Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/477973
Campus-based equity More than 150 California Faculty Association leaders and activists, representing faculty at CSU campuses, gathered in Millbrae during CFA's 2015 Spring Kickoff Feb. 6 and 7 to learn more about campus-based equity programs and efforts to see that campus presidents correct years of neglect regarding faculty salaries. Campus-based equity programs are part of the new faculty contract ratified in November. Work with Student CTA The Monterey Bay Teachers Association led an educational forum on Common Core for Student CTA members that included a discussion of pros and cons of Common Core as well an explanation of the value of CTA membership in addressing different reform measures and their impact on classroom teaching. How will CCSS funds be spent? Sacramento City Teachers Association's agreement with Sacramento City Unified School District's Academic Office outlines how Common Core implementation funds will be spent for the remainder of this school year and in the 2015-16 school year. Specifically, it clarifies how monies will be spent if the district receives additional funds above and beyond those already negotiated. The district has $1.77 million for the rest of this year and $2.6 million for 2015-16. Bargaining TOSA role in LCAP The Eureka Union Teachers Association and the neighboring Roseville Teachers Association in Placer County are becoming more involved in their districts' Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) process. Plans call for bargaining the creation and ongoing use of teachers on special assignment (TOSAs) to assist in curriculum planning and instruction. New member "Sherpa" The Unified Association of Conejo Teachers' "Sherpa" program gives new members in Ventura a safe person to go to for answers, concerns and training. The "Sherpa" is an experienced member at each site who helps new members navigate the school and their first year of employment. CAVA teachers want a union In preparing for the March meeting of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), where PERB is expected to OK their bid to form a union, California Virtual Academy teachers networked with parents online. Teachers shared concerns with parents over the erosion of student contact time because of increasing administrative tasks. Parents have been supportive of teachers' attempts to have a voice over these and other academy-related issues. CAVA is a statewide online charter school with over 750 teachers and 15,000 students. CAVA received $93 million from the state in 2012-13, and $55 million went to K12, a for-profit corporation based in Virginia. Better learning conditions for students Members of the Hemet Teachers Association (HTA) ratified an agreement Thursday, Jan. 29, after a 19-month contract dispute, which includes an 8 percent retroactive pay increase and an additional 2 percent raise in July. HTA also negotiated maximum student contacts for teachers in grades 6-12. "We owe this settlement to our parents and students. At the school board microphone, on the streets, and out in the rain with us, the students and parents of Hemet made all the difference," says HTA President Bob Hudson. Parents took over the public session of a Jan. 20 board meeting, and with their children at the microphone, they demanded a settlement that would translate into well-resourced classrooms to ensure all students have the public education they need and deserve. Head Start teachers get pay and benefits back After 10 long months, El Dorado County Head Start teachers are getting their hours, salaries and health benefits restored. During spring 2014, the El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) pink-slipped all preschool teachers, saying it had to reapply for the federal Head Start grant. The $4.1 million grant came through for five years, and teachers started to get called back to work. However, with letters of employment came cuts in hours and pay, some teacher salaries dropped nearly $20,000, and health benefits were cut by 15 percent. Unfair labor charges, letters to the editor, ongoing picking, phone calls, and community outreach put pressure on EDCOE to settle. Said one member: "EDCOE would never have restored one nickel to its preschool teachers if those very same teachers just sat back. They fought back and won. Never underestimate the power of preschool teachers in El Dorado County." Lucia Mar teachers, parents rally to retain quality educators So many Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association members and supporters showed up for the board meeting in Arroyo Grande that school officials called the fire marshal. The hundreds of supporters who did not fit filed past for 15 minutes urging the superintendent and board of education to settle their contract now and avoid a strike. LMUTA members have been working the school year without a settled contract. They want to make Lucia Mar better able to recruit and retain quality educators, instead of wasting money on outside consultants and public relations. Community support for the union's efforts has grown in recent weeks, with many area businesses posting supportive signs in their windows. Advocacy Update See these stories and more at cta.org/bargainingupdates Advocacy Bargaining 35 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 7