I want to welcome you to the March 2003 State Council.

 

It is not news that our public schools are facing a very grave situation and a very bleak future.

 

In my 41 years as a California classroom teacher, I have never seen things worse.

 

The situation is bleak on both the national and state level.

 

Just a brief mention of the national level - specifically, the "Leave No Child Behind" legislation. 

 

Gerald Bracey, a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and an independent researcher wrote recently:

 

"The Leave No Child Behind" is a trap!  It is the grand scheme of the school privatizers.  No Child Left Behind sets up public schools for the final knockdown."

 

He goes on to say, "Paranoia?  Hardly.  Consider the Bush administration is deregulating every pollution producing industry in sight, while cutting the superfund pollution clean-up money."

 

After the 2002 election, the Wall Street Journal declared, "The GOP's election gains give school vouchers a second wind."

 

President Bush has put $75 million for school vouchers in the District of Columbia, in his 2004 budget proposal.

 

The "Leave No Child Behind" is a step to set schools up for failure, and when they fail to meet the absurd standards. Vouchers will be the answer from the White House on down.

 

You must fight this law over the next few years. 

 

Just remember that there is no way the public schools of this country can meet the requirements of the "Leave No Child Behind" legislation.

 

If you work hard to meet the requirements - you will fail!!

 

That is what you have to look forward to from the Federal Government.

 

Bob Herbert, an editorial page writer for the New York Times, wrote on March 6, 2003. 

 

"There is something surreal about the fact that the United States of America, the richest, most powerful nation in history, can't provide a basic public education for all its children."

 

He went on to say, "Actually that's wrong.  Strike the work can't.  The correct word is more damning, more reflective of the motives of the people in power.  The correct word is, won't."

 

On the state level, it is as bad or worse.

 

As you know, California has a $26 billion deficit and we are told it is getting worse every day.

 

Also, as you know, Governor Davis proposed a $2.7 billion dollar cut in this year's education budget.

 

On March 18, Gray Davis the Education Governor, signed a law that cuts $1.6 billion out of this year's K-12 budget.

 

That's $1.6 billion out of this year's budget, before June 30.

 

Additionally, he cut $141 million dollars from our Community Colleges that serve
1-½ million students. 

 

These cuts will drive many of our poorest and minority college students from higher education.

 

This $141 million cut will drive many of our poorest and minority college students out of higher education.

 

He cut $59.6 million from the California State University system that serves 400,000 students.

 

He cut $60.9 million from the U.C. system that serves 150,000 students.

 

As I said all of these cuts will occur before June 30, 2003.

 

And this Governor calls himself the Education Governor.

 

He said education was his first, second and third priority.

 

He proposed these cuts without bargaining with the Republicans for some tax increases.

 

His opening proposal was the Republican plan - huge cuts and no tax increases.

 

Davis should be listening less to his advisors and more to State Treasurer Phil Angelides.

 

The sad reality is that there is only one statewide constitutional officer that is speaking up for public education.

 

That person is State Treasurer Phil Angelides.

 

On February 10, 2003, Mr. Angelides sent a letter to Governor Davis, Senate Pro Tempore John Burton, Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson.

 

In writing, Mr. Angelides expressed a commitment to public education that I have seen in very few politicians.

 

He doesn't just pay lip service to public schools - as so many politicians do.

 

He explains in detail why schools need more money, and where to get it.

 

In the letter, he said an investment in public education is critical to the future of California.

 

He said, "Education is at the heart and soul of what California has done historically and what it must do in the future."

 

He also wrote, "There is no credible argument that we are devoting too many resources to the education of the six million children in our public schools."

 

He even tells Davis where to get the money.  He writes, "Eliminate corporate tax breaks of questionable value.  Increase tax on alcohol to the national average.  Extending sales tax to certain services.  Adopting a "split roll" where commercial properties are assessed at market value.  Restoring the top corporate tax rate to what it was under Governor Wilson."

 

That's leadership.  That is what we had hoped from Gray Davis.

 

But without strong leadership and implementation of Angelides funding proposals, public education will continue to sink into the morass.

 

CTA will go on fighting to keep the Davis cuts as far from the classroom as possible.

 

CTA's position is that no cuts should occur in:

Governor Davis has proposed and carried out the worst education cuts in the state's history.

 

And despite these horrendous cuts, you will still be expected to teach all of the curriculum, all the standards, and raise test scores.  Don't you doubt it!

 

Davis is proposing to cut more than $1.5 billion from next year's education budget.

 

CTA has worked hard to keep these cuts as far from the classroom as possible.

 

The administrators and the anti-teacher consultants - School Services - are trying to make all cuts in the classroom.

