focus

focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA www.peateachers.org

California Teachers Association

Statement of Mission

The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the conditions of

teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure that the human dignity

and civil rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society.

NOVEMBER 2015

Volume XXIV, Number 3

Dear PEA Members,

It’s with regret I must tell you that

I’m sick. I thought I did all the right

things. I washed my hands frequently.

I used my own writing utensils while

working with my students. I

instructed my students to wash their

hands, use the vampire cough/sneeze

technique and still I became ill. Take

it from me, health is everything!

So, speaking of your health (physical

and mental), how are you? That’s

right, I’m asking you. How are YOU

doing? I hope well and happy! Here

are two things that make me smile

about November:

1. Conferences are over and meeting

the families of my students was

very valuable. There is an article

in the October 2015 California

Educator magazine by Cynthia

Menzel and Karen Taylor that has

tips for parent-teacher relations.

One of the tips I liked was asking

for parents’ opinions. There are

many pieces of information you

can gather while a parent feels

comfortable speaking freely.

2. Mockingjay 2 opens up on

November 20th!!!! I’m a big fan

of the Hunger Games books and

movies.

This is to say, find your smile items

and your health (physical and mental)

will probably increase positively as

we go into our Thanksgiving break.

Before we leave for a week of

Thanksgiving celebration it is the 94th

annual American Education Week,

November 16-20. This week is to

celebrate parents, educators,

education support professionals, and

substitute teachers of public

education. Thinking of my

classroom, there are many people that

help and should be greatly celebrated

that week! If you get a chance, make

something, say something, or act on

something to thank those around you.

The theme this year is, “Great Public

Schools: A Basic Right and Our

Responsibility”. You can find some

ideas to use at www.nea.org/aew.

On that note of making sure we fulfill

our responsibility to ensure our

students have a great public

education, there was recently an

“Urgent Action Needed on

Reauthorization of ESEA” by CTA

President Eric Heins (look for more

information at www.cta.org). The

email message from President Heins

asked to make sure your congress

member knows you support the

reauthorization of ESEA (Elementary

Secondary Education Act). You

could also take a picture with a sign

about telling Congress to get it done

and post it on social media. I’ve

written several congress members and

taken a picture (see page 2.) Please

help support equal opportunity for all

students no matter where they live by

taking a little time and take action.

This could be one of your smile

items!

Sincerely,

Tammy Carr

PEA President

On educators

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PEA Leadership 2015-2016

President

Tammy Carr

Highlands Elementary/PEA Office

Elementary Vice President

Vacant

Secondary Vice President

Bertha Ramos

Rancho Medanos

Secretary

Michell Redfoot

Willow Cove Elementary

Treasurer

Vicky Krywokulsky

Stoneman Elementary

Committee Chairs:

Grievance Committee

John Kleinjans – Pittsburg High

Chris Coan – Willow Cove Elementary

Negotiations Team

Mark Maselli - Chair

Political Action Committee Chairs

Chris Coan, Jim Vaughan

Elections Chair

Ruth Foster

Human Rights & Women’s Issues Chairs

Yvonne Burton, Najah Perkins

O-Team Chair

Marissa Young-Padilla

CTA State Council Representatives

Mark Maselli – PEA

Arthur Pruyn (Alt.) - PEA

Membership Chairs

Yvonne Burton, Lisa Gunderson

Technical Editor, Susan Harrison – PEA Office Administrator

Focus on Educators

is a publication of the

Pittsburg Education Association CTA/NEA

159 East 4th Street

Pittsburg, CA 94565

Phone: (925) 432-0199

email: info@peateachers.org

website: www.peateachers.org

Rep. Council Meeting Calendar (Tuesdays)

November 17

December 15

January 19

February 16

March 15

April 19

May 17

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School Board Meeting Calendar

November 18

December 9

January – TBD

February – TBD

March – TBD

April – TBD

May – TBD

June - TBD

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Are You Getting Your PEA Information?

Having our Site Reps collect your input, attend the monthly Rep

meeting and then report back to you is vital in the

communication chain of our Association.

Roll call at last October 20th Rep Council Meeting:

Adult Ed. – present Stoneman – present

Foothill – present Willow Cove – present

Heights – present MLK Jr. – present

Highlands – present Hillview - present

Los Medanos – present Rancho Medanos –present

Marina Vista – present PHS - present

Parkside – present Black Diamond –present

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcing…

2016 CTA Scholarships

CTA is accepting applications for the following categories:

Dependent Children

Del A. Weber for Dependent Children Attending Continuation High School/Alternative Education

Members

L. Gordon Bittle Memorial Scholarship for Student CTA

All applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on February 5, 2016. For more information on the individual categories, please go to: www.cta.org./scholarships

Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Education Awards Program CTA is holding the 14th annual art and essay competition in honor of Cesar E. Chavez. Winners will receive recognition and up to $550.00. Individual Projects can be either Written Essays or Visual Arts. All applications and projects must be postmarked by January 15, 2016. For more information and applications, please go to: www.cta.org/scholarships

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Pittsburg Teachers CARE!

PEA Community Outreach Presents…

Our 5th Annual Winter Drive

November 17 to December 15

Now collecting all winter items for homeless youth:

Socks, hats, gloves, and scarves

(All items will be donated to Shelter Inc, a Contra

Costa non-profit organization supporting homeless

youth and families)

While you’re out doing holiday shopping, please pick

up something for a youngster in need. Give your

donation to your PEA Rep by December 15!

Thank you for your generosity!

