Dear Colleague,

With the November election less than a week away, it's important for all of us to get out to vote - and to make sure that everyone we know does the same thing. We're especially calling on you, as CTA members and leaders in our diverse ethnic minority communities, to reach out to others. We can't afford to sit this one out.

Please remind your family, friends, people in your places of worship and community organizations to go to the polls on Nov. 2, and to vote for CTA-supported, pro-public education candidates. Our recommended candidates went through an extensive interview process with an emphasis on one thing: what's best for education in California.  While CTA has made recommendations on local, statewide and national candidates and measures, our top priorities include the passage of Proposition 24 to close corporate tax loopholes, and electing Jerry Brown as Governor and Tom Torlakson as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Here's why:

CTA Recommendations

Proposition 24, the Tax Fairness Act - At the same time lawmakers cut billions from our schools, laid off thousands of teachers, and raised taxes on working Californians, they made a secret backroom deal that will give $1.3 billion in unnecessary tax breaks to California's largest and most profitable corporations. These corporations have not created new jobs or opened any new facilities. In fact, they have laid off thousands of workers while making huge profits and paying their CEOs millions. Voting YES on Prop 24 ends these unfair tax breaks before they take effect, and will help fund our schools and protect students from more devastating cuts. That's tax fairness. It's time to give our public schools a break, not big corporations.

Governor - With a lifetime's devotion to public service, Jerry Brown is the most qualified and experienced candidate there is. His service work began in the fields of California, where he organized farm workers with Cesar Chavez, and has gone on to include serving as a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College, Secretary of State, Governor for two terms, Mayor of Oakland, and state Attorney General. He knows that California's future depends on a world-class education system, and he has made that a priority. His opponent, billionaire businesswoman and former executive of eBay Meg Whitman, has vowed to cut $15 billion from California's budget, which would mean another $7 billion in cuts to education - cuts that our schools cannot afford. Check out our side-by-side comparison of the two candidates for more in-depth information. 

Superintendent of Public Instruction - Assembly Member Tom Torlakson, a teacher, has been a champion of public education throughout his career.  During his time in the legislature, Torlakson initiated significant educational reform when he authored the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA). This valuable reform legislation targeted extra resources and interventions to California's lowest-performing schools, narrowing the achievement gap and producing proven results. Torlakson also championed legislation to get resources away from the educational bureaucracy and directly into classrooms by boosting funding for instructional materials such as textbooks and computers. He also spearheaded the drive to develop the largest after school program in the nation, giving students the hands-on assistance they need to succeed. Tom Torlakson will use his office as a bully pulpit for quality education in California.

If you'd like to inspire someone to vote, send out our new GOTV video. Visit the election section of our CTA website for a complete listing of our recommended candidates and initiatives, as well as other campaign resources. You can also find election information on CTA's Facebook page and on Twitter. Check out our TV and radio advertisements as well in our media center.

  Cliff Kusaba
  CTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Co-Chair, Pacific Asian American Caucus 

  Jose Alcala
  CTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Co-Chair, Hispanic Caucus

  Simone Zulu
  Chair, African American Caucus

  George Melendez
  Chair, American Indian/Alaska Native Caucus

Sunshine

Article 2.7.1 FAC

Clarify who can be on Faculty Advisory Committee.

Article 3.15 Percentage Contract

Clarify the process for granting percentage contracts.

Article 5.15 Catastrophic Leave

We would like to make clear the definition in the contract of what constitutes a catastrophic event and explore eligibility requirements for a member to receive extra sick days. Explore the possibility of allowing sick days to be transfered between bargaining units. 

Article 5.2 Adoption Leave

Additional days for international adoption

Article 5.2 Personal Necessity Days

Allow teachers to take Personal Necessity Days without telling a reason.

Article 7.1.1.1 Class size (SPED students)

Modify language for mainstreamed students.

Article 9: Evaluation

Add language to the contract to require the district to notify teachers what year they are on within the evaluation cycle. We would also like to clarify what work is required in each year of the evaluation cycle.

Calendar 

Dear school board members and superintendent Quon,

As Halloween and elections approach (both very scary prospects) we look at our staffs to encourage the kids and be a kid themselves in dressing in costume. There will be presidential masks, super heroes, and Giants! But are we not all Giants? Ones in which we carry students on our shoulders so they may see the other side? To place them closer to the stars? To help them overcome their fears? We are Giants to our students. This being a good time to reflect on that as Halloween and the color of orange and black bring the term Giants to a more meaningful conclusion. 

