President's Updates

President's Update April 22, 2024

Happy Earth Day TEA!

As we lead into State Testing and the last six weeks of the school year - I always wish that it seemed as fast and as close as it is. Coming around and continuing to talk to members 1:1 has really been an amazing experience. Being able to be in your classrooms - steal ideas from what you have up. See you all in your own spaces. I feel like we are getting to know you better with each visit. Thank you for opening your doors and spaces to speak to us.

Being in your classrooms and watching you with your students, TUSD should be spending more time with you during those outbreaks from kiddos who have trauma at home and cannot sit in your classrooms, they should watch and be in awe as much as I am as you encourage and succeed in getting those students who are so far off task that they can barely focus on the lesson let alone independent work, they should watch you teach with the passion that you each have and feel the love you have for your students. I am honored each time I’m allowed to watch this, I am in awe at how amazing we Tustin teachers are. I am truly amazed at what each and every one of you do daily for the students in this district. Please remember to take care of yourselves and each other. You are the reason our students succeed and excel. Thank you for what you do daily! 

Here’s the latest from TEA:  

  • ADMIN. SURVEYS - All administrator surveys have been delivered to your emails as of last week. If you have not received an email with that information please let TEA know. 714.505.6365 - The validity of the results depends on how many people are filling out the survey. That means it is valuable that each person fills out a survey so that TEA may relay your feedback as to what is happening at your site. The Special Ed. survey for coordinators and facilitators will be out after completion of this survey. 

  • TEACHER OF THE YEAR DINNER - 

  • Would you like to attend the Teacher of the Year Dinner? TEA has sponsored the event, along with purchasing additional tickets and will be raffling off eight tickets to members. Please fill out this form if you are interested. The link will close at 4:oo pm on Thursday and names will be pulled on Thursday, April 25th before 5p.m. All participants will be notified by email of the results. 

  • STATE COUNCIL - 
    • CTA’s top policy-making body is the State Council of Education. Meeting four times a year, the council’s nearly 800 delegates sets forth CTA policy, develops legislation, and makes recommendations in general elections.
    • April State Council Minutes from TEA State Council Representatives may be found- HERE The Next State Council will be held May 31- June 2, 2024. 
  •  CTA WHO AWARDS 2024 -
    • Each year we honor those who have made contributions to both education and union work. The formal recognition is the Whoo Award. Who stands for We Honor Our Own. Please congratulate them for their work towards our profession and for our union. This year’s TEA Recipient is Angelica Jimenez. She has worked as a Site Rep, our TEA Secretary, Secretary for Irvine Tustin Teachers which runs our joint union office, helped to decipher the minutes for middle school and worked to get those into the contract,and sits on the Scholarship Committee. She is pivotal to the work that goes on in TEA and we are honored to honor her this year. She will be honored Wednesday, May8th at the Orange Service Center Awards Dinner. Thanks for all that you do Angelica!
  • TEA SCHOLARSHIP - 
    • Thank you to everyone who donated this year to the TEA Scholarship drive. The great news is that you may contribute at any time, not just during the normal yearly drive, and that it’s TAX DEDUCTIBLE.  Check out our website to give a one time or monthly donation to continue helping our members' dependents pursue educational goals. 
    • This year’s recipients:

  • UPDATES/ ISSUES CONTINUED - 

  • Share your Voice - TEA is often asked about how to get messages across for each and every one of our members. What better way to do that than to share those stories personally. So many of you have had things happen, have concerns and would like to know that you are heard. So, what would you like TEA to pass on to our School Board Members and our Superintendent? Your site will be required, but name is not. We understand that many of you are worried about what happens if you admin. knows who wrote what, and many of you are also temporary employees. Please help us to help you and share what you would like to tell those that make decisions for our classrooms and students. Please follow the link HERE to the form - Or press on the picture above. 

