Wishing you a peaceful and productive New Year!

Wishing you a peaceful and productive New Year! See below for your OEA Bargaining Team's Sunshine Proposal for a new contract. Please read the Prologue to better understand how the contract proposals arrived at place us ethically and strategically as advocates for the conditions that produce the stability and support necessary for student success and teacher recruitment and retention. Please: HOLD a site meeting on Monday, January 6, after student dismissal to discuss the contract proposals. SEND a representative to the OEA Representative Council on January 6 to Bret Harte Middle School at 4:30. SAVE January 29, 5:30-6:30 to support your OEA Bargaining Team as they present the proposal to the OUSD School Board. READ next week's email. Critical information about CTA's Strategic Plan and OUSD's draft Site Governance Plan. Click to read: Prologue  OEA Sunshine Proposal

OEA members will receive pay warrants on ...

OEA members will receive
pay warrants on

DECEMBER 20, 2013

Ignore the message in Employee Online pag

Marcus Foster Education Fund for Teachers

Marcus Foster Education Fund for Teachers grants support teachers' professionalism and leadership, through self-defined professional development. Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has invested $20 million in more than 5,500 teachers. 

Video describing the program.
Application for grant.

If you would like MFEF to make a presentation at your school site or if you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Alicia Dixon, Executive Director at MFEF at

(510) 777-1600 x100 or email her atadixon@marcusfoster.org.

Learn about Computer Science Education Week Dec 9 -15

Learn about Computer Science Education Week.

A local resource is Eugene Lemon elemon@pacbell.net.

Message for OEA President Trish Gorham

Greetings!

The approaching holidays create the much needed space for connecting with family and friends. I hope that you enjoy the company of your loved ones, but also find personal time to renew and refresh yourself.

Please take some time to review the information in this week's mailing.

In Unity,
Trish Gorham, President

Oakland Education Association

CTA is conducting a Statewide survey on Special Education.

CTA is conducting a Statewide survey on Special Education. 

The views of General Education teachers is especially appreciated. 

Your brothers and sisters in Programs for Exceptional Children have asked that all members support increasing the knowledge about issues which affect all classrooms. 

Please take the CTA Survey on Special Education.

OEA Supports Bart Workers!

Go to http://www.wemakebartwork.com/  for more information.

Budget Idea?

How to support your bargaining team to gain better teaching and learning conditions ...

How to support your team to gain better teaching and learning conditions.


- Be Visible: Wear OEA Green on Wednesdays


- Stay Informed: Read your OEA emails


- Build Unity: Eat lunch with your staff


-Contract Maintenance: Know your contract and enforce current provisions


- Communicate: Share issues, concerns, strategies, and successes with OEA




Your OEA Bargaining Team:


Kei Swensen, Chair

Kathryn Byrnes

Jennifer Formosa

Steve Randall

Vincent Tolliver

Doug Appel, CTA Staff

WHAT MATTERS TO OEA MEMBERS

Thank you to the site reps and members at the following schools for holding a site meeting to discuss

"WHAT MATTERS TO OEA MEMBERS"

 Grass Valley, Montclair, Peralta, SEED, Lafayette, Sequoia, Laurel, Bunche, Hillcrest, Madison, Park Academy, Reading Clinic, La Escuelita, Piedmont Ave, Munck, Kaiser, Westlake, Sanfoka Academy, Esperanza, Chabot.

HERE'S WHAT WE HEARD


Question 1: What are the most important things you need to improve students' academic and social/emotional outcomes?



* smaller class size/caseload

* on site psych/counseling support (not just

for SST/IEP)

* intervention (academic) staff w/equity of

service & reasonable group sizes

* planning time



Question 2: What are the most important things you need to develop as a professional educator?



* duty free or extended contract (paid) planning time

* relevant, member-driven PDs

* duty free or paid prep time

* access to functional, current technology

* evaluations that support professional growth



Question 3: What are the factors that might prevent you from remaining as a career educator in Oakland?



* low salary

* high class size/caseloads

* lack of effective administrative leadership



"Lack of Respect" was actually the second highest factor reported for question 3. However we found it difficult to define this. Does "lack of respect" mean unrealistic demands and expectations are placed on us, we are given a lack of resources, we are blamed for lack of student growth, or we have a lack of member voice in decision-making?




DO THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE CAPTURE WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?



Come to the OEA Membership Meeting/Contract Convention to share your opinions and/or to give your feedback as to how these top issues might be addressed at the bargaining table.



In Unity,

Your OEA Bargaining Team

OEA EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTES TO RECOMMEND RATIFICATION BY THE MEMBERSHIP.

To read the Tentative Agreement click here.


