focus focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA www.peateachers.org California Teachers Association Statement of Mission The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the conditions of teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure that the human dignity and civil rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society. NOVEMBER 2015 Volume XXIV, Number 3 Dear PEA Members, It’s with regret I must tell you that I’m sick. I thought I did all the right things. I washed my hands frequently. I used my own writing utensils while working with my students. I instructed my students to wash their hands, use the vampire cough/sneeze technique and still I became ill. Take it from me, health is everything! So, speaking of your health (physical and mental), how are you? That’s right, I’m asking you. How are YOU doing? I hope well and happy! Here are two things that make me smile about November: 1. Conferences are over and meeting the families of my students was very valuable. There is an article in the October 2015 California Educator magazine by Cynthia Menzel and Karen Taylor that has tips for parent-teacher relations. One of the tips I liked was asking for parents’ opinions. There are many pieces of information you can gather while a parent feels comfortable speaking freely. 2. Mockingjay 2 opens up on November 20 th !!!! I’m a big fan of the Hunger Games books and movies. This is to say, find your smile items and your health (physical and mental) will probably increase positively as we go into our Thanksgiving break. Before we leave for a week of Thanksgiving celebration it is the 94 th annual American Education Week, November 16-20. This week is to celebrate parents, educators, education support professionals, and substitute teachers of public education. Thinking of my classroom, there are many people that help and should be greatly celebrated that week! If you get a chance, make something, say something, or act on something to thank those around you. The theme this year is, “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility”. You can find some ideas to use at www.nea.org/aew. On that note of making sure we fulfill our responsibility to ensure our students have a great public education, there was recently an “Urgent Action Needed on Reauthorization of ESEA” by CTA President Eric Heins (look for more information at www.cta.org). The email message from President Heins asked to make sure your congress member knows you support the reauthorization of ESEA (Elementary Secondary Education Act). You could also take a picture with a sign about telling Congress to get it done and post it on social media. I’ve written several congress members and taken a picture (see page 2.) Please help support equal opportunity for all students no matter where they live by taking a little time and take action. This could be one of your smile items! Sincerely, Tammy Carr PEA President On educators
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focus
focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA www.peateachers.org
California Teachers Association
Statement of Mission
The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the conditions of
teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure that the human dignity
and civil rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society.
CTA is accepting applications for the following categories:
Dependent Children
Del A. Weber for Dependent Children Attending Continuation High School/Alternative Education
Members
L. Gordon Bittle Memorial Scholarship for Student CTA
All applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on February 5, 2016. For more information on the individual categories, please go to: www.cta.org./scholarships
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Education Awards Program CTA is holding the 14th annual art and essay competition in honor of Cesar E. Chavez. Winners will receive recognition and up to $550.00. Individual Projects can be either Written Essays or Visual Arts. All applications and projects must be postmarked by January 15, 2016. For more information and applications, please go to: www.cta.org/scholarships
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Pittsburg Teachers CARE!
PEA Community Outreach Presents…
Our 5th Annual Winter Drive
November 17 to December 15
Now collecting all winter items for homeless youth:
Socks, hats, gloves, and scarves
(All items will be donated to Shelter Inc, a Contra
Costa non-profit organization supporting homeless
youth and families)
While you’re out doing holiday shopping, please pick
up something for a youngster in need. Give your
donation to your PEA Rep by December 15!
Thank you for your generosity!
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Member Benefits Corner
Did You Know? Member: Do you know that if you teach in a “high impact school” and have Stafford and/or Perkins loans, you may be eligible to have a portion of your student loans forgiven? STAFFORD LOANS If you have a Stafford Loan, teach five consecutive years in a
“high impact school”, and have not consolidated your loans,
you may be eligible for $5,000 or $17,500 forgiven.
PERKINS LOANS
If you have a Perkins Loan and teach “shortage area content” in a “high impact school”, and have not consolidated your loans, you may be eligible for a percentage of your student loan to be forgiven (15% for 1st and 2nd years, 20% for 3rd and 4th years, and 30% for 5th year.) PSLF FORGIVENESS You must make 120 on-time, full, scheduled monthly
payments on your student loans under a qualifying
repayment plan. When you make each of the 120 payments,
you must be working full-time at a qualifying public service
organization. After 120 payments, your remaining balance
will be forgiven.
RESOURCES
www.CTAMemberBenefits.org/studentloan for links to
resources.
