Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1470295
U P F R O N T Often educators' creativity spills over into a book, blog, app, album, podcast or other work. We're happy to showcase your talents on our Lit From Within pages! See page 56 for details. 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 cta.org/educator. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Equitably Assessing Learning "Remaking the Grade" (Feb./March 2022) mentions a practice that grades students "on what they know, rather than on their behavior and ability to meet deadlines," piloted at a con- tinuation school in Seaside. It is not surprising that this "new" system came from a contin- uation school. The whole concept behind continuation education is the understanding that students need flexibility in their goal to attain an education. In other examples, students are still held accountable for knowing some content. The story says that Sacramento City Unified School District has adopted a policy that stu- dents are not supposed to score lower than 50 percent — "even if they don't do the work." Some will fixate on this, conveniently for- getting the second part of the paragraph that says " The goal is for students to keep trying and redo work so they won't be derailed from a four-year college." Assigning 50 percent for work not done is worse than the unwitting promotion of racism. It is racism. It can be safely assumed that those trying to undermine public education will pounce on and rework this part to suit their desires. They will use it as an argument to transfer public school students to private and parochial schools because such an approach to "education" would make some students "disadvantaged" indeed. Faith O. Mowoe, PhD Rialto Education Association Investing with Principles: Pensions and Our Planet Re: "Fossil Fuel Investments" (April 2022) Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our future, impacting the planetary environment, global economy, and worldwide health and safety. More- over, investment risks associated with climate change may impact the value of our investment portfolio without con- stant monitoring. This is important because 60 cents of every dollar our members receive in retirement benefits come from CalSTRS' investment gains. Our ability to secure the financial future of California's public educators depends in part on our long-term investment strategy and how we address climate risk as investors. CalSTRS is approximately 73 percent funded, and we remain on track toward full funding by 2046. Maintaining a diverse investment portfolio is critical to ensuring returns. Less diversification means more risk, which could lead to higher contribution rates. Sustainable investing across sectors is integral to our success. For nearly 20 years, environmental, social, and governance principles have guided how CalSTRS manages long-term risks and opportunities. CalSTRS currently holds $20 billion in climate solution investments and is accelerating the net zero emissions transformation of companies in our investment portfolio, consistent with the Paris Agreement and United Nations' Race to Zero campaign. We are holistic and inclusive in preparing our investment portfolio for a low carbon economy, engaging with corporations, influencing public policies, and advancing sustainable business and investment practices. When corporate engagement falls short, we have moved toward activ- ist stewardship, such as the successful shareholder campaign last year to elect three independent board directors to drive systemic change at ExxonMobil on emissions reduction. Today, we are holding corporate directors accountable on climate and board diversity. We are also voting for shareholder proposals that demand transparency or set emissions reduction targets. At CalSTRS, we are proudly delivering for our members and respond- ing to climate risks. CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System) 3 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 2