CTA APPROVES A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ALL CALIFORNIA’S STUDENTS DESERVE – The resolution asks all Californians, including elected leaders regardless of party affiliation, to join us in supporting a strong, inclusive, safe and innovative public education system that ensures all students can succeed. Our public schools must remain centers of our communities, and not become corporate profit centers. We hold these values because all children, regardless of family circumstances, where they live, where they were born, how they look, who they love, or the language they speak have the right to a public education that helps them reach their full potential.
In addition, State Council delegates held a news conference Saturday with Los Angeles television stations calling for the rejection of Betsy DeVos as the next U.S. secretary of education at her Senate committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Her blatant extremist, anti-public school political agenda violates every student’s civil rights at the most basic level. CTA members are standing together against any policies that undermine students’ rights to attend school free of fear, bullying and discrimination. Your Solano-1 Representatives were part of this important news conference!
There are several items to communicate to your chapters for immediate action.
- Urge your members to go to cta.org/forallstudents to:
- Take the pledgeto support public education that ensures all students can succeed.
- Read the full resolutionpassed by CTA State Council today, Jan. 28, 2017.
- Take action on social mediaby sharing images with strong messages. In support of students.
Your chapter can use the Advocate for All Students: A Social Justice Toolkit (at cta.org/forallstudents) to create a safe zone for all students (including posters, sample social media posts, etc.), encourage your local school board to adopt the resolution, respond to hostile acts at school, improve your school climate and more.
- State Council Delegates joined together to ask our CTA Directors to organize a Statewide Day of Action with marches or demonstrations to show solidarity against actions attacking public education and immigrant rights. We need to stand together to defend sanctuary cities and campuses.
- CTA believes that transitional kindergarten – shall be available to all eligible students. While age alone is not the solo determinant of a child’s readiness, a child should be a minimum of age five between September 2 and December 2. Class size for transitional kindergarten shall not exceed a 1:20 ratio and be staffed at a ratio not to exceed 1:10 supported by one credentialed teacher and one qualified instructional aide. Transitional kindergarten teachers shall have at least 24 units of early childhood education classes or experience teaching children younger than the age of 8. Transitional kindergarten curriculum should be developmentally appropriate. Transitional kindergarten should specifically provide hands-on, experiential, child-centered, explorative, play-based learning activities, and experiences
- Leader Resource Center (cta.org/LeaderResources) – complete with customizable membership engagement materials and drop down form center, as well as the new Advocating for All Students Toolkit (www.cta.org/ForAllStudents) designed to help educators create a safe and welcoming learning environment for their students.
- CTA’s Social Media Directory – found at cta.org/social, please check it out.
- Websites to access retirement information– include: www.mycalstrs.com www.cta.org www.leginfo.ca.gov www.calpers.ca.gov www.ctainvest.org www.nirsonline.org www.ssfairness.com letstalkpensions.com
- Extension on testing scores begins April 1st – Currently scores for examinations (i.e. CBEST, RICA, etc.) administered for certification are valid for a period 5 years. Beginning April 1, 2017, the scores earned for examinations will be valid for 10 years. Examinations passed after April 1, 2007 will now come under the ten-year window of validity. Find the complete text of this extension in CODED CORRESPONDENCE 17-01 issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
- Eric C. Heins, Theresa Montano, and David B. Goldberg were all elected to a 2nd term as CTA officers.
- Region one organizing academy – is coming up, for more information,see below. To send a team, please contact your PCS staff person:
- Political academy 2017 – is coming up, for more information, please see below:
Disaster fund – Throughout the state, several areas have been pummeled with storms and this is causing destruction and disruption to many members. Please make your members who have suffered significant losses to their primary residences or classrooms aware of the CTA Disaster Relief Fund and how to apply for these grants.
Below is a summary of the eligibility requirements and each of the grants available. To get additional information on grant qualification requirements, click on the four grants below or go to www.CTAMemberBenefits.org/drf. Attached is the Disaster Relief Fund brochure and application. The CTA Member Benefits Smartphone App also includes information about this fund and an application. Once the application is completed, it must be submitted to the member’s Chapter President for approval and submission.
Grants are available for CTA Active, Student, or CTA/NEA-Retired members who are either:
- Residents in any city or county declared by the State of California to have been subject to a natural disaster;
- Residents of a dwelling declared unsafe to occupy by city or county officials due to a disaster, with such declaration free of negligence on the part of the member; or
- Classroom members at a school site where the member, student(s) and/or the site have experienced losses due to natural disaster. This “School Site Grant” is to help allay the costs resulting from the loss of personal classroom materials.
The CTA Disaster Relief Fund provides four different grants summarized below:
- Standard: Up to $1,500 for significant economic hardship related to damage to the member’s primary residence, displacement, or disruption in required utilities;
- Catastrophic: Recipients of the Standard Grant may be eligible for up to another $1,500 if damages exceed $50,000;
- Temporary: Up to $500 may be available for members who are displaced from their primary residence as the result of a disaster, but do not meet all the requirements for a Standard Grant; and
- School Site: Up to $500 for personal losses due to damage to their classrooms.
Please contact the FACT Foundation at (800) 233-3709 or the Member Benefits Department at 650-552-5200 and member_benefits@cta.org if you have questions.
Respectfully submitted, Jeanette Wylie, Alyson Brauning, and Corey Penrose
