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Panorama | september 2009 |
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Panorama | september 2009 |
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PRESIDENT'S VIEW By Marisa Hanson This summer, I began my third year as the President of
ESTA. I must admit that this summer was busier than the other two
summers combined. It was an unusual summer, starting with over
70 teachers still laid off. In the beginning of June, I was
told by the district that we had enough teachers for the 2009-2010 school
year. Yet, by the end of June, the district brought back 10
teachers and I was still being told there wasn’t a need to bring back
anyone more. Teachers were retiring, resigning, and/or taking a
leave of absence all summer long. That brought the list of 30 people
leaving the district to a final total of 54. Those people would need
to be replaced, so it was obvious to me that more people would need to be
brought back. By mid July, things really started shaping up as the Master
Schedules were being built. The district brought back another 20
teachers that month alone. I helped them locate people by phone or
by email since many of them had been in contact with me all summer.
Throughout the rest of the summer, I remained hopeful that we would
bring back every laid off teacher before the first day of school. As
August began, and the beginning of the school year was fast approaching,
another 20 teachers were brought back. Unfortunately, when
some teachers were called and offered a position, they had already taken
jobs in other districts. This was, of course, understandable and I
felt bad for those who were part of the waiting game.
So
now that we have started the school year, we still have 23 people laid off
and I have heard from a few that they are working for other districts at
this time. That leaves at least 15 -18 teachers that currently do
not have a job. I am still trying to figure out why 90% of the laid
off teachers left are English teachers. All of the Social Science
and Science teachers were offered positions and it is likely that the
district will be posting for an additional Science teacher, since there is
still a need at one site. As I continue to look over the Master
Schedules, I am still seeing a need for additional sections. The
Class Size Committee will continue to meet every 5 days until day 17, when
at that time, all Master Schedules are expected to be in concert with the
contract language class size requirements. I do hope that by the
17th
day, all schedules are at contract language. But if we need to, ESTA will
go to arbitration like we have in previous years.
Another
thing that was unusual this summer, was the passing of four ESTA
members. This reminded me that there are a lot of things that
need to be in order in the event that you pass away when you are current
employee/CTA/NEA member. Here are a few that I want to remind you
of: 1. Your
last paycheck will go to the person you named when you first started
working in East Side. If you want it to go to someone else, then you
need to update this information. You can get the form from Esther
Carrillo, who is the district’s Benefits coordinator. 2. The
district has a Life Insurance policy and if you pass away as an employee,
you can name a beneficiary that will receive a small amount of that
insurance money. Again, it may be a different person than when you
first started in the district that you want to receive this money, so it
is better to check now before it’s too late. CTA will also give your beneficiary money. It is based on
the amount of years the member was a part of CTA and the cause of death.
You can register a new beneficiary online www.cta.org
or call CTA member’s benefits (650) 552-5200. 1. NEA
will also give your beneficiary money. The amount is also based on
your years of teaching and cause of death. To update, go to the NEA
website, or call 1-800-637-4636 2. To
update your CalSTRS beneficiary information, the process is a little more
complicated. You need to request a form and it will be mailed to
you. Call 1-888-225-7377 to update your records. 3. Some
of you also have insurance with the Standard, 1-800-522-0406 is the number
for that. 4. Social
Security Administration is 1-800-772-1213. 5. Bank
accounts, stocks, investments, etc. should all be updated as is related to
your own personal accounts. I
know that talking about death is a sensitive topic to most everyone, but I
really want to make sure all of you have your beneficiaries updated, as
your life situations are changing with marriages, divorces, children being
born, etc. Please understand that having this paperwork in order can
help your loved ones during a real difficult time. My office always
sends out a letter when a member passes away and lists the above
information to assist the family of the person who has passed away. I
finally took the time this summer to update my information and I thought
about the fact that many others could be like me and in need of a friendly
reminder. Also,
I want to remind everyone that ESTA is scheduled to do open enrollment
with the Standard for Disability Insurance in the month of November.
