Week in Review – May 12, 2017
This week was Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you for all you do for ABC students and parents!
ABCFT This Week –
ABCFT Officer Elections Held:
Officer elections for ABCFT were held this week and counted by the election committee. Over six hundred and fifty ballots were cast in this election for the 2017-2019 term. A big thank you for all of those who voted and took part in this democratic event. Congratulations to all members who were candidates in this election regardless of the outcome, you are all winners for getting involved in standing in support for Teacher and Nurse voices. A special thank you to the Election Committee Chair Jill Yasatake and her dedicated team of current and retired teachers including Roni Love, Pat Mancillas, Jackie Donar, Nadja Ellis, Judith Newkirk, Ashley Park, and Sylvia Rodriguez. Lastly thank you to retired teacher and former ABCFT President/Treasurer Richard Hathaway who helped to organize and proctor this election cycle.
ABCFT Negotiating Team Sends Out Calendar Survey for 2018-19 School Year
The negotiating team finished up working on the details of the calendar survey and will send it out Friday May 12th (Today!) For the past couple of months members of the negotiating team have been working with the school district and other ABC employee unions to discuss the status of the district pupil calendar priorities. The negotiating team will send out master contract survey on Friday May 19th to get member input for master contract negotiations that will begin in August. Master contract negotiations happen every three years in contrast to calendar and salary negotiating sessions that happen annually. Your master contract survey answers will help to drive contract negotiations concerning working conditions and stipend compensation so make sure to fill out the survey when it is available.
President’s Report-
First and foremost, THANK YOU for your votes during this officer election. It is an honor to continue to serve on behalf of members. ABCFT will continue its mission to add services, events, communication, and support for its members. Being on the ABCFT Executive Board is not an easy task and the extra time these individuals spend outside of class is substantial. This executive board is a special group of individuals who come from all corners of the district joined together in hopes of making a difference for their colleagues and students. I am honored to serve with all of them.
This week I attended/worked on teacher representations, contract resolutions, site concerns and mediations. This past week I’ve had the pleasure to help a number of teachers with matters such as student discipline, transfers and interviews, professional development through the union and a number of other daily interactions.
The best part of my week was spending a couple of hours with the EDP Teachers in their monthly program meeting. EDP teachers provide academic support and social emotional support for ABC students in ABC’s wonderful before and after school programs throughout the district. I was able to spend time listening to their concerns and insights into the future of their program. I will use this valuable information to advocate for their program when I have my monthly meeting with Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services Valencia Mayfield. The highlight of the EDP meeting was when their supervisor Tom Woodward provided a detailed summary of their 2017-18 program budget. EDP teachers were encouraged to ask questions and to provide input in the process of building and prioritizing their program budget. I hope that you also have this type of opportunity at your school sites. If you don’t, let me know because it’s in your contract and it is your right to be included in your school’s budget adoption. Your voice matters.
On Tuesday I was in Burbank at a the offices of the California Federation of Teachers to discuss formula funding of CFT locals. Formula funding is when a portion of local CFT dues are sent back to the local union to support local personnel needs. For example, ABCFT receives a reimbursement of dues money each month to help cover the costs of having a full time release president. This reimbursement is labeled having formula funding staff and it is in lieu of having the full time support of a CFT Field Representative. In the end it is a cost savings for CFT and it allows autonomy for local CFT unions. This Tuesday meeting was significant because it was an opportunity for formula funded locals to ask for additional support from CFT when needed. This was the first time in my tenure of six years as president that the CFT was asking for input on how to better serve our local directly. I appreciate the opportunity to give this input and it further illustrates a new direction in the leadership of CFT to be more inclusive as they explore organizational changes.
Please join the ABC Federation of Teachers on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at #ABCTeachernews
In Unity!
Ray Gaer
ABCFT President
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
AFT Statement on Nurse Safe Staffing Levels
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WASHINGTON— American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement on the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The AFT is the second-largest nurses union in the country.
