Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
QUOTES & NUMBERS Compiled by Mike Myslinski " Our students are at the center of everything we do, which means we are natural advocates to make public schools safe havens for all students and to keep open the doors of opportunity they need to thrive." — CTA President ERIC HEINS, from his Labor Day column in the Los Angeles Daily News. " I believed I could be a voice for the voiceless — hope for those feeling hopeless. I found my calling, and even now as a veteran teacher, I still wake up grateful for that decision." — CAMDEN FLORES, one of five San Diego County Teachers of the Year, quoted in the Sept. 17 San Diego Union-Tribune. She teaches mostly disadvantaged kindergartners in La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. " This is a great indicator that our education system has momentum, inspiring us to continue working together for positive change in education, which I call the 'California Way.' " — State Superintendent of Public Instruction TOM TORL AKSON, announcing on Aug. 25 that the percentage of high school graduates eligible for CSU admission reached an all-time high in 2015 at 40.8 percent. " Provide compensation packages that are competitive with those of other occupations requiring similar levels of education and that are equitable across districts, so all schools can compete in the labor market for well-prepared teachers." — One remedy to teacher turnover recommended in an August report by the Palo Alto-based Learning Policy Institute. " No ban! No wall! Education for all!" — Chant of about 3,000 Berkeley High School students who walked out of class Sept. 15, KT VU-T V reported, to form a human chain around their school to support undocumented classmates and oppose President Trump's attacks on the DACA program. $20,000 Per-pupil funding goal of the new United Teachers Los Angeles campaign in Los Angeles Unified School District, by 2020. $10,795 Average district's per-pupil funding in 2015-16 for California K-12 schools, according to California Department of Education data (Current Expense of Education per ADA). $70,812 Annual cost of incarcerating one California state prisoner, according to a March 2017 update by the Legislative Analyst's Office. It's expected to rise to $75,560 in the current fiscal year, which began July 1. 62% Percentage of public school parents who give their neighborhood public schools a grade of A or B, according to the 49th annual national poll by Phi Delta Kappa on attitudes toward public schools (PDKpoll.org). 162 Number of California school districts, as of Sept. 20, that have adopted resolutions declaring they are safe havens for the 2.7 million students they serve, at the urging of state Superintendent Tom Torlakson. 16 cta.org In the Know Q U O T E S & N U M B E R S