Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/602151
W H A T D O Y O U S P E N D on housing? The old rule of thumb says you should spend no more than 30 percent of what you make on your rent or mortgage. Tell that to the multitudes who shell out significantly more — particularly in pricey areas like San Francisco, where our cover story on page 22 focuses on the educa- tor housing crisis — and they'll laugh in your face. In fact, a new report from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies and Enterprise Community Partners finds that more than one out of four Americans who rent now pays over 50 percent of their income on housing, and numbers are expected to continue to rise. This is not a sustainable model for communities' well-being and future, and everyone suffers for it. Educa- tors and other vital public service workers are priced out — their salaries are simply not enough to let them live where they work. Teachers are forced to move away; dis- tricts are caught short of skilled, experienced educators; students are denied the quality education, continuity and community that a stable faculty provides. e solution, of course, is to pay educators a living wage. Specialized loans and housing reserved for teach- ers are Band-Aids that, while useful in the short term, do not address the real problem. Tell us what you think — @cateachersassoc, #teachershousing. Educators remain an optimistic bunch, however, in the face of the housing crisis and other tough issues. For exampl e, Muslim schol ar Ibrahim Al-Marashi brings together students from the Middle East and veterans who have fought there in his history classes at C SU San Marcos, in an ef fort to understand the volatile region's histor y and current events — and each other (page 19). And many educators are bringing students to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles (page 48), whose A Living Wage for Educators Editor's Note Coming Up in the Educator: • The Innovation Issue The December/January issue looks at creative thinkers and doers, cutting-edge modern architecture, and a model progressive school. • Friedrichs v. CTA What you need to know about the case, the stakes, and how the decision will affect students, educators and our schools. • Common Core Update on the implementation. • California Reads Kickoff A new year means new books to foster students' love of reading. • Tell us what you'd like to read Email editor@cta.org. youth programs shed light on historical and contem- porary consequences of prejudice and discrimination, from the Holocaust to segregation in California. Student participants become witnesses to history and are empowered to create respect- ful, inclusive communities. Fi n a l l y, t h e i n s p i r i n g s t o r y of Coach Jim W hit e's transfor - mation of l argely p o or, L atino youth from the tiny rural town of Mc Fa rl a n d i n t o c h a m p i o n - ship cross-country runners and college graduates is celebrated in a movie starring Kevin Cost- ner that was released earlier this year. We catch up with several of the key players on page 28. B u t b a c k t o s o l u t i o n s . Extending Prop. 30 and ensur - i n g s t a b l e e d u c a t i o n f u n d i n g t h r o u g h 2 0 3 0 ( p a g e 4 1 ) , b a t - tling billionaire Eli Broad's plan t o p r iv a t i z e p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n ( p a g e 4 0 ) , r a i s i n g e d u c a t o r s' wages, and many oth er ef for ts will require strong commitment and collective action. Fortunately, fighting the good fight has never been difficult for educators — and that's something to give thanks for. Katharine Fong E D I T O R I N C H I E F editor@cta.org 7 November 2015