Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/969549
Compiled by Mike Myslinski QUOTES & NUMBERS QUOTES & NUMBERS " It's time for Congress to listen to our kids and our communities and approve some commonsense gun laws to keep our students and public schools safe." — CTA President ERIC HEINS, in a March 14 press release honoring the thousands of students that day who held gun violence protests in response to the Parkland high school mass shooting. " Our students need more books, art and music programs, nurses and school counselors; they do not need more guns in their classrooms. Teachers should be teaching, not acting as armed security guards, or receiving training to become sharpshooters." — NEA President LILY ESKELSEN GARCÍA, in a March 13 press statement about NEA's polling showing educators strongly oppose arming teachers to prevent school violence. " Graduations Not Funerals." — A sign at the March 24 MARCH FOR OUR LIVES rally in San Jose, one of many actions across the country to protest gun violence and demand safe schools and gun control. " We will hold the line until hell freezes over, and then we will be here on ice skates. We love our kids." — DIANE WALKER, high school teacher in Oklahoma, on the second day of a statewide strike in early April by educators over dismal salaries and poor education funding, quoted in an April 3 CNN story. " This lockout is about putting out the message that teachers really do more than they're required to, and they deserve to be fairly compensated." — Burbank Teachers Association President DIANA ABASTA, quoted in the March 30 Burbank Leader about the BTA contract fight protest in her district involving educators who only get duty-free lunch periods by locking their classroom doors. 5 th For the third year in a row, California's national ranking in the percentage of high school graduates who earned high scores on Advanced Placement exams, the state recently announced. 61 Number of current and former California Teachers of the Year who signed an open letter released March 8 by state Superintendent Tom Torlakson opposing President Trump's idea to arm teachers, and calling for gun control and greater access to mental health services. Read the letter: tinyurl.com/CAteacherletter. 73,084 Number of male K-12 teachers in California's public schools as of the 2016-17 school year, according to the California Department of Education. 201,162 Number of female K-12 educators in California's public schools, from the same source. $184,200 The average bonus paid to Wall Street employees in New York City last year, the New York State Comptroller 's Office reported in March. 14 cta.org In the Know Q U O T E S & N U M B E R S