CTA Campaign Update for Leaders

Our community-based State Council this past weekend was nothing short of amazing! It was a tremendous effort by CTA staff who made it all happen, and by the hundreds of State Council members who showed up to knock on doors and phone-bank for our Yes on 30 and No on 32 campaigns. Thousands of targeted voters were contacted in this mobilization, and we caught the attention of the public and the media throughout the 25 sites that were in operation up and down the state. Joining CTA officers Eric Heins, Mikki Cichocki and myself were Gov. Brown, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, local officials, and of course many of our members. Just take a look at some of our favorite photos from the weekend. And don’t forget, the campaign goes on. Let’s keep phone-banking and reaching out to voters!


Gina Whipple of the Lancaster Teachers Association gets her message across. Let’s make it go viral on Facebook.


Here’s what you can do this week:
By now, news is out that the Small Business PAC underwriting the Yes on 32 campaign accepted more than $11 million from Americans for Responsible Leadership, an Arizona nonprofit organization. But who is this shadowy group making such a large campaign contribution? That’s what California Common Cause and the League of Women Voters want to know. They have both accused the group of violating the six-month-old California campaign rules that require disclosure of donors when funds are earmarked for a specific purpose.

It is unacceptable that we, as voters, don’t know who or what is funding this campaign. If these out-of-state donors have the right to spend unlimited amounts to influence our politics, voters ought to have the right to know who’s really behind the money.

Please sign the California Deserves the Truth petition from the California Labor Federation demanding that the Small Business Action Committee come clean about who is funding its campaign. Tell the Small Business Action Committee to either come clean about their “mystery donors.”

Don't Miss
Halloween is coming up, and many of us will be staying in to hand out candy to neighborhood kids. This is a great time to also share our campaign message with their parents. Use any of our resources in our campaign section to hand out. You can also email or send a letter to your students’ parents. If appropriate, you may want to make these sample “parent-to-parent” letters and email available to parents as well.

This campaign is serious business, but you can have a little bit of Halloween fun and send a message with our new Facebook cover image. It’s easier than dressing up like a ghost and running around your neighborhood yelling, “Booooooooooo on 32!”

Things to Know
CTA’s community-based State Council and our campaign to pass Prop. 30 and defeat Prop. 32 was captured in a comprehensive story in EdSource this week.


Dean E. Vogel
CTA President

In an attempt to get our teachers/staff motivated and our community informed, Alison and I have organized a WEAR PINK day on Tuesday, 10/23.  We will also be out front of our school site in the early morning and after school handing out fliers with information on the initiatives.  Maybe this will at least get the conversation started.  We have posted this information on our Facebook and Website. Educationright.org.

We are hoping this may inspire more participation in the phone banks and precinct walking. 

Helen O’Donnell is willing to copy fliers, if you want some for your site her email is: ODonnell, Helen HODonnell@cta.org

You can pick them up at CTA headquarters in Santa Rosa.  Alison is picking ours up on Monday, she can pick up some for other sites…let us know.

Amy Talley - CCLA
WDEA Outreach 

CTA Campaign Update 

I wanted to acknowledge the Community College Association and the California Faculty Association, which are organizing student voter registration drives around the state. Already our CCA members have registered several thousand students at Solano College, San Joaquin Delta, Mt. San Antonio College, Long Beach City College, and College of the Canyons. Students are also standing with faculty in rallies and marches. Marisha Sharon was one of 50 students who joined Long Beach City College faculty in a march last Saturday. She explained, “I participated in the march because I am aware of the consequences that will take place if we don't take action and make our opinion clear. This semester I was extremely lucky to get the classes I needed, even though I was No. 15 on a waiting list. Several of my classes are jam-packed, while many students had to stand or sit on the floor for the first few weeks… I came back to school to gain a better education to create a better future for my daughter and me. It seems this goal is going to take a lot longer than expected.”

This is one of the reasons why it is so important we pass Yes on Prop. 30. It is the only funding initiative that will help our colleges and universities as well as K-12 schools.

Here’s what you can do this week:
If you are a State Council member, we need to see you at one of the 25 sites around the state where we will be walking precincts and phone-banking. It’s all part of the final campaign push to urge voters to say Yes to Prop. 30 and No to Prop. 32. And even if you’re not on State Council, there are plenty of ways to get involved!

Don't Miss
CTA has a great new tool — an online voter guide that includes all state and local school board races as well. You just punch in your address and all CTA recommendations come up. It’s also been posted on our website and on our Facebook page.  

Things to Know
Money from billionaires keeps pouring into campaign coffers. Just this week, a “shadowy Phoenix-based group” called Americans for Responsible Leadership contributed $11 million to the Small Business Action Committee PAC’s No on Proposition 30 / Yes on Proposition 32 committee late Tuesday. This is on top of $20 million dropped by Charles Munger Jr. In fact, he and his sister Molly have poured $54 million into their pet propositions. It’s daunting, but we are not going to let this election be bought. We can’t match these billionaires dollar for dollar, but we can mobilize our members, our friends, our family and our neighbors to vote.


Students, some with children in tow, joined Long Beach City College faculty in a march through Belmont Shore in Long Beach Saturday.

Dean E. Vogel
CTA President

Jane Bunting's presentation:

The DLT discussed best practices, such as “Data Chats” on the ‘clusters of strengths and weaknesses’ accessible in the test scores, already accessible through Data Director which helps teachers become more mindful on their practices.

Then Tammy started to walk through the budget cut list, and George asked her how they can proceed looking at proposed cuts. She told the board to consider a best and worst case scenario, and how budget cuts they must make are NOT subject to reduction, and days are NOT to be counted because they must be negotiated. She also told them they must cut 800K, for the first interim.

