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Award-Winning Newspaper of United Teachers Los Angeles •
www.utla.net Volume XLV, Number 10, July 22, 2016
Calling out the billionaires who opposed school funding New report reveals wealthy Californians who tried to defeat Prop. 30 while professing to champion the needs
of children and public education. UTLA was part of a powerful action
last month to bring hidden money—and
hidden agendas—to light in advance of
a critical vote on school funding this fall.
On June 28, parents, students, educators, and community groups leafleted and
chanted outside the Century City offices
of two of the billionaires exposed in a new
report, “Hidden Donations Brought to
Light: How the Wealthy Elite Tried to Defeat
Proposition 30.” The report reveals the
names of previously undisclosed wealthy
Californians who donated to a shadowy
political group focused on defeating Prop.
30 in 2012 while they associated themselves
with public schools that benefited from the
increased tax revenue in the measure. “I am appalled at the hypocrisy of these
billionaires,” Rowan Avenue teacher and
UTLA Board member Gloria Martinez said.
“I am tired of people calling themselves
philanthropists yet they fight funding for
arts in school, they fight more nurses in
schools, and they try to pack 35 students into
my classroom. Our students deserve better,
our communities deserve better, our teachers
deserve better, our students and parents of
color deserve better, and it all starts with
these billionaires paying their fair share.” The action took place outside the offices
of Ares Management LP. Two of the millionaires named in the report—Anthony
Ressler and John Kissick—are partners in
Ares. Ressler is also a founder and former
board chair of Alliance charter schools,
which continues to wage an illegal antiunion campaign against its own educators
(read about a judge’s recent ruling against
Alliance on page 5). Some of the secretive
funding uncovered in the Hedge Clippers
report also went to anti-union Prop. 32, a
measure that would have silenced the polit-
ical voice of educators and other employees. As part of the “dark money” scheme,
donors contributed to an out-of-state organization, which circulated the funds
through other groups before the money
was channeled back to California. By then,
the donors’ identity was beyond the reach
of disclosure laws. Some of the contributors, including Eli Broad, had already been
exposed after a state investigation; the
Hedge Clippers report adds more than
70 names to the shameful list.
Parents, educators, students, and community members are asking the donors named in
the report to support Prop. 55, the November
ballot measure that would extend the Prop.
30 tax on the wealthiest 2% of earners. About
$4 billion a year in school funding is at stake.
“As a student, I remember the massive
cutbacks that our schools went through
just a few years ago,” said Kenia Alcocer,
At an action in Century City, East Los Angeles College student Kenia Alcocer (holding mic) urges billionaires to “do the right thing” and not
oppose the extension of Prop. 30 on the November ballot. About $4 billion a year in school funding is at stake.
a student at East Los Angeles College.
“This time around, I think the billionaires
who fought against Prop. 30 should do the
right thing and support a strong public
education system for California.”
Resources: Read the Hedge Clippers report at bit.ly/hedgereport and the L.A. Times
story at bitly.com/Timeshedgereport.
The release of the report kicked off California
Hedge Clippers, a new campaign, linked to
the national Hedge Clippers, to combat dark
money in politics and expose strategies used
by billionaires to undermine public education
and other social services. UTLA is a partner
in this coalition, along with ACCE (Alliance
for California Community Empowerment),
AFSCME 3299, POWER (People Organized
for Westside Renewal), the Courage Campaign,
SEIU Local 721, and other groups. Protestors rallied on June 28 outside the office
of Anthony Ressler, one of the more than 70
wealthy Californians who made undisclosed
contributions in 2012 as part of an unsuccessful attempt to defeat funding for schools
and to limit employees’ voice in politics. A
companion rally was held in San Francisco
outside the offices of Gap Inc. John, Doris,
William, and Richard Fisher, heirs to the Gap
fortune, contributed $18.3 million to defeat
Prop. 30 while sitting on boards of California
schools that have profited from the measure.
Community groups praise UTLA
contract agreement
Page 3
United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net
United Teacher
PRESIDENT
Alex Caputo-Pearl
NEA AFFILIATE VP
Cecily Myart-Cruz
AFT AFFILIATE VP
Betty Forrester
ELEMENTARY VP
Juan Ramirez
SECONDARY VP
Colleen Schwab
TREASURER
Arlene Inouye
SECRETARY
Daniel Barnhart
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
President’s perspective
Hope amid heartache
Building sustainable community schools will help the critical
issues that are shaking U.S. society to its core right now.
Jeff Good
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NORTH AREA: Kirk Thomas, Chair (Eagle Rock ES),
Karla Griego (Buchanan ES), Rebecca Solomon
(RFK UCLA Comm. School), Julie Van
Winkle (Logan Span School)
SOUTH AREA: Ingrid Villeda, Chair (93rd Street ES),
Ayde Bravo (Maywood ES),
Maria Miranda (Miramonte ES),
L. Cynthia Matthews (McKinley ES)
EAST AREA: Gillian Russom, Chair (ESP Academy),
Ingrid Gunnell (Lane ES), Gloria Martinez (Rowan ES),
Adrian Tamayo (Lorena ES)
WEST AREA: Erika Jones Crawford, Chair (CTA
Director), Noah Lippe-Klein (Dorsey HS), Rodney Lusain
(Los Angeles HS), Jennifer Villaryo (Grand View ES)
CENTRAL AREA: José Lara, Chair (Santee EC),
Kelly Flores (Maya Angelou), Paul Ngwoke (Bethune
MS), Zulma Tobar (Harmony ES)
VALLEY EAST AREA: Scott Mandel, Chair (Pacoima
Magnet), Victoria (Martha) Casas (Beachy ES), Mel
House (Elementary P.E.), Alex (David) Orozco (Madison MS)
VALLEY WEST AREA: Bruce Newborn, Chair (Hale
Charter), Melodie Bitter (Lorne ES), Wendi Davis
(Henry MS), Javier Romo (Mulholland MS)
HARBOR AREA: Aaron Bruhnke, Chair (San Pedro HS),
Karen Macias-Lutz (Del Amo ES), Elgin Scott (Taper ES),
Steve Seal (Eshelman ES)
ADULT & OCCUP ED: Matthew Kogan (Evans CAS)
BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Cheryl L. Ortega (Sub Unit)
EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: Corina Gomez (Pacoima EEC)
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Linda Gordon
SPECIAL ED: Lucia Arias
SUBSTITUTES: Fredrick Bertz
PACE CHAIR: Marco Flores
UTLA RETIRED: John Perez
AFFILIATIONS
American Federation of Teachers
National Education Association
STATE & NATIONAL OFFICERS
CFT PRESIDENT: Joshua Pechthalt
CTA PRESIDENT: Eric Heins
CTA DIRECTOR: Erika Jones Crawford
CFT VICE PRESIDENT: Betty Forrester
NEA PRESDIENT: Lily Eskelsen Garcia
AFT PRESIDENT: Randi Weingarten
NEA DIRECTOR: Sonia Martin Solis
UTLA COMMUNICATIONS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alex Caputo-Pearl
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Anna Bakalis
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS:
Kim Turner, Carolina Barreiro, Tammy Lyn Gann
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Laura Aldana
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
UNITED TEACHER
3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Fl., LA, CA 90010
Email: [email protected]
UTLA main line: (213) 487-5560
ADVERTISING
Senders Communications Group
Bruce Loria: (818) 884-8966, ext. 1107
UNITED TEACHER accepts paid advertisements from
outside companies and organizations, including UTLA
sponsors and vendors with no relationship with UTLA. Only
approved vendors can use the UTLA logo in their ads. The
content of an advertisement is the responsibility of the
advertiser alone, and UTLA cannot be held responsible
for its accuracy, veracity, or reliability. Appearance of an
advertisement should not be viewed as an endorsement
or recommendation by United Teachers Los Angeles.
United Teacher (ISSN # 0745-4163) is published
monthly (except for a combined June/July issue) by
United Teachers Los Angeles, 3303 Wilshire Blvd.,
10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Subscriptions:
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Telephone (213) 487-5560.
2
July 22, 2016
By Alex Caputo-Pearl
UTLA President
Every summer has its wonderful and
rejuvenating aspects—I hope that has
been your experience over June and July.
You deserve it.
Yet, this has also been a summer of violence, a summer of shaking U.S. society
to its core. We have arrived at an explosive intersection as a country. Hatred of
our LGBTQ sisters and brothers, mental
illness, structural and institutionally
racist police violence, lack of controls
on guns, violence against police, divisive
and inflaming political rhetoric given a
vehicle by the Trump campaign, and a
technological context that has allowed
some to be influenced greatly by hate
groups and those who promote terrorism—these have come together to shape
this summer of violence.
It has been a summer that shows,
more than ever, the contexts from
which many of our students arrive in
our classrooms and offices. Many are
fearful of being profiled or attacked,
by people on the street or people with
institutional power. Many see weapons
in their neighborhoods. Many listen to
snippets of the news and hear hateful
rhetoric about themselves and their
families, or see tragedies that have
roots in fear and intolerance. Many surf
the web, and see and hear things that
are confusing, or that reaffirm stereotypes, or that promote violence. Many
are struggling with trauma, or clinical
anxiety, or mental illness—identified
or unidentified, severe or mild—that
creates a context for all of the above to be
internalized in unhealthy or debilitating
ways. And, with 85% of our students
low-income, many of our students know
of the positive people, institutions, and
traditions in their communities, but also
recognize and are deeply affected by
the economic marginalization of their
neighborhoods and a sense of hopelessness than can surround that.
There is a context, of course, that has
exacerbated these problems. Calls for
government austerity and government
running “leanly” and “more like a business” have led to a failure to create wellpaying jobs in low-income communities.
Federal, state, and city mental health
programs have been slashed to the bone.
There has been a lack of political will to
control the access to and flow of guns,
and a lack of political will to build real
police accountability programs. The
testing craze in schools has narrowed
the curriculum and made it less likely
that students are engaged with classes
that are explicitly about building tolerance and cooperation. The list goes on.
There is a very basic symbiotic relationship that has never been more clear:
to build a better society, we need great
schools, and to have great schools, we need
to work for justice in our broader society.
At the June 14 rally outside the LAUSD School Board, Alex holds the megaphone for student
Rebecca Kim, who talked about the resources her school needs that could be funded if charter
schools paid their fair share. Kim is a student at RFK Community School and a member of
the Schools L.A. Students Deserve Grassroots Coalition. Read more about the rally on page 4.
