KEEPING YOU INFORMED - Negotiations Update By Ruben Mancillas
On Tuesday, Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer Nguyen presented a budget update to a special session of the ABCUSD school board. This was different than a standard board meeting in that it was prompted by a letter from the County to the President of our Board, Mr. Nishii. The relevant language is:
…The district has approximately $6.79 million in Fund 17 that can be utilized to meet the minimum reserve of 3.00 percent. If deficit spending materializes as projected, it will adversely affect the District’s ability to meet its financial obligation and reserve requirement in future years.
The County has requested a Fiscal Stabilization Plan from the District by the time the Board adopts the 2025-226 budget in June 2025. The timeline will be for the Superintendent and Cabinet to develop a Budget Reduction Plan. The Budget Reduction Plan will be shared with employee groups and the Finance and Audit Committee committee to receive input/feedback in March and April. The Budget Reduction Plan will be presented to the Board in May 2025 and incorporated into the 2025-26 budget.
Thank you to the ABCFT and community members who attended this meeting to hear the board propose solutions to a structural deficit.
This week, we continued visiting sites. We met with some of our visual arts teachers on Wednesday and are at Aloha Elementary School today. It is a business visit, but there will be a nostalgic element for me as my mother taught primary grades at Aloha for many years. Mom was short in stature (but mighty in every other way!), so she asked her teenage son to climb the ladder and put up bulletin boards. Your site rep will be able to sign up for more visits during our rep council meeting in March.
The negotiating team is discussing the calendar with the district. A brief survey went out this week to get input regarding the elementary and secondary student-free days. Members have expressed an interest in agreeing to a multiple-year calendar, and that is a goal we are pursuing at the table.
The timeline for negotiations is that after we agree on the calendar, we will begin bargaining salary and benefits for the 2024-2025 school year. We bargain for salary and benefits every year. A portion of Mr. Nguyen’s presentation noted an increase in benefits costs is factored into his budget considerations. ABCFT’s VP of High Schools, Megan Harding, also serves on the district Health Benefits Committee. Please refer to her articles in the YOUnion news as she updates us on the committee's work. At this point, they are awaiting the projections from Kaiser next month, but the numbers from Blue Shield are good. The district “absorbs” annual increases in the sense that members do not have to pay additional monthly premiums, but there is an associated cost. The more money the district needs to maintain our free family coverage for Kaiser or the Blue Shield Trio programs, the less available in the general fund for other forms of compensation. Pension costs are another factor; district contributions for STRS remain stable at 19.10% while there is a slight increase in PERS, moving up to 27.05%. After salary and benefits, the next step will be to work on master contract language.
A book recommendation this week: When We Cease To Understand The World by Benjamin Labatut. This Chilean author blends scientific fact with fiction to inform and challenge the reader. My colleagues who are already knowledgeable about the history of science may dismiss the more fanciful inventions. Still, I learned a great deal and was motivated to follow up with more reading. One of the characters in the novel is the physicist Werner Heisenberg, who said, “Only a few know, how much one must know, to know how little one knows.” This straightforward statement of intellectual humility impressed me, particularly in a political climate where our federal government exhibits contempt for education.
In Unity,
STOP THE SHUTDOWN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AFT joins suit against Elon Musk for illegally hacking Americans’ private data
Musk has hacked into millions of Americans’ personal information and now has access to their taxes, Social Security, student debt and financial aid filings. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency was not created by Congress—it operates with zero transparency and violates federal law. This is outrageous, and it must be stopped. Sign the AFT letter urging Congress to halt Musk from stealing our personal information.
AFT and a coalition of labor unions representing more than 2 million workers filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging a data heist carried out by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency inside three federal government departments.
The suit alleges the Department of Education, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Treasury improperly disclosed the sensitive records of millions of Americans to DOGE staff who lack appropriate security clearances and have not been properly vetted, granting access to some of the government’s most sensitive and closely guarded data systems, in violation of the Privacy Act.
AFT Letter
HEALTH BENEFITS COMMITTEE
By Megan Harding (VP of High Schools and ABCFT Health Committee Rep)
Each month representatives from the different groups in ABC meet to discuss insurance issues and needs. The committee comprises three ABCFT members, two employees from management, two AFSCME members, and two CSEA members. These individuals all have one vote. The other members of the committee consist of members of the brokerage firm; Burnham, the CFO, Asst. Superintendent of HR and Fringe Benefits representatives.
