"We Are One"
has become the slogan uniting teachers, nurses, firefighters and other
workers across the state and country. The battle over teachers and other
public employees having a say in their workplace took center stage as
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin
passed legislation eliminating collective bargaining rights for some
public employees. Thousands of California workers joined in rallies of
support sponsored by CTA and the California Labor Federation on February 22. A candlelight vigil at the State Capitol
highlighted actions. Some lawmakers are using the state budget deficits
as an excuse to wage war against union workers and the middle class.
Similar battles are being fought in Ohio, Michigan and Idaho. We must
all stand together and stand strong against these attacks. Do not lose
faith and do not lose hope. Together we can make a difference. Sign the NEA national petition to protect worker rights. Donate to the NEA's 51 Fund to help defeat these attacks. Join CTA, NEA and labor unions across the country and take a Stand for Solidarity on April 4.
April 4 is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
assassination in Memphis as he marched in support of sanitation workers
demanding their right unionize. We're asking everyone to wear a "We Are
One" sticker to school that day, participate in local labor rallies, or
use that day to teach about labor history in your classroom.
Contact Your Lawmakers on the State Budget
Both the Assembly and Senate are voting on the Governor's proposed state budget and revenue extensions. Contact your lawmakers
today and urge them to support the budget package in order to prevent
even deeper cuts to our schools and colleges. More than 19,000 layoff
notices were issued to educators by the March 15 deadline. CTA led actions
with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and the
statewide Education Coalition. If the current taxes are not temporarily
extended, our schools and colleges are facing another $4 billion in
cuts. The governor has called for a June special election to let voters
decide, but so far Republican lawmakers are holding the budget plan
hostage, despite public opinion in support of an election. Use any of these resources to reach out to your colleagues and parents.
State Board of Education to Consider New Statewide Tests
Following the adoption of the Common Core State Standards,
the State Board of Education will soon be considering a new statewide
testing system for California. Two groups developing assessments pitched
their proposals to the State Board this month. The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium
were awarded federal grants last year to develop tests that adhere to
the common core standards. California is currently a member of PARCC,
but the State Board has until May to reconsider an agreement signed by
the former administration. California faces large financial struggles
implementing either of the proposed testing systems as they rely on
computer-based testing and must be ready by 2014. CTA's Testing and
Assessment Committee will review the proposals at the next State Council
meeting.
Help Improve Teacher Evaluation
CTA is collecting information from members about methods of evaluating teacher effectiveness in order to improve the teacher evaluation process. The CTA Teacher Evaluation Workgroup
has been working to develop a new state framework for evaluating
teachers and wants to hear from you. Please take few minutes to fill out
this survey on the CTA website. Also be sure and read CTA's article on teacher effectiveness in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Honoring Our Labor History
With the rights of workers under attack, CTA is proud to join the entire labor community in commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
that led to a national social justice movement to protect workers. March
25 marks the centennial of the fire in a New York factory. Please join
any of the commemoration ceremonies taking place this month. For list of
events in Northern California visit www.laborfest.net. For events in Southern California visit www.lalaborfest.org. March is also Women's History Month. Please also take a moment to honor the work of women and their struggle for equal rights.
Join the California State PTA
For more than a century, the PTA
has focused on connecting homes and schools to help all children
succeed. It also helps connect parents to teachers. I'm encouraging you
to recommit to joining your local PTA or to joining the Golden State PTA
directly. As all of us in the education community gear up for a critical
fight to protect education funding from deeper cuts, the voice of the
PTA will be crucial -- and that voice is stronger with teachers involved.
