In Memorial by Ray Gaer
On behalf of the members of the ABC Federation of Teachers, we would like to give the staff, students, and community members of Cerritos High School our deepest sympathy for your loss this week. As a teacher in the classroom, I know firsthand the devastating impact of the untimely passing of one of your students. It is a time for reflection and care for all. Your school community is in our thoughts during this difficult time. Please reach out to us if you need any help in processing the impact of this loss over the course of the school year.
In Unity,
ABCFT
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.
“Speaking as a parent, children are on loan, they don’t belong to you. They go and become their own person.” - My Grandpa
Most board meetings I find are not that exciting to watch if things are going well. Board meetings are typically about budgets, enrollment, curriculum, program, and testing highlights. They are sometimes interesting, but mostly, we hope for uneventful board meetings. It means things are going right. Over the past couple of years, we’ve had our share of interjections of politics and religion into the school board conversations. Those topics are inherently important constructs to our society, but their inclusion in school board policy in a public school system can be divisive.
There have been a number of school boards in California over the last couple of months that are challenging the State laws, Federal laws, and State Education Codes over the topic of parent notifications. The most recent school districts that are challenging these laws are Chino Valley, Temecula Valley, and four other districts. Chino Valley is now embroiled in a costly legal action with the State of California due to the school board’s unwillingness to follow the law. Unfortunately, there are media outlets that have demonized public school districts over curriculum and targeted teachers as being part of an overall problem of what they perceive as “grooming.” There is a flood of misinformation about what is taught in schools and the processes in place to ensure that parents are the most important partners in the education process for their children.
As a way of being proactive and transparent with the parents of the ABC School District, the ABC School Board, with the leadership of President Brad Beach, this week used the first part of the school board meeting for an informational item on the vast amount of legal safeguards that protect parents in the form of official notifications. The agenda informational item entitled “Parent/Guardian/Family/Student Rights and Responsibilities” (pages 113-127) was created so that parents would have a better understanding of how the district protects the rights of parents and students. The presentation overview of thirteen pages can be found in the link above.
Unfortunately, a number of people, mostly not from the ABC school district, flooded the public comments portion of the board meeting to rail against public education and the perception that we are somehow misleading their children with subversive intentions. There were a lot of angry words and accusations that were hurled at the school board Tuesday night, but I felt like the board did a good job of creating a space where the democratic process could play out. School board meetings and city council meetings are truly some of the last spaces where community members can have the protected space to have discussions about topics that are important to them.
Here’s my take on Tuesday night. I heard a lot of fear and misunderstanding about a generation of kids that are truly different from our own generations. Parents are worried. I spoke last week about how we are seeing a number of teachers leaving the profession because they value their mental health above anything. In addition, our students are an extension of this new wave of self-awareness probably brought on by the emergence of the internet and social media. I totally agree with those who spoke about the fear of losing their kids to drugs, bullying, and mental health issues; it can be the most helpless feeling a parent will experience. It seems that out of frustration and anger, there are people who are looking for something to blame for these changes. It's hard to look for solutions when you are in distress so we should give them grace..
I think what the school board did was important this week. They didn’t hide or try to avoid the topic of parent notifications. Instead, they provided parents with the information of how we are mandated to engage parents. In any process of finding even better solutions, you have to know what is currently happening. I hope that the ABC parent community continues to reflect on what services and supports we can provide to ensure the overall well-being and academic success of their children. As a community of educational partners, we can continue to find improvements in student support, provide opportunities for student voice, address with students how to engage in social media, and, most importantly, enrich the communication and bond between parents and their children.
So, the Parent Notification Crowd failed to cause damage to ABC, but we need to examine where this distrust and hurt is coming from to avoid wasteful and costly actions that only steer us away from our mission as educational partners. I commend the ABC School Board Trustees for their strength and willingness to engage in difficult conversations. Next week, I will share with you a resolution the board passed that is getting national attention as a positive bellwether for other districts.
Enjoy the three-day holiday and take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices of our armed forces. Cheers!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
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-----
Portland Schools Strike Continues
Odds that students will return to public schools in Portland any time soon appeared to dim Monday, though negotiations continue. The two sides don't appear to agree on anything at the moment, from funding the union's salary and class size cap requests, to when employees might lose their district-paid health insurance. The district has offered teachers a cost of living adjustment boost of 4.5% in the first year of the contract, followed by 3% in years two and three. If teachers do not return to work by November 15, they will lose their district-provided health insurance for December. The Legislature this year approved a record $10.2bn budget for K-12 schools. Portland Public Schools is the biggest district in the state, with roughly 45,000 students. Meanwhile, four members of the Portland School Board have responded to criticism from state lawmakers, accusing them of "either an ignorance of the fiscal reality faced by school districts throughout Oregon, or a willful disregard for those challenges."
