NTA SOCIAL - FEBRUARY 20th

NTA Teachers are invited
to an
NTA Social

WHEN: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20TH
WHERE: MALABAR RESTAURANT
TIME: 2:30PM-6:30PM

Come relax, and enjoy the company of your fellow colleagues

Hors D’oeuvres provided by NTA - drinks on your own

Raffles will be held throughout the evening
(must be present to win)

CA Initiative to Focus on Classrooms Only

Below is an article from the Sacramento Bee on the CTA Initiative designed to take education out of the political football game of the State each year. Because it looks as though education will be taking the largest hit in this current budget, classrooms somehow need a way to be funded directly and not keep allowing the money to be funneled through the administrative offices at each district that fail to ensure that resources reach the classrooms. After reading many of the comments from readers this article generated, it appears that voters are angry about the state of education, and in not appearing to get a noticable return for the investment education seems to be receiving. In reality, not much of the money coming in really reaches the classroom and students in the way site budgets keep shrinking and schools are understaffed - both classified and certificated. Nevertheless, from our perspective, this step is an attempt to correct this perpetual and unfortunate educational bureaucracy.

California teachers prepare a tax-hike initiative
By Steve Wiegand swiegand@sacbee.com q{

Published: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009 Page 3A

The California Teachers Association has put together an initiative that would raise the state sales tax by a penny and dedicate all of the resulting revenue to education.
But whether the group pulls the trigger on gathering signatures to qualify the measure for a special election ballot later this year will depend on what happens in the next few weeks in budget negotiations between legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Our State Council of Education (CTA's top governing body) meets late this month and will make the final decision on how we move forward," CTA spokeswoman Sandra Jackson said, "after doing some internal research and looking at what the possibilities are with the governor's proposal."
Schwarzenegger has proposed a 1.5-cent hike in the sales tax for three years, as part of an effort to close the state's gaping $40 billion budget deficit.
The governor's 2-month-old plan has gone nowhere, mainly because tax increases require two-thirds approval of the Legislature, and Republican lawmakers have vowed to fall on their swords before voting for any tax increase.
Another part of Schwarzenegger's proposal would slice $5.2 billion from elementary and high schools and community colleges through the rest of this fiscal year and in the fiscal year that starts July 1.
The CTA initiative would generate an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion a year. Of that, 89 percent would go to K-12 schools, and the rest to community colleges.
The measure would restrict use of the revenue to specific purposes that include class size reduction, funding art, music and vocation education courses, and salaries for teachers and other school employees.
The money couldn't be used for administrative costs, and legislators and the governor couldn't touch the revenue. The money would be allocated to school districts based on their average daily student attendance.
There is little question the 340,000-member group, which is one of the most powerful interests in the state, could muster the money and troops to gather the 433,971 signatures of registered voters to qualify the initiative, and to run a politically credible campaign.
But the budget situation is so murky, it's difficult to handicap its chances with voters, who polls have shown love schools and hate taxes in about equal measures.
"Initiatives generally occur when the Legislature fails to solve the problem," said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.
"In virtually every revenue proposal (being discussed in negotiations), the sales tax is included. So if we solve the problem, then in all practicality it would be difficult to go to the voters to raise the state sales taxes for education."
Steinberg also said, however, that if no deal is reached and the initiative appears on the ballot, he would "most probably" support it.
Call Steve Wiegand, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 321-1076.

Natomas Teachers’ Association Newsletter, Jan. 2009

Natomas Teachers’ Association Newsletter
January 2009

Happy New Year!

Calendar of Events:
§ Rep Council Meeting – Thurs, Jan. 15th 4:00 pm, LFG, Room 406
§ School Board Mtg. – Wed, Jan. 14th, D.O. 6:00 pm
§ Sacramento Educ. Coalition, Tues. Jan. 13th, 6:00 pm at CTA on Truxel.

