KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
The negotiating team met with the district on Tuesday, November 14. We received their proposal and then presented them with our counterproposal. We are awaiting the district’s response. We do not have any further negotiating dates scheduled at this time.
Gertrude Stein wrote that silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. No, I am not making any sort of oblique reference to our current negotiation status but rather an appreciation in advance of our Thanksgiving holiday.
My own conception of worker solidarity is deeply felt. I am grateful to be a union member, a public sector union member, and a member of a teacher’s union. Evidence shows that unions are not only good for workers but good for communities and democracy. A paper from the Economic Policy Institute shows that, on average, the 17 U.S. states with the highest union densities:
have state minimum wages that are on average 19% higher than the national average and 40% higher than those in low-union-density states
have median annual incomes $6,000 higher than the national average
have higher-than-average unemployment insurance recipiency rates (that is, a higher share of those who are unemployed actually receive unemployment insurance)
Health and personal well-being
We find that the states with the highest union densities:
have an uninsured (without health insurance) population 4.5 percentage points lower, on average, than that of low-union-density states
have all elected to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, protecting their residents from falling into the “coverage gap”
are more likely to have passed paid sick leave laws and paid family and medical leave laws than states with lower union densities
Democracy
We find that:
Significantly fewer restrictive voting laws have been passed in the 17 highest-union-density states than in the middle 17 states (including D.C.) and the 17 lowest-union-density states.
Over 70% of low-union-density states passed at least one voter suppression law between 2011 and 2019.
Higher wages and decreased income inequality. On average, a worker covered by a union contract earns 10.2% more in wages than a peer with similar education, occupation, and experience in a nonunionized workplace in the same industry. This wage advantage is known as the “union wage premium.” But unions don’t just help union workers—they help all workers. When union density is high, nonunion workers benefit, too, because unions effectively set broader standards—including higher wages—which nonunion employers must meet to attract and retain the workers they need. The combination of the direct wage effect for union members and this “spillover” effect for nonunion workers means unions are crucial to raising wages for working people and reducing income inequality.
Reduced wage gaps. Unions also help to reduce gender and racial/ethnic wage gaps. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are 4.7% higher on average than for nonunionized women with comparable characteristics, and research looking at specific cases suggests that unions reduce gender wage gaps for similar jobs within a given workplace. For example, the expiration of teacher collective bargaining agreements led to an increase in the wage gap between men and women with similar credentials, implying that the terms of the collective bargaining agreement had previously helped to minimize such wage gaps. Unions have also historically helped and continue to help close wage gaps for Black and Hispanic workers. Black workers represented by a union are paid 13.1% more than their nonunionized Black peers, and Hispanic workers represented by a union are paid 18.8% more than their nonunionized Hispanic peers.
I realize this is all a bit “wonky”, please forgive me. My youngest son is at a public policy internship right now so I am reading many of his recommended articles! But my point is that we have a great deal to be proud of in terms of our union membership. I am occasionally asked, “why should I join a union?” or “what do my dues go towards?” and the standard reply focuses on the bread-and-butter issues regarding compensation, benefits, and working conditions. These are precisely the items that your negotiating team is focused on right now at the bargaining table. But take a moment to consider and appreciate your role in the larger overall benefits that unions provide. I am grateful to ABCFT and to our members for the work that we do. So, thanks to all of you on this Thanksgiving!
In Unity,
District Ad for Technology Training
You're invited to the ABC UNIFIED TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM on November 30, 2023!
We can't wait to see you there!
Our sessions will include the latest insights on AI, but we truly need you and your Human Intelligence (HI) to join us.
Come and learn about the latest tech strategies for education from industry experts and teacher leaders. Discover new applications for AI and other emerging technologies, and learn how AI is being used to improve educational outcomes by personalizing learning and providing real-time feedback to students.
This symposium is perfect for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve and create a more engaging and effective learning environment for their students.
Lastly, over 150 attendees, 22 presenters, and 34 session options in 2.5 hours! Excellent presenters and sessions! Join the Tech, Talk, and Tacos!
The last day to register is today; check your email for the signup!
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 that could impact your classroom. 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.