  • Change of Placements/ Temporary Employees - At the last board meeting 261 temporary certificated employees were released from the district,(23% of our educators work force) once their contracts expire at the end of the year. While we have had to have this in print before - I will be completely honest - I do not know when, or how many will be hired back. Currently there are many factors affecting the timeline that has to happen before our temporary employees are asked to come back. I have said this before and will continue to say it - TEA wants you to be successful as an educator, even if that means you are not with TEA in the end. Your employment in California only helps and strengthens the work that we do as educators and as Unions. We want you to be happy and successful California educators and to do that you need permanent employment. We would love to have each of you stay with TEA for the rest of your lives. That said, my advice is a lot like dating advice, if you do not have a ring on it (or a promise of long term) please continue to date elsewhere. Keep in touch with TUSD over the summer, but do not sell yourselves short and do not hold out on one district alone. You ALL deserve to have permanent employment and long careers in education where you feel safe and secure. Currently the timeline looks like this:

    • The ILT/MTSS that are not going into MLS positions will be put into current openings. Please keep in mind that while we think we can predict where the openings are, there are factors that affect this as well. Sites have been working on their projected numbers and they are planning for enrollment based on the numbers that include declining enrollment. We all know that staffing is generally done at lesser amounts, and then they amp up as needed as the students arrive. That means while it may look one way now, it is not always how the sites or TUSD are planning for each site to start. Some Admin. Will let sites know estimated numbers and estimated time lines. 

    • TK openings and interviews - They will hold interviews and then place those that interview into those spots. The reason this comes first is that many of our current ILT/MTSS educators have put in for transfers or to TK. TK requires additional units (24 ECE Units) and must be interviewed for the open positions. It is not just as simple as they have an opening and we slot people in. 

    • ILT/MTSS current holders will then be placed into the opening positions. You should have already been sent a Google Doc that allows you to list whether you want a certain grade or a certain type of school. 

    • After that there will be any movement due to overage of impacted sites (i.e. too many teachers for the amount of students), I add this, but at this time I am hearing very little about this movement for this reason. 

    • Then transfers - remember you always have the option of putting in for a transfer. All transfers have to interview for transfers so the hope is that these occur by the middle of June, but if not complete, then they would be held after admin. Return from their break in July. 

    • Once the items above are settled, or during the last portion, they will begin to call back temp employees. 

    • Please watch Ed Join for openings and do not be afraid to apply. Just this week there were positions for Secondary Itinerant educators. I believe they said those were for current employees. You are still a current employee. I cannot promise that will work, but you still have the right to apply. 

    • If you do not have a job and your contract ends, please remember that you have the right to claim unemployment until you sign another contract. 

  • California State Budget - It is worth mentioning that currently we are waiting for the final revision to the Governor's budget in May. This is a critical time and it is important that all educators are aware of what is happening because education funding is not just crucial for us as educators, but also for what will happen as a state for our students. Most of the above and what is being discussed currently between TUSD/TEA and all parties is what will happen when the May revision comes out. 

    • As of January the Governor had kept all education funding in a hold harmless position, meaning no cuts to education in any way. 

    • Since that time, there have been different areas of concern as the tax review is far below what they anticipated. 

    • This is still different from our worst times of 2008/09 ish - when we didn’t have a rainy day fund and every district was doing reductions in force (RIFs) and we were all bargaining to debate unpaid workdays and shortening of calendars. 

    • CTA is currently working with the Governor and will continue to work to ensure that education stays a priority. Even without that, our current Governor seems concerned with early childhood education and in making sure that California’s students stay a priority as well. 

    • Whether you like politics or not, this is something that also does not matter what letter comes after your voter registration. If you feel that California students are a priority please reach out to your elected officials and help spread the word that our students do not deserve any further cuts. 

    • To Find Your Local Legislator Click Here

  • Unpaid Summer Training - If you have been told (or even asked nicely) to attend any Summer training in order to be able to teach your level, subject, or any classes next year…that is not OK. TEA continues to hear about members being told they should attend a certain training in order to continue teaching, or be able to teach certain grades, subjects or levels. 
    • All Summer trainings
      • May NOT be mandated
      • If you are required to attend to teach something, then please let TEA know. 
      • You should be getting paid in order to attend something during your unpaid time off in Summer. We are not contracted during summer, and while we know many of us are in our rooms setting up, planning etc. for the upcoming year, those are all choices you personally make in order to make your next year better prepared for yourself. Admin. May not use it against you as contract states:
        • Reassignments - 8.8.4 Involuntary reassignments shall not be made for arbitrary or capricious reasons.

