New Elementary ACE Calendars are now available to principals and leadership teams.  The newly revised Elementary ACE Calendars include a “tracking” chart which allows a school to count up the number of  Independent Planning Days; Non-ACE days (like parent conferences); and the combined number of staff/grade level/staff development days per year.

The number of ACE days vary this year dependent upon the day of the week. Schools with Tuesday ACE have 33 ACE days for the 2011/12 school year and should reflect a 16/17 split between Independent Planning and staff/grade level/staff development.  Schools on Wednesday and Thursday ACE have at total of 35 ACE days and should reflect a 17/18 split between Independent Planning and staff/grade level/staff development days.  Since the number of ACE days is uneven, the split should reverse every other year

ODepending on your specific situation and your current class size, you may be eligible to receive additional planning time. See extensive details in this article.

One of the major contract changes effective in 2011-12 is the addition of 4 more "PN" days. See extensive details in this article.

Three of the five non-student  days are once again "furloughed" for the 2011-2012 school year. Here are the 3 days for elementary teachers: one of the two non-student days before the opening of the school year in September; one of the non-student parent conference days; and the non-student day following the last student day  in June. Here are the 3 days for  middle school and high school teachers: one of the two non-student days before the opening of the school year in September; professional growth day; and end-of-first-semester wrap-up day

As per Article 14.4.5.1 all classes, including online coursework, must be completed “prior to the first working day” of the school year. This will be Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Transcripts showing proof of coursework must be submitted to Personnel no later than October 31, 2011. For complete contract language refer to Article 14.4 found here.

New contract language was  adopted last spring allowing for three (3) "No Tell" days. Refer to Article 10.3.3 in the CUEA/CUSD Contract now online at the CUEA website. There is no restriction  as to when those days may taken. Keep in mind that these 3 days are part of the 7 PN days allowed per year as enumerated in Article 10.3.

If you are called for jury duty, you have the option to either serve when called, or postpone your service to a non-working day during winter or spring break or the summer vacation months.

If you choose to postpone and serve on your "own time," the district will pay you the same amount they would have paid a regular subsitute. In order to receive the substitute pay, you must submit a copy of the original summons, the notification of postponement of service, and the dated proof of jury service.

If you decide to serve your duty during the school year, the district pays for your sub and the days on jury duty are not counted against your sick leave.

Due to shrinking resources, the demand to release teachers for either on-site or off-site conferences has significantly decreased over the last year. This has increased the availability of substitutes.

Teachers should not experience substitute shortages to utilize maximum class size release day(s) due to them.

Elementary Class Size Maximum

Kindergarten: 33 or more

4th/5th Grade: 34 students or more

Middle and High School Class Size Maximum

English, science, math, history, and foreign

language teachers: 36 or more

High School: 37 or more

“Asking the right question means more than getting the right answer.”

So says Diane Ravitch in a video clip found on the CTA website. (see lower right hand side of front page). Once an early supporter of  NCLB, Diane Ravitch has shaken up the education world by doing a complete about-face on testing, accountability, and the merits of charter schools. Ravitch author of   The Death and Life of the Great American School System, begins one video clip with this enticing statement “Here are some of the things that can’t be measured [meaning tested] …”

How would you finish that sentence?  Log on your comment on the President’s Blog.

Presented by
Gail Rothman, CalSTRS Benefits Counselor

CUEA Scholarships Now Available
Applications for graduating high school seniors of CUEA members are now available from the CUEA office.

The parent or guardian of the applicant must be a teacher, speech pathologist, nurse, psychologist or counselor employed in CUSD and a current member of CUEA.

The student must be a graduating senior with an overall GPA of 3.2 or better.

The student must be planning to attend college.

Applications are due Monday, March 12, 2012 of each year.

Application Fill-In Form (MS Word)
Application Fill-In Form (pdf)

Contact Julie Gallups the CUEA office by or phone at 949-900-2280 for more information.

 

CTA Scholarship for Members
Scholarship Amount : $3,000 for up to five members statewide
Eligibility: CTA members working on a credential, degree or graduate program
Requirements : CUEA/CTA membership
Deadline Postmark: February 3, 2012

 

CTA Scholarship for Dependent Children of CTA Members
Scholarship Amount: $5,000 for up to twenty-five dependent children of members statewide
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors; undergraduate or graduate students claimed as a dependent on members' IRS tax forms; dependent child or action, retired or deceased CTA member
Requirements : CUEA/CTA membership
Deadline: February 3, 2012

 

Del Weber Scholarship for Dependent Children Attending Continuation High School or Alternative Education Programs
Scholarship Amount: $5,000 for one dependent child of a member statewide
Eligibility: Graduating high school senior who is claimed as dependent status on members' IRS tax form; may be a dependent child of an active, retired-life or deceased member.
Requirements: Parent of dependent child must be a CUEA/CTA member
Deadline: February 3, 2012.

 

For any of these applications go to the CTA website at www.cta.org or contact Julie Gallups at the CUEA office by or phone at 949-900-2280.

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More than $8 million has been used to fund over 2,500 grants to teachers through the NEA Foundation.

The NEA Foundation believes that the best teaching methods come from teachers in the classroom. They support new ideas and practices to strengthen teaching and learning. Click here to learn more.

 

As indicated by the media frenzy around Iowa caucuses held tonight, the presidential election promises to be the major news event of 2012. But the presidential election is not the only game in town.  In fact, propositions listed down farther on the California ballot, will have equal, if not more, impact on our schools, our students, and our profession.

Governor Jerry Brown filed a ballot initiative last month that would raise $7 billion for public schools. He said, “I am going directly to the voters because I don’t want to get bogged down in partisan gridlock as happened this year. The stakes are too high.”

His tax initiative would increase taxes on the wealthy and increase the sales tax by ½ cent. All funds would go only to education and public safety.

In an Open Letter to the People of California, he wrote, "The stark truth is that without new tax revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools, universities, public safety."

Now all it needs is the signatures to place it on the November ballot.

 

Supporting pubic education and the integrity of the neighborhood school concept, teachers and parents of Barcelona Hills packed the Board Room Monday night. Carter Johnson, teacher at George White Elementary, and father of two children attending Barcelona Hills, spoke on behalf of maintaining the the public school at Barcelona Hills and against giving the facility over to the charter school. See pictures and article here.

 

If you have called CalSTRS and left your name and phone number, DO NOT CALL AGAIN.  Due to the high volume of calls, they cannot return your phone call immediately, but they will get back to you! Additionally, DO NOT sign up for both an individual and a Group Counseling workshop – they are the same thing.  At the group workshop, you will receive a customized packet of information just as you would at the individual conference. Check out the CalSTRS website here  for information about telephone conferences.