This will allow members to join without filling out the health questions,
and everyone will be accepted even if you have a prior health
condition. All site Presidents will have the applications and I will
be visiting sites in October and November explaining how important having
this policy is for everyone. The cost starts at $23 a month for
first year teachers on 12 months checks. The cost for everyone else
varies, based on your salary. The most it could cost is $34 a month
for “12-month-ers” or $40 a month for “10-month-ers”. This is the
best deal to insure you are covered in the event that you cannot work for
up to 2 years. The disability insurance also covers 6 weeks of
maternity leave and if you are currently pregnant during open enrollment
you will not be declined. So as I conclude, I want everyone to know that ESTA
Leadership is ready to help you with your current site needs. Make
sure you know who your site’s Assembly Representatives are. If a
site representative needs an alternate for the Assembly meeting, let them
know if you can step in. The ESTA Assembly is once a month for about 2
hours and it includes a great dinner, good conversations, and a chance to
get to know members from other sites and your ESTA Executive
Officers. So, welcome back to work and here’s to a great start to a
new school year.
THANK YOU, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER? By Mike Brennan, Editor The new school year brings a heavy burden to teachers. Because the state of California
can no longer raise tax money to pay for services we may lose 15-20
percent of our operating budget, possibly for years. We haven’t lost fifteen or twenty
percent of our budget because there’s no money; we’ve lost it because
those who control the money don’t want us to have it. Not only that, they have us
thinking in terms of money instead of resources. We’re going to lose resources
because there isn’t money to pay for them, although the resources exist
and could be available if those who owned them were persuaded to deliver
them, usually with money. Silly isn’t it, the
resources are there in abundance yet they can’t be procured because of
economics. The material, the
buildings, and the unemployed workers exist in abundance yet because of
the method used to organize these resources, they are unavailable. Laissez Faire Capitalists say we
don’t have any money because we’re not buying sneakers and toys from China
and they’re not buying heavy equipment and cars from us. I guess that’s a good reason that
there’s no money to educate children. I’m what you could
call a Lazy Fair Capitalist.
I’d rather work less, play more, and have my fair share of the
resources I generate for our society. These other capitalists are making
a big mistake. They want to
keep the prisoners off the streets and throw the school kids on the
streets. By the time they
take the kids off the streets, it will be to throw them in prison. Quite the money wasting
proposition, I would say. I’m all for rewarding
hard work and penalizing the truly lazy by reducing their pay packet but,
I think we all need to remember that we live in a community and there are
priorities that communities need to commit to when allocating
resources. There are
priorities communities need to have in mind when looking to the
future. Underfunding
education is one of the most detrimental decisions a community can make
that affects the present and future quality of life for citizens. Our community hasn’t
adequately funded schools from day one. I’m 49 and I came through
California school systems and I’ve been teaching in California schools
since 1998. Except for three
classes in college, all the other classrooms I had been in since
1st
grade until I finished my graduate degree had 30
students. When some conservative
tells you that schools don’t work because teachers aren’t given merit pay
or bonuses or students don’t wear uniforms or the teachers’ unions are too
strong, tell them these ideas might hold water if they even knew that the
current system didn’t work.
They don’t know that the current system doesn’t work because our
schools have never had adequate funding in the first place. All of these so called ideas
floating around to “fix” our schools are merely strategies Laissez Faire
Capitalist have of keeping the cost of education and their taxes low. Most of them don’t really care how
well our children are taught because, although they might want change,
they would also want the present system to work as well as possible which
means adequate funding. The
next time some “school reform” advocates ask you why we don’t get rid of
bad teachers, tell them that we can get rid of most of the bad teachers in
one year by cutting class sizes in half and it won’t require any
reorganization. This logic
works because most teachers are good teachers and the influence of a few
bad apples will be reduced significantly by doubling the staff. Their myopic insistence on teacher
accountability over educational quality gives them away. Nobody questions the fact that
reducing class sizes will result in better educational experiences for
students yet we can’t do it because of economics. The real agenda is getting the
best quality for the cheapest price.
Quality can only get so cheap and this society complains that they
don’t have a Lexus but is only willing to pay for a Hyundai. This economic downturn is the best
example of the hypocrisy of our system. Children shouldn’t suffer because
of the foibles of business leaders.
The stock market should not be an indicator of how well Johnny can
read.
