Award-Winning Newspaper of United Teachers Los Angeles • www.utla.net Volume XLVIII, Number 6, April 19, 2019

Measure EE: Lifeline for LA schoolsOur strike brought about the chance to make a breakthrough in school funding.

On June 4, voters in LAUSD boundaries will cast ballots on Measure EE, the first local school funding measure in decades and the first major step in our 20 by 20 cam-paign to reach $20,000 in per-pupil funding.

Measure EE is a lifeline to prevent harmful cuts to our schools and move LAUSD toward a sustainable future, laying the financial groundwork to build on our contract victories and make more progress for our students. Our strike forced LAUSD to tap into its huge reserve to offer a fair pay raise; lower class size; hire more nurses, teacher-librarians, and counselors; and other improvements, but that reserve is one-time money. If LA schools do not secure additional revenue after that money is gone, the pressure for cuts begins in the form of employee layoffs, threats to healthcare and retire-ment, and cuts to student programs.

Guardrails around Measure EE funding

Measure EE money can be used only for a voter-approved list of student needs—needs that parallel our strike demands for the schools our students deserve, such as lowering class size and providing more nursing, library, and counseling services.

Measure EE requires that every dollar is used to support local schools and cannot be taken by the state or federal government, and all Measure EE funds are required by law to be deposited into a separate account. State law requires annual public reporting, and Measure EE goes further by additionally requiring annual audits by an independent firm.

Making corporations pay their fair share

In this time of record profits and tax breaks for businesses, the LA Chamber of Commerce and the lobbying group BizFed are funding a multimillion-dollar campaign against Measure EE and have hired former big tobacco consultant Matt Klink to run it. They oppose EE because they wanted the measure to be a regressive flat tax—meaning that every property owner would have paid the same amount, regardless of property size.

Because Measure EE is based on the

square footage of buildings, it substan-tially shifts the tax burden from home-owners to commercial properties and industrial sites with large buildings. Big businesses and corporate land-lords would fund more than 70% of the measure, and homeowners would pay only 18%. There would be no direct tax on renters, and senior citizens and people with disabilities would be exempt.

“The organizations fighting Measure EE want the owner of a million-square-foot skyscraper to pay the same as the owner of a 1,000-square-foot home,” UTLA Presi-dent Alex Caputo-Pearl says. “Businesses thrive in our state and in LA, and they need to pay their fair share to help our schools thrive.”

In the ballot language against the measure, the business interests directly attack our profession, urging a no vote because of the “exploding” cost of our retirement and healthcare. No mention is made of the systemic cause of the funding crisis: California, the fifth-largest economy in the world, is 44th in state funding, and our schools have been starved of resources for decades.

With corporate interests aligned against the measure, it is up to us to win it. UTLA’s membership total is such that if every eligible member voted yes, we could send the measure to victory. Every member needs to sign the Measure EE support petition and volunteer to help pass the initiative, whether you live in LAUSD boundaries or not.

Because of our strike, we have the best chance in decades to pass a local funding measure, and UTLA members are commit-ted to bringing the passion from the picket lines to passing Measure EE.

“We can’t let this opportunity slip through our fingers,” Brentwood Science Magnet teacher Ebony L. Batiste said. “If we are really serious about supporting public schools, about reducing class sizes, and increasing education for students in LA, we all need to work to pass Measure EE. This is how we build on our strike victories and have the funding to fight for more.”

Q & A on Measure EE: See page 4.

Jackie for the win on May 14Vote & volunteer

Page 5

VOTE YES ON

MEASURE EEMEASURE EEMeasure EE is a critical part of the solution to the public education funding crisis that was amplified by our strike. Bringing more funds to LAUSD will help set the school district on a sustainable path and prevent layoffs, protect our healthcare, and expand programs for students.

By law, Measure EE funds are dedicated to:

✔ Lowering class sizes

✔ Attracting and retaining teachers and school employees

✔ Providing equitable school nursing, library, and counseling services

✔ Providing safe, secure, clean, well-maintained, supportive, and welcoming schools

✔ Supporting special needs, homeless, foster, and other underserved and disadvantaged students

Election Day is June 4Early Voting Starts May 6

Our strike created the urgency to address the public education funding crisis with steps like Measure EE.

Ad paid for by United Teachers Los Angeles-Political Action Council of Educators (PACE) Issues.

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President’s perspective

Bring the passion of our strike to passing Measure EE

By Alex Caputo-Pearl UTLA President

I started teaching in 1990, in a third-grade classroom at Anderson Elementary in Compton. It wasn’t too long into the school year that I had to look into the eyes of my students—wonderful young people whom I remember vividly, like Nicole Tous-saint and Johnny Bermudez—and try to explain why there wasn’t enough money to provide them with lower class sizes and more personalized attention, more music and arts, more staff to help them with other issues, more materials, and so on.

We’ve spent our careers explaining that public education is chroni-cally underfunded. Enough is enough. For the first time in my career, and in yours, we are on offense against underfunding. Measure EE, on the local ballot on June 4, is our ground-break-ing vehicle that would bring $500 million in new ongoing money to our schools.

Measure EE is different from state Props. 30 and 55. While they were essential, they were primarily about maintaining the status quo and avoiding even more abysmal underfunding. Measure EE, which we brought onto the ballot through our strike, is, for the first time in my almost-30-year career in education, a move towards more absolute money in our classrooms and schools—smashing through the status quo, not just maintaining it.

Our strike was the game-changer on school funding

Your vibrant picket lines in the rain, showing an overwhelming commitment to public education, created the Measure EE breakthrough. Our strike defeated a decades-entrenched and billionaire-driv-en narrative that education’s problems were because of “bad” teachers and “bad” schools, and that increased funding would NOT make a difference.

Our strike shifted that to a narrative based on reality: School underfunding is shameful and we all need to do something about it.

Our strike made economic facts roll off parents’ and reporters’ tongues—California is the richest state in the country, but 44th out of 50 among the states in per-pupil funding.

Our strike won a pathway to success for our neighborhood district schools: class size reduction, more HHS staff, less testing, and other critical wins. We won an invest-ment in that pathway through the reserve.

But, the reserve is one-time money. To continue down our new pathway for years to come—improving our schools even more, and battling privatization—we need ongoing annual revenue.

Our strike made increased annual revenue a real possibility. A broad coali-tion, including UTLA, LAUSD, Mayor Garcetti, the City Council, and SEIU, put EE on the ballot.

Just as with the strike, we need every

single one of our members not just on board with EE, but passionately campaigning for it. In my aggressive schedule of school visits, I see the beginnings of member involvement in EE, but we need far more NOW.

In my visit to Drew Middle School, UTLA member Morgan Brunelle said, “Our strike raised the school funding issue up like I haven’t seen before, at both the local and national level.” Morgan is right. But, we can’t risk the political winds shift-ing and taking us away from the focus on school funding. Measure EE lets us move quickly, while the opportunity is here.

In my visit to 122nd Street Elementary, UTLA member Noemi Kurtz said, “Our

strike proved to the public that we will fight for great public schools, not just wish for great public schools.” We need to take exactly that willingness to fight, with shoes on the pavement and fingers on social media, to the Measure EE campaign.

In my visit to Southeast High School, UTLA member and fantastic mariachi player during the strike, Zada Mendoza, said, “Our strike awakened the activist in me. That part of me had been asleep. I was inspired and I’m not going to let my activism go to sleep again.” Every single one of us, whether we live within LAUSD boundaries and can vote on EE or not, must be activists for EE in the same way we were activists on the picket lines.

My conversations at schools about Measure EE

I am very fortunate to be in conversation with so many of you through school visits. Between now and June 4, one focal point of my visits is hearing your reflections on the strike and new contract. The other is engaging you on the vital importance of EE, and EE’s crucial connection to getting Jackie Goldberg elected on May 14, and to our other priorities.

These are the most common questions that I engage at schools, and my responses.

How do we make sure that the district is accountable in how it spends EE money? There has never been a silver bullet for ac-countability—not with Prop. 30, 55, or other monies. That said, we have tremendous strength to hold the district accountable on EE. First, we have tight ballot language directly stating monies go to recruiting and retaining educators, class-size reduction, in-

creases in HHS staffing, and so on. Second, there will be annual audits. Third, there will be an oversight committee. Last, and most important, we will organize publicly, with a broad coalition including the mayor, to keep the district accountable.

Why are we pushing Measure EE when it will cut into the raise we just won? Please ask any member who puts this ques-tion forward to do the math. Many of our members are renters. They will pay nothing on EE. For those of our members who own homes within LAUSD boundar-ies, they will pay a tiny fraction of their raise on this parcel tax—and it is a darn good investment to do that. The average

homeowner will pay less than $240 per year for EE; compare that to the average raise that our members received in the strike settlement, which is more than $4,000 per year. Moreover, passing EE will be an absolutely essential game-changer in fight-ing for future raises, class-size reduction, and more.

Is there any opposition to EE and will it be difficult to pass? This is going to be a war and we need every single one of us involved—a point made even stronger by the fact that we need two-thirds of the vote to win on EE. Three of the major business associations in LA have come out against EE and are

raising money to defeat it. While they say they are concerned about homeowners, the reality of their opposition is obvious: This is a per-square-foot parcel tax that gathers over 70% of the $500 million from businesses, mostly big businesses, many of whom have been shirking responsibility for public educa-tion for years. Only 18% of the $500 million comes from homeowners—an investment well worth it when it leverages hundreds of millions of dollars from big business, and when it results in funding the priorities of our strike that were supported overwhelmingly by parents. The business associations who are opposing have hired the same lobbyists as the cigarette industry.

Will money from Measure EE go to inde-pendent charter schools? Yes, in the same way that a portion of the monies from other efforts we campaigned for, Prop. 30 and Prop. 55, went to charter schools. There is no legal way to prevent charter schools from getting a share of the monies proportionate to their share of enrollment, which is about 17%. This is why our fight has always been two-pronged: fighting for more funding while simultaneously fighting to cap charter school growth, as our strike has now put on the table with Sacramento legislation. But, make no mistake: If we want to stop unregulated charter growth, we must get more money to our district neighborhood schools so that they are attractive places for parents to send their children. That money is EE.

I don’t live within LAUSD boundaries, so I won’t be able to vote on EE. What should I do? To win this essential campaign, we need

(continued on next page)

Alex with Jackie Goldberg (second from left), kicking off a day of precinct walking. Electing Jackie on May 14 will put a powerful pro-public education voice on the school board.

United Teacher PRESIDENT Alex Caputo-Pearl NEA AFFILIATE VP Cecily Myart-Cruz AFT AFFILIATE VP Juan Ramirez ELEMENTARY VP Gloria Martinez SECONDARY VP Daniel Barnhart TREASURER Alex Orozco SECRETARY Arlene Inouye

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Good

BOARD OF DIRECTORSNORTH AREA: Karla Griego, Chair (Buchanan ES), Mark Ramos (Contreras LC), Rebecca Solomon (RFK UCLA

Comm. School), Julie Van Winkle (LOOC Liason)

SOUTH AREA: Maria Miranda, Chair (Miramonte ES), Aydé Bravo (Maywood ES), L. Cynthia Matthews

(McKinley ES), Karen Ticer-León (Tweedy ES)

EAST AREA: Adrian Tamayo, Chair (Lorena ES), Ingrid Gunnell (Salary Point Advisor), Yolanda Tamayo

(Lorena ES), Gillian Russom (Roosevelt HS)

WEST AREA: Erika Jones, Chair (CTA Director), Georgia Flowers Lee (Saturn ES), Noah Lippe-Klein (Dorsey HS), Larry Shoham (Hamilton HS)

CENTRAL AREA: Stacie Webster, Chair (West Vernon ES), Kelly Flores (Hawkins HS), Tomás Flores

(West Vernon ES), Claudia Rodriquez (49th Street)

VALLEY EAST AREA: Scott Mandel, Chair (Pacoima Magnet), Victoria Casas (Beachy ES), Mel House (Elementary P.E.), Hector Perez-Roman (Arleta HS)

VALLEY WEST AREA: Bruce Newborn, Chair (Hale Charter), Melodie Bitter (Lorne ES), Wendi Davis

(Henry MS), Javier Romo (Mulholland MS)

HARBOR AREA: Steve Seal, Chair (Eshelman ES), Karen Macias (Del Amo ES), Jennifer McAfee

(Dodson MS), Elgin Scott (Taper ES)

ADULT & OCCUP ED: Matthew Kogan (Evans CAS)

BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Cheryl L. Ortega (Sub Unit)

EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: Teri Harnik, Cleveland EEC

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Mallorie Evans (Educational Audiologist)

SPECIAL ED: Lucía Arias (Sub Unit)

SUBSTITUTES: Benny Madera

PACE CHAIR: Marco Flores

UTLA RETIRED: John Perez

AFFILIATIONS American Federation of Teachers National Education Association

STATE & NATIONAL OFFICERSCFT PRESIDENT: Joshua Pechthalt

CTA PRESIDENT: Eric Heins CTA DIRECTOR: Erika Jones

CFT VICE PRESIDENTS: Arlene Inouye, John Perez, Juan Ramirez NEA PRESIDENT: Lily Eskelsen Garcia AFT PRESIDENT: Randi Weingarten

AFT VICE PRESIDENT: Alex Caputo-PearlNEA DIRECTOR: Mel House

UTLA COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alex Caputo-Pearl

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Anna BakalisCOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS: Kim Turner,

Carolina Barreiro, Tammy Lyn GannADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Laura Aldana

EDITORIAL INFORMATIONUNITED TEACHER

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If we win on June 4, it will be the biggest victory of the strike.

