Teaching math can be thought-provoking….
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
Members of the ABCFT negotiating team met with Dr. Fraser yesterday to work on some MOUs.
A Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, is a tool that allows for us to offer specific definitions or language to address issues as they arise. Sometimes, these involve a specific “fix” for a particular program or grade level. MOU’s give the flexibility to address a time sensitive or time limited situation. Oftentimes, language from a MOU will be incorporated into the contract during our next round of master contract bargaining.
We also talked with Dr. Fraser regarding a district communication confirming the timelines for our checks. We have bargained for a 4.5% raise as well as a retro check in addition to an off schedule payment check.
Our much anticipated spring break is now here. ABCFT members deserve a restful and/or exciting week off (choose your own adventure!). Two of my children are off for their college spring break this week and were gracious enough to accompany their movie loving Dad for a double feature last night. We went to the American Cinematheque’s Noir City festival at the beautiful Egyptian Theatre to see two prison break films, Black Tuesday (1954) and Le Trou (1960). I recommend the French film highly, it was suspenseful throughout while emphasizing the practical ingenuity of the prisoners. It should be a good week for sports fans, the NBA and NHL seasons are coming to a close so plenty of games have playoff implications while the start of baseball season means that every team has a shot as of now! For deep nerd NFL fans like myself we can even start planning for the upcoming draft. Fun times.
In Unity,
KEEPING YOU INFORMED: PATHWAY TO RETIREMENT
As you approach retirement, attend these online webinars and gain confidence about your retirement plan. https://www.calstrs.com/
PAYCHECK PICKUP FOR LIVE CHECKS DURING BREAK
For monthly checks issued on April 1st, pick-up will be available to be picked up at the District office on Monday (4/1) and Tuesday (4/2) from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Any checks or pay stubs not picked up by 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2nd, will be mailed to the address on file.
For extra-hour/Pay assignments checks issued on April 5th, pick-up will be available to be picked up at the District office on Friday, April 5th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Any checks or pay stubs not picked up by 12:00 pm on Friday, April 5th, will be mailed to the address on file.
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 we make the YOUnion.
“Engagement begets Engagement.” - American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.
Like you, I’m just thinking about how I can get out the door as fast as possible today for a much-needed break in the action. At the end of last week's message, I commented, “if everything is important, then nothing is important,” which has continued to be a centerpiece of my conversations. That saying goes in tandem with the response many express when asked to do something new and improved for students. All educators, regardless of their level in the organization, often ask insightfully, “Then what will come off my already full plate?” which gets us right back into the conversations about priorities.
If time is your most valuable asset, you should have a say in how it is spent. Many have already figured out that our doom scrolling, all our cell phone applications, every Instagram account, every YouTuber, and any other activity are all competing for your attention and TIME. Think of time as a finite resource. What you do with that resource is paramount, as should how we design our school district. How are we allocating our time?
As I travel from site to site, talking to secondary math teachers across the district, I’m struck by their dedication to a teaching system that has not been kind to teachers, administrators, students, and parents. During these empathy interviews with math teachers, we seeded the conversation with four straightforward questions I’d like you to consider. The first question I’ve found is one we don’t focus on enough, and that is to point to the strengths the students have as they come into your classrooms. We haven’t been trained to focus on the positives as a society. This is especially true for educators as we fall under the shadow of standardized testing and data collection. In these conversations, I really like to press this question about positives and strengths because it sets the tone that these are not your usual conversations. What is amazing about teachers is that they are resilient. When given the opportunity, they will have a great number of insightful examples of all the things that are improving with our student population. I find that even though we move on to other topics in our conversation, there are many moments where new student strengths are highlighted.
The second question is also universal. What are the top two areas that your students are challenged with? If you reflect on this question, we all have similar experiences, but there are unique challenges that provide additional opportunities for growth.
The third question asks about what systems of support you find the most useful in assisting you with (subject) instruction. The most common responses focus on the lack of collaborative time, the need for professional development opportunities, and the need for or enhancement of vertical teaming opportunities with either feeder schools or other teachers in similar areas in the district.
The final question is perhaps the one we don’t ask ourselves enough. It may feel like a softball question, but maybe it isn’t for all of us. It's a scenario question asking if you met a student years later in the adult world. Picture yourself standing in line buying groceries or something, and you ask the former students what they learned in your classroom. What would you want students to say? I’ve found this to be a very personal question for most teachers, and a few of us lucky enough to have this experience of running into a former student are often amazed by their responses. I actually had a fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Dolin, whom I visited after getting my teaching credential. He was the inspiration for me to become a teacher, and I told him that my experience in his class mattered because I felt like he made that class a safe space for all students. Mr Dolin seemed stunned and told me that he was surprised by that observation. Would you be stunned by your student’s response?
Hopefully, these interview questions will bounce around in your subconscious mind. I hope that one day, each of us will have the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about our teaching experiences to drive change. You are the experts in the classroom and hold the key to how we engage students in a meaningful way in the future. Perhaps you will use this model to engage your students similarly because having a say in how you learn or teach can be the most powerful tool for our individual success.
Put a pin in that for the moment. Now is the time for Spring Break, and we can get back to making progress in ABC later. Enjoy a much-needed break!
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024: Acknowledge All Kinds of Minds
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-----
Biden announces more student debt relief for teachers
President Joe Biden is to forgive roughly $6bn for 78,000 public service workers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a track designed for employees of government agencies or nonprofit organizations. The move brings the Biden administration’s total loan forgiveness to $144bn for approximately 4m borrowers.