We will be entering a new beginning with Interest Based Bargaining. I hope that we can make a smooth transition one in which we can be happy with the final outcome as our interests are met.  For you see we can learn from the San Francisco Giants that team work can accomplish anything. The team concept in IBB is essential in its application.

Finally I would like to propose a thought as we enter the holiday season. It has become more evident that we have students who are in need of the basic essentials. We have families that are struggling to make ends meet. They may not have the ability to place food on their table this season. I would like for us both CEA and CUSD to work together so that our community may make it through these difficult times. We need to inform the parents that there are resources out there for them to use. That it is not humiliating to ask for help. That it is not as daunting a task to get the help that you may need. If we can draft a letter that gives these parents the resources to make that call so that their children will be fed. CEA will do whatever it can to help our community. 

Dear Members,

Wendy did some number crunching and the results are pretty bad. We have the lowest Base Revenue Funding in the county receiving  $ 4,964.03 per student. We are the 9^th from the bottom in the state.  We need to make our community aware of this. We are the 7^th highest performing school district in the state.  We are the highest performing school district with a ADA (Average Daily Attendance)  of over 3,350 students. I will continue to get this information out as we need to do something about it!

• CTA's new Proposition 24 TV and radio ads are now on the air around the state. The ads feature classroom teachers speaking about how Prop. 24 will "give our classrooms a break, not the corporations."  
• Teachers also speak out on behalf of Jerry Brown in a TV ad, produced by CTA as part of its Independent Expenditure effort. It will be shown for the next two weeks in Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Central Coast and Sacramento.
• CTA also has an ad in support of state Assembly Member Tom Torlakson for superintendent of public instruction that is posted on our website and airing on stations around the state. 
• Oh, and for a bit of fun, check out Bobblehead Meg. We didn't produce it, but thought it was well done.

As parents throughout the country are "Waiting for Superman" we in CUSD have our answer: CUSD ALLSTARS! Teachers in each school are ALLSTARS. They go beyond the workday to accommodate their kids in special ways. These Allstars  do not have any weakness like Kryptonite! They can leap over chairs, desks, backpacks to save their students. They can stop the Danger of emotions from becoming Anger by recognizing how important the D is in that word.  They are faster than any government agency in replying back to parents. These allstars at each site are doing these incredible tasks....

i-movie club, walkaround, dineout nights, ballgame, picnic on the lawn, movie night,  monthly/daily school broadcast of events, Go Green Club, Science Night.Math Night,Choir and Music Trips , jazz music , the Washington DC and Montreal Trip ,running club , the countless coaching and sports activities that the PE department coordinates, lunchtime sports, after school sports at the elementary schools, clubs at the different sites, speech and debate, spelling bees, Mathcounts competitions, Wordmasters, National French Contest competitions, robotics, Walk a Thons and Pumpkin Festivals spearheading events like babysitting nights and movie nights.  Our Mantra has been When times get tough, we can't just sit back and do nothing.  After all, the students deserve everything we have..and more. So while they wait for Superman we have the real deal!!!!! Let us not forget Jaime Escalante who proved that it is the teacher not the school that makes the difference.

                                                                                                October 6, 2010

Dear Parents,

The Cupertino Library will be offering a program this year to encourage children to read. The program is called Reading Buddies and is presented in cooperation with the Furry Friends.

 
The Reading Buddies program is for children currently in kindergarten through 5th grade. Children may register for a 20-minute session in which they read aloud to a trained therapy dog a book of their choice or one from the Library. Parents need to remain in the Library during the program, but will not be in the room with their child.
 
Reading to dogs is a program concept that is being used by libraries and schools across the country to help children develop reading skills. Dogs are good listeners who do not judge, laugh or criticize the reader. Children can feel comfortable in being accepted just for who they are and have fun with reading at the same time. Reading to dogs can increase self-confidence and encourage a positive attitude toward reading. This program is intended for children who are struggling with reading, falling behind in their reading skills, or need to build self-esteem.

Registration for the next Reading Buddies program will start on Tuesday, October 12. The program will be Thursday, November 4, and children may register for a 20-minute session starting at either 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Children must register in person at the Library at the Children's Reference Desk. Spots fill up fast, so if anyone is interested, it may be best to come in on October 12. There will also be another program on Thursday, December 2 at the same time, with registration starting on Monday, November 8.
 

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Ms. Yeung