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Get connected to UTLA Facebook: facebook.com/UTLAnow

Twitter: @utlanow

YouTube: youtube.com/UTLAnow

4 Parents and educators take charter accountability fight to legislators Community presses for new package of bills.

5 Contract implementation: Enforcing our wins Update on upholding our bargaining victories.

6 "They threw rocks at a wasp's nest" Catskill community unites behind co-location fight.

The Catskill community rallies outside Carson City Hall on April 9 as part of their fight to protect space for critical student programs from charter takeover. Page 6.

In this issue

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE (continued from previous page)

every single one of our members involved and leading. If you don’t live within LAUSD boundaries and can’t vote on EE, please do the following: 1. Help your chapter chair circulate the EE support petition, which we need filled out by all UTLA members and turned back in to UTLA ASAP; 2. ensure that every single member at your school is registered to vote (if someone isn’t, help them go to www.lavote.net), whether they live within LAUSD boundaries or not, because there are plenty of critical elec-tions at all levels coming up; and 3. on the EE support petition, sign up immediately to volunteer in the EE campaign, and do the work when we get in touch with you, whether text-banking, precinct-walking, or another action.

What happens if Measure EE fails? Our strike forced LAUSD to tap into its re-serves to fund lower class size and other improvements for students. If LAUSD does not get additional revenue once that one-time money is gone, we can expect layoffs, attacks to our healthcare, and the threat of school closures.

My principal and others are starting to talk about EE. Should we be working to-gether on this? Absolutely yes. We struggle with the district when we need to, but when LAUSD is on the right side of an issue, we proactively, positively, and aggressively work together. Remember, this is a once-in-a-career opportunity for local funding.

Measure EE, Jackie Goldberg, contract implementation, and charter legislation

Measure EE powers every other aspect of our spring action plan.

We absolutely must elect Jackie Gold-berg to the school board on May 14, three weeks before the EE election. If EE fails, we can expect that those who want to attack our healthcare will feel more empowered to do so as we head toward our healthcare agreement’s December 2020 expiration. We don’t want Jackie’s tenure on the school board defined by these kinds of defensive struggles. We want Jackie in a position where EE has passed, with the ability to go on offense—to use her incredible experi-ence as a teacher, a trainer of teachers, and an elected school board, city council, and state assembly member to help guide EE monies in a way that invests in the long-term sustainability of the district.

Implementation of our new contract

6 Chapter chair elections

7 Stories from the line

8 Passings

16 UTLA-Retired

19 Final evaluation Q&A

20 Committee events

21 Bilingual education

23 Grapevines

only brings desperately needed money to our schools quickly (starting January 2020 if it passes), but that it also lays the ground-work for the next steps in the 20 by 20 campaign. Specifically, the field program for EE is being run by California Calls, the organization behind the Schools and Com-munities First initiative which will be on the November 2020 ballot statewide and which will close the corporate loophole in Prop 13. Building those relationships through EE will be crucial for SCF.

I hope you had a restful and well-de-

that would enact a charter morato-rium and bring common-sense ac-countability to the charter industry.

TAKE ACTION: Join a legislative del-egation by emailing charterbills@utla.net. Read more on page 4.

Now Through June: Finish the Year Strong at School Sites 

Take steps now to set up your school for organizing and action in 2019-20, including enforcing our new contract, effective July 1, 2019.

TAKE ACTION: Continue to fight for fair school-site budgets, elect a chapter chair, and build and strengthen CAT teams in prep-aration for enforcing our new contract.

For more on action plan: www.utla.net/DefendOurWins.

is a crucial part of the spring action plan. Passing Measure EE and having $500 million additional money at play will be a game-changer for this process. It will allow for longer-term and more solid planning on all of the financial aspects of our agree-ment: class-size reduction, nurses in every school, more counselors, more librarians, and our other wins. Passing Measure EE will let us more solidly plan for the first round of reopener bargaining, just months away in January 2020, as we think about additional pay increases, further class-size reduction, special education, additional health and human services positions, and other resources for our students.

Getting charter legislation passed in Sacramento—legislation spurred by our strike—is a crucial part of the spring action plan. Measure EE is foundational to this struggle. The charter industry has insidiously used the lack of funding for our schools as a rationalization for more “choice” through unregulated charter growth. The more we fund our schools through measures like EE, the more we take that unethical and cynical argument away from the industry.

Passing Measure EE powers the broader social movement we need

More than two years ago, we began popularizing the fact that California was 44th out of 50 states in per-pupil funding, and we initiated the 20 by 20 campaign for $20,000 per pupil by the year 2020. Measure EE is a crucial step forward in the 20 by 20 campaign. But, as we’ve said from the beginning, California is so far behind that it will take multiple wins to get us close to the $20,000, which other states already spend per-pupil.

This is why we are so excited that EE not

May 14: Elect Jackie GoldbergElecting Jackie to the school board will tip

the balance of power away from the privatiz-ers and toward reinvesting in our schools.

TAKE ACTION: Sign up to Walk for Jackie. See page 5.

June 4: Pass Measure EEMeasure EE will bring $500 million to

our schools and help protect healthcare, uphold our class-size and staffing con-tract wins and fight for more, fund re-sources for our students, and prevent future layoffs.

TAKE ACTION:  Sign the Measure EE support petition at your school and vol-unteer for the campaign.

April & May: Advocate for Charter Oversight

Delegations are visiting legisla-tors’ local offices to lobby for critical bills

Spring action planWhen we fight, we win.

served spring break. Now, let’s push to the finish line of this historic school year, with everyone bringing the passion that Morgan, Noemi, and Zada spoke of to the EE campaign, to Jackie Goldberg, and to our other priorities. This is a once-in-a-career moment for local school funding and building our movement. Let’s sprint, win on May 14, sprint some more, win on June 4 and then have a great rest starting in mid-June. Let’s do this. Thank you for your tremendous work with students. It is an honor to work with you.

Alex with Mariachi UTLA members Leticia Callela Austin (El Sereno MS) and Zada Mendoza (Southeast HS) during the strike. “Our strike awakened the activist in me,” Mendoza says, and now she’s channeling that spark toward future actions.

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The funding initiative is a wise and needed investment.

Public education supporters meet with staffers to urge support for new package of bills.

How to talk to friends and family about Measure EE

Parents and educators take charter accountability fight to legislators

As our strike demonstrated, when ed-ucators talk about what students need, people listen. Here’s an FAQ to guide conversations with friends and family to encourage support on June 4 for this criti-cally needed measure. The funding status quo is unsustainable, and Measure EE is one step to turn things around.

What is Measure EE?By unanimous vote, Measure EE was

placed by the LAUSD Board of Education on the June 4, 2019, special election ballot. It is endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and officially supported by the City of Los Angeles through a unanimous City Council vote. Mail voting begins May 6. It requires a two-thirds vote to pass.

What will Measure EE do?Measure EE will lower class sizes and

help our neighborhood schools retain and attract quality teachers, counselors, school nurses, librarians, and support staff.

Why do we need Measure EE?Measure EE is a critical part of the so-

lution to the public education funding crisis that was highlighted by our strike. California is the fifth-largest economy in the world—but ranks 44th in the United States in per-pupil funding. This gap is at the heart of Measure EE. Either we correct this imbalance by adding resources to our neighborhood schools or this imbalance will cause California’s economy to decline along with our education system.

Fueled by a new package of charter-focused bills, parents, students, and educa-tors have been meeting with lawmakers in Sacramento and Los Angeles to press for a moratorium on charter expansion and for common-sense accountability and over-sight for the corporate charter industry.

Fourteen parents and students from East-side Padres Contra La Privatizacion joined a lobby and action day on April 9 organized by ACCE and the Housing Now CA Coalition to talk with legislators about housing and education bills. The parent team visited nine legislators—four from the education commit-tee—and had frank discussions about how public schools are being financially strangled by the uncontrolled growth of the corpo-rate charter industry, driven by billionaire

privatizers and the California Charter Schools Association.

“We told our stories about colocation and how impor-tant a charter moratorium is to our commu-nity,” parent Julie Regalado said. “For the most part, we got really good

Where will the money go?By law, Measure EE funds are dedicated to:

• Lowering class sizes• Attracting and retaining teachers and

school employees• Providing equitable school nursing,

library, and counseling services• Providing safe, secure, clean, well-

maintained, supportive, and welcom-ing schools

• Supporting special needs, homeless, foster, and other underserved and dis-advantaged students

How are taxpayers protected?Measure EE is subject to strict taxpayer

protections and accountability. Measure EE requires that every dollar is used to support local schools and cannot be taken by the state or federal government.

All Measure EE funds are required by law to be deposited into a separate

feedback, especially from the people on the Assembly Education Committee. They listened carefully as parents and students talked about the issues with co-location and the chaos that goes on, which many of them didn’t know about.”

UTLA members have been lobbying both in legislators’ local offices and in Sacramento, where they joined the CFT Lobby Day on April 10.

“Our strike lifted up the issue of priva-tization and the unregulated growth of charters that aren’t held accountable to the same laws that govern our public schools,” said Ingrid Gunnell, UTLA’s political action chair and board member. “We carried that message to our meetings with legislators, so that they know parents, educators, and com-munity members are demanding changes to decades-old laws that have allowed the charter industry to divert millions away from public schools and have permitted waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars at the expense of our students.”

The set of charter bills tackles various aspects of charter laws that need reforming:

SB 756: CHARTER SCHOOL MORATORIUM

SB 756 by State Senator Maria Elena Durazo would enact a four-year morato-rium on new charters and require analysis of critical issues, such as the impact of co-locations on students and whether charter

account, and they are required to be used only for voter-approved purposes. State law requires annual public reporting, and Measure EE goes further by additionally requiring annual audits and oversight by an independent firm.

How will this affect the economy?The key to a strong economy is a well-ed-

ucated workforce. By voting yes on Measure EE and investing in quality academic pro-grams such as language arts, math, science, technology, the arts, vocational and career education, and preschool, we can provide students with safe and healthy schools and the quality education they’ll need for college and a career in a competitive economy. That’s good for all of us.

How much will it cost me?Property owners would pay 16 cents per

square foot on buildings (the taxable square

operators serve similar numbers of English learners and pupils with dis-abilities as public schools.

AB 1505: LOCAL CONTROL OVER CHARTERS

AB 1505 by Assemblymembers Patrick O’Donnell and Rob Bonta would give control back to local elected school boards to decide whether a charter school is the right fit for their communities, instead of unelected officials who might be several hundred miles away. Local district offi-cals would be able to consider the fiscal impact of the charter when authorizing it. This is especially critical for school dis-tricts like LAUSD, where the unchecked growth of charters drains more than $600 million from neighborhood public schools.

AB 1506: CAP ON CHARTER GROWTH

AB 1506 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty would establish a cap on the growth of charter schools, limiting the destabilizing impact of the unchecked charter expansion pushed by privatizers and the corporate charter lobby.

AB 1507: CHARTERS MUST OPERATE LOCALLY

AB 1507 by Assemblymember Christy Smith would close a loophole in current law that allows a charter school to operate

footage listed on property tax bills) located on taxable parcels within Los Angeles Unified boundaries. The tax does not apply to land. All properties that are otherwise exempt from property taxes in any year shall also be exempt from Measure EE in such year. The cost to the owner of a 1,000-square-foot house would be $160 per year. The homeowner of a median- sized house would pay approximately $238 annually. Measure EE expires in 12 years.

Measure EE is fair and equitable. Home-owners will pay around 18% of the costs, while big businesses and corporate land-lords would pay more than 70%.

Measure EE will not interfere with existing or new rent stabilization ordinances. Measure EE includes exemptions for property owners over age 65 and certain disability recipients.

Learn more at www.YesOnEE.org and like the campaign at www.fb.com/Sup-portQualitySchools.

outside of its authorizing district. These bills follow the swift passage in

March of Senate Bill 126, which requires charter school boards to comply with the same open meeting and conflict-of-interest laws as district school boards and ensures board members don’t have a financial in-terest in contracts on which they vote.

Take action: If you are interested in joining delegations to visit the local offic-es of legislators who are undecided or op-posed to these bills, email charterbills@utla.net. Provide your home address, and we may be able to match you with a legis-lator who represents your area.