With UTLA’s advocacy and organizing in support of sustainable community
schools, we are trying to get at exactly
this symbiotic relationship. Sustainable
community schools are institutions that:
• Have a well-rounded curriculum,
including visual and performing arts;
ethnic studies; vocational classes; classes
on taking leadership around community
issues; classes on building tolerance, understanding, and cooperation; and more.
• Provide access to all students.
• Provide equity for all students.
• Have personalized environments for
students, with low class sizes.
• Have rich out-of-classroom supports, with health and human services
professionals, and mental, social, and
emotional services.
• Have effective and well-resourced
school discipline programs, based on
positive behavior support and including restorative justice programs.
• Have vibrant parent and community
engagement programs.
• Respect educator professionalism
in the classroom and in joint decisionmaking on campus with administration,
parents, and other stakeholders.
• Provide ongoing supports to educators.
• Intentionally make contributions to
broader community improvement, supporting community movements for economic justice, racial justice, and so on.
Building sustainable community
schools will directly contribute to addressing the issues that are shaking U.S.
society to its core right now, from racism
to underinvestment in our communities to gun violence. And, building sustainable community schools will, quite
simply, improve education. This is such
a central piece to UTLA’s work that the
theme of the 2016 UTLA Leadership Conference is “Growing Our Movement for
Community Schools.”
Over the last year, we have taken some
initial steps in building this movement:
• We had tremendous participation in
the Walk-Ins on February 17 and May 4,
with a focus on highlighting successful
programs at schools, many of which are
reflective of the sustainable community
school model. Hundreds of schools organized actions, with thousands of members,
parents, and students participating.
• We have developed systematic and
ongoing relationships with community
organizations, which will work with
educators at targeted schools to create
or expand programs that reflect the community school model.
• Within our 2014-2015 contract and
2015-2016 reopeners, we won investment
in programs that support the community
school model: initial steps on reducing
class size, additional counselors and HHS
staffing, a focus on addressing the needs
at high-poverty schools, real educator
support, and more.
• We have initiated advocacy with
LAUSD School Board members to use existing programs that reflect the community
school approach to argue for investment in
expanding these programs and replicating
them in other schools.
• We are meeting quarterly with the
leaderships of the San Diego, Oakland,
San Francisco, San Bernardino, and other
teacher unions, planning for a legislative
strategy that would bring investment into
building community schools.
Moreover, in the last month, UTLA
has played a key role in expanding the
capacity of the national movement for
sustainable community schools. UTLA
worked with the union leaderships in
Milwaukee, San Diego, Chicago, Boston,
and others to pass resolutions at both
(continued on next page)
July 22, 2016
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
(continued from previous page)
the National Education Association
(NEA) Representative Assembly and the
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Convention for both national unions to
invest more financially in the Alliance to
Reclaim Our Schools (AROS) and in local
struggles for community schools that
shape the national policy environment.
AROS is a national labor/community
coalition made up of NEA, AFT, other
unions such as SEIU, and the largest
national community organizing networks, including Center for Popular
Democracy, Journey for Justice, and Alliance for Educational Justice. AROS was
the driving force behind the February
17 and May 4 National Walk-Ins, provides the space for groups across the
country to strategize together, provides
support for local organizing, and will
be the centerpiece to building a national movement for community schools
and broader educational justice. The
two central policy strands that define
AROS’s work are advocating for investment in sustainable community schools
and advocating for national, state, and
local policy measures that hold all
publicly funded schools—District and
charter—to common-sense regulations
around access for students, transparency in budgeting, involvement of parents,
and more. In other words, in AROS’s
work, there is a fundamental understanding that fighting for investment
in community schools must be paired
with fighting against the billionaires’
agenda to rapidly expand unregulated
charter schools.
One of the most difficult tasks in parenting and teaching is productively and
critically engaging young people about
events happening around us that are
terrifying, that seem to defy understanding. As events unfolded this summer
in Orlando, Baton Rouge, Minneapolis,
Dallas, other U.S. cities, and around the
world, and as Donald Trump and his
emissaries have made hateful comments,
I have, at times, struggled to find the
right ways to engage my own 11- and
8-year-old son and daughter. It can be
very difficult to do so.
I have taken comfort, however,
in being able to discuss with them a
hopeful side, stories of what we want
schools to look like, what we want communities to look like, and how those
visions flow toward making the world a
better place. I consider myself fortunate
to be able to speak about this with my
kids in very concrete ways, not just in
abstractions—because UTLA is a part
of leading the every-day, on-the-ground
movement for sustainable community
schools.
While there is much to reflect upon in
these times, please remember to always
take time for yourself, your family, and
your loved ones. Have a great rest of the
summer, and I am very much looking
forward to continuing the work with you
in 2016-2017.
Community groups hail UTLA contract agreement
Local community organizations—
including Los Angeles Alliance for a
New Economy, Alliance of Californians
for Community Empowerment, InnerCity Struggle, and the Advancement
Project—hailed UTLA’s recent contract agreement for directing more resources toward students in high-needs
schools. In June UTLA members voted
overwhelmingly—by 97% to 3%—to
approve the contract.
“We commend UTLA’s innovative
leadership in leveraging its bargaining
power to deliver real and impactful
investments for low-income communities of color,” said John Kim, the Advancement Project’s executive director.
The contract agreement will impact students in diverse ways, as well as improving
the evaluation process for educators. Specific
items bargained include hiring a Pupil Services and Attendance counselor for highpoverty high schools, reducing class size at
55 most-needy elementary schools, instituting class-size caps in secondary P.E. classes,
adding an additional full-time teacher at
secondary schools for elective classes, addressing excessive caseloads in special education, and expanding hours for PSA and PSW
counselors at schools that have them.
In an interview with American Prospect,
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl said
collective bargaining is an important tool
available to fight for equity and justice.
“A lot of people consider teacher
union contract negotiations to be about
narrower issues like salaries, benefits,
and work rules—and all of those are
important and we deal with those—but
we’re using these agreements to expand
what the union goes to the table for,”
Caputo-Pearl said.
Followup read: Taking UTLA’s recent
contract agreement as a starting point,
a new piece by American Prospect looks
at how teachers’ unions across the
country are expanding their focus to
the broader community. Read “Teachers
Unions Are Bargaining for the Common
Good” at http://prospect.org.
In this issue
4 Rally at the School Board: No more blank
checks for charters
5Prop. 30 extension
makes ballot
Community demands that all schools pay their fair share.
6Milestones
4 Wilmington MS fights flawed “magnetization” process
School destabilized by rushed implementation.
6 UTLA retirement dance
5 Judge finds that Alliance illegally violated
teachers’ rights
12 Q&A on CalSTRS increases
Management faulted for anti-union campaign.
15 Accolades for educators
8 NEA-RA: Reflections of a first-time delegate
16 Retirees’ corner
Finding renewed energy and passion for the year ahead.
Left: Educators march for fairness
at School Board on June 14.
17 Vendors on campus: Who
is allowed?
18 Classifieds
19 Grapevine
Get connected to UTLA
Facebook: facebook.com/UTLAnow
Twitter: @utlanow
YouTube: youtube.com/UTLAnow
The California Hedge Clippers coalition aims to oust billionaires’ secret donations that hurt public education and other social services.
See cover story.
3
July 22, 2016
Rally at the School Board: No more blank checks for charters
Community demands that all schools pay their fair share.
Parents, teachers, community members,
and students rallied outside the LAUSD
School Board on June 14 to demand that
the District make charter schools pay their
fair share by collecting legally allowed reimbursements and other fees. As exposed
by the UTLA-commissioned report on
the fiscal impact of charters, for years
LAUSD has left money on the table that
could have gone to student needs, such
as lower class size, enriched curriculum,
and fully staffed campuses.
“Our traditional schools are being
robbed of needed funding in order to
support charter schools,” said Hilda Rodriguez Guzman, parent of three children
who attended charter schools. “We need
all schools to receive the funding they
need so that all our children can thrive. We
can’t let the majority of our schools starve
so that a few special schools can do well.”
At the rally, a group of “billionaires”
engaged in a tug-of-war with students,
parents, and educators over funding. Later,
a delegation spoke at the School Board
meeting and presented the Board with an
oversized check symbolizing the millions
in uncollected fees that have subsidized
the charter school industry at the expense
of public education and neighborhood
schools. The California Charter Schools
Association was called out for being part
of the problem; the group aggressively
lobbies at the local and state level to prioritize the growth opportunities for charter
school operators over the educational opportunities for all students.
“For the sake of all students, LAUSD
should be aggressively collecting reimbursements from charters that use District
facilities—not cowering because of the
bullying of the billionaire-funded California Charter Schools Association,” UTLA
President Alex Caputo-Pearl said. “We
need CCSA to back off and for LAUSD to
collect space over-allocation reimbursements now. Otherwise, it’s like writing a
blank check to the charter school industry.”
The “Fiscal Impact of Charter Schools
on the Los Angeles Unified School District” report found that financially strained
At the UTLA rally, “billionaires” carried an oversized check to symbolize the millions in uncollected fees that have subsidized the charter school industry.
LAUSD lost more than $590 million to unchecked independent charter school growth
in one year alone. One of the factors contributing to the loss is that the District is
failing to collect financial fees from Prop.
39 co-located charters that were given space
they didn’t need on District campuses.
If costs associated with unchecked independent charter school expansion are not
addressed with common-sense solutions,
the District will face financial insolvency. In-
solvency would impact both District schools
and existing independent charter schools,
which depend on the District for programs,
support, infrastructure, and oversight.
UTLA’s 35,000 members include educators
in all categories of L.A. schools—District
schools, affiliated charter schools, and independent charter schools. Our members
share a commitment to building a stable,
high-quality public education system that
serves all students, District and charter.
UTLA educators and community protest flawed magnetization of Wilmington MS
LAUSD’s rushed conversion of Wilmington Middle School to a magnet school
is raising serious issues and has triggered
community action to demand that the District address the concerns.
Many parents and teachers support the
concept of converting to a STEAM magnet,
but they believe that the District is corrupting the process, which is harming the
campus and undercutting the chances of
success in the new format.
Key among the complaints is that
LAUSD’s own policy was not followed
to secure stakeholder input, which should
have included parents from feeder schools
and community residents. Wilmington
resident Magali Sanchez-Hall has tried
to get answers on the magnet plan from
LAUSD officials, via email and office visits,
but none of the information she requested
has been received as of yet.
“Converting the school to a magnet may
be a good thing, but how do we know?”
Sanchez-Hall says. “The community has
been left out. LAUSD needs to share its
vision and ask parents and the community what we think. Then we can say, ‘Yes,
we need this in the community’ or ‘No,
we don’t.’ If they don’t do that, they are
forcing this down our throats and it may
not be good for our kids.”
