President's Update May 9, 2023

Happy May TEA!

This May we have a week for National Teacher Appreciation and a California Day of the teacher….in the next week. This is late for one and maybe early for the other, but the most important thing is that each of you should be celebrated every day and not just on a well-planned calendar event. For every educator it doesn’t matter the zip code, religion or creed, we are creating lesson plans while continually creating a sense of community and safety for our students. We get up early (far too sometimes) and we stay up late worrying about children who aren’t biologically our own. We work with parents, caregivers and anyone in our communities, while we also are working to many times get the basic resources, we need to do our own jobs. We are continually reaching, to pull up those that are falling behind, to create plans for those that are far ahead and all the while reaching into our own pockets to make sure we have enough for every child.

I should have appreciated you enough to send a shorter email, but I tend to be very verbose so aside from food, words are my love language and this email is brimming with lots of love (and information).
 
Here’s the latest from TEA: 

• Spring Fling - Mark your calendars and come joining us for a great time:

• Administration Survey - By now you should have completed the TEA Admin. Survey. You were sent at least three opportunities to fill it out and if you didn’t open your email…you were always resent the first email so you even had up to six opportunities. Every year we are asked about this and every year we try to stress the importance. The more actual surveys we have filled out then the more accurate the data is to share with the district. These are totally anonymous, not even I can tell my own survey or when I sent my reply. These are also shared with the site administration and the district. Some of the administrative staff look at this as reflective and ask about it even before we send it out to them. To answer a few questions on about them:
  • Only the admin. And the district, aside from two of us at the office, will see the actual results. We try to make sure that these are taken seriously and are handled confidentially. While that makes it less “fun” TEA feels that it upholds a level of professionalism because none of us would want to have a survey about ourselves spread out on the lunchroom table. 
  • All surveys are completely anonymous, I can’t even tell which one I filled out because TEA makes the data results come in under no names and even the portion you fill out with extended answers is not specific to one area of the results. Each data point is given like we do with elections - by percentages. Even the portion with extended answers can only be deciphered if people type and name names or specific personal examples only known to themselves and the admin. 
• Special Education - 
  • Filling out the service provider percentages for the state - While some information has surfaced and stated that you need to fill in even more information on the students and percentages you saw them. Please keep in mind that even the state has been elusive and undecided in how the information should be kept or given should they be asked for it. This is what we know (thanks to CTA) as of today:
    • All LEAs were required to do a three-month tracking of student services from Feb 1 to April 30, 2023. The LEA will summarize and report the following: the number of students who had more or less than 90% of their services implemented during the review period. The data will be due to CDE no later than June 30, 2023. Even that data will not be required from EVERY Local Education Agency. The state will pull a percentage of districts and even within those districts it will only be a percentage of that data that has to be turned in. In April 2023: the LEAs should have
    • received their list of students for whom they will do a records review if it is requested by the CDE. 
    • If the district has changed the format for the tracking, please let TEA know since the tracking method was asked for several times already and unless the state has demanded a certain tracking method by TUSD, everything else is a district decision. 
    • TEA will be discussing with the district more in regards to our top areas decided by our joint meeting a few months ago. For a reminder - these were the top areas of concern at the TEA Special Ed. Special Meeting and presented at the last meeting with TUSD and TUSD Special Ed. Department:
      • Caseload/ Class Size - workload case average. 
      • Seniority in movement/ assignments
      • Time - planning for assessments/ paperwork prep etc. 
      • IEP Times - start/ end; when can be held, etc. 
• RCD - 