“Contention can lead to collaboration.” Denique Morris (GHS Drama teacher):
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been more relieved to get to the Veteran’s Day three-day weekend in my teaching career. Many teachers and nurses are reporting that the week-earlier start in our school calendar has dramatically impacted a number of pacing and grading challenges. There have been a number of changes that are being felt that are non-traditional. For example, elementary teachers typically experienced the end of the trimester just before the Thanksgiving break in contrast to this year, when it ended last week. This calendar change has prompted teachers to plan and manage their report card time differently (As a side note, we are working with the district to look at next year’s calendar dates and are pushing for more uniform reporting dates). I anticipate that secondary teachers will also be significantly impacted as they complete the first semester at the end of December for the first time in recent ABC history.
I anticipate that we will continue to feel the disruption in our usual calendar routines. ABCFT will also continue to report to the district about the perceptions and perceived impacts that this new calendar schedule will have on ABC teachers and nurses. For those who are a little newer to the district, once upon a time, the ABC school year started the day after Labor Day, and over time, there has been a slow realignment of our calendar to become more competitive with other local school districts. At the time we were among other reasons we were losing students to other school districts because of our late start calendar. Good thing or bad thing, I guess that's a personal opinion at this point. ABCFT will continue to monitor the impact of these calendar changes.
At the end of my message last week, I hinted that I wanted to share something the school board recently did that has shined a national spotlight on ABC. The school board unanimously voted to approve the board agenda action item Resolution 23-11 Supporting Student Learning and Achievement. This resolution is three or more years in the making, but the significance of it is that it restates the importance of teachers having the academic freedom to teach the curriculum in appropriate ways. In addition, this resolution powerfully and clearly restates the protections that all students, regardless of who they are or what their circumstances are as human beings.
I invite you to take a moment to read this resolution for its powerful message of the purpose of public education. When you read the resolution (it's only two pages), I hope you will reflect on the positive light in which educators and our role in delivering education are protected. I also want to highlight the formidable restatement of the protections of all students in the second to last paragraph. In total, the resolution is really just a repackaging of all the legal language that lifts the expectations of all educational partners and the protections there for students, educators, administrators, and school board trustees. You would think this wouldn’t be controversial, but in a time in history where there are so many political and social agendas that are pulling apart the mission of public education, this resolution is gaining the spotlight for its clarity and language of universal protections.
I think this resolution's message is a message of hope as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, and in that spirit, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break.
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
CFT Educators and Classified School Workers Back Measure to Make Marriage Equality a Constitutional Right
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, CFT: A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals announced their support for ACA 5 to amend the California Constitution to protect the fundamental freedom to marry and remove unconstitutional and discriminatory language due to Proposition 8 (2008).
“California’s educators and classified professionals see every day the importance of welcoming and inclusive language in our schools and classrooms. We pride ourselves on ensuring that every single California student knows that they don’t have to choose between embracing their identity and being safe and welcome. We organize so that workers enjoy the rights and benefits due them both at their work and within the communities they work and live,” said CFT President Jeff Freitas.
“Although Proposition 8 was deemed unconstitutional, its hateful language is still present in California’s Constitution. Hate has no place in California and it’s time that voters come together to demand that LGBTQ+ Californians have the same right to safety and inclusion as every other person in the state. As a proud gay man and educator, I join my union in calling for Californians to vote YES on ACA 5.”
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
EVENT NOVEMBER 29, 2023 - 3:30PM - 5:00PM TRAINING DEPARTMENT
AFT’s Student Debt Clinic familiarizes members with two programs – income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness – that work together to help reduce monthly payments and lead to loan forgiveness after 10 years of those payments. Join us to learn more about these programs and how to apply for them!
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
Portland Schools teachers strike for third week
Classes in Portland Public Schools are closed again today, as the teachers strike continues into its third week. After nearly a year of negotiations and eight days out of school for students, Portland Public Schools and its teachers union remain more than $200m apart in the estimated costs of their proposals for a three-year contract, according to the district's calculations. Teachers and their supporters rallied at the district's administrative offices in North Portland on Tuesday. Union officials, teachers, and supporters billed the community events as morale boosters after days of picketing, although some parents complained on social media that they were not celebrating closed schools.
Portland students struggling amid teacher strike
Grant High School students in Portland are struggling to stay motivated and keep up with their schoolwork during the ongoing teacher strike. While they support the teachers' demands for higher wages, smaller class sizes, and more planning time, students are also concerned about the impact on their academic calendars and extracurricular activities. Some students have used the strike as an opportunity to catch up on college applications, while others have joined teachers on picket lines. The strike has highlighted issues such as overcrowded classrooms and the lack of resources. The uncertainty of not knowing whether school will reopen the following day is also causing anxiety.