“Safe staffing ratios save lives and allow nurses to nurture their patients. This bill, introduced during Nurse Appreciation Week, honors the work nurses do by setting minimum nurse-to-patient ratios that will help them care for patients. This will help recruit and retain nurses, minimize shortages, improve patient care, and provide whistleblower protections so nurses can feel secure in advocating for their patients and themselves. We thank Rep. Schakowsky and Sen. Brown for their leadership on this issue and urge their colleagues to support this important bill.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http//twitter.com/rweingarten
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NATIONAL NEWS
Trump promises “unwavering support” for HCBUs
President Donald Trump has pledged his “unwavering support” for historically black colleges and universities (HCBUs). Late last week, the President questioned whether a program that helps such school get low-cost construction loans was constitutional. However, following requests for clarification, the White House said President Trump stands an executive order “to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education”. Separately, tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to be disinvited from giving a commencement address at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, because of comments she made linking the rise of HBCUs to the school choice movement. Critics say that the comparison, made in a speech in February, is offensive, as the colleges were started primarily because white schools wouldn’t accept black students. Protesters also cited some other actions by Mrs DeVos, including a move she made in April that weakens consumer protections for students who take out student loans.
STATE NEWS
‘California Way’ draft plan unveiled
The California State Board of Education (CSBE) recently unveiled a draft plan called “The California Way” which shows how the state aims to achieve the requirements of former President Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act. Now, with a new President in office, and an education secretary who is allowing states and school districts more decision-making, US states will get more autonomy to implement changes. The CSBE is now working out how to comply with federal law while creating a coherent system for holding schools accountable for their performance.
School suspension policies amended
The California State Senate has passed a bill, proposed by State Senator Nancy Skinner, which eliminates “willful defiance” as justification for suspension and expulsion of students in grades K-12. Skinner said: “It’s very important to do our best for our kids to succeed and so if there are alternatives for discipline, that’s really what we’re trying to get out.” The bill acknowledges that student suspensions can be counterintuitive to a child’s education, but also preserves a teacher’s right to suspend a student on appropriate grounds.
Governor revises education spending plans
Jerry Brown, the California governor, has scaled back his planned cuts for schools and child care, highlighting an improved fiscal outlook since January that could cover $1.5bn more in general fund spending. The governor is also scaling back a proposed half a billion dollar cut in child care for low-income families. The revised $124m spending will go before the Democrat-controlled Legislature and must be approved by June 15.
Tax cut for teachers one step closer
A bill that proposes tax credits and exemptions for California teachers has been passed by the Governance and Finance Committee. Senate Bill 807, proposed by Senator Henry Stern, offers new public school teachers tax credits to be applied to up to half the cost of their clear teaching credential, saving them around $1.2k. Stern said: “We’re trying to find a way to remedy the burden on that profession that is really deterring people from that workforce. It’s not saying teachers shouldn’t pay their fair share just like everyone else.”
Pay rise proposal
J.D. Mesnard, Republican House Speaker, has put forward a proposal requiring school districts to spend half of their yearly inflation increases on teacher raises. The proposal would require school districts to spend about $38m a year on raises for their teachers.
Teacher training investment needed
In an opinion piece in the Press-Telegram, Bill Lucia, president and CEO of EdVoice, a nonprofit grassroots network working to increase student achievement for all children, says California is in the middle of the state’s worst teacher shortage on record, with enrollment in teacher preparation programs falling 76% over the past decade. He says the situation could be alleviated by Senate Bill 807, the “Invest in Teachers Act,” introduced by Senators Henry Stern, D-Calabasas, and Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, which aims to help schools across the state recruit new teachers by providing tax credits to help them pay for state required training.
DISTRICTS
Los Angeles Unified board elections progressing
Attendees have highlighted different concerns at two Los Angeles school board campaign forums. One event, sponsored by United Way of Greater Los Angeles, featured student questions emanating from their direct experience in schools, with the main goal of getting candidates to commit to putting more counselors on campuses. The main subject at a meeting held at Palisades Charter High School was privately-operated public charter schools and their status within Los Angeles USD. The Times notes that outside money continues to “pour” into the LAUSD board elections, with Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings contributing close to $5m since last September to the California Charter Schools Association, and Eli Broad putting in $400,000 last Friday, on top of the $50,000 he gave in November. These will be the most expensive school board races in the country.
