CTA State Council Updates:
February 2009 Update:
The CTA State Council of Education, an elected body of over 800 educators from across the state, met over the weekend of January 24th to discuss, among other things, the current budget crisis in the California. The primary action item before the body was approval to move forward with a proposed initiative to increase sales tax in the state by 1%. The funds generated by the proposed initiative would have to be dedicated to education in the classroom and could not be used for any administrative purposes. The approval of the measure by the State Council allows CTA to move forward with signature gathering. The efforts to qualify the initiative could be halted if there is another sales tax increase included in the final state budget or if the legislature calls for an earlier than anticipated special election in June as opposed to November.
In other actions CTA is calling for a state wide action day on March 13th to protest anticipated layoffs and cuts to education in the impending state budget. TALB intends to organize actions on March 13th. Details will be discussed at the February 10th TALB Board of Directors meeting and presented to Association Reps and members shortly after.
Mike Day
TALB President
CTA State Council Representative
Sept 2008 Update:
On Sept. 18th, CTA President David Sanchez spoke to the State Council delegates at the Bay Valley Service Center. He stressed that because of the way legislators have not supported teachers in regard to the state budget, CTA is being forced to rethink how CTA works with legislators in the future. CTA will no longer contribute to legislators who do no support education in California.
CTA is rethinking:
- How we are putting CTA money to work in the state
- How we feel about redistricting - is it necessary to redistrict to change political dynamics in our state?
- The budget approval process in our state - California requires a 2/3 vote on the budget. Only 2 other states (Arkansas and Rhode Island) requires a 2/3 vote.
At the Sept. 23 Rep Council, talking points regarding the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) were passed out. This legislation is the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/5.206) which would repeal the GPO and WEP. California is one of the states that is affected by GPO and WEP that were established by Governor Reagan. CTA is working with NEA to get this unfair legislation passed to reinstate full social security to teachers. Currently, teachers social security is reduced by approximately 2/3 because of GPO and WEP. Check www.CTA.org and www.NEA.org for more info.
Sharon Iverson
CTA State Council Representative
August 2008 Update:
Early in the summer, CTA took an opposing positon (on my recommendation) to any changes to the 8th grade California Standards Tests in Math. The federal government has been asking for changes in the test. This would have brought algebra into the general math portion of the test. The problem is that not all 8th graders in California take algebra. This meant that students who did not take algebra in the 8th grade would be tested on some of the algebra standards. The State Board of Education is also looking at the High School Exit exam. They feel that the math section in that test is not at a high enough level.
CTA's position was that we should wait until after the elections this fall and to work on a solution next year. However the governor, interfered with the process, and the State Board of Education decided that all 8th graders will take the Algebra test and the General Math test will be eliminated in 8th Grade. The timelines for this to be implemented are being worked on at this time. There has been a recent development. There has been a lawsuit filed against the State Board of Education to overturn this action.
Cliff Kusaba
CTA State Council Representative
Chair of CTA's Assessment and Testing Committee
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