  • TEA SPRING FLING - 

  • Please come join TEA as we wind down the year. We know it is on the same night as the induction colloquium, and we apologize for that, but please come over after and enjoy some dessert and beverages with us. 

  • NEW RESEARCH RELEASE  - The Public Policy Institute of California has released this years results from their state Survey on Education in California - Solid majorities of Californians support educators’ unions and feel that teachers in their communities are not paid enough, according to a statewide survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Forty-six percent of public school parents think that the level of state funding for their local public schools is “not enough,” and majorities of likely voters would vote Yes on state and local school bond measures, according to the survey. Check out the results on the website HERE.  

  • NEA Research on What Teachers Want the Public to Know - Interesting research information and article from our National Union. Check out the LINK HERE (or click key takeaways above)  and pass on to a friend. 

  • ONGOING DISTRICT DISCUSSIONS - After talking with so many people 1:1 we have even more items we were going over with the district. The following items have been brought up/ discussed with our Superintendent, Dr. Johnson, Our Chief Financial Officer, Harold Sullins; Dr. Maurita De La Torre and within our elementary meeting with Maggie Villegas. 
    • Safety - both within our classrooms and for our own safety with students. Every time there is a meeting there are issues about safety. 
    • Prop 28 funding - TUSD is currently meant to receive 3.2 million dollars to extend our VAPA opportunities for our students. This is a direct result of the last November election when the California voters chose to put continual state funding into the Visual and Performing Arts education of students. TEA met to discuss these changes with TUSD because we feel that there are current programs that could be extended, hence saving some of our current temporary VAPA teachers, and then to find out the timeline for expenditures.The district has already received some funds (about 600 thousand) but is currently waiting on the May budget revise to see if any future funding is affected. Monies will be going to sites and there is a committee at the district that has started to find what VAPA needs are in TUSD.
    • Middle School Minutes - as we go into next year, we have been informed that TUSD was audited for the minutes and our contract has a range that all sites would then fall under. TEA is working to get the same group who worked on it previously, or to pull in both bargaining teams in order to work on a solution before we go to break. All middle school reps have been asked to give options/ ideas as to how to make up the adjustment/ or work with now that nutrition is not to be counted in our minutes. TEA is aware that we are already above the 54,500 minute mandate of the state - we also are aware that contractually we have a span of 61,000-62,000 minutes that may be used. TEA is open and ok with falling under the minute, TUSD would like not to fall under the minutes now that nutrition will not be counted. Please make sure your reps have worked on the options document for our TEA middle school director and team. 
    • Special Education - 
      • Best Practices from last year
      • SAI Caseloads and Movement - 
      • SAI Caseloads - Please let TEA know as soon as you reach 28 - any above 28 MUST have a waiver from the state. If you have more than 28 and have not signed a waiver you are breaking Ed. Code, if your coordinator or facilitator is pushing for you to break that Ed. Code please let TEA know. We are aware of some sites that this is being overlooked. Please see the Ed. Code below. 
        • The most important item:
          •  is that you MUST be asked to sign a waiver and accept before you accept any additional students. 
          • You sign off, TEA signs off and the district signs off. 
          • Signing a waiver is meant to come with additional time with support staff (aides or others). Without a waiver then it is just you taking more students. 
          • You should not have over 28 two years in a row. 

  • TEA has also stated our interest or the agreed interests, in extending the following Items  going into next year:
    • SDC Preschool - 5 day a week SDC agreement (MOU)  
    • Sycamore Self Contained Sixth Grade Classrooms (MOU) 
    • Special Education Best Practices - created last year and started this year. 
  • Bargaining - TEA will be reviewing the Interactive Bargaining posters/ papers/ and wrap ups from each site and will be putting forth what we would like to focus on for next year (outside of wages and benefits which are always opened). 