TIMELINE FOR A RATIFICATION VOTE**

Wednesday: 

4:00-5:30 OEA Representative Council
Bret Harte Middle School
3700 Coolidge Ave.
Debate and secret ballot on recommendation to membership

Friday: 

 OEA Ratification Meeting/You will be able to leave school early.
Oakland Technical High School

Tentative Agenda

2:30-3:00 Registration (Bring ID or Membership Card)
If you are not a member, you may sign up and vote
3:00-4:00 Questions and Debate on Acceptance of TA
4:00 Balloting begins
Questions and Debate continues
6:30 Balloting ends

**The ratification vote by the OEA Membership will take place on Friday, June 14. That meeting is not dependent on the actions of the Executive Board or Rep Council.


Update

On Monday, June 10, the OEA Executive Board voted 10 to 6 to recommend that the membership accept the Tentative Agreement (TA).

A TA is the first step to having a settled contract. The membership has the final say in accepting or rejecting the terms of the TA at a Ratification Meeting on Friday, June 14.

Hard copies are available now at the OEA Center.

Please send questions you may have about the TA tooaklandea@oaklandea.com, and write in Subject Line: TA QUESTION. This will help us prepare a FAQ sheet for the Ratification Meeting.

We have made small but real gains in this Tentative Agreement, the first TA since 2005. One of the strategies for settling a contract by the end of the year was to establish a foundation to build upon in the next round of negotiations for a 3 year contract. Those sessions will begin in the fall and I am convinced that the solidarity we have built among the membership this year will continue to grow and will be critical to achieving significantly more.

In Unity,
Trish Gorham, OEA President



Enforce the Contract!

An Article of the contract was not printed in the current copy, but is still agreed to by OEA and the District. The last Wednesday Minimum Day in elementary schools is exclusively for teacher preparation and there are no mandatory meetings.


SPREAD THE WORD!

It is not just the OEA Center that holds all responsibility for getting the word out to members.


Reps: Please make sure the members at your sites are getting the most up to date information.

Members: Please forward to your colleagues whom you know don't always fix their attention on union matters.

It is extremely important that we make the decision on a Tentative Agreement through a vibrant democratic process. That can only be fully realized by an engaged and participatory membership.VOTE!

2013 Election Results

OEA GENERAL ELECTIONS RESULTS

Click here

Sign the OEA Petition and forward it!

YOU TOLD THE OUSD SCHOOL BOARD IN PERSON LAST WEDNESDAY 

TELL THEM BY EMAIL 

NOW


Greetings! 


Your OEA Bargaining Team has requested that all members sign and send the petition that will deliver the clear message to the OUSD School Board Directors that:

WE HAVE BEEN PATIENT TOO LONG. WE DEMAND A FAIR CONTRACT NOW.
OEA WILL NO LONGER WAIT: NEGOTIATE!


The OUSD Bargaining Team will present more than the original offer put on the table 2 months ago when the School Board Directors instruct them to. 


The time for movement at the table is, wait for it.......... 


NOW 


Forward the petition to your friends, neighbors, parents, and colleagues. 

NOW



We negotiate again on Tuesday, June 4. Your team expects a counter offer to the last proposal. 

To send the petition, click here. 

In Unity,

Kei Swensen, Bargaining Chair
Oakland Education Association

--------------------------------------

PS 

DO NOT believe rumors. 

ASK your site representative. 

CALL and EMAIL the OEA Center. 

MAKE SURE your site sends someone to the June 3 Rep Council at Oakland International High for the latest, accurate information. 

Sign the petition and forward it.................NOW

Step Up on May 22, 2013

Greetings!

If you have not opened the email sent Sunday evening, you are

not sufficiently informed about what has happened in negotiations. Please read it.

District Stalls on Compensation

Your OEA Bargaining Team needs more than their voices at the table. They need, at this critical time of negotiations, to have the voices of the membership supporting them.

Visibly. Loudly. And in multitudes. This Wednesday. 5:30-7:00.

No Class Size Limits for Special Ed

I don't have to tell you the struggles of your Special Ed sisters and brothers. You see their ever increasing case loads, increasingly needy students, decreasing level of support. Please honor their efforts as they present their issues to the Board.

Visibly. Loudly. And in multitudes. 2nd Ave. and E. 10th St.

Adult Education May Be Eliminated

It was the recommendation of the Superintendent as recently as May 8. Students, parents, and teachers will come on May 22 to stand up for this vital service to our city, especially our immigrant community. Join them.

Visibly. Loudly. And in multitudes. For as long as you are able.

OEA members have always been there for their students, their community, and for each other. And even as we feel as if we can barely make it to the holiday weekend, this Wednesday I ask that you be there for all, once again. For as long as you can. But...