Last spring, Wilmington Middle School
administration had talked to staff about
bringing a magnet center onto the campus,
but after an unanticipated School Board
4
The Wilmington Middle School community is spreading the word about the rushed magnetization of the school by posting flyers in local businesses, attending events like health fairs, and speaking to residents in the neighborhood.
vote this April, the plan shifted to converting the entire school to a magnet. With only
a week’s notice, teachers were presented
with a vote on the Board’s action.
All teachers (but not administrators)
were forced to reapply for their positions, and some valued educators were
not asked back and have been displaced
from the school. Others decided to leave
of their own accord because LAUSD’s
actions were creating tension and uncertainty on campus. UTLA has persistently
protested the District’s exploitation of
the magnetization process to force staff
to reapply for their positions. Displacing
teachers harms schools by destabilizing
campuses and disrupting students’ continuity of learning.
“Mouths dropped open when parents and
students heard who would not be coming
back,” chapter chair Taimi Crowell says.
“Some of the teachers had taught multiple
generations of the same family. Relationships
have been wiped out because of adult issues,
not student issues. Teachers were let go who
had proven track records, many of whom
were outspoken advocates for students.”
Parents and educators have been
pushing back and demanding that LAUSD
follow a fair and transparent process, listen
to the community, and return all teachers to
the campus. In the final days of the school
year, teachers and parents leafleted arriving
parents and hung “alert” flyers in the community. UTLA officers, the Harbor area representative, and area leaders have met with
the Wilmington staff, and delegations of
educators, parents, community members,
UTLA leadership, and the Harbor Area
representative have met with local district
leadership and will be meeting with School
Board member Richard Vladovic. Some
progress has been made, with three additional teachers returning to the school out
of the 10-plus originally displaced, but the
work goes on. During the summer, parents,
educators, and community members have
been attending events in the Wilmington
area, including a health fair at a nearby
recreation center, to reach out to the community with their concerns.
“Bottom line, parents and the community
need to be involved, and I want the teachers
to know that the community is with them,”
Sanchez-Hall says. “If we see that the kids
will be taken care of and it’s a good plan for
students, then we will support it.”
July 22, 2016
Judge finds that Alliance illegally violated teachers’ rights
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools ordered to cease illegal actions at its 27 schools.
California Administrative Law Judge
Kent Morizawa, in a ruling released in
June, has found that Alliance CollegeReady Public Schools violated the state’s
Educational Employment Relations Act
and the rights of the charter chain’s 650
teachers by illegally interfering with access
to Alliance’s email system and blocking
online newsletters about the need for a
union at the 27-school public charter chain.
Additionally, the judge ruled that Alliance wrongfully denied UTLA organizers
access to at least two Alliance campuses
(Alliance Susan & Eric Smidt Technology
High School and Alliance Renee & Meyer
Luskin Academy High School). The judge
also found that an Alliance administrator,
in clear violation of state law, had threatened a teacher with a poor evaluation and
lower wages because of her involvement
with the union on her own time.
Alliance has been ordered to cease and
desist its illegal activity immediately and
also has been ordered to communicate
to all members of its faculty and staff an
admission of its wrongful behavior and
illegal actions.
“The educators at Alliance involved in
the organizing campaign are dedicated to
their students and their profession and they
want to work together through a union to
improve education for students and improve
retention of teaching staff, but rather than
being heard they were harassed,” said
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl. “This
court ruling sends a strong message that
the rights of teachers should be honored
and that union activity in public charter
schools is a protected right.”
“Alliance has been ordered to ‘cease
and desist’ its illegal behavior,” said UTLA
attorney Jesus Quinonez. “That’s not a
‘major win,’ as Alliance management tried
to claim in an internal communication to
employees. It is a finding of fact that the
executives of this company have violated
the law by interfering with the rights of
teachers and school employees.”
The decision by the judge follows a vote
prior to Memorial Day by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) in Sacramento to investigate Alliance’s spending. The JLAC, which includes senators and
members of the state assembly, voted eight
to three to order a special investigation by
the California state auditor of Alliance’s
anti-teacher and anti-union activity. That
audit will focus on how much money Alliance has spent to fund a campaign aimed
at coercing public charter school teachers
and counselors from exercising a free choice
about union representation. Auditors also
will investigate whether Alliance improperly shared student, parent, and alumni
information with third parties, including
the California Charter School Association,
which had joined a campaign of harassment
against Alliance teachers and parents.
State Senator Tony Mendoza, the
senator requesting the state audit of the
charter school chain, said at the time of
the vote, “Alliance schools are publicly
funded, and the purpose of those funds is
to educate children inside the classroom—
not to intimidate teachers and parents.”
Alliance’s teaching staff and UTLA first
filed charges with the California Public
Employment Relations Board (PERB), the
agency charged with enforcing state labor
laws for public charter school teachers, in
April 2015. Following a review of evidence
that documented an unlawful campaign of
harassment against Alliance teachers and
counselors, PERB issued four unfair labor
practice complaints. PERB also took the
unusual step of requesting a temporary
restraining order and then an injunction
against Alliance’s school administrators.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge
James C. Chalfant granted both requests,
ordering the charter chain’s management to cease harassment against teachers and counselors and not to interfere
with union organizers.
“UTLA currently represents over
1,000 educators in independent charter
schools within LAUSD’s boundaries,” Alex
Caputo-Pearl said. “Educators at major
charter school operators such as Green
Dot have a voice through their union, and
even virtual charter schools in California
now have unions. Unions have a place
in charter schools just as they do in more
traditional school settings. In the past two
weeks both state lawmakers and the courts
have invoked the law and have indicated
to Alliance managers that they need to
treat teachers with respect and to honor
their rights as individuals who teach in
publicly funded schools and who have a
right to form a union. Let’s see if Alliance
has learned their lesson.”
Pali scores multiyear
contract deal
Agreement includes locked-in raises and health benefits.
It’s official: Prop. 30 extension
qualifies for November ballot
Passing the California Education Health Care Protection
Act—Prop. 55—will prevent severe cuts to education.
Pali High bargaining team members Steve Klima (chapter chair) and Dave Suarez (co-chair).
Palisades Charter High School educators headed into negotiations in April
for one-year “reopener” talks, but they
ended up securing a multiyear contract
extension that locks in health benefits for
three years and includes raises in each of
those years.
The highlights of the agreement:
• 2% salary increases for each of the
three years of the contract (2016-17, 201718, and 2018-19).
• Auxuliaries are paid in a new way
(overall cost is roughly equivalent to a
0.5% across-the-board raise).
• Current health benefits, which include
fully paid individual/family coverage, are
secure until 2018-19. • Career increments are restructured to
be more even and consistent, with a larger
increase for Career Increment 4 (30 years
of service) to encourage career longevity. UTLA represents more than 1,000
members at independent charter schools.
Belonging to a union allows these educators the right to bargain over conditions of employment, and it gives them
a voice to advocate for themselves and
their students.
Efforts by UTLA members and thousands of people around the state have
begun to pay off. The Children’s Education and Health Care Protection Act
(CEHCPA) has officially qualified for
the November ballot as Proposition 55.
The measure will keep in force California’s current income tax rates on the
wealthiest taxpayers—singles earning
more than $250,000 and couples earning
more than $500,000 a year—to prevent
billions in cuts to education and other
vital services. It will help the state’s
public schools and children’s health
services continue reversing years of
cuts that have devastated programs
serving our young people. Budget forecasts show that unless we extend the
taxes on the wealthy, our public schools
will lose nearly $4 billion in the first
full year alone.
A broad and diverse coalition of
teachers, doctors, school employees,
parents, working families, community
organizations, and business groups
supporting the effort submitted close
to one million signatures last month to
place the measure on the ballot.
Look for more info in the coming
weeks on how you can be a part of
passing this vital ballot measure.
For more information:
www.protectingcalifornia.com
Follow the campaign on Twitter:
twitter.com/YesOn55
Like the campaign on Facebook:
facebook.com/yeson55
5
July 22, 2016
All the best to new retirees
UTLA thanks members at annual dinner for their years of service to education.
PHOTOS BY LAURA ALDANA
Newly retired teachers and health and
human services professionals toasted to
their new futures at UTLA’s annual retirement dinner dance, held May 21 at
Luminarias. UTLA sponsors the event each
year to celebrate the careers of retiring
members and to recognize them for their
decades of service to LAUSD students and
their union.
The Dinner Dance Committee is Betty Forrester (co-chair), Billy Tyler (co-chair), Rosa
Beasley, Susie Chow, April Colen, Michael
Kaplan, Bruce Lee, Stacey Michaels, John
Perez, Chuck Vaughn, Evy Vaughn, and
The night always ends with a group photo and
Stacie Webster.
the singing of a retirement-themed song.
Jeanne Contreras with UTLA-NEA Vice
President Cecily Myart-Cruz. Contreras is
retiring from Gulf Elementary, where she
served as chapter chair and was a valued
teacher and union activist.
Janet Davis with UTLA Secretary Dan
Barnhart. Davis was a former UTLA Board
member in the North Area and served as a
valued expert on teacher evaluation on many
UTLA committees.
Colleagues Ellen Gurnick and Lisa David.
New retiree Lois Bradford (right) with Susie
Chow. Bradford, a special education teacher,
served for 12 years as a UTLA officer.
Kailim Toy, who retired from North Hollywood High Magnet, with UTLA President
Alex Caputo-Pearl.
UTLA officers on hand to honor new retirees.
Mack Elementary teacher Nalis Tatum Mercier
with UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl.
Gregory Hernandez with UTLA Treasurer
Arlene Inouye.
service to so many people,” she says.
“UTLA has my best wishes for a successful future.”
United Methodist Church, and for 12
years on the Board of the Los Angeles
School Librarians. Amidst these activities Maggie travelled to Mexico, Spain,
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, France,
China, Russia, and Ireland, along with
six trips to England to study their teaching methods and satisfy her interest in
Agatha Christie.
The word retirement did not mean
“slow down,” and Maggie stayed active
as the president of the World on Film
Club, served on the Board of Opera 100
and was a volunteer at Saddleback Hospital. And if that was not enough, she
was a member of the Ebell, Friends of
Laguna Woods Library, the Computer
Club, and enjoyed attending lectures
and Bible classes. She married Thomas
Letcher in 2005, and they made their
home in Laguna Woods, California, until
his death in 2010.
