Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and californiaeducator.org. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have identifications and permissions. Opinions expressed by the writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Student Trip Chaperone? Talk to Us! Have you been a chaperone for student trips abroad? We'd love to talk to you for an upcoming story in the Educator. While help- ing lead such trips is a big responsibility, we know the rewards must also be great. Email editor@cta.org to let us know where you went with your students, and summarize the experience. Gun Violence in Schools I understand Janice Haschak's wish that if we just banned certain weapons, they would no longer be used ("Arming Teachers," April/May). Unfortu- nately, making something illegal does not result in its non-usage, as we have seen for thousands of years. The issue isn't guns; it's about the person behind the gun. Haschak goes on to suggest that if students couldn't buy guns, at worst they would rage by putting a "fist through a wall or a foot through a window." Hardly. Even if guns never existed, there are stabbings, arson, homemade bombs, etc. All that is needed to kill some- one is a person's own two hands. She also states that "it's immoral to allow people to express their rage by killing and maiming countless innocent people with a simple pull of the trigger." Of course it is. But this is not the issue. The issue that needs to be addressed is people taking the lives of others because they have no regard for the value of life. Haschak deplores the "mass shooting at our schools," but she doesn't offer a solution. How about locks on classroom doors and the presence of security guards or officers on campus? There will always be people looking to hurt others. The best we can do is be aware of that and be ready to defend our- selves and others. KRISTA WAGNER Riverside CCD Faculty Association We Are 44 According to the Education Week Research Center, Cali- fornia is now ranked 44th in adjusted per-pupil expenditures (based on 2015 base data), not 43rd as we reported earlier. The PPE figure for California was $9,417 — which is $3,109 below the national average of $12,526. This is up from 50th in 2011, and 46th in 2017 — no doubt because of passage of Propositions 30 and 55. However, California has consistently lagged $3,000 to $3,500 below the national average. Caption This It's our summer GIF contest! Go to CaliforniaEducator.org for our latest contest and enter your clever caption for a chance to win some coveted CTA swag. Deadline is July 25. Courtesy Alaska Airlines 3 J U N E / J U L Y 2 018 F E E D B A C K #OurVoiceOurUnion #WeAreCTA For our full social media directory, see cta.org/social facebook.com/ wearecta @WeAreCTA youtube.com/ californiateachers @WeAreCTA WeAreCTA 44