California Educator

June 2013

Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/138130

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> OPINIONS Probably the most effective but unobtrusive recruiters in public secondary education are teachers who are also military vets. SPIKING: HOW DO WE KNOW? I retired in 2005 after 34 years from Yuba City Unified and am one of 56 teachers Joe Petito there caught up in this "spiking" issue (honorable discharge, USMC) (May Educator). If it is the employee's responsibility to make Torrance Teachers Association sure that earnings reports are correct when retiring nears, how is this possible? In most districts it is not feasible to challenge how ADD CLIMATE CHANGE TO ADVOCACY earnings are reported, especially if "districts do not always understand the idea of 'creditI am grateful to my local union (SDEA) and able compensation' and have put that money CTA for helping us achieve decent pay and health benefits, rights in the work place, better into a retiree's total compensation, causing pensions, etc. I appreciate the role unions play a 'spike.'" If districts don't understand, how in protecting public education from "corporate should retirees be expected to? CalSTRS did not notify me until I had been retired seven reformers" like Michelle Rhee. Our collective action in passing Proposition 30 was crucial in years. It is not a small amount of money we are talking about. finally turning around the drastic budget cuts Districts need to know where to put the of the past several years. There is no doubt we play a vital role in strengthening public educa- money. "Caveat emptor" is almost an impossibility when dealing with district business tion in California. offices, especially when they have made a It's time for us to broaden our horizons and include climate change in our advocacy. mistake. I think the CTA policy statements are Climate scientists say our society must begin the fair way to deal with this matter. Retirees need to be protected from errors that affect to make rapid changes away from burnthem that occur without their knowledge. ing fossil fuels if we are to avoid the worst kinds of climate disasters. There is a growing Gary Holcomb movement to curb the power of the fossil Yuba City Unified (retired) fuel industry so it can't continue damaging our climate and welfare. Renewable energy, in contrast, creates more jobs and a brighter DEFIANCE IS MINOR? future for everyone. Supporting the movement to fight climate "Rethinking suspension" (May) was so change is the right thing to do. By helping surface and fluff. Monitoring tardies, calling to build a social movement directed against kids "my loves" and issuing lunch detentions some of the country's most concentrated which assign writing as a punishment (not a corporate wealth, we would be creating great choice for me, considering I am trying to a more favorable climate for ourselves and spend every day working with my students to future generations. foster a love of writing) are not the answer to Joe Wainio more serious disciplinary issues. The line that really got me was: "Students San Diego Education Association were suspended for minor infractions, such as 'defiance.'" Seriously! I do not consider defiance a minor offense. THANK YOU, REBECCA MIELIWOCKI Boldly resisting authority means the child is contemptuous to the teacher. For example, I so enjoyed reading National Teacher of the if a student were issued one of those lunch Year Rebecca Mieliwocki's article in the May detentions with the two-page essay, and they issue. How refreshing and uplifting it was! willfully chose not to do it and yelled curse She is a wonderful example of our prowords at the teacher or administrator who fession, and I appreciate her insights and was standing there monitoring the student — thoughts about our country's educational what then? system. It was validating. I applaud her for Please don't be a part of an oversimplified encouraging us to fight the negative teacher analysis of disciplinary issues. At the very stereotypes and to not act as victims. least, it can dismiss the idea that there are just Thank you, Rebecca, for confirming all we a few students (only 1 to 2 percent) who ruin are doing right, and for reminding us to hold our heads high and conduct ourselves like the the environment of a classroom and the entire school if they are not seriously dealt with. caring and hardworking professionals we are. Teachers need more support from administraAnnette Radogna tion at all levels to deal with serious issues in San Diego Education Association a more effective way that extinguishes disrup8 tive and antisocial behavior and nurtures higher achievement and a cooperative learning environment. Michelle Lowe Dry Creek Teachers Association Y LATIN LEARNINGS My mom had a wonderful vocabulary, and her spelling was excellent, even though she only graduated high school and became a stenographer. I truly believe that was because back in 1917 in South Omaha, Nebraska, all high school students had to take two years of Latin. Infelicitously, the second year was Caesar's wars, but everybody muddled through somehow. I was more fortunate. Years later I went on to study through Omaha Central High's thirdand fourth-year Latin and discovered the glories of Virgil, Ovid, et al. Not only has studying Latin helped me all my life with English, but also my study of Spanish and Italian, as well as Roman history and the subsequent history from which our civilization grew. P.S. Your article (April) accidentally left out one other Romance language we should know by the name: Romanian. Joan Walter West Covina Unified (retired) CORRECTION In the May 2013 Educator we incorrectly stated CTA advocated for AB 1729. CTA had a "watch" position with serious reservations about the measure.The law did nothing to stop teachers from removing disruptive students from their classroom. AB 1729 merely authorizes documentation of alternatives to suspension and authorizes administrators to use alternatives to suspension or expulsion that are age-appropriate and designed to address and correct a pupil's specific misbehavior. We apologize for any confusion. California Educator June/July 2013 Educator 06 June 2013 v2.0.indd 8 6/14/13 9:29 PM

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