Measure EE comparison: Family home vs. High-rise.

Businesses would pay more than 70%

Private home1,300 sq ft

Tax: $208Annual estimate

US Bank Tower1,432,540 sq ft

Tax: $229,206Annual estimate

Keeping electeds account-able: Parent Yolanda Romero walks the halls of the state capitol and collects cards of people she talks to.

UTLA members Rocio Lopez, Nicole Patin, Victoria Casas, and Sandra Soto join a blitz of leg visits and news conferences in support of bills to fix California’s deeply flawed charter laws.

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Just like with the strike, it is up to all of us to uphold our bargaining victories.

Join the campaign for School Board District 5.

Our strike and our unity on the picket lines resulted in tremendous contract and policy victories. Now we must enforce the new agreement and organize against any road blocks put up by the district.

UTLA officers and staff will be working with school sites to rigorously enforce the contract, which goes into effect July 1. Just like with the strike, it will be up to all of us to act together to uphold our bargaining victories and resist disinformation coming from administrators or others threatened by the power of our strike. We saw this tactic recently, when some administrators used the confusion around a change in LAUSD budget coding to falsely claim that the school had less money for library aides and school nurses for next year.

There is no less funding in school-site budgets next year than this year, but it will be provided in the form of money as opposed to positions, thus allowing for more school-site spending discretion. If your school made cuts to positions in 2019-2020 based on misinformation from your principal or a lack of clarity from LAUSD, we encourage your school to revisit your budget.

Implementing the contract will be a major focus of the UTLA Leadership Con-ference in July, and some of our strategies in the new school year will include using the Contract Action Team structure for implementation and site-based organiz-ing, holding webinars on specific contract provisions, conducting districtwide class-size surveys post-norm day, and forming educator-parent committees to organize, including collective actions, in support of the contract.

Here’s an update on contract imple-mentation and key developments outside the contract.

CLASS SIZE: An individualized class-size reduction sheet has been created for schools that details what class sizes should be in the 2019-2020 school year. UTLA members should use this guide to organize and to hold princi-pals accountable for the negotiated numbers.

NURSES, COUNSELORS, AND LIBRARIANS: We are pushing LAUSD for concrete info on its recruitment practices to ensure it will meet the first phase of hiring obligations.

INCREASED COUNTY FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH: Outside of our contract but absolutely linked to our strike and the student needs we amplified, this month the LA County Board of Supervisors ap-proved $9.7 million in funding for student mental health for LAUSD. One super-visor called the move “unprecedented” but critically necessary.

TESTING: The testing task force will officially begin meeting with the district next school year, but an advisory group began meeting in March to solicit rank-and-file concerns and set priorities. The task force’s goal is to reduce assessments not mandated by the state or federal government by 50%.

CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY: Our strike lifted up the issues of privatization and the unregulated growth of charters, and now the state legislature is considering a package of bills on charter accountability and transpar-ency (details on page 4).

MAGNET CONVERSIONS: We are working with schools currently in the magnet conver-sion process and making sure our members’ voices are heard and that the language calling for a majority vote of staff is followed.

ETHNIC STUDIES: The LAUSD-UTLA

Ethnic Studies Taskforce meets April 24 to start analyzing current Ethnic Studies offer-ings and resources and to investigate methods for expanding course offerings.

CO-LOCATION: We are working to ensure that the language creating a new UTLA co-location coordinator at every co-located school gets implemented correctly, including iden-tifying individuals interested in the position and ensuring a member vote for the position.

SPECIAL EDUCATION & ITINERANTS: The Workload/Caseload Committee for Health and Human Services Itinerants and Special Education will start meeting with the district next school year. In response to changes to special ed delivery models that we are seeing

across the district, we have submit-ted a demand to bargain because our new contract allows us to ne-gotiate any such changes. Members who wish to help shape both the workload/case-load committee and the restruc-turing of deliv-ery models are welcome to meet with the Special

Education Committee before every House of Representatives meeting in the UTLA building starting at 4:30 p.m.

GREEN SPACE: UTLA has met with non-profit groups and individuals interested in creating a plan to remove bungalows and increase green space and to identify funds to implement it.

RANDOM SEARCHES: Many schools worked with parents and students to apply to end “random” searches on their campuses. The district is reviewing applications. The City of LA is prepared to work with schools in the

pilot to provide resources.PAY EQUITY TASK FORCE: The Pay Equity

Task Force for Adult Ed, Early Childhood, and ROP CTE has been formed. LAUSD has yet to respond with available meeting dates.

ADULT ED: Evans, Slawson, East LA Skills, and LA Tech Center will have an abbreviated class selection and matrix process similar to K-12 this year, with a more thorough process next year. For the first time, adult school prin-cipals will have to work with elected depart-ment chairs and the chapter chair to consider seniority/longevity, status, and teacher pref-erence in making class assignments. Big win for our adult educators.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: UTLA’s appointees to the Community Schools Steering Committee (CSSC) include parents, students, teachers, and USC Professor Sylvia Rousseau. One of the CSSC’s priorities is determining the process by which 30 schools in high-need areas can apply for Community Schools transforma-tion. Reclaim Our Schools LA will be a critical partner on this committee.

Contract implementation: Enforcing our wins

Walk for the win: Elect Jackie Goldberg on May 14

Sign up to walk for Jackie at www.utla.net/volunteer-for-jackie.

Ad paid for by Students, Parents and Educators in Support of Jackie Goldberg for School Board 2019, Sponsored by Teachers Unions, Including United Teachers Los Angeles. Committee major funding from:American Federation of Teachers Solidarity Committee

Political Action Council of Educators, Sponsored by Teachers Unions, Including United Teachers Los Angeles National Education Association Advocacy Fund

This ad was not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate.

We have an amazing candidate in Jackie Gold-berg: teacher, community leader, and public education warrior. Electing Jackie Goldberg will solidify the gains of our strike and guarantee a fair voice on the school board that will put the

future of public education ahead of the priva-tizers’ agenda. Jackie dominated the primary election for the Board District 5 seat, but she will need our support to get over the finish line and win on May 14.

DATES & LOCATIONS FOR PRECINCT WALKING All dates: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A light breakfast & lunch will be provided. Spanish-speaking volunteers highly desired.

Saturday, April 27Huntington ParkRecreational Center 3401 E. Florence Ave. Huntington Park 90255 Parking: between Newell & Blissel Streets

Saturday, May 4South Gate Park 4900 Southern Ave. South Gate 90280 Parking: on Hildreth Ave. off Tweedy Blvd.

May 11 & May 12Highland Park 6512 N. Figueroa, Los Angeles 90042 (corner of Beard & Figueroa streets in Highland Park) Parking: street parking.

Pay raise & retro on May 3

LAUSD's stated plan is to pay the 6% salary increase and the retroactive pay on the May paycheck.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

6

Catskill community unites behind co-location fight.

Widespread opposition to a charter company moving onto campus has sparked a fierce push-back from Catskill Elementary in Carson. Just as UTLA was heading into our strike, the Catskill com-munity got wind that GANAS charter cor-poration had been offered space on their campus, threatening the well-rounded programs the school has built for their students.

“When they targeted our school, they threw rocks at a wasp’s nest,” says teacher Elizabeth Untalan. “You don’t do that to a community school. Our school is 71 years old—older than the city of Carson. We’re a legacy school—grandparents, great-grandparents, sons, daughters have all gone through our doors.”

Co-location is allowed under Prop. 39, the flawed state law that can force neigh-borhood public schools to give away “unused” space, which is defined as a room that does not have a roll-carrying teacher assigned to it. In reality, that unused space is usually not unused at all. At Catskill, it houses three computer labs, a counseling room, a parent volunteer center, and an art studio—resources the school had built to better serve the stu-dents from their low-income community.

“These are the resources we pour into our children, these are the resources that raise student achievement,” Untalan says. “Why should our students have to give them up just so a charter business can expand into a community that doesn’t want it?”

The Catskill community—educators, parents, and community activists—united

behind the fight and started organizing, helped by the communication structures and spirit of working together that had been built during the UTLA strike.

Catskill’s fight has been bolstered by support from neighboring schools in San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, and Lomita and from labor allies, including the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, in the union-strong Harbor Area.

“When we show up, we show up as a family,” Untalan says.

The community has embraced every tactic in the toolbox—social media out-reach, petition drives, lobbying at city council meetings, and rallies outside Carson City Hall. News conferences am-plified the concerns of parents like Jose Carrazo, who doesn’t want his child’s education disrupted by co-location.

“This school is thriving,” Carrazo said. “Do not put my daughter or any Catskill student in the middle of this ploy to un-dermine the teachers and the Catskill community.”

The community has proven it can bring the heat at a moment’s notice. When GANAS held an emergency board meeting to vote to officially co-locate, Catskill mobilized more than 60 people, who raised issues with the GANAS co-location petition and demanded to know why the charter leaders had called law enforcement on two separate occasions to try to prevent Catskill parents from speak-ing. GANAS did not offer answers and abruptly ended their meeting by walking away. The charter company has until May 1 to accept or reject the space at Catskill.

Catskill  special education teacher Amanda Crane says the lack of transparency and ac-countability shows that GANAS is a bad fit for the community.

“They are coming in from outside, have not lived or worked in this community, nor made an honest effort to address our community’s concerns,” Crane said.

For GANAS to survive on the Catskill campus, it has been aggressively recruiting students from the surrounding community. When charter com-panies want to co-locate, they get parents to sign “intent to enroll” forms, often employing dubious marketing strategies and misrepresentations of the neighborhood public school. These “intent to enroll” forms are used by the charter corpo-ration to justify projected at-tendance numbers and qualify it for the maximum number of classrooms at the public school. Whether those parents who signed the intent forms are truly interested in sending their children to the charter school is a different matter, and because of these over-inflated enrollment numbers, the charter often is granted space it doesn’t use.

“One of the terrible ironies of the cor-porate charter industry is that our com-munities are already oversaturated with charters, but the privatizers keep pushing to open more,” UTLA President Alex Ca-puto-Pearl said. “Co-location is a tactic of the California Charter Schools Associa-tion and its billionaire benefactors who push a ‘win at any cost’ business model. They don’t care if a local school is harmed as long as charter corporations get more classroom seats.”

By undermining the academic program at the neighborhood school, co-location plays into the privatization game plan. The loss of dance rooms, computer labs,

and other great programs makes the local school less attractive to parents, who may try to enroll their kids elsewhere. If a school then struggles, the privatizers can label it as failing, shut it down, and turn it over to a private operator.

Our recent contract made progress in addressing co-location abuses by requir-ing notification of schools threatened by co-location, which gives schools more op-portunity to push back. The agreement also creates a new elected UTLA co-location coor-dinator position, requiring the coordinator’s input in the development of the Shared-Use Agreement and ensuring the coordinator’s appointment to the School Safety Commit-tee. UTLA and parents are pushing for more, including legislation for a moratorium on charter expansion in the state.

“They threw rocks at a wasp’s nest”

Obama Bike Club: Building the bikes-to-college pipeline

How can bikes save public schools from charter privatization? At Obama Academy in South LA, the school’s Bike Club is working to keep LAUSD students in public schools and fend off a co-location by an outside charter school.

Obama Academy Chapter Chair Nick Richert created the Bike Club to tap into one of students’ built-in interests and help attract families to the school. And, because the Bike Club uses one of Obama’s “extra” classrooms, it can be fuel for a push-back on co-location. Obama’s “unused” class-rooms have been targeted for co-location by Bright Star—a private charter that was successfully fought off by Dorsey High. But “empty,” defined as a room without a certi-fied instructor, often means a dance room, a computer lab, or the room set aside for stu-dents’ bikes. Bike Club's recruitment rides may not save their room from co-location, but they create a compelling narrative about what students lose when charter companies co-locate onto neighborhood campuses.

Obama’s Bike Club took its first group ride on February 20 to promote their school at one of its feeder schools, Normandie Ele-mentary. Normandie Chapter Chair Annibal Avila had arranged for the Obamans to be introduced by a teacher there, and Isaac, the club’s eighth-grade president, did wheelies on the Normandie playground as other members handed out flyers.

The club met with Normandie TSP Co-

ordinator Rocio Cortez and told her about the Obama African-American History As-sembly the following Friday. Cortez sent 60 Normandie students, and they were wowed by the visiting Crenshaw Choir and Band, as well as the Obama students who danced, did a step show, and orated on Black History. Normandie students, smiling and waving, said, “See you next year” as they climbed back on the bus to return to their school.

  Having whetted their appetite for recruitment, the Obama Bike Club next rode to Menlo Elementary, another of its feeders, to present its club to 100-plus kids in the LA’s Best after school program.

“We are taking something kids are in-terested in at public schools—in this case, biking—and using it to compete against the corporate charters,” Richert says. “We want our Obama Bike Club to build a bikes-to-college pipeline through LAUSD elementary, middle, and high schools—and keep our students in public schools.”