The goal of the benefits committee is to identify cost-effective benefits that best fit the needs of all employees. This is done by analyzing the current usage data, hearing from the different carriers regarding what is new, and discussing best practices regarding communicating these benefits and utilizing them to their fullest potential.
In addition, the committee looks at the rates offered by our current carriers and discusses options to bargain, accept, or change carriers altogether. The committee meets monthly starting in December and ends in June if needed.
Notes from our most recent meeting:
There was minimal movement between Blue Shield and Kaiser this year. New employees with no prior Kaiser coverage are automatically enrolled in Blue Shield for 3 years. This decision was made to achieve a balance that enhances our negotiating options. Next year will be the first opportunity for these individuals to switch carriers if they would like. We will analyze that data next year. Please be aware of information regarding important links to different healthcare benefits. Our utilization with both carriers appears favorable at this time. We are looking into some issues with Delta and some providers. I will continue to keep you updated.
Coming up:
Medicare 101 Workshop 2/26/25 3:30-5 via Zoom
Kaiser Senior Advantage Workshop 4/30/25 3:30-5 via Zoom
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 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.
Oh man, this is my fifth attempt to write my opening statement this week, not because I don’t have anything to report but more about what are the priorities to share. I’ll try to stick to some of the big events of the week.
A couple of weeks ago, right around the week, I was out sick, the Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services, Dr. Carola Castro, and I released a joint statement to ABC teachers about the results from our rounds of Empathy Interviews with TK and Kindergarten teachers. You can find a copy of that letter here. I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with an administration that attempts to listen to the classroom experts about their students' strengths and the often overwhelming challenges that teachers face daily. I cannot recall any other California teacher union with such a mechanism for hearing teachers' voices and insights. Is a district administration going to roll out programs, make changes to the curriculum, and cause upheaval to what teachers do in the classroom? ABSOLUTELY, because it's the nature of that department within a district. However, ABCFT has worked hard to forge relationships and trust with district administrators to elevate the voice of the classroom teacher.
What you see as a joint letter from Dr. Castro and Gaer would be seen as revolutionary in almost every district in the country. We take it for granted that we can participate in organizational change, but in most districts, it is still the “do what we say or get the hell out of teaching” mentality. Next week, I’ll talk about my experience working with principals this week as they did walkthroughs throughout the district. I will discuss the purpose, the positive outcomes, the hidden pitfalls, and the strength of this opportunity for principals to sharpen their skills as school site administrators.
In other events this week, on Monday, I joined the members of the ABCFT Negotiating team as they worked to produce a calendar for the coming year(s) that fits the needs of members and makes sense to the community and school board. I’m hopeful we will have proposals for a calendar that will go to the board early next month.
On Tuesday, the ABCUSD School Board had a special meeting concerning the ABC budget, and Ruben did a good job of describing the efforts of that meeting. The behavior and comments of a school board member are as crucial as the final decisions they make. I am proud to say that the ABCUSD School Board comprises individuals who understand the mission of public education and the value of their employees. They understand the correlation between our work environments' stability and our students' positive results. In this meeting, I didn’t hear what many are listening to in other school districts, such as layoffs or hour reductions (Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Oxnard, and Pajaro, just to name a few). Those layoffs are,in some cases, necessary, but in almost all cases, they are a negotiating tactic for gaining concessions from their labor unions. All layoffs are destabilizing and morale-crushing. When school boards and district administrators think that every problem is a nail to be hammered, there is no room for compromise and dignity.
The ABCUSD School Board is being systematic about budget tightening. Will there be some tough choices along the way? Totally. However, I heard from most of our board members on Tuesday that they want to keep those cuts away from the classroom as long as possible. ABC Board Members are weighing all the options, looking for new revenue streams, and looking at how to stretch dollars so that teachers can continue to focus on their passion: teaching students. The Superintendent, the District Administrators, the School Board, and the ABC Labor Unions are determined to create stability and security by collaborating to find solutions that maintain our dignity, our pride as ABC employees, and a commitment to achieve competitive compensation. A friend told me this week that “happy teachers equals happy students.” This is so true and how ABC is holding its head up high during this time of crisis is just a reminder that all our work to elect ABCUSD School Board Members who are student and employee-centered is making a difference. Elections matter.
