Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1017146
L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and californiaeducator.org. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have identifications and permissions. Opinions expressed by the writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA 3 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 018 U P F R O N T #OurVoiceOurUnion #WeAreCTA For our full social media directory, see cta.org/social facebook.com/ wearecta @WeAreCTA youtube.com/ californiateachers @WeAreCTA WeAreCTA Courtesy Alaska Airlines F L E X Y O U R C R E A T I V E M U S C L E S and enter our new GIF contest at CaliforniaEducator.org. While you're there, catch up on all the great Educator content you missed as well as the latest news and information. "I don't have to change grades or classrooms next year!!" Congratulations to TERESA DALTON, San Diego Education Association, who wins a coveted CTA canvas zippered tote. Caption This! The winning caption for our CaliforniaEducator.org GIF contest: In your article "A Vile Epidemic" (June/July), you wrote, "Educators, as mandated reporters, must share that information [about a victimized student] with higher- ups." This information is inaccurate. Man- dated reporters must contact an appropriate local law enforcement or county child welfare agency to file a report. This legal obligation is not satisfied by making a report of the incident to a supervisor or to the school. Effective Jan. 1, 2015, AB 1432 requires all local educational agencies to train all employees each year on what they need to know in order to identify and report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. A person who fails to make a required report is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000 and possible loss of their teaching credential. We must always be attuned to our students and their total well-being, and follow the law to keep them safe. L AUR A WOLF ALCORN Desert Sands Teachers Association Sex trafficking and educators' responsibilities From the editor: Ms. Alcorn is correct that under the California Penal Code, educators and other mandated reporters are required to report child abuse and neglect to a law enforcement or county welfare agency. It's not sufficient to report only to your school district employer. Get in the Educator We'd love to hear from you. Email editor@cta.org and include your name, chapter and contact info. Content may be edited for clarity and space. Ways to contribute: • Letter to the Editor — 250- word limit. • Photos — Shot a good pic of you and colleagues at a CTA or chapter training, conference or event? Be sure to ID everyone and describe where the photo was taken. • Your Voice — Have something to say about your students, the art and science of teaching, or being an educator in the trenches? It can be funny, serious or both — in no more than 650 words. • We publish freelance articles on occasion, but prefer that you contact us first.