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Biden signs FY 2024 education budget
President Joe Biden has now signed the FY 2024 budget for the U.S. Department of Education and other agencies, following its approval by the House and Senate on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The U.S. Department of Education will get $500m less for fiscal year 2024 compared to the previous year, the agency’s first cut since FY 2015. In a statement, Sen. Patty Murray highlighted the budget plan’s inclusion of $8.75bn, or 9% more over FY 2023, for the Child Care and Development Block Grant to help families afford child care. Also included in the spending plan is $12.3bn, up $275m from FY 2023, for Head Start early education services, including money to support and retain staff. Under the proposal, Title I and state grants for special education services, which are two of the largest K-12 federal funding programs, would also each get a $20m increase over FY 2023 allocations.
Student meal participation dropped after universal school meals ended
With a majority of states returning to pre-pandemic meal policies, a new report by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) demonstrates how the end of nationwide universal school meals negatively impacted students’ daily participation in breakfast and lunch between 2021-22 and 2022-23. Around 1.8m less children opted for a school lunch between 2021-22 and 2022-23, amid a 7.7% decline in school breakfast participation in the same period. When Congress allowed the temporary, pandemic-era policy permitting nationwide universal school meals to expire in June 2022, most schools had to revert during the 2022-23 school year to charging students for meals if they didn’t fill out a form, or qualify for free or reduced price meals based on their family’s income.
Women in educational leadership face biases and inequities
Women in educational leadership report a range of biases, ranging from interpersonal slights and structural inequities, that make it difficult to attain and persist in top positions. According to a survey by Women Leading Ed, 57% of respondents have been passed over for career advancement opportunities offered to male colleagues, while 53% believe their gender influenced salary negotiations. The gender imbalance is notable as 77% of teachers are women. The survey also revealed concerns about work-life balance, unfair expectations about appearance and behavior, and bias affecting career persistence. To address these challenges, Women Leading Ed has proposed recommendations such as more diverse candidate pools, clear goals for leaders, job coaching, and comprehensive family leave policies. The organization will also work on designing a superintendent contract that addresses structural barriers and provides training in negotiations. Over 700 educational leaders have signed an open letter in support of these recommendations.
----- STATE NEWS -----
California extends student financial aid deadline
Students seeking state financial aid now have an extra month to beat a California deadline — after lawmakers fast-tracked their response to a federal glitch that blocked thousands of current and aspiring undergraduates from completing the federal application necessary to get that state aid. The problem particularly affected students who are citizens but whose parents are not.
Assembly Bill 1887 cleared the Assembly unanimously last Tuesday and sailed through the Senate without opposition last Thursday — just before the Legislature began a weeklong recess.
https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/03/financial-aid/
----- DISTRICTS -----
Morgan Hill Unified announces staff cuts
In response to a multi-million dollar budget shortfall, the Morgan Hill Unified School District has announced a series of cuts to school staff. While the district claims that these cuts are designed to have minimal impact on students, Morgan Hill teachers and parents argue that they could lead to larger class sizes and reduce much-needed resources for students and teachers. The cuts have raised concerns among the community.
Many Half Moon Bay High School teachers call in sick
Two-thirds of the teachers at Cabrillo Unified's Half Moon Bay High School called in sick on Friday, causing chaos and prompting many students to go back home. The high number of absences is believed to be a message about stalled salary and contract negotiations. Despite the absences, the school managed to have administrators, district staff, and substitutes on hand to supervise students. However, there weren't enough substitute teachers to staff all classrooms, so students were directed to the gym. Negotiations between the school district and the teachers' association have reached an impasse, and a fact-finding panel will review the arguments of both sides. If no agreement is reached, teachers may vote to authorize a strike. In the meantime, the union plans on filing an unfair labor practices complaint.
Coachella Valley Unified faces layoffs as federal pandemic-era relief funds come to an end
In recent weeks, Coachella Valley Unified School District issued — and rescinded some — reduction in force notices to educators due to the district’s decision to cut positions funded by expiring pandemic relief grants, known as ESSER.
School districts across the country have until Sept. 30 to obligate those remaining monies, and prepare for a future without that federal COVID relief. In recent weeks, Coachella Valley Unified School District issued — and rescinded some — reduction in force notices to educators due to the district’s decision to cut positions funded by expiring pandemic relief grants, known as ESSER.
School districts across the country have until Sept. 30 to obligate those remaining monies, and prepare for a future without that federal COVID relief.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Students restricted to two bathroom trips a day with digital app
Students at Fresno High School in California are limited to two, seven minute bathroom trips a day with the use of a digital ID app called 5-Star Students. The app requires students to input their ID number, and if fewer than 25 students are on bathroom trips, a countdown begins. Going beyond the time limit could result in the loss of break privileges. While some students feel restricted by the app, others believe it has reduced socializing and loitering in the hallways. However, concerns have been raised about privacy and data collection. The implementation of technology in schools has been a challenge for districts, as they try to balance its positive and negative effects. Some districts have also expressed concerns about students' mental health due to increased technology use.
Athletics trainers support new concussion guidelines
American athletic trainers are supporting guidelines that could allow students who sustain a concussion to return to class and physical activity sooner. The guidelines encourage practitioners to consider the psychological effects on students if they are kept out of school while they recover. The guidelines also recommend a similar timeframe for a concussed athlete to resume light exercise. Earlier guidance on concussions recommended total rest and minimal stimulation until symptoms went away, but researchers now believe that such isolation can be bad for mental health. The 25 new recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association aim to take a more holistic approach to concussion management. Notably, the guidelines align with those adopted by the 2022 International Conference on Concussion in Sport.
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