Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/120877
STUDENT LEARNING Despite budget cuts, students are succeeding ��� Reading scores for all students have risen 63 percent over the last nine years; Latino students, 130 percent; African American students, 104 percent; English learners, 150 percent; educationally disadvantaged, 125 percent; white students, 37 percent; and English learners reclassified, 65 percent. ��� Math scores for all students (pro���cient and advanced levels) have risen 46 percent over nine years; Latino students, 83 percent; African American students, 89 percent; English learners, 85 percent; educationally disadvantaged, 79 percent; and white students, 32 percent. ��� One million more secondary students are taking college-bound math and science courses, and the numbers who are proficient have grown by 158 percent. ��� The achievement gap is narrowing, with only 1 percentage point separating the numbers of advanced/ pro���cient African American, Latino and white students. ��� Despite a drop in the total number of African American eighth-graders, over the past nine years the number taking algebra has risen 96 percent, and the number becoming pro���cient or advanced has risen 111 percent. ��� The number of Latino eighth-graders taking algebra has risen 197 percent; the number achieving pro���cient/ advanced status has risen 522 percent. ��� In the past nine years, 63 percent more English learners have achieved advanced and early advanced language proficiency. If there are issues with education laws, rather than ���ling costly law suits, they should be addressed through the legislative process where parents, educators and all community members can be heard. CTA and CFT seek to ensure all stakeholders have input in education policy decisions and to protect the rights of educators. After all, the students are the ones most affected by any of these decisions and their voices must be heard. For developments in this case, visit www.cta.org. CTA supports bills streamlining teacher dismissal process and protecting students Members expressing their views to lawmakers makes a difference! Assembly Education Chair Joan district���s responsibility to keep stuBuchanan (D-Alamo) introduced two dents safe and to report charges to the bills, AB 375 and AB 1338, designed to California Commission on Teacher Crestreamline the teacher dismissal process dentialing (CTC). and require districts to establish policies Through its interim legislation process, on child abuse reporting. CTA took a ���support��� position on the That same day, Sen. Alex Padilla two Buchanan bills, a position that will be (D-Pacoima) announced that he was drop- reviewed by the full State Council at its ping his CTA-opposed teacher dismissal April meeting. bill, SB 10, and signing on as co-author of CTA strongly believes school districts Buchanan���s bills. should be penalized for not following the The action law and failing to came even as report serious misa group of CTA conduct to the CTC. members were in This change should CTA strongly believes the state Capitol be a key element of on a lobby day, a legislative package. school districts should meeting with their A recent state audit be penalized for not lawmakers to found that of���cials of following the law oppose SB 10 and the Los Angeles Uniand failing to report to expedite and ���ed School District serious misconduct streamline failed to use their to the CTC. the teacher dispower under current missal process. law to remove from AB 375 and the classroom an eduAB 1338 re���ect cator facing charges of CTA���s goals to child abuse. keep students safe, safeguard the integrity The audit also determined that the of the profession, and protect the rights district also failed to forward information of educators, notes CTA President Dean about the educator quickly to the CTC, E. Vogel. ���We support these bills because which has the power to investigate charges they provide immediate protections for and revoke educators��� credentials. Without students and streamline and shorten the a credential, a teacher cannot work in dismissal process to ensure charges are a public school district in California. handled fairly and in a timely manner.��� ���We look forward to working with He adds that he appreciates Buchanan���s lawmakers as these bills make their way hard work in developing the legislation through the legislative process,��� says Vogel. and Padilla���s support shown by signing on as co-author. AB 1338 requires districts to implement clear policies that ful���ll state requirements for reporting abuse allegations, and to train staff members annually on the policies. AB 375 establishes clear and timely dismissal procedures that reinforce the April 2013 www.cta.org 17