  • TEA has been in several conversations with the district in regards to the RCD implementation this year and the plans fo the coming years. The discussion has been between not just with Secondary Curriculum, but also with Dr. Johnson. High School site reps had asked and TEA has been trying to set up a time where opinions and ideas could be shared openly from the membership. In regard to the initial discussions this is what has been done and what is still being worked on:
    • TEA reached out to school board members and to Dr. Matos. To try to set up a time when some representatives from each site could come together and discuss the issues in person that TEA was hearing. Two of our School Board members responded and were open to the idea. The district had asked to complete their year-end wrap up of the first. 
    • TEA then continued with follow up conversations with Dr. Johnson and will be reaching out to again work with our district partners to arrange what we originally asked for, a meeting for our site reps (and a few additional from each site) to represent and talk to the district about their opinions. 
    • More information will follow, hopefully this week, and no later than our Rep. Council on May 16th. 
• End of Year/ Next Year - 
  •  Employment - For employment and Temp teachers - we are still awaiting information for the upcoming board meeting. The board meeting on Monday, May 15th is where they should be releasing all temporary employees. Please keep in mind that only means at that time, all contracts of temporary employees will be completed on June 2nd. That said, TEA has been told that they will be doing like last year, which is trying to offer as many new contracts as possible before the old contracts expire. While this is not something enjoyable, it is something that is legally allowed and something, for projection and cost reasons, a district is allowed to do. Many districts will not tell temporary teachers and just assume you know by the end of the year that your contract is over. Last year TUSD was able to hire back a high percentage of those they had let go by the end of June. We are hoping for similar projections this year and we are told that TUSD is hoping to repeat that as well. Until then, it is a waiting game for us all, but we do hope to know more after next week. 
  • State Budget - The May revision for the State Budget is due to be released later this month. On visits people have asked about the COLA as compared to our agreed upon contract last year. First, we do have a two-year contract with the district and only go back to the table if the revised budget comes in above 5.39% fully funded COLA. As of January, the budget had a higher projected COLA (8%) but it was unknown if it would be fully funded. That will still be unknown until the May Revise and until the actual budget is signed in June. 
• Retirement  If you are retiring this year, please make sure to do the following to help with the transition:
  • Double check your CalStrs online. 
  • Contact and let TUSD know.
  • Let your Site Rep know or contact the TEA office directly. 
  • Check out CTA Retired. 
  • Join CTA Retired.
  •  Websites to access retirement information include:  www.mycalstrs.com,  www.cta.org,  www.leginfo.ca.gov,  www.calpers.ca.gov, www.nea.org,  www.403bcompare.com,  www.nirsonline.org,  www.ssfairness.com, www.letstalkpensions.com  
• Legislation - 
  • There is some great legislation out there that is aimed at helping us as Educators. I was fortunate to get to go to Sacramento and help lobby for some of the bills currently before the State Senate and Assembly Education Committees. If you are interested in more information for certain bills currently being worked on and how they are being supported -  HERE. The bill that I think would interest all of the membership is listed below. While everyone may not enjoy reading the actual current bill, it is fun to read and know that Legislators in Sacramento do believe teachers deserve more and are thankful for the work that we do. 
  • While not everyone agrees on each bill, nor on the importance of politics in our work - it is within the lobbying of CTA that we have been able to help and make not only our jobs better but do work on behalf of all of our students to make funding and rights for students better. There is some interesting history and this work HERE. 
    • Assembly Bill: 938 (Muratsuchi) - proposed significant increases in school funding and educators salaries by increasing the target funding for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). To read the bill as of now HERE - to read an article on the bill go HERE.  
• Teachers Workshop- 
  • TEA is offering another workshop on Creating Safe Spaces- Legal Obligations in Today’s Classrooms. Those that attend will explore and discuss specific laws that define the role of educators when working with all protected classes and LGBTQ+ students and staff. Please R.S.V.P. dinner will be provided. 

