Presented by
Gail Rothman, CalSTRS Benefits Counselor

Step #1: Voter Registration

Are you registered to vote? Do you need to verify your registration or update it? Have more questions?
Click here to Orange County Reigstar of voters.

 

Step #2: Know the issues

Check out "Campaign 2012" on the CTA website site for information about statewide issues. Click here.

 

Step #3: Tell a Friend

It is so easy to spread the word. Click here to find out how!

 

Step #4: Stay informed

Information about our own CUSD School Board elections, as well as the statewide issues, will be posted here on the Update throughout the summer. Be sure you check your email frequently! Tell your teacher friends to Sign Up for Updates!

 

We can't afford any more cuts to schools and vital servcies! The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 is the only initiative that takes care of the whole state, by replenishing the General Fund.

The CTA State Council of Education endorsed the initiative this weekend. Your CUEA State Council Representatives (Zeke Barragan; Joy Schnapper; Vicki Soderberg, Mike Weinell and Christy Watson)  voted to support this new initiative, which is a compromise between the original Brown tax measure and the so-called "Millionaires Tax."

The act asks the richest Californians to pay their fair share to help fund public education and vital public services, pays down the debt we owe to schools, and does not raise income taxes on the poor or middle class. This initiative guarantees that new revenue for education will be spent on schools at the local level, not administrative costs or Sacramento bureaucracy.

Why does CUSD need this tax measure?
For the past three years the state has paid CUSD 80 cents for every dollar owed to us; for the upcoming school year it will decrease that funding to 77 cents on the dollar. Additionally, CUSD will lose federal stimulus money for the first time in three years, and is declining in enrollment.

 

Now, there are two great reasons to contact your California Casualty Auto and Home Insurance Program today: 
WIN A $7500 SCHOOL LOUNGE MAKEOVER!
WEBSITE:     http://schoolloungemakeover.com/cta

 

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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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.

 

During preparation for Teacher Appreciation Week earlier this year, the NEA took time to highlightsome research it has completed about our nation’s public school teachers. A few tidbits are listed here; to read more click here.

• Of the over 3 million teachers in K-12 public schools, about 16% of these teaching positions become vacant each year.
• Forty-five percent of new teachers abandon the profession in their first five years.
• Nearly all classrooms in the nation have computers, but half the teachers say that they need training to better integrate technology into instruction.
• Teachers’ salaries still lag behind those for other occupations requiring a college degree, and with the huge cuts in school district budgets, the pay gap is growing larger.

 

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

One of the major contract changes effective in 2012-13 is the addition of 3 more Personal Necessity days ("PN Days"), for a total of 10 days. This means all ten (10) of your allotted sick days per year can be used for personal necessity reasons. Keep in mind, you still must tell your principal in advance of the need to take a Personal Necessity day. Also, see the line item below about "No-Tell" days.

New contract language was  adopted last spring allowing for three (5) "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 5 days are part of the 10 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.