Have spare bikes or parts? The Obama Bike Club is seeking donated bikes and parts for Bike Club members to work on and keep when they graduate. Bike Club promises to put them to better use: getting students to learn to build their own bikes, growing enrollment in public schools, and saving the bike room. Richert and the club can be reached at livebiketalk@gmail.com.  

It’s that time of the year when UTLA members make a critical decision—who will serve as your UTLA chapter leaders.

Having chapter leaders and a Contract Action Team makes a big difference—the difference between members being able to resolve conflicts with administration, being able to enforce our contract agree-ment, and having the ability to organize around critical school-site concerns and broader issues that impact your staff. Last year we had a record number of chapter leaders representing more than 800 school sites and our special category members, such as substitutes and itinerants.

Like last year, we are making an all-out effort to have elected chapter leaderships in place before the summer break so that

we can continue our strength in our schools and union. Each UTLA chapter should make every effort to complete the election process as soon as possible.

The annual UTLA Leadership Confer-ence is one of the best ways to prepare newly elected chapter chairs, reconnect current site leadership, and reinvigorate our veteran leaders. This year, the con-ference will be held in downtown LA, July 24 to 26. To make sure every chapter chair gets invited in time, it’s crucial that we receive the Notice of Chapter Chair Election form as soon as possible.

Elections forms & resources: Notice of Chapter Chair Election form and the election rules can be downloaded at www.utla.net/members/chapter-chairs.

Chapter elections: Build a strong foundation for next year

GANAS board can’t hide: The charter board held an emergency meeting on taking space from Catskill El-ementary and the Catskill community was there, asking questions about their co-location petition and why they previously called law enforcement on parents.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

7

Educators at Morgan McKinzie High School from left: Tony To (Biology), Joel Gariepy-Saper (English), Gary Carter (Filmmaking), Daisy Jauregui (Math).

Educators at ESAT from left to right: Nathan Green (History), Bill Neal (Art), Quinn Rid-dle-Ortiz (Government & Economics).

Strike amplifies the role played by all members of a school community.

Addressing teacher turnover will support a student-centered culture.

Stories from the line

UTLA itinerants on the picket line

Two more Alliance schools unionize with UTLA

By Heather TeixeiraSpeech Language PathologistUTLA Chapter Chair

Note from UTLA Treasurer Arlene Inouye: UTLA is comprised of a diversity of members beyond the K-12 classroom. Our members are early educators, adult educators, teacher librarians, health and human services profes-sionals, itinerants, and other groups of workers (for example, the 16 recreational therapists). Our strength is our diversity and unity, and nowhere was that displayed more powerfully than during our UTLA strike.

In my conversations with itinerants and health and human services professionals, I heard so many positive emotions about how the strike brought a strong connection with everyone in the school community. From arts education itinerants (music, drama, visual arts, dance) to occupational therapists to audiologists and more, the important role that all members of the school community play in the education of the whole child was highlighted. And over and over again, I heard how uplifting it was to have parents, community partners, and labor allies express their support for everyone committed to public education. Heather Teixeira, chapter chair for speech and language pathologists, shares her account of the strike here.

There are approximately 500 speech and language pathologists working at LAUSD. We support students who have differences in speech (how words are formed); expres-sive, receptive, and pragmatic language; fluency (stuttering); voice; and overall communication. Speech and language pathologists make valuable connections

This month an overwhelming majority of the educators at two Alliance College-Ready Public Schools filed cards with the California Public Employment Rela-tions Board (PERB), authorizing United Teachers Los Angeles as their union.

Since a majority of the teachers at Alli-ance Leichtman-Levine Family Founda-tion Environmental Science High School (ESAT) and Alliance Morgan McKinzie High School signed union authorization cards, an election is not necessary under state law.  These two schools are joining with more than 100 colleagues who filed for union recognition last year at three other Alliance schools.

Common issues for union supporters at Alliance schools include the lack of de-cision-making authority teachers possess when it comes to having a say in profes-sional issues affecting their classrooms and their students. 

“By unionizing, we want to ensure that teachers have a stake in decisions that are now being made solely by admin,” said Daisy Jauregui, math teacher at Alliance Morgan McKinzie High School. “We want to ensure teachers are validated for our ex-pertise and our experience ‘in the trenches’

across special and general education set-tings. We liaise with different disciplines, connect with parents and caregivers, and are in a unique position to advocate for the communication needs of our students.

There currently is a nationwide short-age of speech-language pathologists in the US. Some reasons for the shortage include a limited number of teaching positions in universities, small and very competitive SLP programs, and poor retention in the field. Surveyed SLPs cite heavy caseloads, large amounts of paperwork, and lack of respect/value given to their profession by administration as reasons for poor retention.

Leading up to and during the strike, we encouraged SLPs to connect, organize, and participate with their teams on the school sites. We trusted that they would participate in the movement and take up leadership or supportive positions, encour-aged by their colleagues and school-site chapter chairs. SLPs took up the challenge and represented with their teammates all around Los Angeles, they shared that working relationships and school spirit improved, and they felt more included and appreciated.

On the picket line we provided support by leading chants, giving advice on voice use and vocal hygiene, and helping our fellow members speak out.

During the strike the visibility of SLPs was increased, with members reporting that teachers had a greater understanding that we are an important part of the union. SLPs interested in getting more involved can join their Contract Action Team at their

we share every day with students. And we want to ensure there is due diligence and due process for all educators.” 

In addition to the need for a real voice in decisions affecting their schools, stu-dents, and profession, other key issues that sparked teachers’ efforts to organize include high turnover, as well as a compen-sation system where much of a teacher’s income is based on an evaluation process that is seen by many as not objective or fair. From Alliance’s beginning in 2004, teacher turnover at the schools has been high, exceeding 25 percent of the teaching force per year across the network of schools in some years, and as high as a 40 percent churn rate at individual Alliance schools.

“A revolving roster of teachers does not build a student-centered culture,” said Gary Carter, a filmmaking teacher at Alliance Morgan McKinzie High School. “Collectively, we plan on making Alli-ance a place where we can build school stability and our careers. Our students deserve nothing less.”

Interest in union organizing at Alli-ance schools has grown as teachers in Los Angeles have taken collective action to successfully advocate for funding, fair

schools; contribute to committees on spe-cific issues (e.g., bilingual education or political action); organize, connect online, and meet with their colleagues; and build stronger chapters in their area.

Speech and language pathologists are

Our strike demonstrated the diversity of our membership, bringing people from every corner of the school community to the picket line, including speech and language pathologists (top photo) psychologists, PSWs, PSAs, arts educators, occupational therapists, audiologists, and more.

wages, and better learning conditions for students.

Teachers at Alliance first began organiz-ing a union in 2015. Initially, Alliance’s school leadership said in its first memo to employees on March 13, 2015, that it would not “endorse or denounce any particular union or unions generally.” However, Al-liance’s educators have been barraged by an employer-funded, and often illegal, anti-union campaign. Since educators at three Alliance schools filed for union rec-ognition last year, Alliance has refused to recognize their union, claiming that the only appropriate bargaining unit is all of the schools together. However, for three years, Alliance has consistently taken the position at PERB and LA Superior Court that each school is an individual employer and the home office is a vendor of certain services for each individual school.

In spite of Alliance’s stance, educators are determined to organize and are ready to bargain with their employer.

“As a former UTLA-represented teacher and member, I have seen the day-to-day benefit of having a negotiated contract that both parties can accept,” said Bill Neal, art teacher at Leichtman-Levine Family Foun-

dation Environmental Science High School (ESAT). “This frees everyone up to focus on the task at hand—providing the best pos-sible education for our students. It would also make millions of dollars available that could fund student success instead of how it is being used right now—to fight against us having a voice and our union.”

After the strike, members such as speech and language pathologists (SLP), adaptive PE teachers, psychologists, PSWs and PSAs with IEPs, occupational and physical therapists, and more were notified that they must make up missed

student time. This requirement was com-municated differently to each group, adding to the confusion regarding when the sessions needed to be made up.

While UTLA recognizes and be-

UTLA presses for compensation for “makeup” services

(continued on page 14)

UTLA members who bring great expertise, experience, and enthusiasm to LAUSD. We will continue to build and strengthen our voice to advocate for ourselves, for our students and families; and for the schools Los Angeles students deserve.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

8

“Every young person has a right to a sense of self-respect and dignity. In public education we serve the needs of all our students. Some are gay and lesbian, and we need to serve them too. We’re supposed to be teaching them to live in an increasingly diverse society. This shouldn’t be a place where prejudice is fostered. It’s where discrimination should be fought.”

—Dr. Virginia Uribe, Founder, Project 10 LA Times Interview, 1984

Born into an Italian immigrant family, Virginia Uribe grew up with a set of core values that shaped her destiny. Ingrained in her were the principles of “liberty and justice for all,” “provide a voice for those who have no voice,” and “serve the under-served.” These principles helped to shape her core values in all areas of her life.

Virginia served as a science teacher and college counselor at Fairfax High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 42 years. Dr. Uribe’s interest in the issues faced by LGBT youth in schools began while doing research for her Ph.D. in psy-chology. In 1984, an openly gay student at the school had dropped out after he was continually harassed by fellow students. Further investigation showed that the student had been kicked out of his home at age 14 after telling his parents he was gay. Fairfax was the fourth high school he had left after sexual harassment proved too much for him.

This incident served as the catalyst for Dr. Uribe, who then spent months putting together counseling advice from experts that subsequently formed the foundation

of what is now Project 10 (the name comes from the Kinsey sex research theory that 10% of the population is gay).

Almost immediately after Project 10’s inception, the Traditional Values Coalition, headed by Rev. Louis Sheldon, attacked the program and Dr. Uribe through the media; through the State Assembly Education Com-mittee, which threatened to stop all funds coming to the LAUSD; and through phone calls registering displeasure from Senator Jesse Helm’s office in Washington, D.C. After a daylong hearing in June 1988, at which the LA school board refused to disband the Project 10 program, threats from the state legislature failed to materialize. Although initially unprepared for the attacks, Dr. Uribe soon found herself transformed into a for-midable and vocal human rights activist.

The nonprofit arm, Friends of Project 10 Inc., was established in 1986. The nonprofit sponsored the nation’s first LGBT Youth Prom, the Models of Excellence scholar-ship program, and the annual Models of Pride conference. Furthermore, the Project 10 program served as a launching pad for

what was to become Gay-Straight Alli-ances; the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educa-tion Network; the True Colors conference; and many school-based support programs throughout the nation. 

Friends of Project 10 Inc. sent students to Sacramento for four years to lobby for a bill that ultimately became known as the Cali-fornia Violence Prevention Act 2000, which prohibits discrimination and harassment in public schools on the basis of sexual orien-tation and gender identity. Virginia gave voice at the height of the tragic HIV-AIDS epidemic that ravaged the gay community.

As with most teachers, Virginia gave much more of herself than she took from the world. Although we feel the pain of her absence, we are far richer and wiser for having the privilege of knowing and loving her.

Always the consummate educator, using unconditional love, honesty, and self-empowerment as her primer, Virginia guided her children and grandchildren through countless life struggles and onto ultimate self-mastery and authenticity. 

Her unswerving support during her daughter’s battle with addiction led to the triumph of lasting recovery. Virginia’s love of the arts opened the door for her son’s passion as a percussionist, his love of food, and a shared love of sport, especially Laker basketball. It also led her granddaughter to pursue a career as a hair and nail stylist. She lovingly supported her grandson, rejoicing as he took his place in America’s workforce and in becoming a self-supporting adult. 

Gina wrote a series of “Reflections” in which she shared her best memories of her life. The fact that she was Italian was a huge influence on her loyalty to family.

Family to her was not just immediate

family, but a broader inclusion of world-wide family. She wanted all children to be safe in their environment, and her life’s work was a testament to that. Her disdain for bullies, both adults and children, was intense. She offered a safe haven from bullies and pushed for equality for all.

Gina loved to travel the world and visited all seven continents. In her years with her spouse, they traveled 44 times to locations around the world. Her unique travel experiences and her love of the finest food gave us all wonderful memories that she shared with us.

Virginia received honors from the Na-tional Education Association, Lambda Legal, the Gay Alliance Against Defama-tion, the Los Angeles County Human Rela-tions Commission, the LA LGBT Center, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, Christopher Street West, and many other organizations. Her proudest moment occurred when she was a finalist for President Obama’s Citizenship Award.

Virginia is survived by her spouse, Gail Rolf; her sister, Diana Engler; her daughter, Katherine Uribe; her son, Mark Uribe; her grandson, Richard Nichols; her grand-daughter, Sairee Garcia; and cousins and nephews. To honor Virginia’s memory, donations can be made online or by mail to Friends of Project 10 Inc.

A Celebration of Life in memory of Dr. Virginia Uribe will take place on Satur-day, June 1, 2019, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Friendship Auditorium (3201 Riverside Drive, LA 90027).