The Columbian AP News OregonLive.com
----- FRESNO TEACHER ASSOCIATION UPDATE -----
Legal fees skyrocket in Temecula
Since a conservative majority took office in December, legal costs directly associated with the Temecula Valley Unified School District board have skyrocketed 377%, from roughly $17,000 in 2022 to more than $81,000 this year. Holding three of five board seats, a more conservative bloc including Danny Gonzalez, Joseph Komrosky and Jen Wiersma have pursued a number of divisive policies, including a ban on the teaching of critical race theory that’s the subject of a lawsuit against the district.
East Bay Mercury News Press Enterprise
Fresno teachers excited after tentative agreement
Fresno teachers and the school district have reached a tentative agreement, avoiding a district-wide strike. The Fresno Unified School District has unanimously voted to ratify the agreement. The Fresno Teachers Association announced that 92% of its members voted in favor of the contract. The agreement is considered the biggest benefit for district employees in the last 30 years. A collaborative committee will decide how to allocate $30m for student services over the next three years. The contract is now in effect immediately.
Fresno strike negotiations led to huge investments in student supports
Fresno Unified and its teachers union, the Fresno Teachers Association, have signed a "historic" contract that includes class size reductions, guidelines for special education caseloads, competitive salaries, and medical benefits for life. The contract negotiations also led to multi-million dollar investments in students' social-emotional support. The school board has approved a resolution to develop a collaborative committee to identify the most impactful student and family services and supports. Over the next three school years, the committee will determine priority areas to invest $30m, which could include reading specialists, free tutoring, college tours, freshmen success teams, alternatives to suspension, addressing homelessness, a mental health app, expanded bus transportation for special education students, and additional traffic safety. The union's contract proposal included these ideas for student support programs and initiatives.
Fresno strike negotiations led to huge investments in student supports
Fresno Unified and its teachers union, the Fresno Teachers Association, have signed a "historic" contract that includes class size reductions, guidelines for special education caseloads, competitive salaries, and medical benefits for life. The contract negotiations also led to multi-million dollar investments in students' social-emotional support. The school board has approved a resolution to develop a collaborative committee to identify the most impactful student and family services and supports. Over the next three school years, the committee will determine priority areas to invest $30m, which could include reading specialists, free tutoring, college tours, freshmen success teams, alternatives to suspension, addressing homelessness, a mental health app, expanded bus transportation for special education students, and additional traffic safety. The union's contract proposal included these ideas for student support programs and initiatives.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
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.
Moderate candidates broadly won polarizing school board elections
Liberal and moderate candidates appear to have emerged victorious in polarizing school board elections across the country this week, defeating conservative candidates who sought to ban books and limit discussions on race and gender. Candidates endorsed by groups like Moms for Liberty and the 1776 Project suffered significant losses, with about 80% of their races ending in defeat. The American Federation of Teachers celebrated the outcome, emphasizing that the winning candidates were "pro-public school." In Pennsylvania, Democrats gained control of several school boards that had implemented policies targeting transgender students and LGBTQ+ history. Similarly, in Virginia, candidates supporting parents' rights in education faced defeat. The results reflect a rejection of divisive policies and a belief that public schools are not engaged in indoctrination.
Some districts are taking Florida's student cellphone legislation even further
In May, Florida passed a law requiring public school districts to impose rules barring student cellphone use during class time. The new Florida law requires public schools to prohibit student cellphone use during instructional time and block students’ access to social media on district Wi-Fi. It also requires schools to teach students about “how social media manipulates behavior.” This fall, Orange County Public Schools, the nation’s eighth-largest school system, went even further and barred students from using cellphones during the entire school day. Tougher constraints are needed, lawmakers and district leaders argue, because rampant social media use during school is threatening students’ education, well-being, and physical safety. It is unclear how many other schools ban student cellphone use. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, published in 2021, reported that about 77% of schools prohibited non-academic cellphone use during school hours.
Schools risk losing federal funding over antisemitism and islamophobia
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona warned schools on Tuesday that they could lose federal funding if they don't fight antisemitism and Islamophobia. Cardona emphasized the importance of addressing these forms of hate to protect the financial support provided by the government. The warning comes as part of the government's efforts to promote inclusivity and combat discrimination in educational institutions. Failure to take action against antisemitism and Islamophobia could have serious consequences for schools, potentially impacting their ability to provide quality education.