----- LOCAL SCHOOL CLOSURES -----
Hacienda La Puente families strongly opposing school closures
Students and their families packed the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District office board room to protest the proposed closure of schools as part of a district reconfiguration. The district's Board of Education was set to vote on the closures, but parents, students, and alumni urged trustees to hold off, citing the disruption it would cause to education and safety. The district has seen declining enrollment and projects losing another 25% of students in the next five years. District officials argue that the closures are necessary to address this trend. The proposed plan aims to combine resources and create more educational opportunities for students. However, many parents feel that the process has not been transparent enough. The protest prompted a recess and an unlawful assembly order from district police.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
The nation’s first 'charter report card'
Overall, the top-performing states for charter schools are Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, and New Jersey. The lowest-ranked charter performance is in Hawaii, followed by Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. According to the Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) at Harvard University, students in the South tend to perform above average, while students in midwestern Rust Belt states rank at the midpoint or below. PEPG also found that students at schools run by charter networks outperform students at independent charters, on average, while students at schools run by for-profit organizations have lower scores on NAEP, on average. Students at charters authorized by state education agencies have higher scores than students at those authorized by local school districts, non-educational organizations, or universities. Notably, PEPG's rankings are adjusted for the age of the charter school and for individual students’ background characteristics. They are also based on representative samples of charter-school students in grades four and eight, and cover 35 states and Washington, D.C.
Librarians turn to civil rights agency to oppose book bans
Suzette Baker, who headed the library system at the Kingsland Independent School District, TX, before being fired after she refused to take down a prominent display of several books people had sought to ban, has, with two other librarians who were similarly fired, filed a workplace discrimination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The 1964 Civil Right Act established the EEOC to enforce laws against workplace discrimination. One legal expert thinks the librarians might be able to prevail on the grounds that, under those laws, employees may not be discriminated against for associating with certain classes of people. An EEOC investigation can take over a year. After that, the EEOC may attempt to reach a settlement with the employer out of court, sue on the employee’s behalf or issue a letter saying the employee has grounds to sue on their own. “With any case, the devil can be in the details in terms of how the facts come out and what they can present. But these are definitely actionable claims,” says Rutgers University law professor David Lopez, a former EEOC general counsel.
----- STATE NEWS -----
Suspensions still negatively impacting California students
Students in California lost more than 500,000 days of class due to out-of-school suspensions during the 2021-22 school year, a slight decline from previous years. African-American students in the foster care system and experiencing homelessness had significantly higher rates of lost days. African-American youth experiencing homelessness lost 69 days per 100 enrolled, while African-American students in the foster system lost 121 days per 100 students enrolled. Prohibiting suspensions for disruptive behavior has proven effective in reducing lost days, as seen in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In 2015, LAUSD saw its suspension rate drop to 0.7 days per 100 students enrolled in 2021-22, with no student group losing more than three days.
‘Free Palestine’ is not hate speech, California superintendent says after student’s suspension
Superintendent Wesley Smith says the district cannot go into details about the suspension of a student. A letter, circulating on social media, says the student was suspended for saying remarks deemed to be threatening.
By Hanna Kang and Annika Bahsen, East Bay Times, Nov. 15
----- DISTRICTS -----
Temecula Valley Unified chooses new superintendent
The Temecula Valley Unified School Board has chosen Gary Woods, a former Beverly Hills schools chief, as the new superintendent. However, the selection process has faced criticism for its lack of transparency. Woods' appointment comes six months after the firing of former Superintendent Jodi McClay. The board will consider a contract for Woods at an upcoming meeting. Critics, including board member Steven Schwartz, have expressed concerns about the hiring process and the qualifications of the finalists. The controversy surrounding the selection has led to calls for more transparency and accountability in the district's leadership. The community and teachers are expected to voice their concerns at the meeting. The hiring process has been described as a "farce" by Schwartz. The district has been embroiled in controversy since the conservative majority took office, with issues such as the ban on critical race theory and restrictions on flags on school property. Efforts to recall board members are underway.