Visibly. Loudly. And in multitudes.

 

In Solidarity,

Trish Gorham

Oakland Education Association

"Tentative Agreement" reached on 5/16/13 between HBIC and OUSD on Health Care

What Now, HBIC?


In a 4 (SEIU, AFSME, UAOS, Building Trades) to 1 (OEA) vote, the Health Benefits Improvement Committee accepted OUSD's Last, Best, and Final Offer. Click here to read.

No Tentative Agreement is binding until it is voted on and ratified by the membership. The OEA Executive Board has not scheduled a vote yet.

Members need to understand what is being offered and who is being asked to shoulder the financial burden in this proposal.

The following document will help you better understand HBIC and the proposal.

5/8/13 Bargaining Update on HBIC.

We are consulting with a State Mediator from the Public Employees Relations Board and CTA Legal to determine all of our options and obligations

Complete the SBAC Survey by June 3, 2013 - Win a prize!

Dear OUSD Teachers,


In preparation for Common Core and Smarter Balance Assessments, we are asking all teachers in OUSD to take a 10 minute survey. The survey includes questions about the use of technology and data at your school site. Your answers to these questions will help to inform future purchases and staff supports provided by the district.


All teachers who complete the survey will be included in a raffle for a $25 Amazon gift card. Additionally, if your school has a response rate above 90% you will earn a free pizza lunch and free on-site training by Gooru Learning with access to a customized school library page that you can use to discover web resources, collaborate with colleagues, and create digital lessons to share with students.


ACTION: Complete 10 Min Survey by June 3

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2K69H5


(please ensure that you are using an up to date internet browser to take the survey)


Many thanks in advance for your help!


Best,


Your SBAC Readiness Team

OEA GENERAL ELECTIONS MAY 14-17

If your site does not have election materials by Wednesday, May 15, please contact the OEA Center 510-763-4020.


Below are links to candidate information.

All candidate statements written on declaration forms. click here


Click on names to read flyers submitted by candidates:


OEA 2nd Vice President
Mark Airgood
Kei Swensen (We apologize that a glitch prevented pics to be included.)


OEA Executive Board Seat 3Stella Collins
Toni Morozumi


OEA Executive Board Seat 4
Tania Kappner
Jesse Muldoon



CTA State Council Seat 2
Betty Olson-Jones
Tania Kappner


CTA State Council Seat 5
Keith Brown
Mark Airgood


It does make a difference--Please Vote!

PLEASE SIGN PETITION TO SUPPORT LYNNE STEWART

Lynne Stewart, Imprisoned by the government for defending her client, needs support to receive compassionate release to treat her cancer.


More Background: click here
Sign the Petition: click here

School Board President Gary Yee to be candidate for the position of Acting Superintendent in OUSD

Letter to OUSD Staff below:



Dear OUSD Staff,

I’d like to thank you for the hard work and dedication you’ve shown amidst the uncertainty surrounding the District these past two weeks. The resignation of Superintendent Tony Smith was unexpected and could have served as a distraction. Instead, you continued to focus on students over external events in a way that epitomizes your commitment to Oakland children.

Yet, given the impending leadership change, I’m sure many of you are wondering what comes next for OUSD. The Board of Education has given great thought to this topic, with particular attention paid to the need for continuity as we implement the community schools vision. We’ve also considered the logistics involved with selecting a Superintendent and whether it’s possible to conduct a search that is both thorough and allows the new leader sufficient time to prepare for the 2013-14 school year.

Given the demands of the Superintendency and its importance to the fate of the District, we don’t want to make a rushed decision. Our preference is that the next Superintendent be the product of a comprehensive search process and that he or she enters that role positioned for success. The four months remaining before the start of the 2013-14 school year will not allow us to reach this objective.

Fortunately, the Board has identified an excellent prospect for the position right here at home. At 8:30am on Monday, April 22nd, we will hold a press conference to announce Dr. Gary Yee as a candidate for the position of Acting Superintendent in the Oakland Unified School District. We will then formally consider the matter during our next Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, April 24. At that time, a vote will be taken on Smith’s replacement.

Presently a Board Member for District 4, which includes the communities of Allendale, Brookdale, Crestmont, Dimond, Estates Drive, High Street, Laurel, Maxwell Park, Melrose, Montclair, Oakmore, Piedmont Pines, Redwood Heights, Shepherd Canyon and Thornhill, Yee has served on the School Board since 2003. Should he be appointed Acting Superintendent, the Board will have sixty calendar days to determine how to fill the vacant District 4 Trustee Seat.

An Oakland native who has been at various times, a student, parent, teacher, assistant principal and principal in OUSD, Yee boasts four decades of education experience and a lifetime of commitment to Oakland schools. This bond with the city and its school district yields a special knowledge of the challenges facing OUSD, as well as the assets we can use to overcome them.