Milestones
Retirements
Longtime staff member Judith Bruner
retired June 30, 2016, after more than
half a century of service to UTLA and
its predecessor union. Ms. Bruner had
three careers during this time, working
her way up the ladder as Support Staff,
then as the Director of Support Services, and since 1997 as Compensation
and Benefits Specialist on Professional
Staff. “I like to tell the story about when I
was a switchboard operator in the old
days when switchboards were made
out of wood and full of various wires,”
Ms. Bruner says. “I was such a hot
operator that the board caught on fire
one day and filled our small office with
smoke. The firemen who came were
really cute guys!”
“It has been a pleasure to be of
6
Passings
Margaret “Maggie” Crumrine Letcher
passed away on May 13, 2016.
Maggie was born in Anacortes, Washington, in 1931. Maggie graduated with
a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1973
and followed in 1974 with her master’s
degree in library science from USC. After
graduation Maggie began her career as
a librarian in several LAUSD schools,
including El Sereno Middle School and
Lincoln High School, and she retired from
Belmont High in 2001. It was during these
years that Maggie served for 16 years
on the Board of Directors for the Professional Women of Los Angeles Philharmonic, as board chairman of the Wilshire
Margaret Letcher
1931-2016
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July 22, 2016
National & state unions
NEA-RA: Reflections of a first-time delegate
Finding renewed energy and passion for the work ahead.
By Raissa White
LAUSD Arts Educator
I am writing to you from an airplane at
30,000 feet above the ground on the way
home from an amazing and empowering
learning experience. In July, I attended the
National Education Association’s 154th
annual meeting, held in our nation’s
capital, as a first-time delegate.
We were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the merging of the NEA and the
ATA (the American Teachers Association),
which was the African American teachers’
organization. This merger created a multicultural organization whose social justice
programs have advocated for America’s
minority students and today is a model
for countries all over the world.
The theme of this year’s meeting was
“Unite, Inspire, Lead.” I was overwhelmed
by a convention center filled with 10,000
educators from every state in our nation
and guest educators from around the
world. Wow! This annual gathering is the
largest democratic body in the country, and
it includes teachers, secretaries, teacher
assistants, nurses, cafeteria staff, computer
technicians, librarians, custodians, and
maintenance staff. So how did I get here?
Well … what happened was … I had
been teaching for 18 years, and I thought
I was aware of all my opportunities and
benefits through my union. You know, I’m
that Type A personality who investigates
things, digs in, and finds stuff, but I hadn’t
taken advantage of all that union membership could bring me. In all honesty, I was
probably too busy learning how to teach,
and then once I had a handle on that, I
joined committees at my school site in
hopes to improve the school environment.
Then I got ambitious and became a National Board Certified teacher and followed
that with a master’s and an administrative
credential. Oh, yeah, I had another kid and,
hmmmm, I rested a minute while I let him
get old enough to go to school.
Then I left the classroom and joined the
Arts Education Branch as an elementary
theater arts teacher. I got ambitious again
(because I didn’t want to be an administrator) and started a Ph.D. program (I’m
almost finished … yay!). So I was busy,
just like you are. I thought “they” (the
union) just fought for our wages and benefits and helped me if I had issues with the
administration. All that time I had no idea
8
about our union’s local,
state, and national opportunities for personal
and professional learning and growth. I had
no understanding of
all the work that was
being done to uplift
and advance our profession on my behalf by
our union, by members
who are just like me
and you.
That is, until I
worked alongside two
outstanding women
who were actively
engaged in the union.
They invited me to
some events and led
me to some grants for
professional learning
workshops. I have
been the recipient of a
few grants offered by
the California Teachers
Association. I got involved in UTLA’s West
Area steering committee and was elected
as a delegate to the CTA State Council and
the NEA Representative Assembly. So here
I am, now at 34,000 feet, writing to you
about our union.
So, on with the adventure. Before the
convention, I was invited to attend the
Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women. With an NEA focus on
deconstructing systemic organizational
racism in education, multiple workshops
inspired us to harness the power of our
diversity. The conference included a
wealth of sessions about cultural competency, gender diversity and inclusion, bullying, and social justice. I had
many powerful “aha” moments during
a student panel. The young people provided their perspective on the intersectionality of racism, sexism, homophobia,
transphobia, and xenophophobia and
how these show up at our school sites
and what we can do to support students.
I will never forget that panel.
Next, to the Representative Assembly itself, where we debated legislation,
policy, and new business items (NBI) from
members across the country. As I watched
our UTLA/NEA Vice President Cecily
Myart-Cruz stand in front of Microphone
16 and ask the body to support a motion, I
realized the power of the assembly. Cecily
was presenting NBI 4, a motion calling
on the NEA to support state affiliates
and locals with resources to participate
in the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools
(AROS) and the nationally coordinated
October 6 walk-ins around racial justice,
full funding and support for community
schools, more teaching and less testing,
and holding all schools that are publicly
funded to the same high standards. UTLA
has been a driving participant in two
earlier AROS actions—our walk-ins in
February and May—and a yes vote would
mean more support to keep participating
in these important nationwide actions.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia called for the vote
by saying, “All those in favor
say aye,” and then a resounding
“aye” echoed across the room.
There were some delegates
opposed to the motion, but twothirds of the room approved, and
with that it was adopted. Right
then and there I realized that I
can be the change I want to see
in the world, by utilizing democracy, one “yes” vote at a time.
For four days I watched delegates from different states work
together to craft the most effective language for policy and leg- NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said that united
islation to best meet the needs educators are a powerful antidote to fear and divisiveness.
of our students and educators. “There’s a real world out there, and it’s not a safe place,”
They celebrated their successes Eskelsen Garcia said. “The world needs us. It’s not a game.
and supported the defeats with The work we do is important, because it has the chance to
kindness and insight on what to change the world. “
do next. Did I mention that Secretary Hillary Clinton came to speak to us Some of us even took pictures with them,
for about 45 minutes?
demonstrating that you aren’t against
What a time I had. I lived, loved, laughed, police officers just because you are for
and learned every day I was there. I have reduction in excessive force and violence
also been reminded and overwhelmed by directed at people of color.
the gross disparities that still plague our
We were invigorated and exhausted at
educational system and our country. On the the same time. It was 11 p.m., and we were
morning of the last day, 10,000 educators hot, thirsty, and hungry so we continued to
started the day with heavy hearts because march ourselves to the nearest restaurant.
of the horrific shooting of Alton Sterling As we got our appetizers, the news of ofin Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando ficers Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa,
Castile in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens, and Michael
UTLA members were saddened by the Smith being killed in Dallas, Texas, came via
news, and we needed to make our voices social media. We were even more sad and
heard. Although we had been working on deflated, knowing the truth of Dr. Martin
policy and legislation for 15 hours, many Luther King’s words: “Returning violence
of us marched to the Capitol, where we for violence multiplies violence, adding a
were joined by senators who protested deeper darkness to a night already devoid of
with us and continued the march to the stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness,
White House. We chanted, “Hands up, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
don’t shoot” and “No justice, no peace, out hate, only love can do that.” There is
no racist police,” and we sang “We shall still work to do. There is STILL work to do.
overcome.” We thanked the officers who
That night I went to sleep, packed, and
were guarding us along the way as we here I am, now at 36,020 feet up above our
participated in a peaceful demonstration. beautiful country, knowing I am passing
UTLA members Lisa Harvey Dinwiddie, Jennifer Villaryo, and Raissa White at the RA. “Everyone you see
with us is only part of the California delegation,” White
says. “We are HUGE!”
the vast and diverse communities filled
with beauty, joy, and infinite potential. I
walk away from this experience with my
heart full, my mind open, and a renewed
energy and passion knowing that I am not
alone. There are 3 million of us around our
great country working for the betterment
of our profession and the children of OUR
nation! I have learned there is a place for
me in the union where my unique gifts
and talents can best serve the greater good.
July 22, 2016
After hearing news of the police shootings of
two African-American men in Louisiana and
Minneapolis, members of the UTLA delegation
joined a march to the Capitol and then to the
White House.
I reflect on what was asked
of me through the theme of the
assembly: Unite. Inspire. Lead.
UNITE: This week I have united with
others in my union to make a difference,
whether it was on the floor of the assembly
or on the streets of Washington, D.C., to
add my voice to the conversation.
INSPIRE: I am inspired and fired up
with a passion for what I do and how we
are agents of change. My hope is that this
article has inspired you to dig deeper into
the possibilities the union has to offer you.
I will assist by …
California delegates on the RA floor.
Working to LEAD: I will continue my
development as an educator and a change
agent, and I hope to lead YOU to the multitudes of opportunities in our unions. There
is a place for you in our union. You have
unique gifts, talents, and creativity that
you can share, with the time you have.
UTLA, there is work to do! We can do it
… LET’S GO!
Resources
Here is a list of links to find out some
of the opportunities that are available for
your personal and professional growth (I
too have some reading to do!).
utla.net: Our website. On the newly redesigned site, launching this month, search
for “member resources.”
cta.org: California Teachers Association. On the blue bar, check out “Member
Services,” “Professional Development,”
and “About CTA” (CTA Foundation and
Useful Links).
nea.org: National Education Association. Check out the maroon tab on the
right titled “Grants and Events.”
neaedjustice.org: Read more about the
issues the NEA is focused on.
2016 UTLA NEA-RA delegates in attendance
VALLEY WEST AREA
CENTRAL AREA
WEST AREA
EAST AREA
HARBOR AREA
NORTH AREA
VALLEY EAST AREA
SOUTH AREA
9
July 22, 2016
From the treasurer
Financial insecurity & union resources
UTLA and our affiliates offer special programs, workshops, and more to support your financial health.
By Arlene Inouye
UTLA Treasurer
If a financial emergency struck—such
as an unexpected car repair or vet bill—
would you be able to come up with $400?
According to a 2013 Federal Reserve Board
survey, 47% of all Americans would have
trouble doing so and said they would cover
the expense by borrowing or selling something, or they would not be able to come
up with the money at all.
Most likely the percentage has continued to increase since the survey was released. It is an alarming testament to the
financial state of most Americans—and
this includes public school educators.
Add to this the fact that payday lending
for middle-class and working families has
skyrocketed. Financially strapped families
see these loans as a quick fix solution, but
the loans usually lead to a debt trap with
triple-digit interest rates that many struggle
to pay. Payday lending is now a $46 billion
industry in the U.S., with 12 million Americans borrowing more than $7 billion annually from over 22,000 storefronts.