American education has always been a game of catch up. Schools are never finished. Most have portables sitting in parking lots and are still hiring teachers as students return from summer. Like my mother used to say, “you can’t have another until you finish the one you have.” MindsInSight
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THE SUN ALSO RISES By Ralph Giannini, ESTA VP As
the new school year opened, I found myself wondering in what direction we
are heading. I have to admit as I grow older, I have come to
appreciate life being ordered and somewhat predictable. In the last
18 months or so, I have begun to look to the future not with some sense of
security, but rather with trepidation and concern. My
first concern is about the uncertainty of where the District is
heading. Over the summer I was shocked to learn that the East Side
Union High School Board of Trustees decided to place the Superintendent on
paid administrative leave. I wondered what prompted the
decision. The decision was prompted by a report by the Santa Clara
County Office of Education. The report was not only about Eastside,
but a report about the spending actions and policies of all districts in
Santa Clara County. I have to admit that I read the whole
report. I was surprised that the Social Security numbers of some of
our top school officials were in the report. The actual copy of the
report I saw was sanitized with a sharpie darkening out the numbers
(Richard Nixon lives on—the Watergate tapes). It didn’t seem to me
that the report published much that seemed worthy of the Board’s
action. As
time went on, other information surfaced. The statement was made
that the Superintendent had collected pay for his unused vacation time the
last couple of years. It
amounted to over $50,000. While this action may seem shocking,
it is not an unusual practice among CEOs in the business world. In
fact in many visits to schools and districts for WASC, I have noted that
the practice of Superintendent’s collecting pay for unused vacation time
is not that unusual. In many districts it is specifically written
into the Superintendent’s contract. An
issue arose about the Superintendent using his credit card and that in
some cases the credit card receipts were not turned into the
district. While it is always preferable that the credit card
receipts be in place, they are easily misplaced. I am not sure why
this is such a big issue, since you can request copies of the receipts
from the credit card company. The
Board of Trustees decided to initiate an auditing of the district’s
finances. This will be a costly and timely endeavor. Perhaps
the audit will show that the district is spending too much money on some
items and not enough on others (what else is new). I frankly think
that the audit will not show any irregularities that prove any criminal or
ethical misappropriation. In
the meantime we have an interim Superintendent in place who is doing two
jobs. I have to admit that he is doing good job, while managing to
keep the district moving forward. The District cannot continue to
have one person doing two jobs. It isn’t good for the District, the
employees and the students of Eastside. The
State of California is predicting huge additional cuts in January.
They are currently talking about an additional $16,000,000,000 (billion)
in cuts mid-year. Assuming that this will happen, it means that the
district will be getting less money. Am I worried? Yes I
am. What do I think the District will do? I certainly don’t
have any inside information, but there is a signed contract in place with
ESTA. ESTA has already stepped up to the plate by taking an
additional three students, there by resulting in significant savings for
the district. The District can not unilaterally impose pay cuts,
reductions in benefits or furlough days without ESTA’s agreement.
That is NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN. I
believe the District will meet its financial obligations this current
year, probably by redirecting some of its spending in the current fiscal
year and probably borrowing from some restricted funds. Perhaps the
State will allow districts to reduce their reserve accounts for a limited
time. My concern is that borrowing from restricted funds and
lowering the reserve accounts are only a quick fix. The money will
have to be paid back. A
significant portion of the “borrowing” will have to be paid back in the
2010-11 school year. One of the reasons that the State of California
is in such a fix is they have tried “borrowing” and using some accounting
manipulations to pass the buck forward. We
have a signed contract in place to cover the 2009-10 school year, but we
will have to start negotiating on a successor agreement for 2010-11 early
next year. I don’t believe it is going to be easy or pretty.
The Board is already sniffing around about our health benefits.
WE
MUST ALL STAND FIRM AGAINST THIS ATTACK. Barring
some miraculous and unexpected quick turnaround in the economy, the next
eighteen months are liable to be worse than what is currently
happening. WE
WILL HAVE TO STEP UP AND BE COUNTED. ESTA WILL BE ASKING YOU TO BE
VISIBLE AND VOCAL. The Organizing Committee will be meeting
soon. Please consider be part of our team, to build organization,
solidarity and to prepare to protect our jobs and our benefits.