MAY 2ND SPECIAL EDUCATION MEETING - Interactive Bargaining Survey and Update for our Best Practices, Just like we did a year ago we will be working our Special Education community and to get together and work out what are the most important items for each specialty as well as a combined most important for the totality of the special education teams. Please consider joining us for the evening (and RSVP at the link above or HERE) 

  • RETIREMENT - 

  • Are you planning on retiring this year? Or anytime soon? 
    • Please check out the NEA/NEA Retired information. You may sign up for lifetime at any time preretirement. Check out their brochure HERE - When you retire as a TEA member and choose to join CTA Retired. TEA pays for your first year of membership. 
    • There are a few ways to join CTA/NEA-Retired: 
      • Paying a monthly dues amount of $5.70 deducted from your CalSTRS or CalPERS pension check.
      • Making an annual payment $85 by check or credit card
      • Paying a one-time, lifetime membership payment of $600 by check or credit card (*Active members are eligible for pre-retired membership by paying the $600  one-time lifetime membership fee) 
      • The CTA site for CTA Retired is HERE. 
    • 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    

  • STATE LEVEL ITEMS - 

  • AB2901  - Momentum Growing in the Fight for Paid Pregnancy Leave - The fight to pass AB 2901 (Aguiar-Curry) is shining a bright light on the lack of paid pregnancy leave for public school educators in a field where three out of four teachers are women. CTA’s fight for fairness and equity landed on the front page of the Wall Street Journal last week , as many across the country learned for the first time that expecting educators face significant hardship and difficult decisions. “Women leave the workforce when they have babies, and they’re not coming back,” CTA Secretary-Treasurer Erika Jones said in the story. AB 2901 continues to move through the Legislature, next getting a hearing by the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Add your name to more than 11,000 on the petition and share your pregnancy story below. #PregnancyLeaveNOW
  • KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: -  In light of the conversations we have been having here are a few Ed. Code rights that are worth knowing about: 
    • California Education Code 48900 - it does not state an age or say that certain grades may not be suspended as some of you have been told by your administrators. What it does state: 
      • that a student may be suspended or expelled if they have committed an act defined in subdivisions (a) to (r). These acts include:
      • Causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause physical injury to another person
      • Willfully using force or violence upon the person of another, except in self-defense
      • Possessing, selling, or otherwise furnishing any firearm, knife, explosive or other dangerous object
      • Conducting violent crimes
      • Possessing drugs or weapons
      • Stealing
      • Harassing
      • Hazing
      • Acting obscenely
      • Threatening to inflict bodily harm
      • Destroying school property 
    • Ed Code 49331 - Injurious Objects 
      • (2) As used in this article, “injurious object” shall also mean objects capable of inflicting substantial bodily damage, not necessary for the academic purpose of the pupil.
      • (b) As used in this section, “academic purpose” means any school sponsored activity or class of instruction scheduled during the school day.
      • (c) “Injurious object” does not include any personal possessions or items of apparel which a school age child reasonably may be expected either to have in his or her possession or to wear.
      • Any certificated employee of any school district and any classified employee of a school district who is designated by the governing board for such purposes may take from the personal possession of any pupil on school premises or while under the authority of school personnel any injurious object in the possession of the pupil.
    • Ed Code 44014 and our Contract Section 9.4  - 
      • Any employee attached, assaulted, or physically threatened by any pupil has the duty to promptly inform law enforcement. Failure to make the report is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. This is also in our TEA/TUSD contract 
      • (a) Whenever any employee of a school district or of the office of a county superintendent of schools is attacked, assaulted, or physically threatened by any pupil, it shall be the duty of the employee, and the duty of any person under whose direction or supervision the employee is employed in the public school system who has knowledge of the incident, to promptly report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the incident occurred. Failure to make the report shall be an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
    • TEA/ TUSD Contract Article 9.5 Student Control
      • 9.5.1 - At the beginning of each school year, the District shall make available to all bargaining unit members a written copy of the Education Code sections dealing with their rights and duties regarding student control. 
      • 9.5.2 -  In the administration of discipline on the campuses, the District agrees to give all reasonable support and assistance to the bargaining unit members.
      • 9.5.3 - Within the scope of employment, a bargaining unit member may use the amount of physical control over pupils which is reasonably necessary to maintain order, to protect oneself, to protect property, to protect the health and safety of pupils, and to maintain reasonable, proper and appropriate conditions which are conducive to learning. 
  •  MONTHLY ITEMS- Some dates to jot in your calendar or look up for ideas for your classroom. 

