Aug. 22), Anderson Union High School District (Aug. 22) Murrieta Valley Unified (Aug.10) and Chino Valley Unified (July 20) passed almost identical policies.
The policies passed by Chino Valley Unified and Murrieta Valley Unified have garnered backlash from state officials – who called the decisions a violation of students’ civil rights and have initiated an investigation into Chino Valley Unified. A Superior Court judge in San Bernardino County has also temporarily halted Chino Valley Unified’s policy.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Masks 'back on the table' as COVID-19 fears resurface
A rise in COVID-19 cases and the approach of fall, when other respiratory illnesses start to spread, has revived discussion of how best to protect students and workers. Several schools across the country have restored temporary masking mandates or suspended classes in recent weeks because of COVID-19. School leaders want to boost attendance rates this year and are hesitant to implement any COVID-19 mitigation measures that would keep students home. Los Angeles USD, which had among the strictest COVID-19 protocols and testing programs in the country, is urging families to send students to school even if they have mild cold symptoms. In the 21,400-student Bibb County School District in Georgia, a few schools have had a handful of students test positive for COVID-19. Parents at the schools were notified, but mask or quarantine requirements weren’t reinstated. “We keep our eye on it,” says superintendent Dan Sims. Notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask recommendations when the U.S. ended the pandemic’s public-health emergency status in May. The agency’s guidance for people who aren’t sick or exposed is now based on local hospitalization levels rather than its older metric relying on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and inpatient bed use.
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
CSU trustees approve 6% annual tuition increase
California State University trustees on Wednesday approved a 6% annual tuition increase for the next five years, the system's first hike since 2017. Trustees approved the tuition hike 15 to 5, even as they acknowledged the burden it would place on students. They said the university system direly needs the money to avoid painful cuts that would hurt the quality of education. For full-time undergraduate students, the tuition hike amounts to an increase of $342 per student to $6,084 in the 2024-25 academic year. By 2028-29, tuition would jump to $7,682, according to university documents. The hike will help pay for employee pay increases, improve academic support and research and internship opportunities for students and enhance course options, administrators said.
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