Associated Chaffey Teachers

I have just returned from State Council and would like to inform you of some of the decisions that were made.

State Council voted to replace Dan Vaughn as Secretary/Treasurer.  Our new Secretary/Treasurer is Gail Mendes.  You can read her campaign statement in the back of the last California Educator.

There is a dues increase scheduled for next year.  The increase in CTA dues is $22/year (from $599-621).  We have expressed your concern about the dues increasing in a year when many members are facing salary cuts, but the fact is that CTA must spend more money during these hard times to try and save jobs and fight for better funding for us all from the state.

I would like to draw your attention to a few pages from the State Council Report. I suggest you skim the book for anything that catches your particular interest and read carefully the committee reports that concern your particular interests in education.

The NBIs are listed on the Y pages.  Individual committees also bring forward NBIs and policy language.

CTA takes positions on bills that may effect our students or our members.  Those positions are listed in the Z pages of the booklet.

The body voted to support all of the initiatives on the state ballot.  If these initiatives are not approved by the voters of California, the budget situation becomes worse and the legislature will most likely make further cuts.  Since education took over 50% of the cuts in the first place, it is likely that we would take a good percentage of the increased cuts.  There was much discussion of possible unintended consequences of these initiatives, but the current situation has education backed up against a wall.

M-3 The Civil Rights in Education Committee is asking that members show their support for AB 132 regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on school property.  The names and e-mail addresses of the Assembly Education Subcommittee are listed there.

M-4 Washington D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee is working toward a program for merit pay that would include teachers giving up tenure.  More pay without job security seems like a risky proposition.

O-3 The Credentials and Professional Development Committee is encouraging all CTA members to complete the online feedback survey on the changes being considered for the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), which is the criteria our evaluations are based on.

BTSA teachers and Consulting Teachers may find some interest in reading the committees findings on FACT, found on page O-3 and O-4

O-6 has a chart showing the changes in 8th grade algebra from 2003 to 2008 as schools prepare for mandatory 8th grade algebra testing.

P-4 The Curriculum and Instruction Committee is encouraging members to go to the CDE website for an application to participate in the focus groups for teh revision of the Mathematics Framework as it relates to the possibility of requiring algebra in the eighth grade.  These focus groups are starting at the end of April, so please check it out soon.

Q-2 The Retirement Committee recommends that members be cautious and aware of the misuse of the CalSTRS name and logo on advertisements, promotional materials, and solicitations.

R-1 The Alternative, Career and Technical Education Committee is reminding locals that school boards must hold a hearing before closing programs in CTE and Adult Ed.  The body passed two NBIs that direct CTA to work to get Adult Ed and ROP programs removed from tier 3.  For those that may be unaware, the way the current budget is designed, districts have been given complete flexibility to use funds that would have been earmarked for certain categorical programs for anything the district wants, even if that means closing those programs.  Adult Ed and ROPs are included in this “most flexible” tier and are being wiped out in some districts.  There is also much concern about the fate of CTE programs as they are being cut across the state.

S-3 Financing Public Education Committee has released the NOD Departments Funding Advisory.

T-1 The Assessment and Testing Committee is asking all members to contact Senate Education Committee Members and urge their support and co-authorship for SB 800 to eliminate STAR testing in second grade.  The committee members and their phone numbers are listed on page T-2

T-2 / Z-23 The Assessment and Testing Committee put forward an oppose position for SB 742 (Romero) which would require the State BOE to identify the 10 historically lowest performing  schools in the state and take one of three actions including restructuring the internal operations of the school, reopening as a public charter school, or operating under the oversight f a nonprofit management company.

U-1 A new version of The Green Book: Guidelines for Specialized Physical Healthcare Services in California is available from the California School Nurses Organization (CSNO) website.

Again, please take some time to review the committee reports, NBIs, and legislative positions.  If there are any that you would like to discuss or draw attention to, please do so here.  If you have any questions or concerns about the policy for first reading, please share your thoughts.  If there is anything you would like to see CTA working on, let us know.