 

Districts all over the state are handing out RIF notices like handbills to a rave party.

 

Alameda and Hesperia School Districts handed out RIF notices to every teacher in their districts.

 

San Diego handed out 1,400 RIF notices.

 

Compton Unified handed out 610 RIF notices to about 2000 teachers.

 

These districts are using psychological warfare with their teachers.

 

It is meant to frighten, intimidate, and divide teachers.

 

This is public intimidation to try and force concessions and take backs at the bargaining table.

 

This is a disgusting bargaining tactic.

 

It tells teachers exactly what these districts think of them.

 

L.A. Unified didn't send any notices.  They know that when the dust settles, they are going to need more teachers than they can find.

 

So does Alameda, Hesperia, Compton and San Diego.

 

This just shows what despicable people run these districts and what they think of their teachers.

 

Every teacher in this state that feels threatened needs to remember several things.

 

One, these districts need you more than you need them.

 

Two, 50% of all new teachers quit within 5 years.

 

Three, 10,000 or more teachers will be retiring each year for the next several years.

 

Four, California is short this year, 50,000 full credentialed teachers.

 

Five, California public schools will be growing by 100,000 students per year for the next several years.

 

Six, the NEA reported in January 2003 that 30% of college graduates with a teaching credential never teach a day!

 

Don't let these administrative tyrants intimidate you.

 

As I said, they need you more than you need them and they are lucky to have you!

 

This lay off game these administrators are playing is not the only game that California's bloated administrative bureaucracy is playing.

 

They have been working hard to get the legislature to change the class size law to an average of 20 with a "soft cap" of 22 in grades K-3.

 

This is a scam to get rid of class size reduction. 

 

CTA managed to get that idea killed for now.

 

The administrators and their new allies the California Federation of Teachers are working hard to increase class size in grades K-3.

 

That's right, the California Federation of Teachers.

 

The CFT testified before the Assembly Education Committee that they were in support of increasing class size in grades K-3.

 

On March 5, 2003, Mr. Mike Weimer, a CFT lobbyist, testified that the CFT did not believe there was any credible data that shows class size reduction works.

 

Absolutely incredible!  A teachers' organization - one with a long history of progressive teacher advocacy has sunk so low.

 

It is a sad day in the history of a great organization.

 

Ken Hall and School Services write in their newsletter that the CFT supports them in their attempt to reform the class size reduction program.

 

Mr. Weimer, if you don't think that class size reduction works, you should do a little more reading.

 

I am not going into any great detail, but you should read the:

And the list goes on.

 

Don't let these misguided folks convince you that class size reduction doesn't work - it does.

 

On top of all of this, we are still in the midst of our testing nightmare.

 

CTA has been telling you for years now that the SAT9 or CAT6 measures nothing but a kid's socio-economic status and language ability.

 

Now an independent source basically confirms CTA's analysis of California test scores.

 

The organization EdSource reported in January 2003:

They reported that most were concentrated in big urban districts.

 

Let me tell you a little about the 15 largest school districts in California.

 

This information is from the United States Department of Education's Digest of Education Statistics 2000.

 

The big 15 are:

 

1. Los Angeles Unified -- 700,000
2. San Diego Unified -- 138,433
3. Long Beach Unified -- 89,214
4. Fresno Unified -- 78,942
5. San Francisco -- 61,042
6. Santa Ana Unified -- 56,071
7. Oakland Unified -- 54,256
8. Sacramento Unified -- 51,378
9. San Bernardino -- 48,907
10. San Juan Unified -- 47,799
11. Garden Grove Unified -- 46,916
12. Elk Grove Unified -- 42,484
13. Capistrano Unified -- 42,196
14. Riverside Unified -- 36,713
15. Stockton Unified -- 36,124
16. Anaheim Elementary & Sec. -- 48,639

 

These 17 districts enroll 1,579,114 students.

 

These districts enroll more students than 43 states.  In fact, the 5 largest school districts:

Enroll 1,067,631 which is more students than 33 states.

 

At the same time California is one of the most rural states in America.

 

40% of California's 6.2 million students attend rural schools.

 

As EdSource reported, most of these schools are in the bottom 20% in these large urban districts.

 

They went on to say that 40% of the lowest scoring schools were in the 10 largest districts.

 

They reported that half of the LAUSD schools scored in the bottom 20%.

 

What did all of these schools have in common?

 

EdSource reported they all had, "Relatively high levels of poverty."

 

They went on to say "Many have high percentages of students who were English language learners and/or Hispanic, a Statistics that is highly correlated with student poverty."

 

"Most of these bottom 20% of schools have very small portions of white students."

 

They reported that these low scoring schools tended to be larger than averages and more likely to be on a multi-track year round calendar.

