Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1103796
Summer Learning at Summer Institutes L A B O R - M A N A G E M E N T T E A M S from school districts and county offices should attend the CTA-sponsored California Labor Management Ini- tiative Summer Institute, June 25-26, in San Diego. The event helps increase collaboration and build systems and practices that change school culture. Go to cdefoundation.org/cde_programs/clmi. And plan now for our premier training: CTA's Summer Institute, July 28-Aug. 1 at UCLA, with sessions to assist chapter leaders in day-to-day representation and support of members. Strands include Communications, Instruction and Profes- sional Development, Emerging Leaders, Bargaining, School Finance, Legal, Member Benefits, and Com- munity Engagement. Details at ctago.org; grants available for qualified members: ctago.org/grants. Report on Schools: Cops, No Counselors T H E A C L U R E C E N T L Y released a report that shows nearly 400,000 K-12 students in California attend a school that has a police officer but not a counselor. The nationwide report, "Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students," analyzed federal data to look at the presence of police and mental health services in schools. A key finding: Schools are underresourced with health and mental health professionals, and students are overcriminalized. The study authors state: "Data shows that school staff who provide health and mental health services to our children not only improve the health outcomes for those students, but also improve school safety. However, there is no evidence that police in schools improve school safety — indeed, in many cases they are causing harm." Those who are most affected are students of color and students with disabilities. The authors note that funding for school-based police continues to rise while public schools face a critical shortage of counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers. According to the study, California's ratio of students to health and mental health providers is among the highest in the nation, at 682-to-1. Go to aclu.org for the full report. The Educator will look into these find- ings more closely in an upcoming story. Participants at CTA's 2018 Summer Institute's Communications strand get the paparazzi treatment. Student Loan Debt Relief A S A N E D U C A T O R , you may be able to have all or part of your federal student loans forgiven. But there are varying eligibility requirements, and the rules, paperwork and documen- tation can be confusing. Fortunately, NEA Member Benefits (NEAMB) has just unveiled its Student Loan For- giveness Navigator, powered by Savi. The free online tool pulls your data together, makes projections about what forgiveness or repayment pro- grams are best for you, offers access to experts, and, for a small fee, facili- tates the processing of paperwork. "We heard our members and want to help make this process smoother and easier to understand," said NEAMB's Sean Mabey. Go to neamb.com to access the tool. 12 cta.org In the Know N E W S & N O T E S