Financial insecurity is an issue that needs
to be brought into the open. Generally
speaking, people with financial insecurity
(or financial distress, fragility, or so on)
feel shame and humiliation and suffer in
silence. While individuals may feel alone
in not being able to make ends meet, it’s
important to realize that this is not an individual problem nor an individual’s fault
but symptomatic of the obscene societal and
economic inequality in America. It is also a
problem for which UTLA and our affiliates
provides support and resources.
Union financial resources
• UTLA offers three pre-retirement
issues conferences a year where information about budgeting, investments, health
benefits, insurance plans, CalSTRS and
more is provided (this year they will be
on October 1, 2016; December 3, 2016; and
February 4, 2017). Flyers and details for
these conferences, which are put on by the
Pre-Retirement Issues Committee, will be
in the UNITED TEACHER and utla.net.
In addition, many of UTLA’s sponsors
provide financial workshops and counseling, including California Credit Union
and First Financial Credit Union. Check
out their websites for ongoing resources.
• UTLA members can also benefit
from financial resources offered by our
state and national affiliates, including
workshops, articles, budget counseling
services, debt management plans, loans,
credit card offers, insurance, and more.
Starting on September 1, 2016, UTLA will
be a fully merged local and members will
have access to all CTA/NEA, CFT/AFT,
and AFL-CIO benefits and resources (see
www.cta.org, www.nea.org, www.cft.org,
www.aft.org, www.unionplus.org).
• If you don’t have a personal budgeting plan and would like to get started on
one, email me at [email protected] for a
copy of key “personal finances” forms to
help track your spending, project your
budgets, and plan for a goal.
• I’ve also found these online resources
and tools for adults and kids helpful:
For adults:
—www.federalreserve.gov/consumer-
ESTATE PLANNING
Want to avoid probate?
Don’t do it yourself. Let a fellow teacher be
your lawyer. Sheila Bayne is a full time
teacher with LAUSD and has been an active
member of the California Bar for over 25 years.
Complete Estate Planning Package:
Living Trust
Living Will/Advance Health Care Directives
n Power of Attorney
n Trust Transfer Deeds
n Pour-over Will and supporting documents
n Personal consultation
n
n
Discount for UTLA Members:
$695
(A-B trust for spouses: $ 995)
Also: n Bankruptcies n Evictions
CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF SHEILA BAYNE
at 310-435-8710
or e-mail: [email protected]
A debt relief agency
10
info (updates about credit, leasing, fraud,
and more)
—www.moneyinstructor.com (money
lessons, lesson plans, articles)
For kids:
—www.treasurydirect.gov/kids/kids.
htm (government website for middle
school students to learn about saving and
investing)
—www.pbskids.org/itsmylife (information on various topics).
Know that UTLA, together with our
state and national affiliates, will continue
to fight hard for increased wages and for
your pension and health benefits. We will
work to strengthen collective bargaining
rights and increase state revenue through
a millionaires’ tax (Proposition 55) on the
November ballot.
We will also continue to address the
broader systemic inequities and the
economic, racial, and social disparities
through our support for increasing the
federal minimum wage, regularizing undocumented workers, eliminating gender
and race inequities in employment and
pay, and more. As a union, UTLA will
continue to uplift working people and the
families of our students and work for the
social transformation that is desperately
needed for all of us.
Contact Arlene Inouye at [email protected].
IMMUNIZATIONS
Travel and Wellness
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• Country-specific travel counseling
• Vitamin B12
• Flu shots
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888-499-7277
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Multiple locations
July 22, 2016
Supporting the profession
Key issue for the new school year: Discipline
Organizing for effective school practices, racial justice, and respect for the profession.
By Juan Ramirez
UTLA Elementary Vice President
Let me tell you a story I heard while
at a union meeting. There was a river
going downstream, and there were
many children being dragged by the
current. A group of teachers jumped
in and began to pull students out of
the water. However, it seemed that
the number of children coming down
the river didn’t stop. After a while one
teacher got out of the water and decided
to go upstream. His friends called him
back and said, “Don’t leave us! We need
you here to help us with the children.”
To which the teacher responded, “I
need to find out who’s throwing them
into the water.” This story can be interpreted in many ways, but one thing
it shows is that we can’t fix problems
until we discover and deal with the
root of the issue.
One issue that has become a priority for many educators, parents, and
students is school discipline. Every
time I visit schools, I hear a lot about
it. There has been little guidance from
the District on discipline, to the point
that administrators don’t want to deal
with it and they leave all the work to
our teachers.
It is amazing that for many schools
having a school discipline plan is not
a priority, or that some sites have
them but they’re sitting on a shelf
somewhere. The District has done
some work on implementing restorative justice at secondary schools, but
because of the lack of funding and the
lack of commitment from school administrators, the implementation has
not been effective. Discipline problems have risen to the point where
teachers are discouraged and feel that
they have no support.
In the new school year, UTLA will be
deepening our work on discipline and
organizing for effective school practices
that respect the profession and support
all students. School discipline is inherently connected to racial justice issues—
historically, black and Latino students
are much more likely to be disciplined
and suffer greater rates of in- and outof-school suspensions, and that reality
must inform our efforts.
In early September UTLA will be
holding an Elementary/Secondary PD
conference with a special focus on discipline issues. Some of our other work
on discipline in the coming school year
will involve pushing LAUSD for additional staff; getting feedback from
educators, parents, and the community
about current discipline practices and
ideas; and holding UTLA workshops on
model school discipline plans that are
working. We also will be reaching out
to School Board members, the LAUSD
superintendent, local superintendents,
and community groups to make sure
that we are on the same page when it
comes to student discipline.
We all know how challenging it is to
create a positive school climate for all
students. On one hand, schools must
create safe environments that are free
of bullying, violence, and disruptive
behaviors that interrupt learning, and
when students engage in these behaviors, schools must hold them accountable. At the same time, we must create
supportive environments that provide
students with room to learn from their
mistakes and that keep them in school
and engaged in learning. Reconciling these priorities will be important
work that we do together in the coming
school year.
Check out the Grapevines
on page 19:
Workshops, exhibits, and more
Lifelong Learning
for Educators
UCLA Extension’s Education Department offers online
courses for teachers and administrators looking to
advance their qualifications, performance, and salary.
• Transitional Kindergarten Teacher Preparation
• Education Specialist Preliminary and Clear Credential
• Positive Behavior Support
• College Counseling
• And much more...
Learn more about the many credential and certificate
programs we offer by visiting us at
uclaextension.edu/UTLA, or call (310) 825-4191.
UCLA Extension Education Programs
Get there from here.
18093-16
11
From the secondary VP
Social justice—now more
than ever
Conscientious change must be our first priority.
By Colleen Schwab
UTLA Secondary Vice President
It is ironic that, while on vacation in
another country, I happened upon a BBC
News report that foreign countries had
issued a travel advisory for its citizens
visiting the U.S. because of the recent
racial violence. This was so surprising,
because the United States has the reputation for being a safe and peaceful place
to visit. Our nation is being awakened
in new ways by the great divide, both
racial and economic, in communities
across the country. Clearly, it has been
a long time coming for our nation as
a whole to open its eyes and see the
disparities. Our country has an image of supporting equality for all, but now we must
strive to reach the reality of equality for
all. Our public schools are key to reaching that goal. The private institutionalized education centers are long on words
but dramatically short of reaching what
has always been the American dream of
equality. There is no room for excuses
or delay in our mission at UTLA to not
only teach the fundamentals of academics but especially now social justice and
equality for all. Therefore, as we embark on the
2016-2017 school year, we cannot view
our awakening as simply violence that
triggers travel advisories but rather as
recognition that change—social, economic, and educational—must be our
first priority.
July 22, 2016
Q&A on increases in
CalSTRS contributions
Contribution rates to see another bump in July.
State Assembly Bill 1469, signed into
law as part of the 2014-15 budget, has been
increasing member, school district, and
state contributions to the California State
Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS)
over a period of years.
UTLA did not support this legislation, and we share legitimate concerns
that the law is overly aggressive in addressing the funding shortfall and that
the increased funding demands will
unfairly burden employees and school
districts.
Why have CalSTRS contribution
rates been increasing?
Due to various factors, including
the economic downturn after the
2008 stock market crash, CalSTRS has
a long-term funding shortfall. If the
shortfall hadn’t been addressed, it may
have affected CalSTRS’s ability to pay
future pension obligations. Under AB
1469, the system should be fully funded
within 32 years.
What is the latest increase?
Effective July 1, 2016, the amount most
employees pay in contributions (via payroll
deduction) to their Defined Benefit Account
increased from 9.2% to 10.25%. As state law
stands now, this should be the final rate
increase for employees.
When will the new higher rate
affect our paychecks?
The first paycheck affected will be the
one issued in August 2016 for the July
2016 pay period.
Why are there different contribution
rates for employees depending on
whether they were hired before or
after 2013?
Legislation in 2012 made adjustments to
CalSTRS plans for employees hired after 2013,
including requiring them to work longer to
receive full retirement benefits. Their rate of
increase is lower because of that legislation.
How much more will the state
and District be paying?
Currently, LAUSD contributes 10.73%
of employee compensation to the CalSTRS
general retirement fund. Under AB 1469,
school district contributions will increase to a
total of 19.1% of payroll, phased in until 2020. The state’s contribution to the CalSTRS
general fund increased to 3.45% July 2014
and will rise every July over the next
couple of years until California’s total
contribution is 6.33%.
Will there be further rate increases
for employees after July 2016?
As the law stands now, there should not
be further rate increases for employees.
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Scott Cody | [email protected] | 323-496-3318
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12
July 22, 2016
School district contribution increases
CalSTRS member contribution increases
School employer contributions will increase to a total of 19.1% of payroll by 2020.
EFFECTIVE DATE
NEW RATE
July 1, 2016
12.58%
July 1, 2017
14.43%
July 1, 2018
16.28%
July 1, 2019
18.13%
July 1, 2020
19.1%
AB 1469 grants CalSTRS limited authority
for setting contribution rates, and member
rates are to remain fixed under statute. The
CalSTRS Board will have the responsibility
to adjust employer (after 2020-21) and state
(after 2017-18) contributions as necessary
to be 100% funded by 2046. CalSTRS must
hereafter report to the legislature before
July 1, 2019, and every five years thereafter
until 2046 on the fiscal health of the CalSTRS
Defined Benefit Account Program and the
unfunded liability.
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The contribution rate previous to July 1, 2016, was 9.2% percent.
NEW RATE
Pre-2013 hires
NEW RATE
Post-2013 hires
July 1, 2016
10.25%
9.205%
pension plans creates $7.91 in total economic output for the state.
What can we say to people who say
teacher pensions are a drain on the
state budget?