THERE
IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. You
have the power within you to ensure that THE SUN WILL CONTINUE TO RISE.
You’ve
seen those kids who sit silently in a corner, all but invisible. And
you’ve seen the natural leaders, sometimes leading others astray. You’ve
heard “That’s gay” too many times to count, and you’ve seen students at
lunchtime clumped together by race. For twelve years, Camp Everytown has
been a program that addresses these as well as many other issues that our
students face. We’ve been so fortunate for so long that ESUHSD has funded
the program and has sent thousands of students to camp. Well, like so many
other programs, that funding has been cut for this year. In
an effort to raise money for camp, and with a desire to capture the
inspiring stories that I hear from camp participants year after year, I’ve
written a book called A
Small Candle: The Impact of Camp Everytown on our Lives.
It contains stories about 15 students and staff who attended camp and
experienced its power to positively shape their lives and bring an
inspiring light to our community. You’ll
hear about Chris who, after getting expelled from school for sexual
harassment of a teacher, swears he’ll always respect women.
Though
Preet has been in a wheelchair all her life, she doesn’t truly understand
disabilities until she is blindfolded and helpless during the disability
exercise. Billy, after years of isolation and estrangement in foster care,
emerges from his shell to become a gregarious and warm young man. Phuong and Frances disclose their
secrets about being raped and find strength in each other to transform
their lives. I’m
selling A
Small Candle
for $10. If you want me to do a reading/signing/selling event at your
school, church, or other group, I’ll give your Camp Everytown program five
of that ten. I’m also happy to deliver copies to you; just email me at
gonzalezk@esuhsd.org
with your request. As
Dr. Barbara Clarke Mossberg, President Emerita Goddard College
writes,
“To
read these stories by Kathy Gonzalez is to know something indispensable to
our lives: in every person exists a desire to be good, to do good, to be a
force of positive change for themselves and others.” We
have a lot of challenges ahead of us. You know you want something
inspiring and hopeful to read.
ESUHSD teacher 1) SELLING a black 2 door, V-6, stick shift,
moon roof, fully loaded, dual heating, seat warmers – navigation system,
2004 HONDA ACCORD, 2) looking to RENT a bedroom or master bedroom with
walk-in closet and private bath in home near STHS. 3) looking to teach
swimming, French or Spanish or be a childcare giver, anytime between
2:15-8pm, on weekends or occasional. Email me at
simonsj@esuhsd.org
Share 1700 sf house 1 mile south of Piedmont Hills with a science teacher and a preschool teacher. Master bedroom and private bath available for $1,000 a month. Smaller bedroom and share a bathroom for $500 a
month. All utilities, cable and internet included. Full
kitchen and laundry priviledges included and share living room, and dining
room. Contact John Isberg at 408.569.9519 or isbergj@esuhsd.org
for more information.
Fancy a nice cuppa tea? Invite family and friends to enjoy an English tea in the comfort of your home! Contact Jan Treadgold (IH, ret.) at 916-691-9725 or email: jteatime@frontiernet.net for details.Remember
Spirit Demerson? Spirit
has created an online 100 percent renewable energy website for Green Glamour! Teachers will receive 10 percent
off on all purchases on top of other great savings on organic and
eco-friendly beauty products and lovely accessories and handbags - all
researched for re-cyclable and organic content. Just enter Teach20 at
checkout!
www.spiritbeautylounge.com
And check out her interview with the Today Show editor at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27283097/from/ET/ TRAVEL: Traveling
to New York City. Call the
expert. Flat fee for 2 hour
consult on all things NYC (cheap eats,sights, shows, etc). Call Silvia Amico for appt at
510-552-2276 or e-mail at gregandsilvia@sbcglobal.net.
GAS
DRYER: Super Excellent Condition. 2 years young. PAID $500. SELL $200 or
best offer. Irene Perez, EVHS
(408) 347-7224 This space is available for new ads. Classified ads will be included on
a first come first served basis.
Older ads will be replaced by new ones but I invite everyone to
resubmit. Let me know
if you want the ad to run all year and I will try to accommodate
you.
Have
a nice day :)
The
Editor |