CTA'S State Council Update - January 26, 2014

“The time is always right to do what is right.” –MLK

Submitted by State Council Reps: Charles Shannon, OEA; Joanne McClellen, MTA; Meritt Davies

CTA State Council occurs three times a year. State Council is CTA’s policy-making body. Representatives, as part of an assigned committee, propose, discuss and/or vote upon CTA policy and CA State legislative issues. This summary is intended to be brief and to highlight upcoming issues; you can find more information in the California Educator or on the CTA website. Please contact us if you have any questions.

CHAPTER INFORMATION:

  From the FINANCE COMMITTEE: Bargaining Advisories will be out in the next three weeks or so to address the state budget, LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) and LCAPs (Local Control and Accountability Plan).

  From PRESIDENT DEAN VOGEL:  Be an active part of the conversation about your district’s LCAP plan. Anything you want to bargain in the future should be mentioned in the plan or the district can say that because (your issue/topic) is not in the plan, it doesn’t need addressing. 

  From the ASSESSMENT AND TESTING COMMITTEE: Although the Smarter Balanced Field Tests will be conducted over the next 3 years, individual/student/school/or district score reports will not be generated from the field tests.

  From the BUDGET COMMITTEE: This committee is recommending to the CTA Board that in order to participate in the arbitration fund, minimum chapter dues will need to increase from $150 to $170 a year, @ $5/year. (CTA bylaws currently state that the goal is for local dues to be 30% of the CTA dues.) The increase would not be immediate and could be implemented over a few years.

  A Region 1 Organizing Academy will be held on the first weekend of April to address the presidents’ request for training on current budget and bargaining issues. Scholarships will be available from Alcosta. Teams of 4 from each chapter are encouraged to attend...the chapter president and 3 others.

  BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! The Summer Institute will offer a Political Action Strand at the 2014 Summer Institute.

MEMBER INFORMATION:

 From the RETIREMENT COMMITTEE: CalSTRS will offer Annual Progress Reports ONLINE (hardcopies by request only). Remember to be diligent in checking your balances—that your D.O. has made accurate reports.

 From the CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE:

o Members are encouraged to review and comment on the draft of the ELA/ELD Curriculum Framework by grade level. A draft of the framework can be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/cf/elaeldfrmwrkchptrs2014.asp. After reviewing the framework members should go to the Department of Education survey to provide comments. The survey can be accessed at http://surveys.cde.ca.gov/surveylogin.asp?k=138677921630

o Members are encouraged to apply to serve on the Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee for the revision of the Science Framework K-12. More information, including the application, is available on CDC Science Curriculum page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/

o Training test for smarter balanced assessments will be available in early Feb. See http://www.smarterbalanced.org 

 From the CIVIL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION COMMITTEE:  Due to the number of initiatives being circulated for signatures that attack teacher tenure, seniority, and teacher dismissal, it is recommended that members do not sign any petitions at this time. Be aware of people gathering signatures in public places.