Teachers do not retire into a life of
luxury: The average monthly benefit is
$3,500, and it equals 55% to 60% of an
employee’s annual wage. Many people
are also unaware that these pensions are
not “giveaways”—CalSTRS members pay
a significant portion of their salary into the
system every year.
Also, California benefits greatly from
retiree spending. Each $1 in taxpayer contributions to California’s state and local
Get
connected
to UTLA
EFFECTIVE DATE
How is the CalSTRS plan
different from a 401(k)?
Newer teachers and members who
previously worked outside the school
system may not be familiar with
“defined benefit” plans, which are increasingly rare in the private sector.
Under the defined benefit plan, CalSTRS
members get a guaranteed monthly
payment upon retirement. “Defined contribution” plans, such as 401(k)s, have
no guarantee of a consistent payment in
retirement and are subject to the vagaries
of the stock market.
Facebook:
facebook.com/UTLAnow
Why is a secure retirement
for educators so important?
Most retired educators rely on their
CalSTRS pension as their primary source
of retirement security because educators do not earn Social Security for their
CalSTRS-covered employment. In addition, teachers who previously worked in
the private sector often see their Social
Security benefits reduced or eliminated
by the federal Social Security offsets.
Working in California public schools is
a difficult, underpaid job—but one that
comes with the promise of a well-funded, secure retirement. Undermining that
promise would have a calamitous effect
on educator recruitment and retention.
Twitter:
@utlanow
YouTube:
youtube.com/UTLAnow
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13
July 22, 2016
GRAPEVINE
(continued from page 19)
up, email your contact information: name,
employee number, address, cell phone,
email, school, and ESC to [email protected].
Salary point class on ukulele
Musicians and non-musicians are
welcome at “Ukulele for Teachers,” taught
at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena.
The class is a basic introduction to ukulele,
taught by LAUSD Teacher of the Year and
acclaimed ukulele virtuoso Bartt Warburton. Learn to use ukulele in every grade
level and every content area and bring more
fun into your classroom. The class meets
three Saturdays, September 10, 17, and 24,
from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Coffee and food
available for purchase. The class fee is $149.
Bartt provides lessons, beginner chord/song
charts, booklets, instruments (with prior
arrangements), video lessons, a webpage
to share ideas, and lots of support. There
will be time to make lesson plans during
class too. Watch videos and get details at
Bartt.net. You can also email Bartt at Bartt@
Bartt.net, or call/text Bartt at (818) 568-3595.
Coding workshop at King MS
Want to learn how to bring coding into
your classroom? Here’s a workshop that will
help you to do just that! It is a six-hour workshop of blended online and offline activities
where teachers will not only engage in actual
online puzzles but also in teaching and learning about unplugged/offline activities from
a printed curriculum guide. Teachers will
receive free swag bags that contain water
bottle, notebook, pen, and code stickers, as
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well as the printed curriculum guide. Upon
completion of the workshop, teachers will
also receive a certificate of completion and
access to requesting free supplies to teach
the offline lessons. This class is limited to
the first 30 people to sign up. The workshop
will be held on August 9 at Thomas Starr
King Middle School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To sign up: Call King Middle School at (323)
644-6700 and leave your name, or simply
come on the first day.
Salary point class on “Learning
About Islam and the Arab World”
Uncertain about Islam or Muslims and
Arabs in America? Want to understand
your Arab-American and Muslim students
better? Unsure about how to present these
and related issues in your classroom? In the
salary point class “Learning About Islam
and the Arab World,” experts on the Arab
World and Islam will help you understand
Arab-American culture, Islamophobia, ethnic
and religious diversity, history, cultural stereotypes, and current political issues. Participants will come away with information on
teaching resources and strategies, plus guidelines on meeting California and Common
Core standards. The course meets LAUSD’s
multicultural requirement for teachers and
health and human services professionals.
Cost is $35 (includes a continental breakfast
and Middle Eastern lunch). The two-day
program will take place on two Saturdays,
October 8 and 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
in the Bernstein Professional Development
Center (3303 Wilshire Blvd., 8th floor). Registration information at www.fellowshipofreconciliationla.org. For questions or late
registration, email thucydides431404@gmail.
com or call (818) 748-7085.
July 22, 2016
Accolades
22 educators named LAUSD Teachers of the Year.
Twenty-two educators have been
named LAUSD Teachers of the Year for
2016-17, honoring their innovation in the
classroom and their dedication to their students. These educators represent some of
the most diverse schools in the country and
encompass nearly every grade level and
subject area—from Advanced Placement
calculus to instrumental music, computer
science to filmmaking. One of last year’s
LAUSD Teachers of the Year, Daniel Jocz,
went on to win the California Teacher of
the Year award and was one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year.
The following educators will be honored
in September at the Los Angeles County
Teachers of the Year luncheon:
Bootsie Battle-Holt, a mathematics
teacher at Marina Del Rey Middle School,
has been teaching for 10 years.
Israel Bautista, a United States history
teacher at El Sereno Middle School, has
been teaching for 10 years.
Monique Brusca, an instrumental music
teacher at Christopher Columbus Middle
School, has been teaching for 22 years.
Marcella Deboer, an English teacher
from Cesar Chavez Learning Academy,
Maria Debuque, a second-grade teacher
at Vena Avenue Elementary School, has
been teaching for 20 years.
Natalie Elliott, a fifth-grade teacher at
92nd Street Elementary School, has been
teaching for 10 years.
Shannon Garrison, a fourth- and fifthgrade teacher at Solano Avenue Elementary School, has been teaching for 19 years.
Tracy Elchyshyn, a third-grade teacher
at Calabash Charter Academy, has been
Tricia Kalma, a fifth-grade teacher at
Porter Ranch Community School, has been
Isela Lieber, an English teacher at James
Monroe High School, has been teaching
for 10 years.
Gabriela Mancilla-Angulo, a mathematics
teacher at South East Senior High School,
Grace Nimnualrat, a first-grade teacher
at San Antonio Elementary School, has
been teaching for 16 years. Mirna Orellana, a Spanish teacher at
Manual Arts High School, has been teaching for 20 years.
Diana Rivera, a transitional kindergarten
to third-grade teacher at Granada Elementary Community Charter School, has been
Milca Ruz, a second-grade teacher at
Garvanza Elementary School, has been
Gabriela Spilman, a fourth-grade dual-language English-Spanish teacher at
Aldama Elementary School, has been
Michelle Touceda, an English teacher at
South Gate High School, has been teaching
for 16 years.
Hector Verduzco, a computer science
teacher at Esteban Torres High School, has
been teaching for nine years.
Matthew Waynee, a cinematic arts
teacher at LAUSD/USC Cinematic Arts
and Engineering Magnet, has been teaching for 20 years.
Amber Willis, a science teacher at Downtown Magnets High School, has been
Anthony Yom, a mathematics teacher at
Abraham Lincoln High School, has been
Brenda Young, an English teacher at John
R. Wooden High School, has been teaching
for 15 years.
To submit news for “Accolades”:
Email details and photos to [email protected].
Contract vote results
UTLA members approve student-focused
contract agreement.
With a strong majority of members voting, UTLA
members approved the contract agreement reached in
“reopener” bargaining with LAUSD, with 97% voting yes
and 3% voting no. Voting took place online as well as at
school sites from June 1 to 3. The ballots were counted
at the UTLA building on June 4. Yes.......................................... 97%
No........................................... 3%
Total ballots cast:................. 17,466
The agreement was approved by the LAUSD School Board on June 14.
UTLA and LAUSD will be back in bargaining in 2016-2017 for another round
of limited-scope “reopeners” and in 2017-2018 for the full contract renewal
and health benefits negotiations.
15
July 22, 2016
Retirees’ corner
Report of the May 20 General Assembly Meeting.
By Mignon Jackson
UTLA-R Secretary
President’s report: Betty Forrester,
UTLA/AFT vice president and AFT Local
1021 president, announced the awarding
of the CFT Ben Rust Award to our own
UTLA-R President John Perez at this year’s
CFT Convention in San Francisco. This
award is the most prestigious honor that
the federation bestows upon its members
or friends. The award honors an AFT
member for his or her commitment and
involvement in education, politics, and
the trade union movement.
The UTLA-R president then announced
the Steering Committee’s decision to add
one additional meeting to the 2016-2017
UTLA-R General Assembly calendar for a
total of five. The dates for the meetings are:
August 26, 2016; October 14, 2016; January
20, 2017; March 17, 2017; and May 19, 2017.
Treasurer’s report: UTLA-R Treasurer
Mike Dreebin reported that $30,979
remains in the budget. He stated that
two additional UTLA-R alternates will
be funded to attend the NEA-Retired
Annual Meeting at the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C. He
also reminded UTLA-R members that
they must obtain a UTLA-R reimbursement form from him to have expenses
reimbursed if they attend conferences.
Health benefits report: Loretta Toggenburger reviewed health benefits FAQs from
the LAUSD Health Benefits Committee
that addressed “Does your prescription
need prior authorization?” She spoke
about the kinds of drugs that required
authorization.
PACE report: UTLA-R Vice President
Cecelia Boskin reported that current
membership is more than 4,000. She
also stated that UTLA-R members have
contributed more than $2,000 to UTLA
PACE so far this year. UTLA-R members
were also reminded that their participation in the UTLA political process is still
vital and contributions can be mailed to
Cecelia Boskin, 3547 Federal Ave., Los
Angeles, CA 90066. Please remember to
invite other retirees you know to join
UTLA-R.
Legislative report: Mary Rose Ortega,
our legislative chair, presented the legislative update. She briefly discussed
the impact proposed legislation would
have on the many aspects of retiree life
and benefits. The November ballot will
include a proposition (Proposition 55)
that will extend the provisions of Proposition 30 for an additional 12 years and
include provisions that are supportive
of public education and students and
their families.
Guest speakers: Rigo Reyes, chief
investigator/mediator program supervisor, and Maritza Gutierrez from
the L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs presented
information from that department.
The topics included: consumer scams,
telemarketing fraud, elder financial
abuse, consumer contracts, real estate
scams, crimes of affinity, and identity
thief. They also spoke about mediation
services and the range of volunteer
service positions that the public can
fill to help members of the community. They shared that retired educators
A special thank you to Tomas Junge and
his group for preparing the wonderful brunch
at our General Assembly meetings: Virginia
Pratt, Lupe Vallery, Bill Miller, Frances Williams, Hattie McFrazier, Jim DeSalvo, Norma
Pesqueira, and Sarita Bryson.