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Member Benefits Corner

Did You Know? Member: Do you know that if you teach in a “high impact school” and have Stafford and/or Perkins loans, you may be eligible to have a portion of your student loans forgiven? STAFFORD LOANS If you have a Stafford Loan, teach five consecutive years in a

“high impact school”, and have not consolidated your loans,

you may be eligible for $5,000 or $17,500 forgiven.

PERKINS LOANS

If you have a Perkins Loan and teach “shortage area content” in a “high impact school”, and have not consolidated your loans, you may be eligible for a percentage of your student loan to be forgiven (15% for 1st and 2nd years, 20% for 3rd and 4th years, and 30% for 5th year.) PSLF FORGIVENESS You must make 120 on-time, full, scheduled monthly

payments on your student loans under a qualifying

repayment plan. When you make each of the 120 payments,

you must be working full-time at a qualifying public service

organization. After 120 payments, your remaining balance

will be forgiven.

RESOURCES

www.CTAMemberBenefits.org/studentloan for links to

resources.

By, Yvonne Burton Membership Chair

This Month in Politics

By, Chris Coan & Jim Vaughan Political Action Chairs

Here are some of the MAJOR events

recently in politics. Remember, as you read

this, many of you think to yourselves, “Why do I have to be

involved in politics?” The unfortunate answer is you will need

to be involved in politics as long as politicians and special

interest groups want to be involved in what you do in your

classroom, how you do it and when you do it.

*Watch the video on YouTube: “Confessions of a Union

Buster.”

KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

The Keystone XL Pipeline took its last breath this month as

Canada tried to renew its application for the pipeline (which

would have pumped tar sands to Pittsburg) which was

immediately opposed by environmental groups. Canada

pulled their application. We may hear about this again, but it

is possible that the election results in Canada will prevent

that from happening. Canada recently elected a Liberal

government slate.

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DENIES CHARTER

APPLICATION FROM ROCKETSHIP!

The County Board of Education, by a 4-1 vote, denied an

application for a charter school in Concord in the Monument

corridor for an ELL elementary school at their October 21st

meeting. Mount Diablo Unified School District was out in

force in opposition to the charter application. The

Superintendent of Mount Diablo, several of their District

Office staff, the teachers and other staff were in attendance

and strongly opposed the application. The Rocketship group

was asked about any other applications they had planned for

schools in Contra Costa County and they responded that

they didn’t have any plans at that time. Hold that thought. We

may well see an application very soon.

WE ARE ONE YEAR FROM THE BIG ELECTION!

In one year, we go to the polls again to elect a president, the

entire House, one-third plus of the Senate and many, many

other offices, propositions, and two board members right

here in the Pittsburg Unified School District. These elections

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are held on one day, but the work and preparation for

successful campaigns has been going on for months now

and we need to prepare ourselves to put into office and into

law the best possible group for the benefit of our students

and their families. What we do today will impact them for the

rest of their lives, so it is completely appropriate for us to

involve ourselves, as professionals, in the discussion and in

the decision.

Please contact Chris Coan or Jim Vaughan if you are

interested in the future of your students and your school to

participate in the preparations for next year’s elections. The

past is prologue. The future is NOW!

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Know Your Contract

Duty Free Lunch

Article 6.1.11 Bargaining unit members

at the elementary level are entitled to one duty free lunch

period of no less that fifty (50 )minutes, and bargaining unit

members at the junior high and high school levels are

entitled to one duty free lunch period of no less than thirty

(30) minutes.

Duty free means that you cannot be assigned a task to do

such as watching children, collaborating, conferencing, IEP’s

or intervention. This is YOUR time to have lunch, take care

of business. You can also leave the campus. You CANNOT

be required to sign in and out at lunch time….this was

grieved last year and won by Willow Cove. You CANNOT

get paid to do tutoring or Intervention during this time as it is

illegal federally since you would be double dipping. This is

your duty free time to take care of yourself.

Respectfully submitted,

Chris Coan, Elementary Grievance Chair

“NEWS…”

Fair Wage Act of 2016

There have been petitions going around related to the Fair

Wage Act of 2016. In fact, there have already been over

500,000 signatures gathered to place this on the ballot. It will

be a statewide ballot initiative for November 2016. The Fair

Wage Act (FWA) will ensure everyone who works full time

can be guaranteed a gradual raise of the minimum wage of

$1 a year until it reaches $15 in 2021. When that is

complete, the objective will be that minimum wage will be

adjusted based on cost of living. Families in our community

of Pittsburg have struggles in covering cost of groceries,

housing, and other necessities as other Californians have

experienced. Therefore, PEA has banded with SEIU-UHW

(sponsors of Lift Up California Wages) to endorse the Fair

Wage Act, because our students and their family matter to

us!

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Calendar NOVEMBER 2015

1 Daylight Saving Time Ends 2-17 PEA Elementary V.P. Election 3 Election Day 3 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 11 Veteran’s Day – Holiday – No School 17 PEA Elementary V.P. Election Ballots Due 17 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 17 Winter Drive Starts 18 PEA Tailgate & Rally – 5:30-6:30 PM PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 6:30 PM 23-27Thanksgiving Recess 26 Thanksgiving Day

DECEMBER 2015 1 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 6 Hannukah begins at Sundown 9 PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 6:30 PM 15 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 159 East 4th St. – 3:45 PM 21-1 Winter Recess 21 Winter begins 24 Christmas Eve 25 Christmas Day 26 Kwanzaa begins

Next Deadline for Articles is Monday, December 7, 2015

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