Send news of passings and photos if available by email to UTnewspaper@utla.net or U.S. mail to UNITED TEACHER, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, LA, CA 90010.

Passings

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Virginia Uribe1933 – 2019

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Simple tips for a less stressed lifeEveryone gets overwhelmed sometimes. But too much stress can be hard on your health — so it’s important to find ways to offset those negative effects. These healthy habits can help you stay cool under pressure, even when you’re pressed for time.

Sweat more, stress less

Symptoms of stress can create a vicious cycle between your mind and body. Exercise helps to break this cycle by relieving tension and releasing feel-good brain chemicals that fight the effects of stress.

Take a break to breathe

When stress strikes, try a few minutes of deep breathing. Breathe in for a count of 5, hold for 5, and exhale for 5. Repeat 10 times or until you start feeling more calm, grounded, and focused.

Unplug to recharge

Your phone needs time to recharge, and so does your brain. Disconnecting from digital noise for a little while each day can help you stress less, sleep better, and spend time doing more rewarding activities.

LOOKING FOR MORE STRESS-FIGHTING STRATEGIES?

Visit kp.org/stressmanagement and follow us @kpthrive.

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For more details check out ourBrand Guidelines.

Services covered under a Kaiser Permanente health plan are provided and/or arranged by Kaiser Permanente health plans: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., in Northern and Southern California and Hawaii • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc., Nine Piedmont Center, 3495 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30305, 404-364-7000 • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., 2101 E. Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852 • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, 500 NE Multnomah St., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232 • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington or Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, Inc., 601 Union St., Suite 3100, Seattle, WA 98101 • Self-insured plans are administered by Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company, One Kaiser Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612

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United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

10

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Measure EE sets us up for next round of contract bargaining.

Secondary matters

Our strike left us hungry for more

Have you heard this, or some version, of this: “But what did I get in the con-tract?” As I have been visiting schools, and talking with members in reflection about our contract struggle, our strike, and our next steps to secure increased school funding with Measure EE, I have heard and listened to some members talk about how they have felt not included in the benefits of our strike victory, besides the 6% raise and retro pay we all won.

I’m willing to bet that you have heard this from a colleague as well—perhaps have even

felt it yourself. Considering all we have been through this year, that is understandable, but I’d like to share with you a bit of perspective.

Our strike raised expectations, but our day-to-day often lowers them

Much of our day-to-day experience, whether as classroom teachers, out-of-classroom itinerants, counselors, or other school staff, can broadly be characterized as challenging. We see and feel firsthand the effects of systematic disinvestment in education and our young people. Whether it is an undersupplied classroom where it now seems “normal” that teachers buy almost all the supplies, or caseloads and class sizes that are the opposite of “per-sonalized learning” or “individualized attention,” our daily experience is often disillusioning to so many of us. 

But our strike also showed us so much of what makes our profession a profoundly hopeful one. Our work is meaningful and valued, our communities love and support us, and together, real, meaningful change is possible. It just won’t happen overnight. We will need the kind of funding that Measure EE will provide. When we see what is pos-sible, it only makes us hungry for more, and to me, when I hear legitimate complaints that “we didn’t win enough for …” I remind myself to keep in mind that this is also a

statement that people are hungry for more. I’m hungry for more, and I’m sick of our schools being starved for funding. What we have is not enough, what we will have is not enough, and we can and should work for more.

Our willingness to stand with each other was key to our victory

The other part of feeling that the contract victories did not apply to all of us is an impor-tant distinction about who is “us.” Our union is a diverse collection of 33,000 people, edu-cators from across 27 different cities, serving students as young as pre-K, and as adult as they come. We represent so many distinct jobs and professions, it takes nearly two full pages of our contract just to list them all (see Article I). And to add to that, we represent people with nine different employers and counting (not all members are paid by LAUSD). “Us” is a whole lot of “my groups.”

A union doesn’t engage in individual bar-gaining for each small (or even large) group of members—a union engages in collective bargaining for the whole union and beyond. The willingness of veteran teachers to stand with brand-new teachers, of adult educators to strike for substitute teachers, for psycholo-gists to walk the line for preschool teachers, and preschool teachers to walk for librarians, and teacher librarians to walk for nurses, and for all of us to demand a halt to unrestricted charter growth and for more school funding, has a one-word name: solidarity.

Our willingness to stand for each other is how we ultimately will take on and defeat the threats that are bigger than all of us: charter-driven privatization and the systematic underfunding of our future. 

When we focus on what we individually did not get, we bring our attention away from the threats to us all and run the risk of undermining the solidarity that we will need to ultimately triumph. We are a demo-cratic and active union that can build off the experiences of our individual circumstances and our distinct groups of members as we prepare for the next round of struggle. That is part of what hearing and acknowledging

people’s feelings of being left out of the victory is about, but if we don’t also lead folks to the next step, back into engagement with the union, we will be missing the key to victory, just when we need it again.

I want to be back at the table, with our solidarity intact, and with almost half a billion dollars a year in new Measure EE funding to make demands on.

Our union’s strength continues to lie with our membership

When our UTLA officers write columns in the UNITED TEACHER, hopefully there will be some good ideas there, but without our membership, the words and ideas stay on the printed page. When our hundreds of school-site leaders hold meetings and talk to people one on one, we are making an important first step. But when our members engage and take up the struggle, we are mighty. Our strike did not change that basic fact—it proved it. 

It is not the efforts of our leadership, but the efforts of our membership that make the difference in almost every situation. Chapter chairs alone don’t enforce the contract, nor do union staff. It is our membership that makes the difference on whether the con-tract will mean something. Officers alone don’t pass ballot initiatives, or change school funding, or get charter bills enacted—it is our membership that makes that happen.

This isn’t to say that leadership isn’t important, but it is our membership that will pass Measure EE, our membership that will guide our next contract demands, and our membership that must be pre-pared to act in January 2020, when we go back to the bargaining table, possibly with the hundreds of millions of dollars that Measure EE will start to provide.

What happens in May and June with the struggle for Measure EE will determine what kind of bargaining we will be doing. Will you be a part of the strength of our union, by working with your colleagues to pass EE, and getting ready to raise our expectations once again?

By Daniel BarnhartUTLA Secondary Vice President

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United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

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AEI_Teachers Half Page Ad_FNL_031519.pdf 1 3/15/19 9:37 AM

Our new contract gives us a greater voice and a path for more wins in the future.

Elementary notebook

Building on special education victories

Our new contract language is robust and complicated in many ways. For those of us in special education, there was no greater victory than taking on the chal-lenge to create a separate special educa-tion article. With so many newer teachers entering the SPED field, it makes sense that our members have a specific place to turn to when seeking information about our contractual rights.

Before now, there had been no changes in our contract on special education for

decades. Not only has this failed our stu-dents, it has shortchanged our members and allowed the district to remain stag-nant on important issues. Winning a special education section, like many of our other wins, lays a foundation for the fights ahead of us.

Let me share with you how much was at risk around special education up until the morning of January 22, when the con-tract agreement was reached. Back in July 2017, our bargaining team presented a comprehensive special education pro-posal, which the district sat on for nine months. No counters, no serious discus-sion for more than 270 days. In April 2018 the district presented a counter proposal that purposely ignored many of the issues we were fighting for, such as caseloads. And then our strike happened. It showed the district that not only were we serious about our demands but we were willing to put everything on the line for them. The morning of January 22 was one that will go down in UTLA history: 21 straight hours of negotiations finally got us the break we had been waiting for—Section 1.5 of the contract was gone. The district would no longer be able to unilaterally raise class size when it wanted. And that’s when, with that big breakthrough on class size

on the table, our bargaining team worked hard to push for language on special edu-cation that would help us build for future wins. One important lesson that I learned through this bargaining process is that what is not won is not lost; we go for a bigger win in the next session.

Some of the language we won on special education will help us have more say in the way students with special needs are served in the future. As a result of this new language, we have submitted a demand to bargain in response to changes to delivery models that we are seeing across the district. Many of you shared your concerns about the inclusion pilot the district is rolling out, and we are asking the district for more clarity around key aspects that make for a successful inclusion program, such as stance on IEP placement, common planning time, class size and workload, and profes-sional development on exceptional needs.

We are also currently seeking compen-sation for making up student services that were missed during the strike. Our posi-tion is that if our members provide these makeup services, then they should receive fair compensation. UTLA has demanded to bargain this issue, and we have met three times with the district. We continue to press LAUSD to do the right thing and work out

a plan for compensating UTLA members who are directed to make up the sessions. Keep posted for updates on this issue.

These two issues must be resolved before we move forward on the long-term work on the two task forces we won in our contract on workload/caseload and on restructur-ing of delivery models. In the meantime, the UTLA Special Education Committee is the place for us in special education to come together to discuss the needs that make us unique. The Special Education Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. before the House of Representative meetings.

The work before us is complicated, but it is long overdue. In many ways the district is behind on issues concerning special educa-tion. We have an opportunity to lead on the national debate of the underfunding of IDEA, proper integration of students with special needs, and of course finally addressing the question of caseload versus workload.

Special education teachers: Members who wish to help shape both the workload/caseload committee and the restructuring of delivery models are welcome to meet with the UTLA Special Education Commit-tee before every House of Representa-tives meeting in the UTLA building starting at 4:30 p.m. The next meeting is May 8.

By Gloria MartinezUTLA Elementary Vice President

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

13

To build our movement, we must keep union membership strong.

From the Treasurer

Our strike, our power make us a target

Strength in numbers! We have all heard this phrase in the labor movement. And never has the truth of it been more evident than what we just witnessed in January, when we took to the streets with families, students, and the entire city of LA. “Strength in numbers” also refers to union member-ship, which provides the financial sustain-ability to continue the fight. The epic and monumental movement that we created with our strike changed the narrative of public education and raised up the real issues that

need to be addressed. If we are serious about seeing this movement through, we have to continue to grow and get stronger.

We shook the city, the state, and the nation with our strike, but we also made ourselves a bigger target for our enemies in the process. These foes of ours are against many of the principles that make public education great. They are the people orga-nizing against us to privatize our schools, destroy our healthcare, and go after our pensions and our profession as we know it. These are also the same forces who want to turn back the clock on civil rights and social progress. Because educator unions are one of the remaining vehicles that push for social and economic justice, they want to destroy us. It is no coincidence that after they witnessed our collective power, they are doubling down their efforts and coming after us in the best way they know how: with money and deception.

The latest attack we are facing is an onslaught of emails, ads, mailers, and bill-boards trying to convince our members to leave UTLA. The more that these anti-union organizations try to bamboozle our members into leaving our union, the more we have to ask ourselves why they are doing it. Are these groups really concerned about saving you money? Are they really

concerned about public education? The answer is absolutely not! No, they are not concerned about our members’ dues. And no, they don’t care about public education. On the contrary, they have invested bil-lions of dollars to systematically dismantle unions across the country.

This fight needs you, it needs the labor movement, and it especially needs edu-cator unions. Because schools are at the center of every community in the country, it means our members are in every com-munity, and this makes us powerful. The life of our union, the power of our union, and the future of public education depends on all of us. Strength in numbers: Our most powerful weapon is you!

Stronger together: Find info on dues, the membership application, and other resources at www.utla.net/members.

By Alex OrozcoUTLA Treasurer

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United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

14

COMPENSATION (continued from page 7)

Build on our wins & organize for 2019-20Wednesday-Friday, July 24-26, 2019

Westin Bonaventure

Registration details coming next month

Chapter leaders: UTLA Leadership Conference 2019

Advancement Opportunities: Want to Become a K-12 Administrator?

The Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, California State University, Northridge is pleased to announce the next cohorts of its program for the attainment of the Preliminary Administrative Services

Credential (PASC) and Masters’ Degree in Educational Administration starting FALL 2019. Classes begin the week of August 26, 2019. Public, Private, and Charter School Educators are All Welcome!

Please Join Us at One of Our Upcoming Informational Meetings:

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY San Fernando High School – A Thursday Night Cohort

1113 O’Melveny Ave., San Fernando, CA 91340 Info Meetings: 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 11, 2019 and Thursday April 25, 2019 Meeting Room: Room 112, first classroom on the left as you enter the parking lot.

LAUSD - LD Northwest Administrative Office – A Wednesday Night Cohort 6621 Balboa Blvd., Lake Balboa, CA 91406 Info Meetings: 4:30 PM on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 and Wednesday April 24, 2019 Meeting Room: Conference Room K, adjacent to front parking lot.

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) –Wednesday AND Thursday Night Cohorts 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA Info Meetings: 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 4, 2019, on Monday, April 8, 2019, on Thursday, April 18, 2019, and on Monday, April 22, 2019. Meeting Room: ED 1214/1216 in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education Building,

NORTH HOLLYWOOD James Madison Middle School – A Monday Night Cohort

13000 Hart St., North Hollywood, CA 91605 Info Meetings: 4:00 PM on Monday, April 8, 2019, and Monday, April 29, 2019 Meeting Room: Staff Lounge located near the front entrance of the school.

