CFT United
CFT United
CFT United, previously named California Teacher, is the union’s flagship magazine that is emailed to all union members. The award-winning digital magazine contains union news important to members, and covers major issues in each division of the CFT: PreK-12, Classified, Community College, University, and Retired. Browse stories by date here or by index.
CFT United is published regularly during the academic year. We welcome unsolicited articles, letters, and story ideas. Please send letters, submissions, or other inquiries to Publications Director Jane Hundertmark.
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About Proposition 2 and capping K-12 district reserves
Many members have inquired about the budget trailer bill that places a much-needed cap on K-12 district reserves and adds more transparency and public accountability measures for these districts.
Betty Yee: The qualified candidate for State Controller
A young Betty Yee worked in her immigrant parents’ laundry and
dry cleaning business, where she dealt with customers, and with
money.
After graduating from the University of California, Yee held jobs
in which she was responsible for analyzing and collecting
billions of dollars, including senior fiscal positions for the
state Legislature.
New organizing chief embraces democracy campaign
“You See (UC) Democracy?”aims for systemwide change and a fully enfranchised faculty
Chris Hables Gray is widely known in academic circles for his research on the U.S. military post-World War II. The UC Santa Cruz lecturer has also written extensively about how technology is transforming humans.
Legislature acts on EpiPens, teacher dismissal, drought, pesticide use on campus
FROM THE STATE CAPITOL
During the driest calendar year on record, Gov. Brown declared a statewide drought emergency, which spurred a concerted push for a new water bond.
Torlakson has the courage to face false reform efforts
State Superintendent has proven leadership and classroom experience
Her voice swelling with hometown pride, elementary school teacher Melinda Dart says, “Tom Torlakson was a student in our Daly City schools — and he went on to become a teacher and state superintendent of all schools.”
During his early years, Torlakson’s mother worked as a school secretary and his father as a welder. After high school, Torlakson attended San Mateo Community College before entering the Merchant Marine and serving in Vietnam. Upon his return, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s degree in education and a teaching credential at UC Berkeley.
Faculty protest class cancellations caused by ACCJC sanctions
Two lawsuits and a trial move forward; governor signs CFT transparency bill
The trial to determine if the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges acted unfairly when it pulled City College of San Francisco’s accreditation will go ahead on October 27. In the meantime, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera won a victory when the trial judge ruled on September 19 that accreditors “violated controlling federal regulations” by having an unbalanced evaluation team, with only one academic representative to evaluate the college in 2013.
Education unions fight to reverse Vergara ruling
The CFT and the California Teachers Association filed a notice of appeal asking that Judge Rolf Treu’s ruling in Vergara v. California be reversed in its entirety. Stating that Treu’s decision striking down five California Education Code provisions “is without support in law or fact,” the appeal says Treu’s reversible errors are “too numerous to list.”
AFT President continues to champion issues of California educators
From helping pass Proposition 30, which raises billions of dollars for education, to fighting back against Vergara v. California, a lawsuit filed on behalf of nine student plaintiffs which seeks to dismantle teachers’ rights, AFT President Randi Weingarten stands up for California educators and students.
Raoul Teilhet: Delegates celebrate life of courageous former president
Raoul Teilhet, president of the CFT from 1968 to 1985, who oversaw the successful struggle for a collective bargaining law for education employees, was “a rock star,” said AFT Vice President and United Educators of San Francisco President Dennis Kelly. CFT President Emeritus Miles Myers read a poem and thanked Teilhet for the good times. Long-time CFT staffer Annette Eisenberg told of Teilhet leaving a registration form on her desk after finding out she had never voted, and how he made everyone feel they mattered.
Local Wire, April-May 2014
LOCAL 1078
Raise the wage…Educators are joining the fight to raise
poverty-level wages. The Berkeley Federation of
Teachers is a leading participant in the campaign
to raise the minimum wage in Berkeley and securing a better
economic future for the city’s families.
State of the Union highlights: CFT succeeds with a vision of social justice
By Joshua Pechthalt, CFT President
The super wealthy and their swollen circle of reactionary think tanks and echo chamber conservative media are committed to eradicating what remains of the labor movement and giving corporations unlimited power over every aspect of American life. Public education stands as an obstacle to such a corporate world committed to keeping wealth and education in the hands of a few.