  • APRIL
    • National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month 
    • National Child Abuse Prevention Month 
    • National Poetry Month
    • School Library Month
    • John Muir Day 21st 
    • Earth Day 22nd 
    • Administrative Professionals Week 21st-27th  - remember your site secretaries and staff. 
    • National Library Week 21st-27th- First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries—school, public, academic, and special—participate.
    • Administrative Professionals Day 24th - Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated on the Wednesday of Administrative Professionals Week, which is on the last full week of April.
    • School Nutrition Employee Week April 29-May3rd- School Nutrition Employee Week is held the week in which School Lunch Hero Day is celebrated.
    • Dia De Los Niños 30th - El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
  • MAY

California Day of the Teacher 8th - 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 Dia del Maestro festivities observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Day of the Teacher, National School Nurse Day and ESP Day are all about honoring and celebrating the work that teachers, nurses and education support professionals do every day, and the support and guidance they give to our students. Our theme this year, “California Educators United for Our Students,” also acknowledges what we can accomplish together in our union. 

  • National School Nurse Day 8th
  • Mother’s Day 12th - Mother's Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May.
  • National Speech Pathologist Day 18th 
  • Armed Forces Day 18th
  • Classified School Employee Week 19th-25th
  • Harvey Milk Day 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.
  • Memorial Day  27th- Memorial Day is a public school holiday per California Education Code Section 37220. It is also a state holiday per California Government Code Section 6700. The CDE will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2024. Every Memorial Day, the U.S. flag is quickly raised to the tops of flagpoles, slowly lowered to half-mast, and then raised again to full height at noon. The time at half-mast is meant to honor the million-plus fallen U.S. soldiers who have died for their country over the years. Re-raising the flag is meant to symbolize the resolve of the living to carry on the fight for freedom so that the nation's heroes will not have died in vain.

  • MEMBER BENEFITS:

  • The Standard: Summer brings us some great things - barbecues, popsicles and summer fruit cobblers. And now, you can add the new Summer Benefit* from CTA to the list! This exclusive benefit gives you extra protection during the months of June and July – even if you’re not scheduled to work. It pays $500 a week if you become or continue to become Disabled during those months. Exclusively offered to CTA members, Summer Benefit is included at no additional cost when enrolled in CTA-endorsed Voluntary Disability insurance. To learn more, visit CTAMemberBenefits.org/TheStandard.
     

  • Calm - Work-life balance is something we all hear about, but balance is subjective to your own definition. What works for some might not work for others and what has worked for you in the past might not work now. It’s also equally important to dive deeper and make sure we’re balanced in all areas of life. That’s why it’s crucial to consistently reflect if the balance is working for you.  Start finding your overall balance with Calm.
    Check out the Calm app for other diverse resources that’ll support your mental health journey. Haven't redeemed your free CTA Calm Premium subscription yet? Visitwww.CTAMemberBenefits.org/calm to sign up today! MORE.
     

    Have a wonderful rest of your week! 

    In Unity,

    Lisa Hickman
    President, Tustin Educators Association
    State Council Representative
    Itinerant Teacher, Heideman  
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Related Articles

Contract Ratification Vote Dec. 20, 2022

Compensation and Health & Welfare Benefits Vote Dec. 2022

Tentative Agreements and MOU Nov. 10, 2022

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