SANTA CLARITA Golden Valley High School – A Thursday Night Cohort

27051 Robert C. Lee Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 Info Meeting: 4:15 PM on Monday, April 15, 2019 Meeting Room: 200 Building

Hart District Annex – A Thursday Night Cohort 26320 Spirit Court, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 Info Meeting: 4:30 PM on Monday, April 29, 2019 Meeting Room: 202

LOS ANGELES John Burroughs Middle School – A Wednesday Night Cohort

600 S. McCadden Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90005 Info Meetings: 4:00 PM on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 and Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Meet In: Room 126, turn into school driveway off 6th St., parking adjacent to room

Please visit our website at http://www.csun.edu/education/elps. For additional information, please contact jody.dunlap@csun.edu, or ricardo.sosapavon@csun.edu, or call the ELPS Office at CSUN (818)677-2591

lieves that required IEP services should be provided, we don’t believe or accept that our members are responsible and can be mandated to provide these “makeup” services. Our position is that if our members provide these makeup services, then they should receive fair compensation. This is especially true when the district is directing members to provide services for days that UTLA members were on strike and which the district has declared to be unpaid.

UTLA has demanded to bargain this issue, and we have met three times with the district. District officials did not un-derstand the issues related to “makeup” time (such as itinerants working at differ-ent schools on different days and having a heavy caseload). We will continue to press them to do the right thing and work out a plan for compensating UTLA members who were directed to make up the sessions.

UTLA is against the concept that “makeup” work can be mandated if it

requires work outside of the members work day and work year. We take issue with special education and SLP providers who have been increasingly expected to make up missed service in addition to their current workload WITHOUT PAY under the following circumstances.

• When the employee takes illness or personal necessity leave.

• When the student is on a field trip during a scheduled session.

• When the school is closed on the day a session is scheduled

• When SLPs are attending the IEP meetings of students who are scheduled for service at that time.

Under the Individuals with Disability Act, LAUSD can bill Medicare for ser-vices to students who have SLP services. While LAUSD claims that makeup ses-sions can be built into SLPs’ workload and should not be paid, they still bill Medicare for makeup. We believe this is an injustice. We will demand compen-sation from the district as we organize around this issue.

—Arlene Inouye & Heather Teixeira

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

15

Retiring this year? Come celebrate with us!

UTLA members who are retiring this year are cordially invited to attend the UTLA 2019 Retirement Gala. This year’s festivities will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Luminaria’s Restaurant in Mon-terey Park, and you are welcome to bring a guest. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted with a complimentary corsage or bouton-niere, as you enjoy a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. A full dinner will be served, and entertainment, dancing, and a photo booth will be provided for your enjoyment.

A UTLA Officer will escort you to receive your formal acknowledgement. What a great way to celebrate a job well done!

Past attendees have shared rave reviews: “My husband and I were so pleasantly sur-prised by this lovely event.” —Rowena L. “We dined and danced the night away. I’m so happy I went.” —Sheryl B. “My wife and I (both teachers) were very impressed by this beautiful send off.” —George and Mary W.

See the flyer on page 20 for more info.

You are cordially invited

to the

20th Annual UTLA Platinum Apple

Awards Dinner

Friday, May 17, 2019 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Taix Restaurant 1911 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (213) 484-1265

-------------------------------------------------------------------Tear-off------------------------------------------------------------------ Winner and one guest compliments of UTLA, all others $45 each. To purchase tickets, please RSVP by mailing this form and a check payable to UTLA Platinum Apple Awards to United Teachers Los Angeles, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010, Attn: Princess Sykes by May 10, 2019. Name: ____________________________________________ Phone # (________) ___________________

School Site/Company: ___________________________________________ Number of tickets: __________

Meal selection (specify how many): _____ Pot Roast of Beef _____ Salmon _____Penne Pasta (Veg.) List all guests’ names (including yourself) and meal selection.

Name (First and last) Meal selection Teacher:Yes/No 1. ________________________________________ ________________ _______ 2. ________________________________________ ________________ _______ 3. ________________________________________ ________________ _______ 4. ________________________________________ ________________ _______

Continue on the back, if necessary Amount enclosed $_________________

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around short videos, provocative ideas, personal storytelling, and writing exercis-es. In the afternoons, participants take part in practical exercises that can be applied to real-life challenges in the classroom. The course is presented by Shari Foos, marriage and family therapist, professor, and founder of The Narrative Method. Each class is two days. Enroll for either April 27 and 28 or June 13 and 14. Fee is $175. One salary point. Enroll at thenar-rativemethod.org.

Salary point workshop on restorative justice

“Introduction to Council and Restor-ative Justice” prepares participants to begin circle facilitation in classes, schools,

families, youth organizations, and with peers and colleagues. This two-day workshop covers the history and basics of circle practices, formats and modali-ties, framing effective prompts, and how to use circle ways to further academic goals, social-emotional skill building, student-chosen and -directed curricu-lum, and youth leadership. Introduction to Council also provides the foundation for a restorative justice approach to dis-cipline. The workshop is appropriate for pre-K through post-secondary educators. Two upcoming sessions: April 27 and May 4, and July 29 and 30. LAUSD staff are eligible to receive one salary point for the completion of this course and 15 hours of outside reading, experiences, and written reflections. Cost is $350. Contact Joe Provisor for more informa-tion: joe@circleways.org.

GRAPEVINE (continued from page 23)

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

16

The charter school majority has already attacked our healthcare—TWICE!

Note from the UTLA-R President

Report of the March 15 General Assembly Meeting.

By Susie ChowUTLA-Retired Secretary

President’s report: UTLA-Retired Presi-dent John Perez spoke about the threat to our health benefits. Perez noted that retirees’ health benefits are tied 100% to what the active members receive, and if there is a reduction in the health benefits for the actives, there will be a reduction in health benefits for retired members.

Currently, there is a three-year health benefits contract with all eight district unions. There is a cap, and if the cost of benefits exceeds that amount, the overage must come from either the reserve or out of our health benefits. LAUSD wants to reduce the amount of money spent on health benefits by $400 million. The major-ity of the school board will determine our health benefits when the current contract expires in 2020. It is vital to have a major-ity of the school board in support of us.

Joining PACE will assist in raising monies to elect UTLA-endorsed candi-dates, such as Jackie Goldberg. John also asked that we give what we can to her campaign, payable to “Jackie Goldberg for School Board 2019-Special,”419 N. Larch-mont Blvd. #37, Los Angeles, CA 90004.

Next, John directed the selection process of six attendees and three alternates of UTLA-R to the NEA-Retired Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria from June 30 to July 1, 2019. Loretta Toggenburger reviewed pertinent

members of PACE. It’s important to join PACE through monthly CalSTRS deduction contribution. Checks, payable to PACE, also can be mailed to Cecelia Boskin, 3547 Federal Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066.

Legislative report: Mary Rose Ortega, our legislative reporter, reported on current legislation that affect retirees. For example, the Social Security Fairness (GPO/WEP Repeal) legislation has been reintroduced in the U.S. House HR 141 by Representative Davis (R-IL). Ortega also spoke about the increase in CTA Lifetime membership dues.

information for attendees. The following were selected: Fay Shutzy, Grete Brinck, JoAnn Garza, Geraldine Haynesworth, Elizabeth Burke, and Jennie Duggan. Al-ternates chosen were Sara Alvarez, Dan Henderson, and Renee Wells.

UTLA Secretary Arlene Inouye spoke briefly about the powerful impact of the retirees supporting the UTLA strike in January. UTLA is now working on enforc-ing the new contract. She also reiterated that we need to fight hard for Jackie Gold-berg and for passage of Measure EE, one of the steps for full funding of our schools.

Treasurer’s report: UTLA-Retired Trea-surer Mike Dreebin informed us that of the original allocation of $55,900 from UTLA, there is $41,588 left. The allotment for the NEA-Retired expenditures was raised to $1,900. He spoke about the importance of submission, in a timely manner, of all receipts for reimbursement.

Health benefits report: Loretta Toggen-burger reviewed Health Benefits FAQ in-formation sheets from the LAUSD Health Benefits Committee. One was about life-time benefits, and the other was about health facts regarding colds and flu. It is not too late to get a flu shot.

Membership and PACE reports: UTLA-Retired Vice President Cecelia Boskin re-ported that UTLA-R has 4,357 members. There are about 300 retirees who are

Guest speakers: Susan Meyer, an or-ganizer with the California Alliance for Retired Americans (smeyer.cara@gmail.com), and Dawn Bronsema, secretary for CARA, presented an “Empowered Elders” workshop. Topics included hospital stay rights, advanced directives, Medicare rights, and the Vial of Life program. These are some of the important things to have: an advocate when going to the hospital, an advance directive, discharge planning checklist, power of attorney, and list of medications. UTLA-R is a member of CARA, which works on retirement issues.

Retirees’ corner

By John PerezUTLA-Retired President

Since Eli Broad started trying to control LAUSD in 1999, his candidates have some-times had a majority on the school board, most recently after the 2017 school board election. Twice charter school majorities have limited our health plans. The first limit was a cap on increased district funding for our plans of no more than 3.5% per year; prior to that, the district paid whatever the increase in the premiums were—sometimes as much as 9% per year.

The current agreement has a hard cap on how much the district will pay a year, and if the cost exceeds that cap, the increase has to be paid for from the health benefits reserve. The current agreement ends on December 31, 2020.

Negotiations will begin on a new agreement in early 2020, and we need Jackie Goldberg on the school board to protect our benefits.

Remember, Beutner and the current charter school board members want to cut $400 million from the health benefits budget! A cut that big would decimate our benefits and require us to start paying monthly premiums. As was pointed out in a recent column and in the PACE letter we sent you, very few of our retired col-leagues from other school districts have premium-free benefits like we do. In three local districts retirees cannot even access their former district’s health plans and have to purchase plans on the open market and others are paying premiums of $150 to $600 a month. Is it better to contribute

(continued on next page)

Just as you are committed to education, UnitedHealthcare is committed to providing a broad portfolio of customizable health plans and specialty benefits, such as dental, vision, life and disability offerings.

We also offer a number of wellness programs designed to get — and keep — teachers and other school district employees actively engaged in making decisions about their own health.

For more information, call Jeff Akers at 503-603-7147.

8654382.0 3/19 ©2019 United HealthCare Services, Inc. 19-11458

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through UHC of California DBA UnitedHealthcare of California.

Thank you, teachers. Your commitment to education makes you a class act.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

17

UTLA meeting boardUpcoming meetings

APRIL 27Substitute Committee General Meeting:

UTLA building.

MAY 8The following committees meet on

the same day as the House of Represen-tatives from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. (unless noted) in the UTLA building: Arts Educa-tion Committee, Asian-Pacific Educa-tion, Bilingual Education Commit-tee, Chicano/Latino Education, Gay & Lesbian Issues, Health & Human Services, Human Rights, Inner City, Instructional Coaches, Kindergarten Teachers, Library Professionals (4:45-6 p.m.), Middle Schools, Multi-Track/Year-Round Schools, Non-Classroom/

Non-School Site, Options Com-mittee, Physical Education Action and Dance, Professional Rights & Responsibilities, Pre-Retirement Issues, Salary & Finance, School/Community Relations, School Readiness Language Development Program, Secondary School Coun-selors, Special Education, Substi-tutes, Violence Prevention & School Safety, Women’s Education.

MAY 17UTLA-Retired General Assembly

Meeting: UTLA building.

MAY 22UTLA Area Meetings: See times and

locations at utla.net.Early Childhood Education Commit-

tee: 7 p.m., UTLA building.

$10 a month to PACE, or wait until another charter school majority on the board takes away your premium free benefits?

PACE membership up: Two years ago UTLA-Retired members did not have the ability to make monthly contributions to UTLA PACE. Only through writing checks could we help raise the millions we need to fight Eli Broad and the privatizers who want to destroy our health benefits, and many of you responded. Checks brought in annually between $6,000 to $7,000. That is a

good number but barely a drop in the bucket when Eli Broad and his friends can write checks for millions. The special election in District 5 will determine if the charter school people will reestablish their majority on the board so they and Superintendent Beutner can once again attack our health benefits. Our candidate is Jackie Goldberg, and on the day the primary was held, Eli Broad wrote a check for $100,000 for Jackie’s op-ponent. Jackie needs our financial help so she can fight to make sure our benefits are not destroyed. If every UTLA member—active and retired—joined PACE at $10 a month,

UTLA could raise $3 million every year for UTLA-endorsed school board candidates!