By, Yvonne Burton Membership Chair
This Month in Politics
By, Chris Coan & Jim Vaughan Political Action Chairs
Here are some of the MAJOR events
recently in politics. Remember, as you read
this, many of you think to yourselves, “Why do I have to be
involved in politics?” The unfortunate answer is you will need
to be involved in politics as long as politicians and special
interest groups want to be involved in what you do in your
classroom, how you do it and when you do it.
*Watch the video on YouTube: “Confessions of a Union
Buster.”
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!
The Keystone XL Pipeline took its last breath this month as
Canada tried to renew its application for the pipeline (which
would have pumped tar sands to Pittsburg) which was
immediately opposed by environmental groups. Canada
pulled their application. We may hear about this again, but it
is possible that the election results in Canada will prevent
that from happening. Canada recently elected a Liberal
government slate.
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DENIES CHARTER
APPLICATION FROM ROCKETSHIP!
The County Board of Education, by a 4-1 vote, denied an
application for a charter school in Concord in the Monument
corridor for an ELL elementary school at their October 21st
meeting. Mount Diablo Unified School District was out in
force in opposition to the charter application. The
Superintendent of Mount Diablo, several of their District
Office staff, the teachers and other staff were in attendance
and strongly opposed the application. The Rocketship group
was asked about any other applications they had planned for
schools in Contra Costa County and they responded that
they didn’t have any plans at that time. Hold that thought. We
may well see an application very soon.
WE ARE ONE YEAR FROM THE BIG ELECTION!
In one year, we go to the polls again to elect a president, the
entire House, one-third plus of the Senate and many, many
other offices, propositions, and two board members right
here in the Pittsburg Unified School District. These elections
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are held on one day, but the work and preparation for
successful campaigns has been going on for months now
and we need to prepare ourselves to put into office and into
law the best possible group for the benefit of our students
and their families. What we do today will impact them for the
rest of their lives, so it is completely appropriate for us to
involve ourselves, as professionals, in the discussion and in
the decision.
Please contact Chris Coan or Jim Vaughan if you are
interested in the future of your students and your school to
participate in the preparations for next year’s elections. The
past is prologue. The future is NOW!
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Know Your Contract
Duty Free Lunch
Article 6.1.11 Bargaining unit members
at the elementary level are entitled to one duty free lunch
period of no less that fifty (50 )minutes, and bargaining unit
members at the junior high and high school levels are
entitled to one duty free lunch period of no less than thirty
(30) minutes.
Duty free means that you cannot be assigned a task to do
such as watching children, collaborating, conferencing, IEP’s
or intervention. This is YOUR time to have lunch, take care
of business. You can also leave the campus. You CANNOT
be required to sign in and out at lunch time….this was
grieved last year and won by Willow Cove. You CANNOT
get paid to do tutoring or Intervention during this time as it is
illegal federally since you would be double dipping. This is
your duty free time to take care of yourself.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Coan, Elementary Grievance Chair
“NEWS…”
Fair Wage Act of 2016
There have been petitions going around related to the Fair
Wage Act of 2016. In fact, there have already been over
500,000 signatures gathered to place this on the ballot. It will
be a statewide ballot initiative for November 2016. The Fair
Wage Act (FWA) will ensure everyone who works full time
can be guaranteed a gradual raise of the minimum wage of
$1 a year until it reaches $15 in 2021. When that is
complete, the objective will be that minimum wage will be
adjusted based on cost of living. Families in our community
of Pittsburg have struggles in covering cost of groceries,
housing, and other necessities as other Californians have
experienced. Therefore, PEA has banded with SEIU-UHW
(sponsors of Lift Up California Wages) to endorse the Fair
Wage Act, because our students and their family matter to
1 Daylight Saving Time Ends 2-17 PEA Elementary V.P. Election 3 Election Day 3 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 11 Veteran’s Day – Holiday – No School 17 PEA Elementary V.P. Election Ballots Due 17 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 17 Winter Drive Starts 18 PEA Tailgate & Rally – 5:30-6:30 PM PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 6:30 PM 23-27Thanksgiving Recess 26 Thanksgiving Day
DECEMBER 2015 1 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 6 Hannukah begins at Sundown 9 PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 6:30 PM 15 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 21-1 Winter Recess 21 Winter begins 24 Christmas Eve 25 Christmas Day 26 Kwanzaa begins
Next Deadline for Articles is Monday, December 7, 2015