Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
Sharp Drop in Charter School Support P U B L I C S U P P O R T for charters fell by 12 per- centage points between 2016 and 2017, according to the annual survey by Education Next, which covered 10 main topics including Common Core and teacher policies; the charter response was the largest change in opinion. The question posed noted that charters are publicly funded but not managed by the local school board, are exempt from many state regulations, and asked "Do you support or oppose the formation of charter schools?" See full results at educationnext.org. Something to Smile About H U N D R E D S O F C H I L D R E N will receive free dental care in Taft, Kern County, as a result of a three-year collaboration of CTA, the California Resources Corporation, USC's Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and the Taft City School District. The first dental clinic, in a specially equipped mobile van, was held in September and serviced between 120 and 150 low-income students from six elementary schools in the district. According to a survey by the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA, dental problems keep California students out of class an estimated 874,000 days a year, costing schools nearly $30 million in lost ADA funding. "Since children with tooth decay are 12 times more likely to miss school, and missing school negatively impacts student achievement, we must do what we can to improve the oral health of the students in Kern County," says CTA President Eric Heins. " This is a partnership we all can smile about." Educator Eclipsed W E N D Y H O L M E S , San Bernardino County Teachers Association, was snapped with essential reading during totality in Casper, Wyoming, on Aug. 21. (Because the corona is so bright and cellphone resolution so poor, you can't see the moon obscure the sun.) Feelin' Fluey I T ' S T H E S E A S O N , so get your flu shot now — and that's a shot, not the spray (the latter has been shown to be less effective). Educators are exposed to germs and illness more than most, and being immunized two weeks prior to a flu exposure is the best way to be protected. The vaccination also may make your illness milder if you do get sick. 11 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 017 A USC School of Dentistry resident treats a Taft City School District student as part of a free mobile dental clinic made possible by a CTA partnership.