In YOUnity,
Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT
CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten
----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----
School districts urged to treat White House directives with caution
The past seven days have seen numerous directives issued by the Trump administration, including an ultimatum from the Education Department for schools and universities to eliminate diversity initiatives, or risk losing federal money. The department has also cut $600 million in grants for organizations that train teachers, arguing that they promote "divisive" concepts such as critical race theory, and social justice activism. However, even as districts nationwide are working to evaluate programs for their exposure to risk, education advocacy groups have urged them to proceed with caution. The School Superintendents Association has issued a statement, noting that the guidance is not legally binding, and that schools should not preemptively cut programs. “We’re not certain a district should do anything beyond reading the guidance, talking to their legal counsel” and gauging community interest in keeping existing initiative, commented director of advocacy Sasha Pudelski. Additionally, Jonathan Fansmith, senior vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, has argued that the vague language of the guidance is intended at this stage to have a chilling effect, pressuring schools to eliminate anything touching on the topic of race even if it may be defensible in court.
----- WORKFORCE ----
Education Department axes teacher training grants
The U.S. Education Department has eliminated two significant teacher-training programs, the $70m Teacher Quality Partnerships and the $80m Supporting Effective Educator Development grants, as part of a broader initiative to cut diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Savannah Newhouse, a department spokeswoman, stated, “Teacher-prep programs should be prioritizing training that prepares youth with the fundamentals they need to succeed for the future.” Critics argue that these cuts will negatively impact teacher diversity and student outcomes. Sharif El-Mekki, founder of the Center for Black Educator Development, emphasized that removing DEI-related programs “reinforces inequalities that have existed for generations.” The decision has sparked significant backlash from educators and institutions reliant on these grants, with many expressing concerns over the future of teacher preparation and support. Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump sent a memorandum to all agency heads, requesting public details on all cuts. However, the Department of Education is yet provide criteria on how the teacher-prep grants were being judged.
The Hill The 74 Education Week News
----- NATIONAL NEWS -----
Education Department's bold race policy shift
The Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague” letter threatening to cut federal funding for educational institutions that consider race in various aspects of student life. This letter follows the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which significantly limited affirmative action. Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, stated, “Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.” The letter also criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, claiming they unfairly favor certain racial groups. The Education Department plans to assess compliance with these new guidelines by February 28.
Education reform attempts continue
The Trump administration has initiated significant reforms aimed at reshaping K-12 education, particularly in California. Julie Marsh, executive faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education, noted, “There’s been a strategy of rapid-fire change, and Trump is very publicly testing his authority.” Key proposals include dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, legalizing school vouchers, and withholding funding from schools that adopt certain curricula. While some conservatives celebrate these changes, concerns arise over potential impacts on vulnerable students, especially regarding special education and Title I funding. Superintendent Cesar Morales expressed worry about the symbolic implications of dismantling the Department of Education, stating, “When you have the most powerful country in the world dismantling its Department of Education, it means the interest is not there.” As California officials prepare to resist these changes, the future of education remains uncertain amid ongoing debates and community responses.
Senate HELP Committee advances McMahon nomination for Education Secretary
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has advanced the nomination of Linda McMahon to be Education Secretary by a party-line vote of 12-11, sending her confirmation to the full Senate for a full vote in the near future. “If confirmed Ms. McMahon has the tall task of reforming a Department of Education that has lost its purpose," Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, before Thursday's vote. "For the last four years, the department focused on everything but student learning with bureaucracy and red tape standing in the way of student success. We need a strong leader at the department who will get our education system back on track." Ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), said of the Education Department: “Is it a perfect entity? No. Is it bureaucratic? Yes. Can we reform it? Yes. Should we abolish it? No", before adding: “It doesn’t really matter who the Secretary will be, because he or she will not have the power."
The Hill Roll Call K-12 Dive Politico
White House picks ND schools leader for top Ed. Dept. role
Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, has been tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education. The longest-serving current state education chief, Baesler was first elected to her nonpartisan post in 2012. “Superintendent Baesler is an educator who has to work with politics. She’s not a politician who has to work with educators, and that’s really important to our field,” said Cory Steiner, superintendent of the Northern Cass district in North Dakota. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a Republican or a Democrat or even where they are within their own political party. If you’re for kids, she’ll find a way to work with you.” If confirmed by the U.S. Senate she will join Penny Schwinn, who led schools in Tennessee and has been nominated to the post of deputy secretary. Linda McMahon, head of the federal small business administration, had her confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education last week.
