State Council Report April 2013
Overview/Things for you to do
Please:
- The deadline for IFT grants is April 30, 2013. You can apply online at: www.Teacherdrivenchange.org
- CTA 150th Anniversary: www.cta.org/150
- Long-term strategic planning: www.cta.org/ourfuture
- Immigration: www.cta.org/immigration
- Information about becoming a reviewer of the 2014 Mathematics Primary Instructional Materials Adoption of materials that are aligned to the California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) adopted by the SBE is available at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/im/ The deadline for submission of applications is April 18, 2013
- Information about becoming a reviewer of the English Language Development Supplemental Instructional Materials Review Panel is available at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/suptsupmatreview.asp . The deadline for submission of applications has been extended to April 19, 2013 or until the number of reviewers is complete.
- Information about participating in a two-day California English Language Development Test (CELDT) Item Alignment meeting this review and the online application process is available at: http://www.celdt.org/opportunities/. The deadline for submission of applications is April 26, 2013.
- The Retirement Committee recommends that members use the NEA publication, The Characteristics of Large Public Education Pension Plans. The document can be found at www.nea.org/home/30068.htm and used to gather comparative pension information from around the country.
- Websites to access retirement information include: www.CALSTRS.com / www.calstrsbenefits.us / www.mycalstrs.com / www.cta.org / www.leginfo.ca.gov / www.CALPERS.ca.gov / www.nea.org / www.ctainvest.org / www.nirsonline.org
Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)
The Governor’s new Local Control Funding Formula is the most important change in school funding to come along since Proposition 13 passed. Everyone is scrambling to find out just how individual districts will fair under this new law. CTA continues to put new information on the web site as it develops. The big change is that local school boards will have far more discretion as to how monies are expended.
Parent Triggers and Charter Schools
It became quite apparent at the April State Council that CTA does not have strong enough policy to fight the charter school takeover attempts and has thus taken steps to craft policy that will be clear and concise. It would be worth your while to google “Parent Trigger Law” just to understand what has happened thus far and how this could possibly affect school districts across the state.
Report of Board of Directors, Committees, and Items of New Business:
(You may access this report in its entirety by: 1) logging onto the CTA web site; 2) Click on the “About CTA” tab; 3) scroll down to choose “Leadership”; 4) In the “Leadership” window, choose the “State Council” option; 5) look for and choose the “Report Book” option)
Committee Reports:.
Negotiations Committee-
OTHER ITEMS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
B. CTA not support NBI 1/13-11: That CTA delete the section on charter school policy designating a charter as an “CTA Charter School” starting with “local association may sponsor a charter school…” ending with “shall result in the revocation of CTA charter school status.”
Rationale: Eliminating this language would take away an option to fight the
Charter Operators from creating for-profit charters and also not encourage CTA locals to create a charter school if they choose to do so.
C. CTA support NBI 1/13-21: That CTA believes charter schools have a positive role in
California’s education system when they are created by local, democratically elected school boards, are nonprofit and all educators are members of a union.
Rationale: In charters where the District is the employer, the charter school staff are members of the bargaining unit. We very much believe charters should be not for profit. Also, certificated and classified staffs in charters need union protections. This will clarify and strengthen some of our current policy
Civil Rights in Education-
MAJOR POLICY – First Reading
Revise the section, “Suspension, Expulsion, Exclusion and Exemption”, page 206, to read:
CTA believes in the concept that any decision to suspend, expel, exclude, or exempt students from school should be based upon the Education Code. This decision should be used only as a last resort and only when psychological, emotional or physical safety is compromised. School and district policies should be consistent with sound educational philosophy. Legislation which diminishes the rights of a classroom teacher to remove disruptive students from the school classroom environment when deemed necessary by the teacher should be opposed.
Rationale: This policy will position the organization well for legislative conversations that seek to address the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of African-American and Latino students, while preserving a teacher’s right to suspend a disruptive child from the classroom. Once a child has been suspended from the classroom, the intent of this policy is to encourage districts to find alternatives to suspension and expulsion from school when possible; districts will benefit from the additional funds, and students will benefit from remaining in school and receiving support rather than harm. CTA has helped us identify how our unconscious bias might impact our work as educators, and this effort to combat inequity is central to some of CTA’s core beliefs: (1) to ensure that the human dignity and civil rights of all children and youth are protected (2) and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society. .
Communication Committee-
– CTA is moving – in the direction of paperless applications for CTA awards. Do you want to see someone deserving, who is worthy of recognition, receive some recognition for their efforts? Please let us know, we’d love to have the opportunity to encourage our members to build stronger locals.
– The Education Coalition – had a great report on Brown’s proposed budget and other related issues, please check it out here.
– The Frying Pan News – which can be found at fryingpannews.org has been doing some great investigation into parent trigger laws and tax fairness – check them out.
– CTA website news – a mobile site is coming, as well as a monthly packet/flyer for your bulletin boards. These materials may be found under www.cta.org/memberinvolvement.
– CTA’s 150th anniversary – will be happening on May 5th, there will be a press event and a proclamation about this from the state legislature – keep an eye out for it!
Retirement Committee-
OTHER ITEMS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
NBI #4/13 – 11 – That CTA develop a strategic plan to protect members, retirees and other
public employees by preventing the excessive 85% rate increases and other significant
changes to the CalPERS long term care policies purchased in good faith and continuously
paid since 1995.
Language Acquisition Committee-
Funding
– We had discussion on the new funding formula and were concerned that districts will be able to scoop up the funds that EL’s need
Legislation
– AB 970- Support – Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure all schools will provide students with limited English proficiency with an equal educational opportunity
– SB 344- Support-Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to evaluate the effectiveness of English learner services every two years
– SB 542 -watch- outlines how students will be reclassified
– If you would like me to take anything back to the committee or to ask them questions, please contact me.
Julie Timmerman Rodrigues
jtimmerman1@att.net
Guest Speaker
– Karen Cadiero-Kaplan, the Director of the English Learner Support Division of the California Dep’t of Education came by to give us a short presentation of the alignment that has been done with the ELD Standards and the common core standards. The dep’t of ed, along with WestEd have made a collaborative effort with groups of teachers from around the state in an effort to align them as much as possible.
º fewer, clearer, higher standards
º just because standards are integrated does NOT mean EL’s do not need
specific ELD instruction, they still do
º teachers should read the appendices before the actual standards, they are very
important
NBI 4/13-9
That CTA seek sponsorship/co-sponsorship for legislation to make the following
change to California Education Code 44908. The first sentence should reflect a change
from “the number of days” to “the number of days or weeks.”
Rationale: The California Education Code 44908 language requiring an employee
to serve 75% of the “days” of the school year in order to complete one year unfairly
discriminates against some of our members. People who do part-time in periods have
no problem meeting this requirement because they work every day. However, people
who take their time in days of the week as is the case for many elementary members
do not. Therefore, these members can never attain permanent status which requires
two years working at the 75% level. We need to correct this inequity.
[Jerry Eaton (STL)/Corey Penrose (COM)]
THE ABOVE ITEM WAS REFERRED TO THE PROFESSIONAL
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES COMMITTEE.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your State Council Reps,
Jerry Eaton Corey Penrose
profe_dude@hotmail.com coreypenrose@gmail.com
209-743-8383 530-867-3255
Julie Timmerman
707-689-6940
