California Educator

June 2013

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> S TAT E C O U N C I L Debates amid celebrations Delegates advocate for students, schools, and the profession STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE MYSLINSKI Policies and actions around school funding, adult education, Common Core standards and suspensions were debated in committee meetings, in hallways, and on the State Council floor. The governor's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) can bring about historic changes in California public education funding that will help our students of greatest need and all students, President Dean E. Vogel said in his speech to State Council delegates. While CTA is supportive of the goals of the governor's LCFF plan submitted as part of his state budget proposal, Vogel made it clear that concerns are being worked out as legislators rush to reach a final state budget agreement. (See story, page 31.) "As your president, I guarantee you, we will never support anything — including a district accountability plan — that undermines our collective bargaining rights or gives overreaching authority to county superintendents. It's not going to happen." Council issued an addendum to the CTA State Budget Principles adopted in April to reiterate educators' concerns about increasing base grant funding and accountability issues related to the LCFF. Reminding delegates about CTA's long history of fighting for more resources for public schools over the union's 150-year history, Vogel said the governor's approach of targeting students with high needs parallels the goals of the CTA-sponsored Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) of 2006, which applies nearly $3 billion in 22 targeted reforms such as smaller class sizes at hundreds of at-risk schools over eight years. After 18 years as CTA's top executive and 46 years as a teacher and passionate union leader, CTA Executive Director Carolyn Doggett gave her final speech to State Council and was honored by several speakers, including former CTA presidents Barbara E. Kerr and Wayne Johnson. She is retiring Sept. 1. At press time, Joe Nuñez was chosen to succeed her. See details and videos of State Council actions at www.cta.org/ statecouncil. In other actions, CTA State Council: • evised CTA policy to address concerns about the disproporR tionate suspensions and expulsions of African American and Latino students: "This decision should be used only as a last resort and only when psychological, emotional or physical safety is compromised." • irected the CTA president to write a letter to the Accrediting D Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to express concerns with the commission's sanctioning of California community colleges at a rate that is16 times more than commissions in other regions across the nation. • lected Erika Jones as NEA Alternate Director, Seat 3, E California Educator June/July 2013 Educator 06 June 2013 v2.0.indd 22 6/14/13 9:30 PM

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