Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/830448
OTHER CTA CO-SPONSORED LEGISLATION AB 43 by Assembly Member Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) imposes a tax on businesses contracting with a state prison, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or the Department of General Services to provide a state prison with goods or services. The revenue will be used for school programs and early interventions to prevent people from being incarcerated. The bill prohibits the tax from being passed through to the state by way of higher prices for goods and services. AB 45 by Assembly Member Thurmond requires the California Housing Finance Agency to administer a program to provide financing assistance to a qualified school district and qualified developer for the creation of affordable rental housing for school employees, and appropriates $100 million from the General Fund for this purpose. AB 52 by Assembly Member Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) creates a standard orientation for California's public employees with employee organization participation (to include sexual harassment, workplace violence, whistleblower protections, and disaster and emergency procedures). AB 699 by Assembly Member Patrick O'Donnell (D-Long Beach) prohibits discrimination and provides protections based on a student's immigration status by: • Monitoring whether districts are adopting antidiscrimination procedures and policies based on immigration status. • Prohibiting school officials from collecting information about the immigration status of pupils or their family members. • Prohibiting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer from entering a school site without receiving approval from a principal or district or county superintendent. OPPOSE AB 1220 On Lobby Day, May 17, CTA chapter presidents urged lawmakers to oppose AB 1220 by Assembly Member Shir- ley Weber (D-San Diego) because it would have a detrimental impact on the state's ability to attract and retain quality educators amidst the critical teacher shortage. The bill would extend the teacher probationary period from two years to up to five years. It would also require priority for professional development funding be provided to probationary employees in year 4 or 5 of the proba- tionary period, ignoring the big-picture goals of a school community and hindering the school district's ability to set its staff development priorities in alignment with the needs identified in its Local Control and Accountability Plan. Current law gives a school administrator two years to determine whether an educator is the right fit for the needs of students and the district. During that time, a teacher can be fired without cause. CTA believes extending the probationary period has no benefit for students and would actually keep ineffective teachers in the classroom longer. Lobby Day, from top: San Diego Education Association President Lindsay Burningham, Tustin Educators Association President Roger Kavigan, CTA Board member Barbara Dawson, Sweetwater Education Association Secretary Gretel Rodriguez, staff person, and Assembly Member Todd Gloria (D-San Diego). CTA Board member E. Toby Boyd with Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), right, and staff person. Photos by Erika Sizemore 36 cta.org advocacy