Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/15938
BILL # UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE Leno RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS Buchanan CHARTER SCHOOLS Swanson SB 810 CTA-sponsored and co-sponsored legislation for 2010 Would establish a single-payer health insurance system in California. (Co-sponsored bill) AB 1814 Would provide that the Fair Employment and Housing Act does not prohibit an employer from reducing health benefits when a retiree becomes eligible for Medicare. (Co-sponsored bill) AB 2320 Would increase the role of teachers in the design, operation and governance of charter schools, and allow only school boards to authorize non-statewide charters. Sacramento schools Continued from page 13 be going into effect instead. “It came down as a mandate,” recalls York, who was put into the Vi- sual and Performing Arts (VAPA) SLC. “Basically, we were told: This is what you’re going to do.” Instead of having English teachers on the same floor, they were divided up to be with their SLCs, and it be- came difficult to collabo- rate. For a while they tried to schedule meetings, says York, but there were so many SLC meetings that subject matter collabora- tion fizzled out. Class siz- Social media Continued from page 24 tallied 301,000 e-mails and 100,000 calls to Congress. More than 35,000 people became active fans of the Speak Up for Education & Kids campaign on Facebook, and 145,000 new member lobbyists signed up to take action. In April, teachers in Flori- da, led by the Florida Educa- tion Association, convinced Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to veto legislation passed by the Legislature that would have ended due process and implemented an egregious merit pay system based on student test scores. Along the way, teachers set up 15 separate Facebook pages that drew a membership of 200,000 people. Crist himself said calls to his office ran 5-to-1 against the bill and that he had never faced as much political pressure on any piece of legislation. “We’re seeing social me- dia as powerful new tools in engaging our members — es- pecially our younger mem- bers — to become involved in this high-stakes election,” says CTA President David A. Sanchez. CTA knows that although using social media can be a powerful communications tool and a necessary addition to any well-planned cam- paign, traditional campaign activities are still effective. Members will have a chance to participate in traditional door-to-door activities, post- card-writing parties and the tried-and-true phone banks as well. “We’re going to cover all of our bases,” says Sanchez, “to see that our students, teachers and schools come out winners in the November elections.” Dina Martin 36 California Educator | SEPTEMBER 2010 es were large, since there were fewer teachers per subject, and scheduling problems were rampant. All SLCs are consid- ered equal, but some are more equal than others. Motivated students enroll in the PACE (Program in America and California Ex- ploration) program with a mandatory summer school component at CSU Sacra- mento and AP classes. To the dismay of teachers in other SLCs, a dispropor- tionate amount of funding also goes to PACE. “It put a real rift in the school because things are unequal,” says York. “In VAPA, we were not getting any money to support our very good band or choir.” The Gates grant money has dried up, the SLCs are still in place, and many of them are scraping by with- out adequate support. “Bill Gates has lots of money and decided we need better schools,” adds York. “I agree with him on that. But I don’t know why he thought he knew how to do it or why he thought small learn- ing communities were a good idea. There had been no studies to see if they actually worked, but he poured millions of dol- lars into this. If you ask me, the money could have been spent in much better ways for smaller class siz- es, books and tutoring.” STATUS Assembly floor Signed into law Died in Senate Education Photo by Glen Korengold Where is your career taking you? With a J.D., your options are endless. If you want to sit for the California Bar, we have the most cost effective answer. • In house zero percent financing • Small class size • Classes meet only twice a week • Courtroom training skills curriculum Earn your J.D. either online, or at our Carlsbad or Los Angeles campus and review facility. The online option allows you to study from your home, while traveling, or anywhere there is an Internet connection. A Apply online at L www.CaliforniaMidland.com WE DO NOT REQUIRE THE LSAT FOR ADMISSION CaliforniaMidland.com or call: 760-929-5900 C A L I L F D C O H R L N I M O I A N D S O O F A W