School districts combat learning loss with modified calendars
School districts nationwide are implementing modified calendars to combat learning loss caused by the pandemic. The shift to year-round schooling is even being incentivized, with 11 out of 25 states allowing and encouraging it. The number of schools adopting year-round calendars has increased from 2.5% in 2018 to 4% in 2020, benefiting over 3m students. The Corinth School District in Mississippi was the first to make the shift eight years ago, and Superintendent Lee Childress believes the modified calendar has lessened the impact of learning loss in his district. Adrian Bustillos, chief transformation officer at the Aldine Independent School District in Texas, also reports noticeable improvements. Both districts have adjusted the calendars to include more days off and time for maintenance. The modified calendars aim to provide enrichment for students, address accelerated learning, and create more planning time for teachers.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Teachers push for overtime pay in proposed labor rule change
The National Education Association (NEA) is pushing for a change in the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow teachers to qualify for overtime pay. Currently, teachers are exempt from overtime pay, regardless of their salary. The NEA argues that it no longer makes sense to treat teachers the same as high-earning professionals like doctors and lawyers. The proposed change would raise the minimum salary threshold for worker exemptions, potentially affecting non-teaching employees like librarians and aides. While the Biden administration is not currently proposing this change, the NEA hopes the Department of Labor will consider it. Critics argue that such a change would have significant financial consequences for school districts, forcing them to either increase teachers' salaries or pay overtime. However, proponents believe that offering overtime pay or higher salaries could help mitigate teacher shortages and attract more people to the profession. The proposed changes have faced opposition from some education organizations, who argue that the salary threshold is too high. The Labor Department last raised the threshold in 2019, and some groups believe it should wait until economic conditions stabilize before making further changes.
----- LEGAL -----
School safety provides backdrop to U.S. Supreme Court gun case
The U.S. Supreme Court this week took up its first major Second Amendment case since it expanded the right to bear arms in a landmark decision last year, and the idea of protecting schools provided much of the backdrop to the debate. March for Our Lives, the gun control organization formed in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, that killed 17 people, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the Biden administration, which argues that “preventing domestic abusers from accessing firearms is crucial to protecting the public from mass shootings.” Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh highlighted an argument made by U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar in a brief, that the federal background-check system to prevent the sale of firearms to prohibited persons has resulted in 76,000 denials based on domestic-abuse protective orders since the system was created in 1998, and more than 3,800 denials in 2021 alone. In the context of the Second Amendment specifically, Prelogar told the justices: “The fact is that the framers didn’t ban firearms in schools even though they existed at the founding. But the court has already recognized that those analogues, and the historic banning of firearms in places where they present safety concerns, can justify a modern-day regulation that does require the banning of weapons in schools.”
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
San Diego County charter school network drops policy protecting transgender students’ privacy
The new policy calls for school staff to notify parents if a minor student requests a change in their official or unofficial records, such as to their name or pronouns
A North County charter school network that serves more than 5,300 students scrapped a 4-year-old policy that required privacy for transgender and gender non-conforming students and replaced it with one that would allow, and in some cases require, school staff to inform parents of changes to a student’s gender identity or expression without the student’s consent.
Classical’s old policy said school staff should not disclose information that could reveal a student’s gender identity to others without the student’s consent or unless required by law. “Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and express openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information,” the old policy stated.
By Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union Tribune, Nov. 15
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
International student enrollment in U.S. colleges rebounds
Enrollment of international students at U.S. colleges and universities has rebounded from a pandemic plunge, growing at the fastest rate in four decades. California is again the top destination. Overall, U.S. higher education drew more than 1m students from 210 places of origin for undergraduate, graduate, non degree, and work training programs in 2022-23, a 12% increase over the previous year. The students also support campus coffers and the broader economy by spending nearly $38bn on tuition, fees, housing, and other goods and services last year. At UC, many campuses have intentionally reduced the number of international students, under political pressure to give more seats to Californians.
----- OTHER -----
Politics increasingly dominates state superintendent appointments
Partisan differences in candidate selection, the effect changing politics in state education systems have on those choices, and a strong insular preference for "homegrown" candidates all demonstrate clear trends in the messages leaders are sending about their selection of state education superintendents,” according to an analysis from ILO Group, a national education strategy and policy firm. States with Democratic governors or state boards of education are increasingly appointing district superintendents or administrators to the role of state education superintendent, while Republican-led states are split between choosing district administrators and state education agency leaders for the top education job, the analysis indicates. ILO Group stressed that its research demonstrates that elected leaders of both parties often use the selection of state superintendents to make political statements and advance political priorities. In the next two years, there will be elections for 24 gubernatorial and state education board elections.
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