President’s Report to Rep Council - January 2009

President’s Report to Rep Council

January 5, 2009

I. Happy New Year

I hope all of you had restful and restorative vacations with family and friends. It is hard to find a balance between work and rest, but so very necessary for the difficult work we do as educators. I took the advice given by many to “leave work behind” during my break in Mobile, AL and New Orleans visiting family, and even resisted (mostly) the temptation to get on the Internet.

Highly recommended reading: Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine.

As I write this I am listening to news of the atrocities happening in Gaza, where the Israeli government has unleashed an intense military assault in one of the most densely populated regions of the world. I am reminded once again that we are all connected and we cannot stay silent in the face of such gross injustice. And yet, how to keep a balance, a focus, so that we aren’t always reacting to the latest outrage instead of putting forward a proactive, positive agenda? And how to make the connections between what’s happening in far-away places like Gaza to what’s going on in our own backyard?

This is the challenge we’re faced with in this difficult time of budget crises and escalating tensions worldwide. What is the story we’ll tell to counter the stories put forward by the media?

II. Ten Minute Meeting

One of the most useful tools I learned some years ago was the “Ten Minute Meeting” (see sample in packet). My experience shows that they’re the solution to the “I can’t come to a meeting – I’m busy…” excuses. Simply announce that your meeting will take a total of ten minutes, and then stick to it, then be available afterwards for anyone who wants to ask questions or discuss something at more length. It’s important to stick to the ten minutes for those who aren’t able or willing to commit to more time.

We need you to take ten minutes to hold a staff meeting next week. Suggestion: schedule it at the beginning or end of your faculty meeting next Monday. Remember, the contract provides for time at each staff meeting for OEA business.

Suggested topics for your ten-minute meeting:

A. Bargaining Update in the Midst of a Funding Crisis:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1.      <!–[endif]–>The state budget crisis continues to grow, with more cuts being proposed mid-year (distribute handouts).

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2.      <!–[endif]–>Meanwhile, the US government has bailed out the financial industry (distribute handouts).

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3.      <!–[endif]–>Locally, we’re returning to local control with a debt twice what it was when the state took over 5 years ago.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>4.      <!–[endif]–>After 20 sessions of bargaining, we have basically not made headway with the district on our contract proposals. They are looking at mid-year cuts of up to $12 million, and have made it clear there is no money for salary increases.

B.  Rally and Membership Meeting February 12^th
 

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1.      <!–[endif]–>In response, OEA is calling for a rally and membership meeting on February 12^th.Rally before the meeting to protest budget cuts and demand money for education, health care and social services! Wear your OEA green T-shirts, make signs!

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2.      <!–[endif]–>What’s the latest on the California budget crisis? How can we act locally and state-wide? What are some of the measures/initiatives that are already being proposed? We’ll meet to get the latest information on where we are in bargaining in the context of the state and local budget crisis, how we can support our bargaining team, and what initiatives/measures are being proposed.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3.      <!–[endif]–>What can we do to reach out to the community? We will launch our “Ask Teachers” community outreach campaign, and sign up members for Speakers Bureau training and house meetings.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>4.      <!–[endif]–>We need all of your input to make this rally and membership meeting successful. What other concerns would you like to see addressed? Do you need additional materials?

(NB to Reps: We need you to get firm commitments on who will attend. Aim for at least 50% of your staff. You will receive a phone call from a CAT Team member, Executive Board member, or myself asking how many of your colleagues have committed to attending.)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>C.        <!–[endif]–>OEA Successes

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1.      <!–[endif]–>OEA is fighting daily to defend our members from attack, to champion public education as a civil right for all students, and to draw the connections between what happens nationally, statewide, and locally.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2.      <!–[endif]–>Teachers remain the most respected of all employees in education.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3.      <!–[endif]–>Weknow education; we know how to create success instead of just expecting it.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>4.      <!–[endif]–>The time is right for taking back our schools and taking back our profession!

<!–[if !supportLists]–>5.      <!–[endif]–>To do this, we need YOU to be involved!

We encourage you to engage your colleagues in discussion around these issues before the membership meeting. Below is more information that might be useful as follow-up to your ten-minute meetings:

In light of this reality, what can we do both locally and statewide? Some possibilities that have been raised:

Locally:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·       <!–[endif]–>OEA has set up a Committee on Educational Resources to investigate ways of securing funding both from corporate Oakland and statewide, and propose a long-range plan for doing so. We need more members to do this critical work; see Craig Gordon for more information.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·       <!–[endif]–>Parcel tax: we’ve begun meeting with a wide range of groups around a parcel tax for education in Oakland. We are hoping to be able to craft a proposal for an initiative that will help to fund public education in Oakland.

Your Executive Board has identified three areas around which we are unwilling to compromise:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1.      <!–[endif]–>Charter schools (after defeating Measure N, we remain committed to opposing any measure that seeks to channel public funds into private coffers)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2.      <!–[endif]–>Merit pay (we are opposed to “incentives” that tie compensation/bonuses to test scores)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3.      <!–[endif]–>Regressive vs. progressive taxation (Measure G, which made Measure E permanent, is a regressive tax in that it taxes every property owner at the same rate, regardless of the size of the property. We support future parcel taxes that are “progressive,” and to take into account that some properties are larger than others, that some property owners are making substantially more than others.)

Statewide:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·       <!–[endif]–>Currently the budget can only be passed by a 2/3 majority (CA and only two other states have this requirement). CTA would support an initiative changing this requirement.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·       <!–[endif]–>CTA has just filed an initiative calling for a 1 cent sales tax increase for education. What do you think? Should we support a sales tax (a regressive tax that essentially impacts you more if you make less)?

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·       <!–[endif]–>In addition to OEA’s Committee on Educational Resources, the Funding Public Education Work Group formed by CTA in response to a New Business Item at October’s State Council continues to work on a long-range plan for progressive tax increases. Some of the ideas that have been proposed are:

* restoring the 11% income tax on individuals making over $250,000/year

* overturning Proposition 13, especially regarding corporate taxes

* oil extraction tax

* closing corporate loopholes

III. Change.gov Take a moment to log onto change.gov and register your opinions on where the Obama Administration should go on a variety of issues, from education to national security. Arne Duncan, head of Chicago Public Schools and no friend to education, has been nominated as Secretary of Education. Log on to voice your opinion!

IV. Representative Assembly

In your December edition of the California Educator you will find an application to run as a state delegate to the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly (RA). The RA will be held in San Diego this year, and is a fantastic opportunity to understand and influence the workings of the NEA. OEA will have about 17 delegates to the RA, and elections for those positions will be held in April. If we are able to win any state delegate spots, it means that OEA will have 17 positions in addition to the state slots.

V.  CTA Scholarships  

The deadline for most CTA scholarships is February 6, 2009. You can download applications from cta.org; see below for specific websites.

http://www.cta.org/mycta/profession/scholarships/   (general information)

http://www.cta.org/mycta/profession/scholarships/dependentchildren/ (dependent children)

http://www.cta.org/mycta/profession/scholarships/members/ (members)

As always, thank you for taking the time to be Site Representatives – you truly are the foundation of our union. 

In unity,

Betty