Sandy tried to clarify, if Prop. 30 passes, we won’t have to cut 15 more days, and by 2d interim they need a plan if Prop 30 fails that will balance the budget. This will give the associations time to get feedback from members and ratify a contract by then.

On the specific items on the list:

2. Stipends do not include MA, bilingual or PHD stipends

4. Cap on Health benefits-Could be an ongoing cut over 3 years but the employees would suffer on an ongoing basis

7. ‘Creates a trap for employees’

10. She wanted to point out the benefit package is like a 2.2% raise.

She suggested a cap could be good because people could craft more appropriate composite plans (which are separate from 3-tiered plans) that keep them under the cap.Switching might backfire and cost the District more. Sandy suggested a minimum plan be available for laid off employees. Katy did not like 6, and George reinforced this.

Tammy also suggested perhaps there might be multiyear projection options if people agree to retire or make some change 3 years from now.

Retirement options

12. Is 5 years or until age 65 80% employee paid and spouse gets benefit if retiree dies

Sandy pointed out no dollars are attached to them yet, and Tammy said they’ll have them by November

Class size options

Tammy warns it would lead to parent flight from the district

17. Board thought this should pull it out of financial savings options

Transportation

18. Tammy suggests we get serious on hub busing

19. They did not factor in ADA loss in their estimate. Sandy complained it is problematic how state changed funding

20. We are serving students more than we are required.

Maintenance/Operations

23. Delaying new school recommended, but since it’s bond money it won’t help balance the budget

24. Wear and tear and repair costs are growing and we need a second groundskeeper

Board tabled 25 and 26

Categorical & other

27-32:no savings hence going to another list

30. The limited money available for textbooks, but anticipates we’ll have to pay out of the general fund to satisfy our needs

Programmatic

33. ISP alternatives may be a money generator, but not practical for budget cut scenarios for 1st interim

34-35. Further study needed, may be a cost

36. Board seems resistant to this.

37. We may need to have at least a part-time certificated librarian

The Board let us skip down to 55

55. Cut  a WHS counselor the Board decided to eliminate this as an option after impassioned speeches from Eva, Mindy, and myself

Board decided to extend to 10 pm

40-41. George talked about a 180 credit model used in Santa Rosa for at risk students who would be 5th year seniors 42. they don’t see any significant cuts possible

44. Board took it off list 45. tabled

Deb Olcott wanted to clarify that budget cut days  so that people who need more days like counselors are not accomodated

53 &54 Tammy does not recommend them as we cut them last year

Hello Everyone,

With less than a month left before Election Day, I want to thank everyone for all the hard work and effort being put forth during Campaign 2012.  Getting our message out is making a difference!

A great number of internal member/chapter contacts as well as external community organization contacts have been and continue to be made during our campaign efforts.  It is important that we gather specific data and broader learnings from these connections and new relationships.  This will be most useful information in many future endeavors and with our long term strategic planning in particular.

It will be most helpful to know: 1) how the relationships operated with specific key contacts, 2) what you are learning that can help us build stronger future relationships and 3) where and what kind of chapter and community capacity exists out there. Think about gauging our internal readiness for this campaign as well actual chapter engagement with the campaign.  The same can be noted about the community organizations with which you’ve worked.  This is critical information to be gathered and saved both about our local chapters and members as well as community-based organizations. 

Please keep these three concepts in mind as you continue to engage in the campaign and save all your contact information and ideas to be shared during post-campaign debriefs.

Again, we can’t say thanks enough for all that you are doing as we pull together towards Victory on November 6th.  This is a fight that we must win!




Dean E Vogel

CTA President

CTA Campaign Update

I’m delighted that Tom Collett, a California Teacher of the Year for 2012, is a spokesperson for classroom teachers in the new Yes on Prop. 30 ads that were launched Wednesday. Five ads will be aired on television stations statewide, featuring our members along with Gov. Jerry Brown, Controller John Chiang, a school principal and a superintendent. 

The son of educators, Collett grew up in California and experienced a great public school education. As a science teacher for 20 years, Tom knows how great California schools can be. Earlier in his career, he was able to create a science center at Newark Memorial High School, complete with telescopes and a planetarium. Over the past few years, however, this district –  like those across the state –  has felt the impact of budget cuts. Electives like band, choir and art have been eliminated, and class sizes have grown. That’s why Tom didn’t hesitate when he was asked to give up a Sunday to film the ad. He’s seen what cuts have done to schools in Newark and says, “We cannot cut any deeper. We just can’t continue to do this. In order to prepare our students for jobs in the 21st century, California must reinvest in education, and that begins with passing Proposition 30.”

Meanwhile, the League of Women Voters has made a No on 32 ad  and warns that the measure gives more power to Wall Street, big oil and secret campaign Super PACs, while middle-class families pay the price. 

Don’t forget, you can also record your own Prop 30 video and Prop 32 video testimony (we’re calling them videomonies) with your smartphone and post it to our Facebook page.

Here’s what you can do this week:
Please download this Prop. 30 and Prop 32 flier and share it with voters in your community.  It’s available in 11 languages (be sure to scroll halfway down the page).

Don't Miss
Did you know that approximately 80 percent of teachers vote in every election? We like to encourage our extraordinarily busy members to Vote by Mail to avoid the hassle of getting to the polls on a day when they may be working to Get Out the Vote themselves. You can apply for a Vote-by-Mail application with the Secretary of State’s office up until Oct. 30.

Things to Know
Op-Eds and newspaper editorials continue to come out in favor of Prop. 30 and against Prop. 32. Among them is this excellent L.A. Times editorial supporting Prop. 30, followed by one the next day against Prop. 32.




They ran out of phones last night when Alameda teachers and firefighters joined forces at the local phone bank. Great job!!!!

Dean E. Vogel
CTA President