Department of Education workers brace for Trump to shut agency down: ‘Everybody is distraught’
Education department meeting in wake of new Trump policies was ‘incomplete and chaotic’, staff say
Workers inside the US Department of Education have described a “horrible, intimidating and unnerving” atmosphere among the rank-and-file as Donald Trump vows to shut it down.
Widespread panic and confusion over the department’s future led to an “incomplete and chaotic” staff meeting on Wednesday, according to sources, as managers tried to explain new policies.
The US president’s efforts to gut and dismantle the US Department of Education has left federal employees in fear of losing their jobs, with much of their work already halted.
“We’re called parasites in the press. There’s a lot of fearmongering about what we do. What we do is ensure states are protecting children with disabilities,” one employee at the department, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, told the Guardian. “This used to be a bipartisan issue. I don’t understand why it still isn’t a bipartisan issue.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/19/education-department-trump
----- STATE NEWS -----
California schools face academic decline
Research reveals a significant decline in basic skills among California students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between Harvard University and Stanford University, indicates that California students are 31% behind in math and 40% behind in reading compared to 2019 levels. However, Compton USD has shown remarkable progress, with Superintendent Darin Brawley noting: “Between 2022 and 2024, Compton has seen a steady rise in students’ performance.” Despite the overall decline, 31% of California students are in districts that have surpassed 2019 levels in math. The Edunomics Lab at George Washington University highlights California's poor return on investment in education, with a 102% increase in per pupil spending since 2013, yet stagnant reading and declining math skills.
California schools face budget crisis
California school districts are grappling with significant budget deficits, prompting many to offer early retirement incentives to veteran teachers. Michael Fine, chief executive of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, noted that these districts are facing challenges due to declining student enrollment and reduced state funding. San Francisco USD is aiming to cut $113m from its budget, with plans to eliminate 535 positions, including 300 through early retirements. Amy Baer, associate superintendent of human resources at the district, explained that these retirements could lead to a decrease in experienced teachers, potentially impacting student performance. Concerns are rising about the increasing number of under-prepared teachers filling vacancies, particularly in high-needs areas. As Fine stated, “When the morale of our teachers in the classroom is low, instruction is not as good as it should be.”
State’s largest teachers union responds to federal order on DEI programs
California Teachers Association President David Goldberg said the union is committed to fighting “the harmful directives” issued by the U.S. Department of Education to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
In a letter on Friday, the department said school districts, universities, and colleges, must eliminate DEI programs or risk losing federal funds.
“President Trump continues to hurt our students and communities with divisive directives,” Goldberg said in a statement to EdSource. “Let’s be clear about what this latest directive is. It is an attempt to take money from our students, when we should be investing more.”
The letter only gives school districts two weeks to dismantle DEI efforts, and many advocates are concerned that districts will comply out of fear of losing funds that help marginalized student groups.
“The Trump administration has failed to fully fund public education and to address important issues for parents and families, such as keeping students safe in schools, providing adequate resources for their public schools, and fixing the educator shortage and pay issues,” Goldberg said.
----- DISTRICTS -----
LA schools implement cellphone ban
Los Angeles USD has enacted a cellphone ban affecting around 800 schools, which began on Tuesday. The ban, aimed at enhancing student focus, requires students to surrender or lock up their devices, including smart watches. Kaya Tejano, a 6th-grader, expressed support for the ban, stating, “They should be more focused for learning and lessons than on their phones.” While most parents seem to support the initiative, some concerns about safety and communication during emergencies persist. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho noted that students will adapt over time, saying, “There’s a transition period that lasts about a couple weeks... it becomes part of your norm.” The ban has sparked mixed reactions, with some parents arguing it limits educational tools, while others highlight the need to reduce distractions in classrooms.
----- STUDENT PROTESTS -----
Students march against Trump’s policies
On Tuesday, approximately 250 students from Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento staged a walkout to protest President Donald Trump and his administration. The demonstration, which followed a similar protest at McClatchy High earlier this month, began around noon after the fourth-period class. The students marched 1.5 miles to Sacramento State, expressing their concerns about the future. Leydi Ayala, a junior, stated, “It's important for me to march because my parents went through all this struggle to give us a good future, and the fact that Donald Trump wants to take that away from us — I find that idiotic.”
