Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/686175
Members Lobby for Differential Pay Bill By LEN FELDMAN I N M AY, members of CTA State Council's Negotiations Committee and Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee, including Elizabeth Esquivel-Waterman (Terra Bella Teachers Association), Chantaine Fauntleroy (Hayward Education Association), and Deborah Behm (Alvord Educators Association), talked to lawmakers in the state Capitol about a bill of high interest to educators: AB 2393 by Assembly Member Nora Campos (D-San Jose). e visit paid immediate dividends: Lawmakers followed their advice and approved the bill out of committee; it passed the Assembly Floor and is headed to the Senate. e CTA-co-sponsored bill would clarify existing law to make sure that education sup- port professionals and higher education faculty would be eligible for "differential pay" when on leave due to the arrival of a new child. e bill adds to the ability of a primary caretaker to bond with the child, helping ensure the child will be eager to learn at the start of school. Because its provisions rest on differential pay — the difference between salary paid to a substitute and the pay of the full-time staff person — AB 2393 does not represent any new costs. May 13 Gov. Jerry Brown releases the May Revision of his proposed budget, warning that updated forecasts from the Department of Finance find that the state will face a $4 billion deficit in 2019-20 if voters do not approve the California Children's Education and Health Care Protection Act (CEHCP) in November. (See story on previous page.) May 24 Hundreds of CTA chapter leaders from around the state gather at the state Capitol to lobby their lawmakers in support of higher funding for public education, including passage of CEHCP. June 15 Deadline for state lawmakers to complete work on their budget proposal and send it to the governor for his review. June 30 Deadline for the governor to sign the new spending plan into law. July 1 Start of the state's new fiscal year. November 8 General election: Voters should approve the CEHCP initiative, which extends for 12 years current income taxes on the top 2 percent of California's wealthiest, to avoid billions in cuts to education and children's health care. Key Dates in the 2016 State Budget Process Get informed — your vote counts! A S W E W E N T T O P R E S S , California was gearing up for the state presidential primary election on June 7. It's critical that pro-education candidates succeed and move on to the general election in November. CTA has a member-driven process for candidate and initiative recommendations. Your colleagues have carefully reviewed candidates' records and commitment to public education, and put together a list of CTA-recommended candidates. Go to cta.yourvoter.guide to view your personalized voter guide. And check out the CTA Campaign 2016 site at cta.org/campaign2016 for more information and updates. From left, Assembly Member Nora Campos with members Elizabeth Esquivel-Waterman, Chantaine Fauntleroy, and Deborah Behm. Photo by Seth Bramble 33 May / June 2016