• Transitional Kindergarten -
  • Would you like to teach TK, but the idea of going back to school has your bank account a little leery. OCDE has this great opportunity that might help out. Please go HERE to get more information. 

• May Is: 
  • The National Week for Teacher Appreciation - check out NEA for more information, uplifting stories and ways to honor peers checkout NEA’s page HERE.
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  • California Day of the Teacher May 10th we recognize the vital contributions of California teachers, school nurses and education support professionals. California Day of the Teacher, celebrated on the second Wednesday of May, arose out of legislation co-sponsored by the California Teachers Association and the Association of Mexican American Educators. Senator Joseph Montoya wrote the bill and it was adopted in 1982. California has patterned its celebration after the traditional El Día del Maestro festivities observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
  • CTA’s 2023 Day of the Teacher theme is “California Educators: Planting seeds, inspiring students and future educators.” The theme recognizes educators’ extraordinary work with students in schools across the state and their vital role in growing and mentoring the next generation of educators.
    • Check out more CTA resources HERE. Make this year’s poster your own – download a black and white version of the poster for you and your students to color. HERE
  • National School Nurse Day- May 10th  - Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is May 6-12 each year. More Resources HERE.
  • National Speech Pathologist Day - May 18th - In 2010, the United States declared May 18th to be National Speech Pathologist Day. Sadly, the rest of the history and origins are not to be found, but we have so many wonderful SLP’s in TUSD - they should be celebrated.
  • Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
    • According to the US Census Bureau, Asians and Pacific Islanders make up the fastest growing racial group in the United States, numbering more than 10 million people, or nearly 4 percent of the total population! The diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander American population includes members of more than 30 ethnic groups who speak more than 300 languages and dialects.
    • The theme of this year’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration. One of the reasons May was chosen for this celebration was to pay tribute to the first Japanese immigrants, who came to the United States in May 1843. CTA has many teaching resources to help check out their link HERE.
    • Asian American and Pacific Islander Recommended Reading - Share these stories that celebrate major figures and the lives of everyday men, women, and children of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander heritage. HERE
    • More Helpers to Use and Teach This Month:
      • History Channel
  • Mental Health Awareness Month
    • Mental health and wellness among students and educators are critical issues exacerbated by economic, social and political uncertainty. CTA's Wellness Center offers mental health resources for educators to use with students in the classroom, as well as support for educators who need help, from self-care strategies to crisis information and assistance. There is also an NEA Member Benefit for additional Mental Health Care.
    • If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at any time to speak to someone and get support. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255
  • Jewish American Heritage Month
    • In April 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month, recognizing the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. May was chosen because of the May 2004 celebration of the 350th anniversary of the American Jewish community (dating from a settlement of Jewish refugees from Brazil in New Amsterdam in 1654).
    • Educators can access relevant primary sources and document-based activities spanning the course of American history, created by the National Archives and teachers around the world. The National Endowment for the Humanities has helped fund educational programs on the Jewish American experience. Find these resources at jewishheritagemonth.gov/for-teachers
  • World Bee Day - May 20th
    • World Bee Day is observed on 20 May each year to draw attention to the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. Whatever the reason it’s good for us all to not only celebrate, but maybe plant a few flowers or plants that may help the pollinators and the planet. More information to help may be found HERE.
  • Harvey Milk Day - May 22nd
    • From California Education Code Section 37222.13: (a) May 22 of each year is designated and set apart as Harvey Milk Day, a day having special significance pursuant to Section 37222. (b) On Harvey Milk Day, all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises remembering the life of Harvey Milk, recognizing his accomplishments, and familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state.
• Yeah, for Educators -
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  • Shoutout to Educators - Miss this gem on SNL? Quinta Brunson (above), creator and star on the award-winning "Abbott Elementary" TV sitcom, hosted "Saturday Night Live" recently and gave a shoutout to educators in her monologue. “Please remember how important teachers are,” she said. “Acknowledge the work they do every day and for the love of God, pay them the money they deserve.” See it here. "Abbott Elementary" is set at a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school where a documentary crew is recording the lives of teachers working in underfunded, mismanaged schools. Brunson drew inspiration for the characters from her mother, a long time kindergarten teacher, and an educator named Ms. Abbott whose teaching helped her transition into middle school.
• Conferences -

• CTA Summer Institute: Mark your calendars now for CTA's premier training event, July 23-27. Summer Institute offers hands-on trainings and workshops in areas that assist chapter leaders in the day-to-day representation and support of members. These include Communications, Instruction and Professional Development (IPD), Emerging Leaders, Bargaining, School Finance, Healthcare Benefits and Issues, Legal, Member Benefits, and Community Engagement.
• Themes thus far: "Bringing Back the Joy of Teaching" (IPD), and "Communications Cafe: Brewing Up Union Strong Communications." Complete programming will be available soon at cta.org/conferences.
• Calling All of You In Orange Unified Area or anyone who likes to get involved:
  • Orange Unified School District, and their Orange Unified Educators Association, have been in the news lately regarding their newly changed school board. School Boards can be flipped in simple elections. This is why we take ours so seriously. Elections matter whether you agree with or follow them or even care personally. Elections of School Board members can change the trajectory of a district and all that is expected of our work in the classroom and on our school sites, and the expectations of us as employees. This could easily have been TUSD, this could quite easily be any of us in any district. Orange Unified Educators Association and their members are, finding themselves working for what is right for students against a board that does not support their public education rights as teachers, or the rights of all their district students to have a fair, free and public education. If you live in the boundaries of the Orange School District, please consider helping out by going to their website, or following them on social media. Their Union is working and helping, but this is primarily being run by a community-built coalition working to preserve public education. If you would like to help out, they will be working all summer and are looking for help. So, if you are available, or you know of anyone from the Orange area, please consider helping out and at the very least, checking out their website and social media.
  • @OUSDRecall #OUSDrecall (Instagram)
  • OUSDrecall.com (website)