Two years ago we made it possible for all of us to contribute monthly through our CalSTRS pensions. Our initial mailing brought in a bit over 250 PACE memberships worth annually $25,000—three times what depending on check writing brought in. As of January 1, 2019, that number had in-creased to 283. We recently sent you another letter asking you to join PACE and help in the fight to elect good school board can-didates like Jackie Goldberg. The fight to protect our health benefits begins with us

and a $10 monthly contribution to PACE. As of this writing, 191 new PACE member-ships have come in, raising the number of UTLA-R PACE memberships to 474. Those 474 memberships will raise $47,400 a year for PACE—$94,800 every two-year school board election cycle. If all of our 4,300 members made a $10 monthly contribution, UTLA-R’s portion of the potential yearly contribution of $3 million would be $430,000! If the PACE card we sent you is still sitting on your desk, please fill it out and return it today.

John can be reached at vpapabear46@aol.com.

(continued from previous page)

All UTLA members are encouraged to attend a preretirement workshop at least three times during their career in order to plan for retirement security: early in their career, again just prior to age 50, and one year prior to retirement.

CalSTRS (the California State Teachers’ Retirement System) and the district are sponsoring a series of preretirement workshops for this school year. Information will be provided regarding the calculation of retirement allowance, LAUSD 457(b) supplemental savings plan, post-retirement information, and more. Time will be provided at the end of the workshop presentation for questions and answers. See reservation information below. The workshops are individual meetings (not a series).

May 2, 2019 (Thursday)Broad Elementary (Auditorium)24815 Broad Ave. Wilmington, CA 90744

May 9, 2019 (Thursday) Noble Elementary (Auditorium)8329 Noble Avenue North Hills, CA 91343

STRS preretirement workshopsFree workshops are open to all CalSTRS members.

Dates and locationsAll workshops are from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

How to register: CalSTRS is asking that you register for the workshop you wish to attend through their website: http://resources.calstrs.com/workshop_registration/index.aspx.

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United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

19

After guiding and supporting teachers to conduct teaching as lesson research in the form of UTLA Lesson Design Study for 20 years, Charlotte Higuchi, NBCT, has retired as ISCA director. Higuchi had this to say about her time at ISCA:

It has been my privilege to have had the pleasure of working with so many outstand-ing teachers dedicated to providing ever better lessons, learning experiences, and guidance to their students; to have been welcomed into their classrooms and to their schools; to have learned alongside and from them; and to have been part of making a statement that the union supports its members’ aspirations to teach at the most accomplished level.

It has also been my privilege to have worked with administrators and union leaders who believe that teaching is the core work of schools, that better teaching/learning is the essence of better schooling, and that collegial support and collaboration is the best way to achieve this goal. No good thing can be done alone. We created so much good together.

To all who truly walked with me at points in this journey, you are what I enjoyed most through the years, and what I will miss most.

ISCA will continue at UTLA as a project to make UTLA Lesson Design Study a three-salary point course that any member can take for a nominal fee. Day Higuchi, past ISCA Associate Director and former UTLA President, will lead this project.

A new model for offering Lesson Design Study seminars will be developed by In-stitute Director Day Higuchi in collabora-tion with Support Network Coordinator Michael de la Torre and a small working group of NBCTs, yet to be recruited, who have successfully completed UTLA Lesson Design Study seminars.

If you are NBCT who has previously completed UTLA Lesson Design Study with ISCA and are interested in being a UTLA Lesson Design Study Project course planner/instructor for NBCT hours please contact Day Higuchi at dhiguchi@utla.net. Send him your ideas about how we can maximize the power of UTLA Lesson Design Study going forward.

To read more about the history of ISCA and its accomplishments, go to www.utla.net/icsa.

ISCA closing office, will become UTLA Lesson Design Study Project

What to know before you go in for your final evaluation conference.

This is the time of the year when many teachers receive their final evaluations from their administrators. Before you go in for your final evaluation conference, take a look at this Q&A so you can be aware of your rights under the contract. UTLA is in bargaining with LAUSD now as part of a multi-year process to create a new system based on a career-long professional growth model of Educator Development and Support.

Who receives an evaluation and how often?

Probationary and permanent teachers receive evaluations. Limited-term person-nel (such as provisional contract, substitute of more than 20 days, or a probationary, conditional, or temporary contract em-ployee assigned on March 1 or thereafter) and nontenured adult education teachers are evaluated on the district’s Form 1022. Probationary employees are required by state ed code to be evaluated at least once each year (failure to provide an evaluation may jeopardize their status). Permanent employees are evaluated at least once every other year, although legislation allows for teachers with 10 years in a district to be evaluated every five years if they have received a “meets or exceeds standards” evaluation. A Supplemental Agreement reached with LAUSD contains a provision that calls for LAUSD to take advantage of this law and grant extensions of the time between evaluations. This longer evalu-

ation period requires the consent of both the evaluator and the employee.

Is the administrator required to have a conference with me?

If you are being evaluated this year, your administrator should have worked with you early in the school year to estab-lish your objectives. During the year, your administrator should have been observing your teaching and conferring with you. If problems were identified, within four working days of the conference you should have been given a copy of written records relating to observations, advisory confer-ences, and assistance offered or given. These are warnings that you must improve your performance.

Should I answer written warnings?Answer conference summaries. Be

brief and to the point. Show how you are meeting the objectives and how you are following your administrator’s guidance.

When should the administrator issue the final evaluation report?

Your administrator must issue your final evaluation report not less than 30 days before the last regularly scheduled school day of your scheduled work year. If you are issued a “below standard” evaluation, your admin-istrator shall specifically describe in writing the area of “below standard” performance with recommendations for improvement and the assistance given and to be given.

Final evaluation Q&A Should I take my UTLA representative to the final evaluation conference?

If your administrator intends to issue a “below standard” evaluation, you must be informed of that intent and given the opportunity to be accompa-nied by your chapter chair (or by any other person as long as that person is not a representative of another employee organization).

Should I sign an evaluation when I don’t agree?

Your signature is required and does not mean you agree. You may attach a written response within ten working days from date received and you may also appeal the matter to the cluster leader.

When should I receive my copy?You will be given a copy of the final

evaluation at the conference.

I don’t agree with my evaluation. Can I file a grievance?

You have the right to grieve within

30 working days if you receive a “below standard” evaluation or if your evalua-tion is “meets standards” but there is a significant disparity between the rating and the negative comments on the form. You should talk to your UTLA Area repre-sentative if you believe such a “significant disparity” exists on your evaluation. You should request an informal meeting with your administrator within 15 days of re-ceiving the below standard evaluation as required by the contract provisions for filing a grievance.

I don’t agree with my evaluation and I’m filing a grievance. Should I attach a response within ten days?

If you are filing a grievance, don’t attach a response. Talk to your Area representa-tive first.

Where can I find more information?This is a summary of the contract lan-

guage plus some tips on how to protect yourself. For complete information regard-ing the process, see Article X the contract at utla.net.

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Educators' Due Process Advocacy Committee

Under former superintendent John Deasy, many educators were victims of the “teacher jail” system. Caught off guard and often falsely accused, they were left to suffer alone, under house arrest and unsure of what to do. LAUSD’s abuse of “teacher jail” has lessened since the de-parture of Deasy, but we still need to be vigilant about each and every case.

UTLA’s Educators’ Due Process Ad-vocacy Committee meets monthly at the

union to support these teachers. From time to time the committee introduces motions at House of Representatives meetings. The committee also represents “reassigned teach-ers”—teachers arbitrarily relocated to other schools. The next meeting is May 8 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The UTLA building is located at 3303 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.

If you’ve been recently removed from the classroom, please contact Carl Joseph, staff rep for housed teachers, at cjoseph@utla.net.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

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The Support Network Free OrientationsAre you interested in National Board Certification for 2019-20?

All orientations are at your UTLA building:United Teachers Los Angeles

3303 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010(Validated parking in structure behind building, entrance off Berendo Street)

Please sign up by going to www.thesupportnetwork.net and filling out the online survey. You will receive an instant confirmation once you’ve submitted the survey. Signing up by phone will not be accepted. Walk-ins and late comers will not be admitted. RSVP will only be ac-cepted up to two business days prior to an orientation or once capacity has been reached, whichever comes first. 75 participants is the maximum for each orientation. You must bring a valid government issued ID to gain access to the building.

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SUPPORT NETWORK, CANDIDATES MUST ATTEND AN ENTIRE ORIENTATION MEETING.

All information is tentative and subject to change. You do not need to join TSN to pursue NBPTS certification.

Salary points can be earned for The Support Network program..

NBPTS info: www.nbpts.org or call 1-800-22-TEACH

Michael de la Torre, NBCT, Coordinator, The Support Network

First Time Candidate Workshops Monday, March 25, 2019, 4 pm–8 pmThursday, March 28, 2019, 4 pm–8 pm

Monday, April 22, 2019, 4 pm–8 pmThursday, April 25, 2019, 4 pm–8 pmMonday, May 20, 2019, 4 pm–8 pmThursday, May 23, 2019, 4 pm–8 pm

C O M M I T T E E E V E N T S

UNITED TEACHERS OF LOS ANGELES’ SUSAN B. ANTHONY EVENT WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD DINNER 2019 SPONSORED BY WOMEN’S EDUCATION COMMITTEE

RECIPIENTS: Kelly Flores, Central Area

Hattie McFrazier, UTLA Retired

MAY 19, 2019, SUNDAY, 5:00 TO 9:00 P.M.

TAIX FRENCH CUISINE RESTAURANT, AN L.A. LANDMARK! 1911 W. SUNSET BLVD., L.A., CA 90026

Cost: $45 per plate with appetizers, soup & salad, beverage, dessert & coffee. Make checks payable to U.T.L.A.; note “Women’s Ed. Committee, Awards Dinner” with this form showing dinner choice below. _________ Roast Chicken ________ Pot Roast of Beef

Contact Laura McCutcheon cell 526-500-8540 or laurainla77@gmail.com. Deliver or send form and check to Laura McCutcheon or UTLA, Attention: Princess Sykes please. (Cash also accepted only in person.) Thank you!

Name ________________________________________________________ Emp.#_____________

Address _________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________________ State________ Zip___________

Phone ( )_______________________________Retirement Date:______________ / ________

School/Retiring Site _______________________________________________________________

Email address (non-LAUSD)________________________________________________________

(month) (year)

FORMAL INVITATION REQUEST FORM Limited Seating. Reservations Required

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UTLA

honors and respects

the many years you have given

to your profession and our students and

invites you to celebrate at the 2019

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Luminarias

If you are retiring between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019,

request a formal invitation online at

www.utla.net/events/2019-retirement-dinner-dance

or complete coupon below and mail before April 5, 2019

to UTLA, Attn: Rosa Beasley, 3303 Wilshire Blvd.,

10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010. For more

information, contact Rosa Beasley

at rbeasley@utla.net

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

21

Facebook: facebook.com/UTLAnow

Twitter: @utlanow

YouTube: youtube.com/UTLAnow

Get connected to UTLA

New CTA guidelines for Prop. 58 implementation.

Bilingual education

For an entire year, committees from the California Teachers Association met jointly to develop guidelines to imple-ment the highly regarded state measure, Prop. 58, promoting dual-language ed-ucation. Committees representing As-sessment and Testing, Credentials and Professional Development, Curriculum and Instruction, Language Acquisition, and Negotiations assigned members to collaboratively develop a booklet for all members that will, hopefully, answer questions and empower schools and dis-tricts to respond to the will of the people of California to educate their children in more than one language.

Recruiting and retaining teachers is a high priority. Many institutions of higher learning are reopening bilingual teacher training programs that had been dormant since the passage of Prop. 227 in 1998. Many teachers statewide, and in Los Angeles, hold Bilingual Authorization but have not used it for 20 years and need refreshing. Many thousands of teachers speak languages other than English but do not hold an authorization to teach bi-lingually. CTA hopes to advocate for and support teachers in both of those groups in order to grow our multilingual teach-ing force.

The issue of authentic and realistic as-sessments is always of concern to teach-ers, and in the ELL world, they are so closely aligned with reclassification that

it is imperative to make sure the assess-ments and the assessors are accurate and qualified. The collaborative group dis-cussed English language assessments, particularly the ELPAC and those in a first language.

Curriculum and instruction are, of course, at the heart of our multilingual programs. Newcomer programs, the high school Seal of Biliteracy, and CABE’s Dual Immersion Planning Guide, coupled with the ELD/ELA Framework, will lead our dual-language students down a pathway of success. The California English Learner Roadmap “articulates a common vision and mission for educating English Learn-ers and supports districts as they imple-ment state policy.” To learn more about the roadmap, go to www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/rm. The CTA guidebook provides models of instruction as well as clearly stated goals for every type of parental choice program at every grade level.

Lastly, the Negotiations committee con-tributed to the collaboration by suggesting policies for stipends, incentives, tuition reimbursement, professional develop-ment, and additional duty pay as well as the issues of transfers and reassignments. All of these areas are recommended to be looked into by local associations.