Yee began his career in public education in 1973 when he accepted a position as a third grade teacher at OUSD’s Cleveland Elementary School. He then served as a science prep teacher at three elementary schools, a Teacher on Special Assignment for the Gifted and Talented Education Program (1983-85), an Assistant Principal at Franklin Year-Round School (1985-87), Principal at Hillcrest School (1987-90) and Assistant to the Superintendent (1992-1995). From 1995 until 2005, he served in full time faculty and administrative roles at Boston College, St. Mary's College of California and Holy Names University, preparing superintendents, principals and teachers. During that period, he also directed the Safe Passages Public Health Initiative and the Oakland Education Cabinet.

In 2005, Yee was named Dean of Instruction for Merritt College in Oakland. He retired from the Peralta Community Colleges as Vice Chancellor for Educational Services in September 2008, after stints as Director of Research and Associate Vice Chancellor of Planning. Currently, he strives to improve access to high quality instructional programs that lead to college and career success in his work with the Career Ladders Project.

Yee graduated from Castlemont High School, the University of California at Berkeley (B.A.), California State University at Hayward (Teaching Credential and Masters in Public Administration), and Stanford University (Ed.D.). First elected to the Board of Education in 2002, Yee has been re-elected twice, serving as President of the Board in 2005 and 2010, Vice President in 2005 and 2009, and Chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee in 2009. Yee has also served on the boards of Youth Alive!, Oakland Ready to Learn, California Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Faith Network of the East Bay and Fruitvale Presbyterian Church. Yee’s wife, Oakland Principal Caroline Yee (deceased), elder daughter, and son all graduated from Oakland Public Schools. His younger daughter is currently enrolled in OUSD.

Yee’s roots, relationships, academic background, and professional experience make him uniquely positioned to take the reins of the District. His understanding of the governance role can help us navigate this transitional period with the discipline required to meet the Board priorities, attain our Balanced Scorecard goals, provide a high-caliber education for all students, and produce better outcomes for Oakland’s children.

Regardless of leadership, we can only build the school district our students deserve with your support and continued dedication to this most important work. Thank you for your patience and steadfast commitment to Oakland’s children.

Sincerely,

David Kakishiba

President, Oakland Board of Education

CTA Institute for Learning Grants

CTA IFT Mission Statement


The CTA Institute for Teaching mission is to enhance, support, and sustain high quality teaching and high quality public schools for all California students. Through mobilizing teachers, special programs, research, conferences, networking, and community-based coalitions, the CTA Institute for Teaching seeks to advance public education and promote the common good of our students and communities.

Click HERE to learn more.

Be a presenter at the CTA GLBT, Good Teaching, or Human Rights conferences:

The CTA planning committees for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Conference, the CTA Good Teaching Conferences and the CTA Equity and Human Rights Conference are looking for potential presenters for the conferences in 2013-14.

The GLBT Conference will be held at the Riviera Hotel, Palm Springs on November 15-17, 2013. The Good Teaching Conference North will be held at the Fairmont Hotel, San Jose on January 10-12, 2014 and the Good Teaching Conference South will be held in Southern California on March 14-16, 2014 with location TBD. The Equity and Human Rights Conference will be held in Southern California on February 28-March 2, 2014 with location TBD.

If you know of someone who would be a stimulating presenter on any issue related to human rights, GLBT or teaching and learning practices for classroom teachers and would be interested in participating in any of these conferences, please ask them to complete the presenter applications.

For the GLBT presenter application, apply here. Deadline to submit is May 3, 2013.

For the Good Teaching Conferences (North and South), apply here. Deadline to submit is May 24, 2013.

For the Equity and Human Rights presenter application, apply here. Deadline to submit is May 24, 2013.

These applications can be found at www.cta.org/conferences.

Please forward this email to anyone who you feel should be considered as a potential presenter.

There is no compensation for presenting a workshop, although travel and necessary lodging expenses will be reimbursed. Session times are 1-1/2 hours long and may be repeated at different times. Multiple applications can be submitted if they are different presentations.

You will be notified by email if your presentation is accepted.


California Teachers Association
1705 Murchison Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 697-1400




To print the flyer click here

SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday, May 8

4:00-7:00
OEA Membership Meeting
and
Day of the Teacher Celebration

OUSD Professional Learning Summer Catalogue

SAVE THE DATE CATALOG
Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction
Family, School, Community and Partnerships
Summer 2013 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

OUSD Professional Learning Draft Summer Catalogue: click here

Advocate Issue 2012-2013 #2

Click HERE to read more and to print Advocate Issue 2012-2013 #2