Note from UTLA-R President
By John Perez
UTLA-Retired President
More on Silver Script: Questions were
asked and answered at a recent Health
Benefits Committee meeting regarding
the continuing issue of the change from
CVS to Silver Script for our members in
the Anthem plans. We were told that the
company has the right to periodically
change its formulary and that when the
formulary changes, prices can go up. The
formulary is a list of the medications that
the carrier allows its doctors to prescribe
to treat various conditions. I was given
two numbers for our members to call if
they have questions concerning their prescriptions under Silver Script. The number
to reach the Silver Script people is (844)
819-3075 and the number to reach people
at the District who understand the issue
is (213) 241-4262.
Social Security safe for the next 75
years? A recent report by the Social Security Board of Trustees said that with
the current system, Social Security is
100% funded for the next 18 years, 95%
funded for the next 25 years, and 84%
funded for the next 75 years. What this
means is that if nothing is done, starting in 2034 Social Security pensions will
drop to 95% of their value. In a recent
Pew poll taken during the primary
season, we learned that supporters of
all Presidential candidates of both major
parties, by majorities ranging from 62%
to 73%, don’t want Social Security benefits reduced. The easiest way to fully
fund Social Security for the next 75 years
is to eliminate the cap on income subject
to the Social Security tax. Unlike the
income tax, income above $118,500 is not
subject to the Social Security tax. Fully
funding Social Security for the foreseeable future would take an amount
equal to only 0.95% of America’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). After 9/11,
military spending went up, almost overnight, by 1.1% of GDP, and when us
Baby Boomers showed up for school,
spending on education nationwide went
up 2.8% of GDP between 1950 and 1975.
Social Security is often the only retirement income for millions of seniors,
and it keeps millions out of poverty.
16
are suitable candidates for mediators
based on their previous experiences
and their people skills. If you have
questions or concerns, please contact
the Los Angeles County Department
of Consumer and Business Affairs at
(800) 593-8222 or online at www.dcba.
lacounty.gov.
The richest nation in the history of the
world can, and should, fully fund and
expand Social Security benefits.
Prop. 30 extension: The petition drive
to extend Proposition 30 has been successful, and it will be on the November
ballot as Proposition 55. This extension drops the sales tax increase from
Proposition 30, but keeps the higher
income tax rates for people who make
over $250,000. UTLA will be mounting
a major effort to get Prop. 55 passed,
and UTLA-Retired members can play
an important role.
President increases number of workers
eligible for overtime pay: The Obama
administration recently increased from
$23,660 to $47,476 the salary threshold
for overtime pay. The lower amount has
been adjusted only once since 1975, when
the limit made 60% of workers eligible for
time and a half for work over 40 hours
per week. Before the change by President
Obama, only 7% of the country’s workers
qualified for overtime, but the change will
make an additional 12.5 million workers
eligible for overtime pay.
The cost of teacher attrition: Every year
thousands of new teachers begin what
they hope will be a lifetime career, a career
that we found rewarding. But we know
that in the first five years of teaching,
something close to 50% of new teachers
will transfer schools or quit our profession. Penn University Professor Richard
Ingersoll has studied this revolving door
problem and he says it costs school districts across the country upward of $2.2
billion a year to hire and train new replacements. Dr. Ingersoll says that if school
districts used just a portion of that money
on authentic mentoring and support programs for new teachers, the attrition rate
could be drastically cut and more new
teachers would become career teachers.
If you want to have your name added to
our UTLA-R email Alert List, send your
email address to [email protected]. If
you want to make a donation to PACE, send
your check to Cecelia Boskin at 3547 Federal
Ave., L.A., CA 90066. Perez can be reached
at [email protected].
July 22, 2016
Vendors on campus: Who is not allowed?
Insurance, annuity, or 403(b) vendors are prohibited from soliciting
educators on campus or by email.
By Eric Young
UTLA Pre-Retirement Issues
Committee Chair
If you have worked in LAUSD long
enough, you have probably received at
least one phishing email from someone
offering to counsel you on your retirement
plan. You also may have encountered
insurance, annuity, or 403(b) vendors on
your campus. What you may not realize is
that there is a District bulletin that clearly
prohibits these vendors from soliciting
you on campus or by email.
In 2003, the District published bulletin
BUL-6178.0: Employee Unions, Associations, and Organizations, Solicitations
and Sale of Merchandise, and Use of
School Mail. This bulletin prohibits
insurance, annuity, or 403(b) vendors
from using District email or coming on
District property to sell their products.
This prohibition also extends to presentations on “retirement, personal finance,
or insurance” since this is often just a
disguised way to get on campus and
sell products. (You can find a link to the
bulletin at http://home.lausd.net/apps/
news/article/333851.)
Official representatives from CalPERS,
CalSTRS, and the LAUSD 457(b) plan
are the only groups this bulletin allows
on campus. CalPERS and CalSTRS seem
logical since they can provide informa-
tion and presentations on retirement
benefits for District employees, and
the LAUSD 457(b) representatives are
permitted on campus for a reason that
deserves a short explanation.
LAUSD has a Retirement Investment Advisory Committee (RIAC)
that includes oversight of the LAUSD
457(b) plan as part of its role. UTLA
is part of the oversight committee,
with myself the representative. Every
quarter the RIAC committee looks at
the investment performance of the
funds in the 457(b) plan and adds or
removes funds as needed to support
the investment objectives for the plan.
The committee also works to ensure
that costs in the LAUSD 457(b) are
kept as low as possible. When you
invest in the LAUSD 457(b) plan, you
can be confident that all of the funds
have been vetted by RIAC and offer
some of the lowest costs available in
their fund class. This is not always the
case with a 403(b) plan.
Costs vary widely in the world of 403(b)
plans. Many are reasonably priced and
offer a good choice for supplemental retirement savings. The problem is there are
also 403(b) plans that charge high account
fees, and some have “surrender” charges
that are beyond reason. The District has
little to no oversight with 403(b) choices,
and this is the reason why the bulletin
prohibits 403(b) vendors from coming on
campus or using District emails. The bulletin tries to prevent District employees
from exposure to salesmen peddling these
products that might have unreasonable
fees and/or other charges.
Be aware and notify your chapter chair
if you see any of these vendors on your
campus or receive any email that offers
products or advice on your retirement.
Chapter chairs can take concerns to UTLA
Treasurer Arlene Inouye (ainouye@utla.
net), who will follow up with the District
and the vendors.
Share your school’s good news!
Send details on awards, honors, special
events, and great schoolwide programs
to [email protected].
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17
July 22, 2016
UTLA Classifieds
CLASSIFIED AND DISPLAY AD POLICY: UNITED TEACHER will not accept ads for legal services in the areas of worker’s compensation or personal injury; nor
advertising for tobacco or alcoholic beverages; nor advertising deemed misleading or offensive to members; nor advertising inconsistent with the programs and
purposes of United Teachers Los Angeles.
GARAGE SALE
Job share needed for the 2016-17 school year. I am
Patrick Henry Academy of Performing and Visual
High School. Join a vibrant community of educa-
open to different schedules, including half-day or
Arts Magnet (located in Granada Hills) is seeking
tors at BCCHS. Apply on EdJoin.org
Garage Sale. Retired, 3rd grade teacher. July 30-
one semester on/one off. Prefer lower grades. Be-
highly qualified applicants with a P.E. Credential
31, and August 6. 11520 Wyoming Avenue, West
lieve would have to move to your school. BCLAD
who also have an extensive dance background.
William J. Johnston Community Day School is
Los Angeles, CA 90025. 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. su-
Spanish/experienced. Live in Echo Park and would
The expectation is that dance will be the vehicle
accepting applications for a full-time science/
[email protected].
prefer something in UTLA North Area. Contact Elaine
by which the P.E. content standards are delivered.
technology teacher. Those interested should send
at (323) 240-7004 or [email protected].
Passionate, enthusiastic dancers who meet this cri-
letter of intent, resume summarizing experience,
teria, please email a cover letter with your resume to
and letters of recommendation to: Barbara Politz,
Lucinda Burton at [email protected].
Johnston CDS, 2210 N. Taper Ave, San Pedro, CA
HOME BUYING
Educators home buyer’s down payment assistance
program orientation RSVP @ (800) 667-7695.
Job share partner needed for the 2016-2017 spring
semester to teach the ETK program at a small
90731 or email to Barbara Politz blp2505@lausd.
neighborhood elementary school in the West Val-
Various positions are open and available for quali-
ley. Looking for a partner with approved RWL sta-
fied teachers at Birmingham Community Charter
net or fax to (310) 832-7914.
tus. Pre-K experience preferred. Contact Silvana at
(818) 523-4778/[email protected].
LAUSD EMPLOYMENT
Job share partner wanted for the 2016-2017 and
beyond. (The deadline is April 15.) I have a special
Job share/employment
available ads in LAUSD
employment section are FREE.
education preschool classroom (PALs) open to a
split schedule at my school or your school, preferably South or West local district. I have 10 plus
years of teaching special education/general education preschool Contact Leah: (310) 916-6229 or
JOB SHARE
Seeking a long-term sub for 3 months starting
January 2017. I teach 6th grade science and 7th
grade health. Great school in Sherman Oaks. Prefer
[email protected].
Kindergarten P.M. job share position at my school in
Mission Hills for fall 2016. I have five years of job share
experience. Please contact Amy at (818) 269-7244.
someone tech savvy who can use Google Class-
Looking for a job share partner for 2016-2017 RSY;
room to collaborate with me while I’m overseas in
fantastic school in Tarzana (NW District); split week
India on a Fulbright award. Please contact Garry at
or afternoons; mild/moderate credential. Leave
(310) 487-7336 or [email protected].
message at (818) 508-7343. Deadline for 2016-
Job share position wanted in the Local District
2017 school year is approaching.
Northwest, for 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 school
I’m looking for a job share partner for Spring Se-
year, at a school: 6th grade Science or Math: split
mester or S.Y. 2016-2017 at your school, prefer-
week. Also open to do job share at your school. I
ably South or East local district. I have 17 years
have both multiple subject and single subject math
of teaching experience in Elementary General Ed.
credential. I have 9 years of teaching experience.
(562) 291-8038.
Contact Grace at (818) 429-2888.
Interested in job sharing a PLTW teaching position for 2016-2017. Like to be at a school within
12 miles of Long Beach. Call or text (562) 9777721, [email protected].
Looking for an enthusiastic teacher to job share
partner in my 4th grade class at Crestwood Elementary School in the South, spring semester, 2017.