New parent outreach program on multilingual education: Alas Y Voz (Wings and Voice) is a new parent

outreach program by Californians Together to bring to Hispanic parents the knowledge of the benefits of multi-lingual education. Relying completely on social media, Alas Y Voz features parent testimonials and student voices that join in with teachers to reach out to families that have been historically mislead into denying the benefits of heritage-language learning. Only 37% of the seats in our dual-language pro-grams are filled with English Learners; 63% are occupied by English-speaking students whose parents have not had to overcome generations of bad advice to avoid learning in any language but English. For more information, contact claudia@californianstogether.org.

Bilingual stipend: If you have ques-tions or concerns about the bilingual stipend, please contact me at cortega@utla.net.

Next Bilingual Ed meeting: Come to our next Bilingual Education Commit-tee meeting on May 8 at 4 p.m. in Room 828 at the UTLA building. Agenda will include possible Master Plan reopeners for the 2020 contract and Alas y Voz planning.

—Cheryl OrtegaUTLA Director of Bilingual Education

cortega@utla.net

NOW – JAN 5

Bring your class today! Field trips are always free of charge for CA accredited schools (Pre K – 12), including access to programs, performances, and our newest exhibits.

Engage your students in our museum galleries, special exhibits, and Nature Gardens with free, grade-appropriate resources and lesson plans, available for

download on our website.

Remember, CA teachers receive free general admission to the museum every day of the year!

Antarctic Dinosaurs was developed by the Field Museum, Chicago in partnership with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Discovery Place—Charlotte, NC, and the Natural History Museum of Utah. Generous support was provided by the Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund. Illustration © Field Museum, Illustration by Velizar Simeonovski

Gear up for the expedition of a lifetime

To book your next field trip, visit NHM.ORG

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

22

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How To Place Your UT Classified Ad Job share & LAUSD employment ads are FREEPrint your ad from your computer or use a typewriter. Count the number of words in your ad. Area code and telephone number count as one word. Email and web address count as one word. Street address counts as one word. City and state, including zip code, count as one word. Abbreviations and numbers are considered words and are charged individually. The classified ad rate is $1.50 per word for each time your ad runs (there is no charge for LAUSD job share/employment available ads). Multiply the number of words in your ad by $1.50. This is the cost for running your ad one time in UNITED TEACHER. If you’re running your ad in more than one issue, multiply the one-time total by the number of issues you wish the ad to appear. We have a ten word minimum ($15.00). All ads are payable in advance by check or money order. Please make check payable to UTLA. The deadline to receive your classified ad at the UTLA Communications Dept. is noon on the Monday that falls two weeks prior to the publi-cation date. Any questions? Call 213-637-5173 or email Laura Aldana at laldana@utla.net. Mail ad and payment to Classifieds, UNITED TEACHER, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

CLASSIFIED AD COPY FOR UNITED TEACHER PUBLISHING

_____ May 24 (due date: May 6) _____ August 9 (due date: July 22)

Name:

Street Address:

City: State: ZIP:

Ad Copy: Attach your typed copy to this form or print clearly here:

Total number of words: _____ @ $1.50 = $_________ per run date

Number of run dates ____ X $____ each run date = $_______

No credits or refunds on canceled ads. Mail with payment to UNITED TEACHER Classifieds,

UTLA, 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Ads may also be dropped off at this address.

UTLA CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIED AND DISPLAY AD POLICY: UNITED TEACHER will not accept ads for legal services in the areas of worker’s com-pensation or personal injury; nor advertising for tobacco or alcoholic beverages; nor advertising deemed misleading or offen-sive to members; nor advertising inconsistent with the programs and purposes of United Teachers Los Angeles.

FOSTER HOMES

Free To Be Programs is a state-licensed 501

(C)(3) agency established in 1984 that provides

foster parents and services for developmen-

tally disabled children, adolescent and adults.

Developmental disabilities include autism,

Down syndrome, and other cognitive disabili-

ties. FTBP currently seeks foster and support

families for developmentally disabled children,

adolescents and adults. Foster and support

families receive a stipend that averages $2400

per month. Please call for more information,

(818) 439-3309. www.ftbp.org.

LEGAL HELP

AFFORDABLE SOLUTIONS. Let us help you

with your self-help legal document preparation

needs. For more information call us at (818)

457-1920, by mail help@ldas4u.com, or visit

our website www.ldas4u.com.

LAUSD JOB OPENINGS

Polytechnic High School’s Math, Science, and

Technology Magnet anticipates an opening for

a talented physics teacher for the next school

year. Our magnet supports 400 9th-12th-grade

students. We offer a rigorous college prep pro-

gram designed to prepare students for university

studies in fields that require a strong background

in math and science. We are looking for an in-

dividual able to teach honors and AP physics.

Much have a desire to challenge and support

students. Please send inquiries or resumes to

Devon Richter at devon.richter@polyhigh.org.

The Humanitas Magnet for Interdisciplinary Stud-

ies is looking for committed, caring, enthusiastic

teachers willing to collaborate to make our pro-

gram a success. Please send inquiries and re-

sumes to: Alaina Kommer, amc8418@lausd.net.

LAUSD JOB SHARE

Looking for a TK teacher interested in job sharing with

me for 2019-2020 and beyond at my wonderful school

in North West area. Partner must have permanent sta-

tus and all child development units required to teach

TK. Please call or text if interested. (818) 421-9755.

Looking for a job-share partner for the 2019-2020

school year in the South area or West area. You

can share my moderate/severe special education

teaching position at a high school in the South re-

gion or I can come to your school to share a job

with you there. I am interested in any level. I’m a

credentialed special education teacher with 20

years’ experience. I hold both the mild/moderate

and moderate/severe credentials and have experi-

ence teaching both and at all levels. I am working

half-time because I am in school part-time. Please

text or email me if you are interested. Sumi Bhatia,

(310) 344-2109 or sumibee@yahoo.com.

Looking for half-day work partner for the 2019-

2020 school year at my school in the Northwest

valley. I teach third grade. Please contact Mary

Matsuno at mmatsuno963@att.net.

RSP teacher at University High seeking job share

partner split semesters. Wonderful supportive staff,

great parents and students. Westside. Contact

Nancy Cohen at ner7520@lausd.net.

Looking for a dynamic partner for the 2019-2020

school year. Would most likely be for third grade.

Contact info: jessicarachelr@gmail.com.

Job share partner wanted for the 2019-2020

school year. The candidate must have a multiple

subject teaching credential, preferably has a

BCLAD, is knowledgeable in balanced bilitera-

cy, has a strong sense of social justice and is a

great team player. If interested in working at an

amazing school near DTLA, please email me at

adhaliarevalo@gmail.com.

2019-2020 Job-share opportunity at my school in

North East area. 5th year job-sharing at a great

school with supportive principal. Call or text me

@ (818) 400-6069.

Looking for a job-share partner for the 2019-2020

school year at my school in the north west area.

This is my fourth year job-sharing, but my part-

ner is retiring. Please text or email me if you are

interested. Angineh Andreas, (818) 515-9477 or

axb1412@lausd.net.

United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net April 19, 2019

23

U N I T E D T E A C H E R

GRAPEVINESalary point class on Impressionism

How can great art be used across the curriculum? Explore how by enrolling in “Making a Great Impressionism.” The class will visit the Getty Center, the Norton Simon, and LACMA and learn about current strategies for engaging students through art. This district-approved class is worth two salary points and will expose participants to exciting resources that can supplement all content areas. Participants will meet at Francis Polytechnic High on May 4, 11, 18, and June 1 (all Saturdays) at 8 a.m. From Poly High, class will commute to the three sites (one each class day, except for the last day). The course fee is $175, preregistered, which includes course ma-terials, breakfast, and museum admissions. Enrollments will be accepted until the class starts, or until a cap is reached, whichever happens first. For more info., email en4ed@earthlink.net or visit www.en4educat.com, or call/text Larry Carstens at 818-645-4259.

Educator Night at USC’s Pacific Asia Museum

USC’s Pacific Asia Museum is holding a free Spring Educator Night on Thursday, April 25, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. This special event for K-12 teachers will give you an

opportunity to view and engage with the museum’s latest exhibition, “Tsuruya Kokei: Modern Kabuki Prints Revised and Revis-ited,” which examines the work of a con-temporary Japanese printmaker specializing in images of kabuki actors. The evening will include a gallery workshop designed to help you use works of art to teach critical thinking, analysis, and language. It will be followed by a hands-on artmaking lesson that you can replicate in your classroom. All curriculum addresses ELA and VAPA stan-dards. The evening will also include light re-freshments courtesy of our partners at Trader Joe’s and a discount at the newly opened museum shop. There is no fee to attend, but RSVP is required at www.eventbrite.com/e/educator-nightpam-tickets-53840015937. The museum is located at 46 N. Los Robles Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101.

Salary point class on managing disruptive behavior

“Behavior Is Language: Strategies for Managing Disruptive Behavior” is designed to give participants a new perspective on student behavior and effective tools to fa-cilitate positive student change. Taught by Mick R. Jackson, MS/ED, the course pro-vides a developmental framework to help

the learner understand what students are trying to communicate through the “lan-guage” of their behavior. Topics covered include behavioral techniques and interven-tion strategies that remediate disruptive behaviors, reduce power struggles while in-creasing classroom control, reduce educator workload, and help prevent burnout. Call the VESi registrar at 800-313-6744 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to register. Two salary points available. The class is delivered online, and the registra-tion fee is $160.

Salary point class on cultural competency

“Valuing Difference” is an interactive seminar on cultural diversity, family history, media and societal impacts, and effective communications. The salary point workshops cover the important role your own culture plays in day-to-day interactions and includes interactive exercises in which participants review various issues from a variety of view-points. The next session for “Valuing Difference” is June 23 and 24 (Saturday and Sunday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fee is $95. Location: 8339 W. Third Street, L.A., CA 90048. One multicultural salary point available. For more information or to register, call Kari Bower at 323-653-3332 or email ShawnGrifLA@aol.com.

Discount theater tickets for teachers

The Robey Theatre Company is offering discounted tickets to its new play, Birdland Blue, on an eventful evening in the life of Miles Davis and his famed sextet: John Coltrane, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. The play runs until May 12 on Thurs-day, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, Theatre 4 (514 South Spring Street in downtown LA). Ticket prices are $35 for general admission and $22.50 for LAUSD teachers, veterans, students, and seniors. Box office: 866-811-4111.

New salary point course on academic discourse

Are your students afraid of speaking up about issues important to them? Or are they eager to do so, but you find it challenging to facilitate their speaking? This course could make a difference in getting students’ voices heard. “Lifting Every Voice Through Academic Discourse & Public Speaking” is Education4Equity’s newest one-salary point course, designed to equip LAUSD teachers with practical strategies to help students speak up, speak out, and negotiate ideas and help you dis-cover how to facilitate debate, speech-giving, and spoken word. Participants will access a repertoire of inspiring examples of effective student speeches and discov-er how to overcome barriers to effective speaking. Go to www.education4equity.com to sign up. For questions, contact us at education4equity@gmail.com.

Salary point class on conflict resolution

The ABCs of Conflict is a conflict reso-lution training for educators and youth-service providers. The training teaches participants how to integrate conflict res-olution into the classroom and in other youth-serving environments. Learn con-cepts and skills to enhance your ability to resolve conflicts with youth, students, colleagues, and community members. Participants who successfully complete the full 30 hours will receive a Certificate of Completion and be eligible for one Graduate Level Extension credit (cost of $75) or an LAUSD salary point with multicultural credit. Two sessions: June 17 to 20 or June 24 to 27 from 9:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. Space is limited. Apply at www.westernjustice.org/ 2019-abcs-of-conflict-application.

Summer Institute at Art CenterThe Summer Institute for Teachers is

an intensive, five-day interactive work-shop based on a proven and award-win-ning methodology called Design-Based Learning. DBL taps into students’ natural creativity to develop higher-level thinking and enhance comprehension of the K-12 curriculum. No matter what grade level or subject you teach, supplementing your current methods with DBL can make a dramatic difference in your classroom. The institute will run on July 24, 25, 26, 29, and 30. Three salary point credits are offered, and the course is open to K-12 educators, principals, administrators, college instruc-tors, and after-school program directors and staff. A limited number of scholar-ships is available. For more information, please visit www.artcenter.edu/teach-ers or contact Paula Goodman, director of K-12 Programs, at  626-396-2347 or paula.goodman@artcenter.edu.

Volunteer at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes!

LA Plaza is looking for gallery volun-teers to serve as stewards of LA Plaza’s mission within exhibitions and create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors of all backgrounds. Gallery volunteers provide in-gallery support by conversing with visi-tors about museum content and related history; answering visitor questions about permanent and temporary exhibitions; helping visitors navigate the museum; monitoring galleries for safety; adminis-tering surveys; and providing additional information about LA Plaza’s program-ming, mission, and history as needed. To learn more, email: volunteer@lapca.org.

Salary point class on the Empathic Teacher

In “The Empathic Teacher” workshop, participants practice the tools of The Nar-rative Method to improve communication and increase students’ empathy, self-es-teem, and compassion for differences. The class is an immersive experience structured

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