 

EdSource's and CTA's analysis of test scores and low scoring schools confirm each other's research.

 

These tests are worthless!

 

No!  Worse than that!

 

They degrade and humiliate kids who don't speak English!

 

They degrade and humiliate special education kids that have learning disabilities and are forced to take the test with few accommodations.

 

They are degrading and unprofessional to teachers that are forced to administer these instruments of torture.

 

Then teachers are harassed to raise test scores when it is virtually impossible.

 

As I have said a thousand times - this is a norm-referenced test.

 

You know before the test is given that half the kids and teachers are losers - doomed to score in the bottom 50% no matter what you do.

 

And now we know in advance who the test losers are going to be.

 

If your are a poor kid, learning English, in a big urban district, in a large multi-track year round school, you and your teachers are going to be branded a test loser.

 

Test losers with little or no chance of improving your test scores on this unfair and biased test.

 

If you are poor, learning English, in a big year round school, in a big urban district, you are branded a failing kid, in a failing school, taught by a failing teacher.

 

This is madness!

 

It is a disgrace that we have allowed some bureaucrats to impose this unfair disaster on us, our kids, and our schools.

 

I just want to tell you one little story!

 

On March 18, I was visiting schools in Montebello with my friend, David Lebow.

 

We were visiting Cesar Chavez Elementary School.  Cesar Chavez is a K-4 school with 1,200 students.

 

98% of the kids are poor!
90% of the kids are English language learners.

 

We were visiting a second grade class.

 

The class was reading orally.

 

I was standing next to this bright-eyed little guy!

 

I listened as he read line after line perfectly without a hint of an accent.

 

As I watched and listened - the principal leaned over and whispered, "Last year this young man was a Spanish speaker only."

 

I am sure with the demographics, Montebello's Cesar Chavez Elementary School is in the bottom 10% or 20% of schools on the CAT6 test.

 

This school is undoubtedly being referred to by the "experts," the "bureaucrats," as a failing school.  The teachers as failing teachers.

 

I will tell you one thing!

 

They may be branded as failing teachers by some bureaucrats based on these absurd test results, but I will tell you that no one and I mean no one could do a better job than those teachers at Cesar Chavez Elementary.

 

They work miracles every day!

 

No one and I mean no one could do a better job!

 

I saw what they do. 

 

As said, it is a disgrace that this school and these teachers could be branded as failures.

 

They do an incredible job under very adverse conditions!

 

When I say adverse, I don't mean the kids!

 

I mean adverse because California's school funding is in the bottom 20% of the nation.

 

I mean adverse because California ranks virtually dead last in class size.

 

And Montebello's Cesar Chavez Elementary isn't the only school like this.

 

There are thousands of schools up and down this state whose teachers do for their students just what the Cesar Chavez teachers do for their students. 

 

California teachers are the best and work miracles every day.

 

I mean that, and later I will prove it to you!

 

CTA has been attacking these tests for years now.

 

The fact that a highly respected organization like EdSource agrees with our analysis is heartening.

 

Once again, we are throwing a legislative bomb into Sacramento.

 

Trying to get that immovable bureaucracy to do something right.

 

We have sponsored legislation - carried by Loni Hancock - Democrat from Berkeley.

 

This law will end testing of second graders and end the requirements of passing the High School Exit Exam to get a high school diploma.

 

Where is Gray Davis, the great education advocate going to be on this legislation?

 

I will bet a lot of money that he will be on this legislation right where he was on our legislation to give teachers some voice in selection of curriculum and textbooks.

 

He again will be squarely against us.

 

The Goldberg bill (AB 2160) to give teachers some say in the selection of textbooks and curriculum went down to defeat when the Democrats pulled it from a vote and it died as the legislative session ended.

 

Davis had lined up with the administrators, school boards, textbook companies, against CTA and teachers.

 

Davis even said publicly that he didn't want teachers holding curriculum and textbooks hostage to teacher salary demands.

 

Administrators and school board yelled this legislation was unnecessary.  They said teachers already had a voice in the selection of textbooks and curriculum.

 

On March 17, I read in the Los Angeles Times that teachers in Tustin had unanimously selected a set of textbooks but had been overruled by the Board of Education.

 

That's the teacher voice in curriculum and textbook selection.

 

And I will bet you that Gray Davis will be against us on this legislation too!!

 

Now that he has the lowest approval ratings of any Governor since they have been polling.

 

Now that the recall Davis movement looks like it has money and some serious backing.

 

Gray Davis wants to be CTA's friend.

 

On CTA's recommendation, he appointed our good friend Curtis Washington to the State Board of Education.

