You can see a copy of the Report of Directors, Committees, and Items of New Business in the MyCTA portion of the CTA.org website (you must be logged into MyCTA for this to work).
If you have not already done so, please register on the MyCTA website. You need your membership number from your membership card or your last copy of the CTA magazine. If you can’t find it, please call the office.
Major Policy for first reading. If you like these policy statements, great. If not, or if you would like to suggest any changes, please send them to me or Jan and we can carry your concerns forward. At the next meeting these policy statements will become part of the organizational handbook and used by our staff in fighting for, against, or to change legislation.
Page 51 (labeled L-1) Teacher Evaluation and Academic Freedom concerning Dismissal Procedures and Reduction in Force
Page 58 (O-1) Professional Rights and Responsibilities concerning Permanent Status, Instructional Excellence (This one is marked as Immediate Action, but it is First Reading)
page 60 (P-1) Civil Rights in Education concerning Health, Welfare, and Safety
page 66 (R-1) Credentials and Professional Development concerning Administrator Effectiveness and Professional Development
Items of interest from Committee Reports
A-6, 7 – Lists out three NBI’s that Jan and I put forward at the previous meeting. It looks like they are going to try to make these happen.
Page H-2
Co-consultant Jim Schlotz reported on health care reform legislation and led a committee discussion on bargaining strategy during the current economic conditions. The Negotiations Committee, without objection, forwards the following guidance to Council, local associations and their bargaining teams:
A. Local associations should continue to use the Protect, Mitigate, Restore strategy by:
a. Carefully and independently assessing the true financial condition of the
district;
b. Agreeing to changes only if they are necessary, appropriate, temporary in
nature and with built-in restorations when the economy improves;
c. Working closely with staff and Coordinated Bargaining Councils in all
aspects of bargaining;
d. Developing a bargaining plan to accomplish these goals while avoiding
using PERB and the impasse procedure.
Census.gov has lesson plans for all ages concerning the census
Pages E-6-8 have an important message from the state controller on the budget. E10-11 is a letter from the Education Coalition in response to the Governor’s budget proposal.
On K-1 (45) There are 5 initiatives that are expected to be on the state ballot. CTA is opposing the first three and supporting the last two.
T-2,3
2. The Retirement Committee received NBI-1-10-27: Sponsor legislation that allows CalSTRS members with less than 25 years of service credit who are 60 years of age or older to use their highest year of compensation for computation of retirement benefits. a. The Committee will address this at next council after further research.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
1. The CALSTRS Unfunded Liability Task Force continues to study, discuss, and analyze the unfunded liability issues in the CALSTRS trust fund. The Committee, which is a collaboration between FPR, NEG, RET and CALSTRS, will meet again on February 23, 2010. The CALSTRS Board will meet on February 5, 2010 to discuss the CalSTRS Trust Fund shortfall for the fiscal year 2008-09. The anticipated unfunded liability in June 2010 will be reported at approximately $42.6 billion over a 30 year period. The full funding level has dropped from 87% in June 2008 to 77% in June 2009. Despite these anticipated losses, the Fund has grown from a low of $110 billion in 2008 to $134 billion as of Jan. 1, 2010.
2. The New Public Employee Benefit Reform Act (Fritz Initiative) is out for signatures. DO NOT SIGN THIS INITIATIVE. If you see this initiative in your area, please contact your local primary staff, your geographical Board Member or Retirement staff consultant, Steve DePue. We encourage members to ask signature gatherers if they are paid per signature or if they are proponents for the cause, why do they believe this is an issue that needs to be resolved through the initiative process, and challenge them with how this initiative will negatively impact teachers and education.
The NEA video, GPO-WEP – Penalties for Public Service is now available online at:
http://www.nea.org.home/16491.htm or on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v+XeVDDBtFfWO