Shortage of milk cartons hits school cafeterias
A shortage of half-pint milk cartons is affecting school meals in cafeterias across the country. School officials from New York to California are scrambling for backup options, after a main supplier of cartons said demand has outstripped supply. The shortage is not of milk itself, but of the cardboard cartons used to package and serve it. Pactiv Evergreen, the leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America, is struggling to fully supply school milk orders due to higher than projected demand. The carton shortage has forced officials to come up with backup plans, such as using boxed, shelf-stable milk or providing milk using bulk dispensers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allowed districts to serve different types or sizes of milk during the shortage or to skip milk altogether. While the duration of the shortage is unclear, efforts are being made to resolve the issue within the next few weeks. Milk processors are also working with other package suppliers to address the shortage.
LA Daily News SGV Tribune SGV Tribune
Study Challenges Suspensions For Students With Unstable Home Environments
Homeless and foster youth are some of Southern California’s highest need students, but they are also the students who find themselves excluded from classrooms the most. A recent study from UCLA’s Civil Rights Project and the National Center for Youth Law found in district after district that suspensions fuel dramatic disparities in class instruction time for students with unstable homes or disabilities. In the 2021 to 2022 school year, students in California lost about 10 instructional days due to suspensions per 100 students enrolled, the study found. Foster youths lost 77 school days, almost eight times as many days as the state average, while homeless students lost 26 school days and students with disabilities lost 24. The study found a high loss of instruction among students of color and students with disabilities in the Corona-Norco Unified School District in Riverside County, Riverside Unified School District, and San Bernardino City Unified School District. Losing significant time in the classroom not only exacerbated learning loss during the pandemic, but also severed students’ connections to vital school resources, the study’s authors concluded. “Kicking them out, even for one day, might cause them to miss the day of the week that they get counseling services or the day they receive intensive reading instruction,” said Daniel Losen, co-author and the senior director at the National Center for Youth Law. “For a homeless student, they might literally be kicking them out onto the streets.”
----- STATE NEWS -----
Gavin Newsom signs law in ‘overhaul’ of mental health system. It changes decades of practice
Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced he signed the first of a series of bills that aim to transform California’s mental health system. Depending on who you ask, this transformation represents a long overdue humanitarian response— or a worrisome step backward on civil liberties.
Today’s signature loosens long-standing rules about who is eligible for involuntary treatment under the half century-old Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, the landmark mental health law that regulates involuntary civil commitment in the state. Advocates and county leaders expect the new legislation to lead to more people being placed in treatment facilities against their will.
“California is undertaking a major overhaul of our mental health system,” Newsom said in a written statement. “The mental health crisis affects us all, and people who need the most help have been too often overlooked. We are working to ensure no one falls through the cracks, and that people get the help they need and the respect they deserve.”
Newsom also is expected to sign legislation sending a ballot measure to voters that includes two key provisions: a $6.4 billion bond to pay for 10,000 new treatment beds and supportive housing, and an overhaul of California’s 20-year-old law that funds mental health services with a tax on millionaires. A majority of voters in the March primary election would need to approve the measure for it become law.
----- DISTRICTS -----
Los Angeles Unified adopts ethnic studies requirement
The Los Angeles Unified School District will now require students to complete an ethnic studies course in order to graduate. The board unanimously passed an "Ethnic Studies for All Students Resolution" in August 2020, calling for the completion of a one-semester ethnic studies course as a graduation requirement. Enrollment in ethnic studies courses across LAUSD has increased by 300% since the measure was passed. This puts LAUSD three years ahead of the state's mandate and makes it the largest board-led district to adopt an ethnic studies requirement. The courses offered include African-American Literature, AP African American Studies, and Mexican American Literature. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in 2021 requiring students to take ethnic studies classes to graduate.
Chicago prepares for first-ever elected school board
In one year, Chicago voters will choose school board members for the first time. State lawmakers have released a proposed map of voting districts for Chicago's first elected school board, aiming to reflect the minority-majority school district. The map has fewer majority-white districts and more districts where Latino Chicagoans are either the majority or a plurality. The map is expected to be voted on next week and requires the governor's signature. The deadline to approve a map is April 1, but lawmakers want to get it in place sooner. Chicago's first elected school board will begin serving in January 2025.
Disagreement over educator salaries in Torrance Unified
A disagreement over median salary adjustments for educators at the Torrance Unified School District has overshadowed ongoing contract negotiations between the teachers union and district officials. "Parents and students can rest assured," said a district official. The dispute over educator salaries has caused a rift in the contract talks, sparking controversy and turmoil in the district. The teachers union and district officials are at odds over the issue, with both sides refusing to back down. The impact of this salary disagreement on the contract negotiations is significant, as it has become a major point of contention.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Bay Area districts turn to global recruitment
To combat teacher shortages, San Francisco Bay Area school districts are turning to global recruitment, with a significant number of teachers coming from the Philippines. The Jefferson Union High School District has 15 new Filipino educators, while San Jose Unified has 34 teachers from the Philippines. The San Mateo-Foster City School District has also recently hired 15 Filipino educators and 25 teacher's aides. The recruitment was the result of a Manila-based fair held last year. The hardest-to-fill positions, such as special education, math, and science, are being filled by new Filipino teachers. Additionally, an increasing number of international teachers are filling dual-language roles, including native Spanish teachers from Mexico, Spain, and other Latin American countries.
