Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/556394
I was moved when Redding School District English Language Development coordinator Mark Kubisch, in our story on English fluency standards (page 44), said, "My English learners are hard workers and always give me 100 percent. They are doing their best to learn a new language and culture. We need to do our best for them." Young, Kubisch and many others were great inspirations as I pulled together this issue. I was reminded again and again how educators do what they do with big hearts and total commitment to students. This passion is also very much on display in our story on a wonderful teaching residency program (page 24), mod- eled after medical residencies. One look at the engaged, animated faces of teachers and students says it all. If the rest of us — read noneducators — are lucky, we, too, are in jobs where we work with heart and passion. I feel lucky: I am honored to join CTA as editor of the Educator, and honored to connect directly to you and your students. I'm excited to tell your stories with the same spirit and enthusiasm you demonstrate every day. I'm also energized by CTA's mission and work, which new President Eric Heins outlines on page 5. There are critical issues before us, from the Supreme Court's decision on fair share fees (page 36) to California's increasing number of homeless students (page 48), now a staggering 310,000. The latter, especially, is in stark contrast to my household, where my eighth- and fifth-grade daughters ready for the new school year. They're gathering up old and new school supplies, assessing the wardrobe situation, tossing ragged Converse sneakers for clean, crisp new ones. I'm grateful to be able to provide them their own beds and a roof over their heads. I can't fathom how homeless students man- age to get by day to day, much less how already-stretched teachers make school a safe haven where they can learn and grow. I'm eager to explore how educators, and our government and communities, continue to address this and other important issues. I'll look to you for guidance — from the heart as well as the head. I know you have much to say. Contact me at editor@cta.org. Katharine Fong E D I T O R I N C H I E F Working with heart I was touched by Northwood Elementary School teach- er Gayle Young's response to what veteran educators wished they'd known on their first day of teaching (see story on page 20), particularly how attached she would get to her kids. "They become like your own when you see them every day 8 to 3," she says. "It's not just edu- cation. They leave footprints on your heart." Editor's Note 7 V O L U M E 2 0 I S S U E 1 You could save on health coverage CalPERS members during open enrollment uhc.com /calpers Learn more at ©2015 United HealthCare Services, Inc. Health Plan coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare of California. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. UHCCA745923-000