Los Angeles mayor allies with CFT and educators
In some cities, the education unions and the mayor engage in battle. But that’s not the case in Los Angeles where Eric Garcetti was elected mayor in May 2013 with early support from the CFT. He welcomed Convention delegates Friday morning by saying he always keeps his education background in mind.
Leader of Moral Mondays Movement brings delegates to their feet
North Carolina’s Reverend Barber says it’s time for some righteous indignation.
“These are serious times,” Reverend William Barber II told the CFT Convention delegates on Sunday morning. Barber is president of the NAACP in North Carolina and the leader of the fast-growing Moral Mondays Movement, which protests cuts to education, healthcare and food stamps. He worked delegates into a fervor telling them that sometimes they needed to get out of their conference seats and go into the streets to fight back against things they think are wrong, and that it’s time for some righteous indignation.
UCLA professor leads mobilization of lecturers and librarians
Statewide campaign builds on established strength in campus locals
Goetz Wolff has taught at UCLA for more than 20 years, but was generally more involved with Southern California’s vibrant labor movement than with the union on his job. Wolff, for example, earned high praise for his six years as research director at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, but barely knew the ins and outs of the University Council-AFT.
CFT boycotts Staples to save postal worker jobs
Union asks members not to purchase supplies at low-wage retailer
The CFT is boycotting office supply retailer Staples at the request of the American Postal Workers Union, which is opposing a no-bid sweetheart deal between the U.S. Postal Service and the giant office supply retailer to operate postal counters in Staples stores. An estimated one-third of Staples’ revenues come from the sale of school supplies, many purchased by teachers and other school employees for classrooms.
San Diego education advocate named Legislator of the Year
CFT’s Community College Council President Jim Mahler called state Senator Marty Block, who represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach, the union’s “go-to guy on every issue for decades,” when awarding Block the CFT’s Legislator of the Year Award.
Course repeatability rules restrict student access, learning
Cabrillo College faculty lead effort to expose failings in new regulations
The new course repeatability regulations, passed by the Community College Board of Governors in July 2012, mean, in most cases, that if students pass a class with a ‘C’ or higher, they can’t take the class again. Many community college teachers see this negatively impacting students who want to study, for example, journalism, creative writing, foreign languages or visual arts.
Landmark Cervisi decision turns 25: Part-time faculty won unemployment benefits
In 1989, the San Francisco Community College Federation won a landmark legal victory that provides unemployment benefits to many faculty members during layoffs.
Field representative Dick Hemann honored with Ben Rust Award
It’s not his height, his beard or his “elfin face” that make Dick Hemann stand out, said United Educators of San Francisco President Dennis Kelly. It’s his jokes.
Staff seek equal access to unemployment benefits
Employees struggle to make ends meet when the paycheck stops during school breaks
Linnette Robinson has worked with special needs students at Berkeley High School for four years. Every winter and summer, Robinson, who has worked stints at other elementary and middle schools, tightens her belt and scrapes by during school breaks the best she can. “Most of us won’t see a paycheck from mid-June to the end of September,” she said.
Educators at French school say “Oui!” to AFT
CFT welcomes teachers and staff at Lycée Français de San Francisco
Teachers and staff at the French immersion school Lycée Français de San Francisco choose to have the support of strong state and national unions by affiliating with the CFT and AFT.
Attorney General launches anti-truancy campaign
Keynote speaker Attorney General Kamala Harris told Convention delegates she wouldn’t be standing there if not for her first grade teacher, Mrs. Wilson, who attended her graduation from law school.
Imagine nurses, mental health professionals, open libraries
Healthy Kids, Healthy Minds legislation provides necessary student supports in every school
Nearly all 29 of Sylvia Qualls’ fifth-grade students have experienced trauma. Some are in homeless shelters, others in foster care. Some face domestic violence. Their lives are affected by drugs, alcohol and gangs.
Rank & Files, April-May 2014
Sharon Hendricks, a speech instructor, member of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, Local 1521, and a member of the CalSTRS Board, was elected by her colleagues as vice chair of the 12-member board for the 2014-15 term. The chair and vice chair provide board leadership, direction and policy development for the largest educator-only pension fund in the world.