Georgia state superintendent calls for $3,000 teacher raise
Georgia state school superintendent Richard Woods is calling on Gov. Brian Kemp and lawmakers to give teachers a $3,000 raise next year. Woods emphasized the importance of recruiting and retaining the best teachers. He also called for a rewrite of the state's school funding formula to provide more money for pupil transportation and districts with students in poverty. The state Department of Education estimates the pay raise could cost up to $500m. Kemp and Woods do not face reelection next year, but the upcoming election year may incentivize state House members and senators to support the raise. Georgia currently spends $32.5bn in state revenue and can likely afford the raise. Georgia's teachers earn more than those in other southeastern states, but the starting salary is lower.
----- CLASSROOM -----
Few educators find traditional grading very effective
Less than one in six educators find traditional A through F or numeric grades to be a "very effective way" to give feedback to students, according to a survey by the EdWeek Research Center. However, 42% of teachers, principals, and district leaders find these grades at least "somewhat effective." Despite mixed reviews, 77% of educators surveyed said their districts use the A through F grading system, a numerical grading system, or a combination of the two. Some teachers worry that these systems are not nuanced enough to capture student progress and may discourage students from trying to master the material. Others argue that traditional grades offer an easy-to-understand metric for families. The survey also heard that the system could be tweaked to provide more information about how students performed on each standard that makes up the overall letter grade.
----- LEGAL -----
Opting out of LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula presents challenges for districts
A lawsuit challenging a Maryland school district’s decision to revoke parents’ ability to opt out of LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum has states divided. The lawsuit has made its way to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals after Muslim and Christian parents challenged a district court’s decision in August siding with the Montgomery County Board of Education. Last month, 23 Republican attorneys general filed a brief in the case against the Montgomery County Board of Education. They said the board’s decision to revoke parental opt-outs violated parents’ rights to raise their children under the First Amendment, and described the books as “sex education” that students should be allowed to withdraw from. In a brief filed Monday, nearly 20 state Democratic attorneys general sided with the Maryland district, saying its policy of not allowing parents to opt out does not violate the Constitution or state laws. The attorneys general also say schools “possess broad discretion to shape school policies to promote tolerance and respect for others,” and that diversity comes with benefits for all students, including those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. The case is one of the first to raise questions over parents’ rights to opt their children out.
Virginia judge allows 'teacher shot by student' lawsuit to proceed
The $40m lawsuit filed by Newport News teacher Abigail Zwerner against the school board and administrators after she was shot by a six-year-old student in a classroom earlier this year can move forward, a Virginia judge ruled Friday. The lawsuit stems from an incident on January 6 at Richneck Elementary School, where Zwerner was shot by the child as she was seated at her reading table in the classroom. Zwerner, who was shot in the hand and chest, filed the lawsuit in April against Newport News Public Schools and administrators, alleging they ignored warning signs and were aware of the student's “history of random violence.” Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman disagreed with the school board, stating since Zwerner's injuries “did not arise out of her employment” it doesn't “fall within the exclusive provisions of workers' compensation coverage.”
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
High school students' e-cigarette use declining
E-cigarette usage among U.S. high school students has fallen, federal health regulators said Thursday, after the government pursued aggressive action against companies selling illegal vape products that appeal to young people. The findings, a part of the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, showed that from 2022 to 2023 e-cigarette use among high school students declined to 10% from 14.1%, a drop representing about 580,000 fewer high schoolers. Among students currently using e-cigarettes, Elf Bar was the most commonly reported brand at 56.7%, followed by Esco Bars, Vuse, JUUL and Mr. Fog, the report found. The FDA said it has issued hundreds of warning letters to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of unauthorized e-cigarettes.
-----CHARTER SCHOOLS -----
Charter schools continue market share gains
Charter school enrollment is continuing to grow, according to a report released by Moody’s Investors Service, and is highest in pro-school choice states like Florida, Arizona, Idaho, Texas, and Utah. Between fall 2017 and fall 2022, for example, the share of students attending charter schools grew from 5.1% to 7.4% in Texas and from 10.4% to 13.3% in Florida. Still, charters in less choice-friendly states like California and New York are also experiencing gains in market share. In Pennsylvania for example, the only state that experienced overall enrollment growth in the Mid-Atlantic region during this time period, most K-12 traditional public school districts saw a net enrollment loss because of a growing preference for charter and cyber schools. Public schools saw a 3% decline in enrollment during the 2020-21 school year, according to numbers released in 2021 by the National Center for Education Statistics.
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