Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/48466
NOVEMBER 2011 CONTENTS FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE 26 MAKING A DIFFERENCE 26 28 'Thank You, Teacher' Project GLBT Conference perspectives 30 TAKING A STAND 30 31 32 CFA moves toward a strike CTA pushes for Jobs Act passage Educators help craft California's 'Blueprint for Great Schools' 34 ACTION 34 10 LIVING AND LEARNING IN POVERTY One in four California students lives in poverty. They face challenges every day that make it difficult to focus on learning. CTA members across the state recognize their struggles and are helping in innovative ways. 35 36 38 CTA will lead the way in initiative battles ahead Regions I and II leadership conferences Ravitch to speak in California Governor proposes 'hybrid' pension plan 42 ETC. 40 42 CTA Board expenses Profile: Love Birds ON THE COVER California Teachers Association November 2011 Volume 16 Issue 3 LEARNING IN POVERTY LIVING THEIR STORIES BEGIN ON PAGE 10 A TEACHER'S EVOLUTION A MEMBER'S JOURNEY OVER 25 YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM » PAGE 22 22 'Thank You, Teacher' A TEACHER'S EVOLUTION We follow the journey of English teacher Brooke Nicolls as she reflects on her 25 years of teaching and helps us answer the ques- tion: "Are good teachers born or made?" FROM FORMER STUDENTS » PAGE 26 HEARTFELT NOTES OF APPRECIATION In Vallejo, Lynette Henley has seen a dramatic rise in the number of her students living in pov- erty. Now, she says, it's just a way of life. 1 IN 4 CHILDREN IN CALIFORNIA IS November 2011 / www.cta.org 3 T h EAn T Ck yo E a Hu R Photo by Scott Buschman Photo by George Nelson