Please call Jennifer Roberts at (310) 832-8130.
grade teacher who works well in a collaborative
environment. Applicants should be willing to work
as part of a team, creating a Common Core curriculum that is filled with technology, differentiated instruction, and project-based learning. As
to job share at their school site (LD Central or
in extra-curricular activities for the fifth grade
East) for spring 2017 and beyond. I have been a
students. Applicants should be flexible and in-
Special Education teacher for 11 years and took
terested in creating life-long learners. Interested
a leave of absence for fall 2016 because I was
applicants please contact Tiffany Cullen at Saturn
unable to find a job share opportunity before the
Street (323) 931-1688.
position before the new deadline November 15,
2016 (for spring 2017 placement). I have a double Ed. Sp. credential and have taught SDC (m/m
and m/s), a few years in RSP both at the middle
school level and ESY. I taught upper elementary (4-6) the 2015- 2016 school year and loved
that change. If you are considering job sharing,
please contact me at [email protected]. I
will respond ASAP.
I am looking for a job share partner. I teach middle
school, the moderate to severe class. I am interested in sharing the week. I work at a fantastic school
in the city of Bell. Looking to start 2016-2017 school
year. Contact: Claudia (626) 230-8258.
18
CLASSIFIED AD COPY FOR UNITED
TEACHER PUBLISHING
Saturn Street Elementary is looking for a fifth-
a member of the team, applicants will engage
ing my own classified ad in hopes of finding a
Print your ad from your computer or use a typewriter. If you’re using the coupon below, please print clearly. Count the number of
words in your ad. Area code and telephone number count as one
word. Email and web address count as one word. Street address
counts as one word. City and state, including zip code, count as
one word. Abbreviations and numbers are considered words and
are charged individually. The classified ad rate is $1.50 per word
for each time your ad runs (there is no charge for LAUSD job
share/employment available ads). Multiply the number of words
in your ad by $1.50. This is the cost for running your ad one time
in UNITED TEACHER. If you’re running your ad in more than one
issue, multiply the one-time total by the number of issues you
wish the ad to appear. We have a ten word minimum ($15). All ads
are payable in advance by check or money order. Please make
check payable to UTLA. The deadline to receive your classified
ad at the UTLA Communications Dept. is noon on the Monday
that falls two weeks prior to the publication date. Any questions?
Call (213) 637-5173.
LAUSD POSITIONS
AVAILABLE
I am seeking a teacher partner that would like
April 15, 2016, deadline. This time, I am post-
How To Place Your UT Classified Ad
_____ August 19 (due date: Aug. 1)
_____ September 16 (due date: Aug. 29)
Name:
Street Address: City: State: ZIP:
Ad Copy: Attach your typed copy to this form or print clearly here:
Lawrence Gifted Magnet seeks a full-time English teacher for the 2016-2017 school year. Must
have experience teaching gifted students and record of current gifted professional development
hours. Single subject English and/or multiple
subject credential considered. Please email cover
letter, resume, and letters of recommendation to
[email protected].
Lawrence Gifted Magnet seeks a full-time Science teacher for the 2016-2017 school year. Must
have experience teaching gifted students and record of current gifted professional development
hours. Single subject Science and/or multiple
subject credential considered. Please email cover
letter, resume, and letters of recommendation to
[email protected].
Total number of words: _____ @ $1.50 = $_________ per run date
Number of run dates ____ X $____ each run date = $_______
No credits or refunds on canceled ads.
Mail with payment to UNITED TEACHER Classifieds,
UTLA, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010.
Ads may also be dropped off at this address.
July 22, 2016
U N I T E D
Calling all third-grade teachers:
Participate in a research study
“Creative Experiential Professional Development” uses third-grade standards
across the curriculum. Immerse yourself in a
two-day, 15-hour experience including seven
integrated lessons to explore ELA, Math,
History, Science, Dance, Music, Theatre Arts,
Visual Arts, Health, and Technology. Spend
two days using Multiple Intelligences, creativity, technology, and culturally responsive
materials and resources to integrate and
“UNcommon” the Common Core.
This research is part of a dissertation
for a Ph.D. candidate who has taught
for 18 years in LAUSD. She is a National
Board certified teacher and an elementary
theatre teacher. This project is the study
of the potential for including creativity
and the arts in experiential differentiated
PD. It intends to understand the view of
the teachers to improve PD. This salary
point class also requires a 25-minute online
Multiple Intelligence assessment at home
before the lesson series. There are 30 hours
of homework including a questionnaire
(2.5 hours), a lesson plan (10 hours), and
a choice between nine other differentiated
creative assignments. They range from
2.5 to 10 hours each. Pick your favorites
to complete the last 17.5 hours. This one
T E A C H E R
GRAPEVINE
point salary class has limited space and is
on a first come, first served basis.
Date: Monday, August 8, and Tuesday,
August 9 Time: 8:00 am to 4:30 p.m. Location: The Delta Center Conference
Room (52nd Street Elementary School, 816
W. 51st St., Los Angeles, CA 90037)
Register on the Learning Zone: Course
Number: 55-11-788
Researcher: Raissa White, R.White8779@
email.ncu.edu
Workshop on Essential Questions
and Curriculum Mapping
NBCTs Selena Stewart and Linda
Guthrie will be leading a workshop on
Essential Questions and Curriculum
Mapping. This class will focus on developing deep-thinking questions—thoughtprovoking questions where the answer
is not certain and can’t only be framed
with the content students are learning.
These questions transcend the content as
student answers will change as they gain
life experiences and new knowledge. The
questions are meant to create thinkers. The
first day of the workshop, participants will
be creating essential questions as the
basis for units of study and/or for a whole
semester of study. The second day will be
THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR,
GET $20 OFF PER COURSE...UNLIMITED!
SESSIONS BEGIN JUNE 10,
2016
devoted to curriculum mapping to formulate a plan of lessons to answer the
essential questions. The workshop will
be held on August 10 and 11 at Thomas
Starr King Middle School from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m.. To sign up: Call King Middle School
at (323) 644-6700 and leave your name, or
simply come on the first day.
Salary point class on
“Cars and Stars”
Earn salary points and expand your
knowledge of local history by enrolling
in “Cars and Stars: L.A.’s Transformation Into a Metropolis.” Participants will
visit the Petersen Automotive Museum
and the Paley Center for Media and take
a walking tour of L.A.’s Union Station.
This District-approved class is open to all
K-12 educators and is worth two salary
points. It will also expose participants to
resources and Common Core-based strategies that can supplement their teaching.
Class will meet at Francis Polytechnic High
on August 13, 20, and 27, and September
10, 2016. From Francis Polytechnic High,
participants will commute to the three
locations (one each class day, except for
September 10). The course fee is $175 for
two units, preregistered ($185 on the first
day), which includes breakfast, materials,
and museum admissions. Enrollments will
be accepted until—and including—the
first day of class (August 13), or until cap
is reached, whichever happens first. For
further information, email: [email protected], visit www.en4ed.com, or call/text
Larry Carstens at (818) 645-4259. Peak Performance Practices
workshop for academics and sports Learn a wide variety of peak performance
practices to apply for teaching your K-12
students. Class time will be spent in applying the skills learned in class for teaching
your students. The 30 hours outside class
will be in applying this class experience
for yourself and your teaching/coaching.
Learn brain energizers, whole brain learning
modalities, concentration techniques, whole
body fitness practices, stress reducers, and
so much more for the K-12 classroom and/
or for the sporting arena and your personal
life. One salary point available. When: Five
Wednesdays, August 31, September 7, 14, 21,
28, 2016. Where: Van Nuys Middle School,
5435 Vesper Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91411.
Cost: $150 (please bring cash or check). Instructor: Kurt Krueger, NBCT. Call, text, or
email for more info: (818) 399-0771, [email protected]. To sign
(continued on page 14)
We’re with you
all the way
Registration deadline is June 3, 2016/*Discount does not apply to VPSS courses
USE PROMO CODE
LOVE2LEARN
Quality, research based content in the areas of California Content
Standards, ELA & Mathematics, and Student Mental Wellness
created and tailored for today’s K-12 instructors. All courses are
UTLA/LAUSD approved by the Salary Point Committee.
REGISTER NOW@ teachstar.lacoe.edu
Powered by
Online Professional Development Courses brought to you by the Teachstar Online Academy,
powered by the Center for Distance & Online Learning at the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
Supporting communities with union
expertise and long-term alliances.
At UnitedHealthcare, we’re dedicated to those
we serve — providing affordable, innovative
health care programs that honor hard work and
commitment with comprehensive solutions.
We provide a broad portfolio of customizable
health care plans as well as dental, vision, life
and disability offerings to help you get the right
coverage at the right price.
For more information, call
Anthony Campbell at 415-778-3845.
©2015 United HealthCare Services, Inc. Health plan coverage provided by or through
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and UnitedHealthcare of California. Administrative
services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., OptumRx or OptumHealth Care
Solutions, Inc. Behavioral health products are provided by U.S. Behavioral Health Plan,
California (USBHPC) or United Behavioral Health (UBH). UHCCA732195-000
19
0.25% APR Mortgage Loan Discount 1
• Discount is for purchase of a primary residence
CCU Pay Card 2
• Reusable pre-paid debit card
• Each payday your pay is automatically
loaded onto the card
• No account required
0% APR Classroom Cash3
• Designed especially for teachers
• Borrow up to $1,500 at 0% APR
School Summer Savings4
• Grow your money faster with 3.00% APY
• Withdrawal available at any time
• Disbursed in July
Educator Skip-A-Pay 5
• Designed for school employees who may
not get paid during the summer months
• Skip two loan payments per year ( July
and August OR August and September)
1. Primary residence only. Proof of employment at a California public or private school is required. Standard underwriting guidelines apply. Discounts for purchases only.
2. Must be eligible for membership at CCU.
3. One per calendar year. APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Max term of 12 months. Estimated 12 monthly payments per $1500 borrowed is $125. Rate reflects direct deposit of $1,000.00 or more in
a CCU account prior to loan funding and automatic payments at signing.
4. APY = Annual Percentage Yield is subject to change without notice. Rate reflects monthly direct deposit into the summer savings account of $50 – $2,000 and can only be made via direct deposit or payroll
deduction. Total deposits must not exceed $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year) (July 1 – June 30). The Credit Union will distribute the balance of the account in July via transfer into a CCU account.
5. Members who skip summer payments will see an increase in the monthly payment amount. Available on all loans except share plus, credit card and share/certificate secured and mortgage loans.
Member must be in good standing with California Credit Union. Offers subject to change without notice.
1606-01 UTLA June Newsletter Ad | R2 | 5-25-16

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