Board Member Meetings:
§ Lisa Kaplan and Teri Burns- Monday, Jan. 12th, 4:30
§ Jules Tran- Monday, Jan. 12th, 6:00 pm
§ Bruce Roberts and Sue Heredia- Tues., Jan. 13th, 4:00

Board member meetings will all be held at Giovanni’s Pizzeria (2701 Del Paso Rd) and are generally the Monday and Tuesday before board meetings each month.

Don’t forget to check out the NTA blog:
http://natomasteachers.blogspot.com

Budget Watch

District: The district office has released a proposal of budget cuts for the next 3 years. Site reps receive copies of the budget as it is updated. Please be sure to look over the proposal and provide any input that you have to your site rep.

State: CTA has been monitoring the latest budget activities from the legislature and governor and provides us with details and what it means for teachers. Our latest update was provided on Wed. Jan 7th and will be given to site reps at our monthly meeting. Please check out the CTA website for things that you can do.

Also, CTA is hosting the Sacramento Education Coalition, which will be meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13th at CTA on Truxel, 6:00 pm. The Ed. Coalition includes CSEA, PTA, superintendents, board members… etc. Last year we also worked with state workers, daycare and elder care agency workers, and even firefighters on activities to help get the budget passed (break the stalemate.)
If you are interested in activities related to the budget, feel free to attend with Brenda (she will be there). We are encouraging our board members, superintendent and other Natomas leaders to attend the Coalition and participate. Participation could include planning and executing letter writing and office visits to legislators to encourage an education-friendly budget.

CTA recommends that we notify our teachers as to how serious the CA budget crisis currently is, and for members to expect RIF notices in March if movement has not been made to settle the budget. The difference this time, evidently, is the state of the state economy.

Negotiations Update
Nothing new to report as everyone seems to be waiting for the budget negotiations at the state level to settle.

If you have any association questions or issues please contact your site rep(s):
· American Lakes: Naomi Nakahara
· Bannon Creek: Linda Wells
· Discovery HS: Therese Collentine
· H. Allen Hight: Allyson Kirby
· Heron: Kou Moua, Peter Talbot, Cara Kruse
· Inderkum HS: Patricia Hite-Leach, Ken MacPherson, Scott MacMillan
· Jefferson: Maureen Ramos
· Leroy Green MS: Kristen Rocha, Justin Vorhauer
· Natomas HS: Joel Schweiger, Ruth Ward Ben Layne
· Natomas MS: Emilio Moran, Anthony Katsaris
· Natomas Park: Lauren Frazer
· Two Rivers: Phil Cox, Jerry Lovejoy
· Witter Ranch: Tanya Praest, Jim Clarke, Kim Chambers


CTA will participate in the Martin Luther King Day march in Sacramento on January 19th, at the Convention Center. If you are interested in participating, please contact CTA for more information.

If you are interested in getting involved, CTA is offering the following academy for future PAC activities:
Region 2 Political Academy
Feb. 6-8 at Jackson Rancheria – Sierra Foothills
Please notify a member of the exec. board if you are interested in attending.


Here are the school board members home
e-mails. Feel free to contact them:

Bruce Roberts bruceroberts4natomas@yahoo.com

Jules Tran jules.tran@sbcglobal.net

Sue Heredia heredias@csus.edu

Teri Burns terib@sia-us.com

Lisa Kaplan kaplan4kids@yahoo.com



Brenda’s School Visitation Schedule

Wed. Jan 14th – Two Rivers Elem. (might be rescheduled)
Tues. Jan. 20th – Witter Ranch
Tues. Jan. 27th – Leroy Greene MSThurs. Jan. 29th – Natomas Park Elem
Friday, Jan. 30th – Hight Elem.
Wed. Feb. 4th – Inderkum HS
Wed. Feb. 11th – Natomas HS, Dicovery HS
Wed. Feb. 18th – Natomas Middle
Wed. Feb. 25th – Bannon Creek Elem.
Thurs. Feb. 26th – Jefferson Elem.
Fri. March 6th – American Lakes
Wed. March 11th – Heron K-8


Future Events of interest:

NTA Social – February TBA

Transfer and Reassignment paperwork and process - March

Day of the Teacher – May TBA

Election of NTA Officers – May