Layoffs rescinded
San Diego USD is to cancel around half the redundancy notices it had planned to send to teachers. The board agreed to bring back 485 of the 952 teachers who were notified earlier this year that they could be laid off. Birney Elementary, Crawford High and Pacific Beach Middle School all appealed to the board to retain certain positions.
Schools still warning over 13 Reasons Why
Schools are continuing to warn parents about the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, explaining how best to talk to children about suicide. Susan Flatmo, coordinator of clinical services in the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District, said of the teen drama, which has been accused of romanticizing suicide: “Watching the series is like having a scab torn off and then needing somebody to talk to about that”.
Schools fight for more disabilities funding
A shortfall in federal reimbursement has left many schools in the U.S. struggling to afford services they are required by law to provide under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The government has never met its target of covering 40% of the excess cost of educating the nearly 6.5m students with disabilities. In 2014, federal funding covered about 16%.
CLASSROOM
‘Restorative circles’ to reduce misbehaviour
As part of efforts to build trust and understanding and reduce misbehavior in schools, agencies like Restorative Resources and the Sonoma County Office of Education are training educators in running ‘restorative circles’. Mandy Hilliard, a teacher at Evergreen Elementary Schoolin Rohnert’s Park, said children facing problems at home or in the playground can discuss their feelings and worries in the circles: “It helps them concentrate more and it makes me more sensitive to what’s going on with the students,” she added.
WORKFORCE
Poll adds to debate on value of teachers of color
A new survey indicates that black and Latino parents whose children’s teachers are mostly white are more likely to believe schools are “not really trying” to educate students of color than those with mostly black or mostly Latino teachers. The second annual poll from The Leadership Conference Education Fund and Anzalone Liszt Grove Research adds to sentiment surrounding the impact of teachers of color on education outcomes for black and Latino students.
Impact of virtual reality on learning study published
According to new study on the impact of virtual reality on learning conducted by assistant professor Rebecca Hite of Texas Tech University, student scores showed significant improvements in understanding of pulmonary circulation to and from the heart, as well as blood circulation within the chambers of the heart. Hite’s paper explored the relationships between students’ aspects of cognitive development and perceptions of virtual presence.
HEALTH
Legislature must act against lead in drinking water, pediatrician argues
Dr. Lauren Gambill, a Sacramento pediatrician and member of the State Government Affairs Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics, argues that lead in school drinking water has been ignored for too long. "It’s time for the Legislature to pass a bill to help protect children from this serious threat to their health and development. It will benefit us all in the long run," she asserts.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Millennials feel higher ed system broken, survey says
A new survey has found grave concerns over the U.S.’s higher education system, revealing that dissatisfaction is especially keen among Millennials amid increasing frustrations over its costs. Among Millennials, think tank New America's survey said, just 13% believe the U.S. higher education system works as it should, while almost six in ten believe colleges put their own "long-term interests" ahead of students.
INTERNATIONAL
Chile students call for free education
Following Tuesday's march against student debt, Chile's student unions have called for another march on May 25th to demand free education and the end of the country's credit system. Insisting President Michelle Bachelet “fulfill her own promise” of a public, free, high-quality education.
OTHER
Teacher appears on ‘Jeopardy’
Nan Cohen, a teacher at Viewpoint School in Calabasas, appeared on the game show ‘Jeopardy!’ on Thursday night. Cohen, chairwoman of the school’s English Department, was a contestant on the program which is airing a two-week-long teacher tournament. Fun Fact - ABC Teacher and ABCFT Chief Negotiator Ruben Mancillas at Tracy High was once a contestant on Jeopardy. Ruben is a self confessed trivia and political fanatic.