 

His appointment was a good one.  No, it was a great one!

 

Curtis is a member of this Council.

 

He is a strong, strong, teacher leader and advocate. 

 

He teaches at Mills High School - just up the street from the CTA headquarters.

 

He has a degree in Engineering from Princeton University.

 

He has an MBA from Stanford.

 

This guy has brains he hasn't used yet.

 

And to top it off, he is one of the nicest and sweetest guys in the world.

 

Beverly and I are very lucky to count he and his wife Deana as our friends.

 

He also has two beautiful boys that attend public schools.

 

Unfortunately, two weeks before he appointed Curtis, Davis appointed a Deputy Superintendent from Beverly Hills to the State Board.

 

I am sure that this Superintendent will cancel out most of Curtis' intelligent, reflective votes.

 

And don't forget Davis' appointment of Alan Bersin - the anti-teacher, anti-union Superintendent of San Diego to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

 

He has yet to appoint a teacher to this board.

 

This "new" collegial relationship with Davis is directly proportional to his fear of the recall.

 

Despite the fact that California has among the worst political leadership in America.

 

Despite the fact that California ranks in the bottom 20% of states in the funding of our public schools.

 

Despite the fact that California ranks virtually dead last in class size in this nation.

 

Despite the fact that California teachers salaries in 1960-61 averaged 57% of districts budgets, but today in 2003 teacher salaries have dropped to an average of only 36.7% of district budgets.

 

Despite the fact that when budget cuts are to be made - school districts and Ken Hall and School Services want to make all the cuts out of that 36.7% of the budget for teacher salaries.

 

Despite the fact that California leads the nation in child poverty and all the hardships that poverty impose on children.

 

As I said before - you are the best teachers in the world.

 

In these miserable conditions, you graduate:

For years, we have sent over 65% of our high school seniors on to college, the highest percentage by far of any country in the world.

 

For years now, we have the highest college graduation rate of any country in the world.

 

Over 33% of our population between the ages of 25 to 34 have a Bachelor's degree or higher.

 

What you do in these miserable conditions is truly amazing.

 

California teachers are the best in the world - I told you I would prove it to you.

 

You accomplish more under miserable conditions than do teachers of any other state.

 

But it is not enough to be best.

 

We have to fight to improve the schools for kids and teachers.

 

We have to fight for adequate funding of our schools.

We have to fight to end these absurd tests that are biased, racist, and unfairly define kids and teachers as failures.

 

Fight to gain professional control of our classrooms.

 

Fight to bring dignity to the best education and worst treated profession in America - public school teachers.

 

Fight like Carole Bailey and the Desert Sands Teachers who fought all year and forced the district to restore the fully paid health plan that they had unilaterally stopped.

 

Fight like John Perez and the United Teachers Los Angeles that took on billionaire Eli Broad and multi-millionaire Dick Riordan and beat two of their anti-teacher school board puppets.  And they are going to beat the third in a run-off election soon.

 

Fight like they did in Redondo Beach.

 

For the past eighteen months, the district stonewalled the teachers at the bargaining table. 

 

For eighteen months through fact finding and mediation, the district and superintendent Bill Nunan stonewalled the Redondo Beach teachers and offered nothing.

 

The Redondo Beach teachers started organizing and fighting back.

 

On March 4, Redondo Beach ousted the three anti-teacher board members.

 

Six days later, Redondo Beach teachers settled their contract getting everything they had been fighting for, for the past eighteen months.

 

And two days from now - icing on the cake - the superintendent will be gone!! 

 

He resigned!!

 

That's the way we have to organize and fight.

 

And when we do we will win just like they did in:

The next four years will be among the most difficult in the history of CTA.

 

As I said, the education Governor Davis has cut $1.6 billion from this year's budget and is proposing more than $1.5 billion next year.

 

The economic forecast for California for the next three or four years is not good.

 

I am afraid we will be facing more deficits in the future.

 

These will be trying years.

 

But you have elected a fighter to lead you through these challenging times.

 

Barbara Kerr is a fighter and a great leader.

 

I know - I have worked closely with her for the last eight years.

 

Support her - fight for her - fight by her side and she will lead you through this mess.

 

The old saying tough times don't last - tough people do.

 

Barbara Kerr, David Sanchez, Carolyn Doggett, and John Hein are tough people.

 

You support them and fight for them they will keep public education strong in California. 

 

Stick with them and we will come out of this mess stronger than we went in.

 

In the refrain of the old union song.

 

Oh you can't scare me, I am sticking to the union. 

 

I am sticking to the union till the day I die.

 

If you stick to Barbara and CTA, you will win!

 

They can't beat you!

 

Thank you very much!

 

God Bless You All!!