----- LEGAL -----
Federal appeals court backs student gender identity rights
A federal appeals court has upheld a Massachusetts school district's policy allowing students to decide if their parents should be informed about their gender transitions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit stated that the policy “plausibly creates a space for students to express their identity without worrying about parental backlash.” The case, Foote v. Ludlow School Committee, arose when an 11-year-old student, identified as B.F., began questioning their gender identity. The court emphasized that while parents have rights in their children's upbringing, the school’s protocol does not equate to medical treatment. The ruling reflects a broader trend of legal support for transgender students amid ongoing debates over parental rights and educational policies.
----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----
Secretary of Health proposes changes to SNAP program
The ongoing debate over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is gaining traction as new officials from the Trump administration express support for banning sugary drinks and candy. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed health and human services secretary, along with agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins, have indicated their backing for this initiative. “The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches,” Kennedy commented last week. “There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn’t be subsidizing people to eat poison.” However, they face a number of obstacles, including that excluding any foods would require Congress to change the law — or for states to get waivers that would let them restrict purchases, said Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research group. Anti-hunger advocates point to research that shows SNAP recipients are no more likely than other low-income Americans to buy sugary drinks or snack foods. And they say that limiting food choices undermines the autonomy and dignity of people who receive, on average, about $187 per month.
Whole Milk debate heats up
The "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act" aims to allow schools to offer whole and 2% milk alongside low-fat options, a significant shift from the current restrictions. Proponents argue that whole milk provides essential nutrients and has unique health benefits, with Amy Winters, executive director of the Wisconsin Dairy Foods Association, stating, "Expanding the availability of all milk options... will help ensure more children receive the essential nutrients dairy provides." However, opponents caution that whole milk's high saturated fat content could pose health risks, with Erin Ogden from the Center for Science in the Public Interest emphasizing that fat-free and low-fat milk can provide the same nutrients without the added saturated fat. The bill recently passed a U.S. House committee and is set for a full House vote
----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----
Cal Poly grants face federal cuts
The federal government has cut two significant grants from Cal Poly aimed at enhancing special education and bilingual education in local classrooms. The INSPIRE grant, worth $4.6m, was designed to address the chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers in SLO County, which has worsened since the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education justified the cuts by stating the grants were “inconsistent with” federal priorities, labeling them as part of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
----- INTERNATIONAL -----
How Sweden could reform its student grading system
An inquiry into the grading system used in Sweden's schools recommends scrapping the A-F system in favor of a new arrangement where students are marked on a scale of 1-10. It argues that the current six-step system, which last year saw 16%, or almost 20,000, ninth-graders fail to qualify for a national upper secondary school course, should be reformed, and that a new end-of-year exam should be introduced at the end of grade nine, the last year before a student moves up to gymnasium or upper secondary school, usually ages 16-18. "We're proposing a new scale without a sharp pass-fail mark and grades on a scale from 1 to 10. A lot of people may think that's a lot, but in France it's 1-20 so it's not totally extreme," said inquiry head Magnus Henrekson. The lower grades, 1-3, would represent "less than acceptable knowledge" but not have a value of zero like F. Acceptance to upper secondary school would be based on having an average grade of four or higher, rather than passing every subject. This means a student could still qualify even if they had received a low score on one or more courses, as long as their grade in other courses was high enough to pull up their overall average.
At NTA Life, we’re here to provide extra peace of mind with individual supplemental benefits that offer tax-free financial support directly to you or your loved ones. Our benefits are designed to go above and beyond your major medical insurance, helping cover things like deductibles, co-pays, and those unexpected expenses that can come up during an illness or injury. We offer the following programs:
- Cancer Coverage
- Heart Coverage
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- Disability Coverage
- Life Insurance
- Specified Disease Coverage – which even comes with a return of premium after 20 years!
The best part? Most of our benefits are guaranteed renewable for life, meaning you can keep them even if you switch districts or retire.
We’re so thankful for the strong partnership we have with ABCFT, and we look forward to continuing to support and serve your incredible educators.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to reach out anytime:
- Leann Blaisdell: 562-822-5004 | leann.blaisdell@horacemann.com
- Shannon Donovan: 714-727-8261 | shannon.donovan@horacemann.com
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