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The CARES Act — federal stimulus becomes law
What you need to know about COVID-19 pandemic relief
The new bipartisan federal stimulus legislation, known as the CARES Act, was signed yesterday. The $2.2 trillion bill — the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act — is the third piece of federal coronavirus response legislation passed in recent days and contains significant new resources to assist in COVID-19 recovery.
The coronavirus, the CFT, and you
By Jeffery M. Freitas, CFT President
Over the past few days, our lives have changed significantly. There have been many fast moving coronavirus-related developments.
We will continue to work with decision-makers to protect you, your students, and your communities. With the situation continuing to develop quickly, we are doing our best to stay on top of it.
We want to provide as much information to our members as possible, but we hope not to overwhelm you with too much.
Legislature passes three emergency coronavirus bills
Legislative Update
The California Legislature took emergency action yesterday and passed Senate Bill 117 to address several of the issues confronting schools and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 17 and two other emergency bills passed by the Legislature will take effect immediately.
The CFT will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates from the California Legislature.
CFT introduces new bills, emergency legislative recess delays action
Legislative Update
The CFT was successful in introducing sponsored legislation for 2020. Our new bills address priority issues for the CFT, including providing affordable housing for public school employees, ensuring that school employees who are on extended medical leave receive full pay, requiring charter schools to participate in CalSTRS and CalPERS, and providing support for community college and University of California faculty.
However, due to the coronavirus outbreak and the recent emergency passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 189, which enacted a joint legislative recess from March 20 until April 13, it’s unclear when these bills will be heard.
What does the overnight transition to “remote learning” mean?
For classroom faculty with traditionally scheduled on-campus classes
Note: This helpful article was written for a local community college audience, but many of the principles apply to all of higher education as well as K-12 education.
By Jim Mahler, President, AFT Guild, Local 1931, San Diego and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community Colleges
COVID-19: Union toolkit for California educators and staff
Your health, your workplace rights, and collective bargaining
Our union toolkit is packed with guidance bulletins and other resources from AFT. Topics range from guidance for your personal health, to your division of education, to collective bargaining for union leaders. Click on the topics below to find the information you need.
- What you need to know about the novel coronavirus - English
- What you need to know about the novel coronavirus - Spanish
- Symptoms of COVID-2019
- What to do if you are sick with COVID-19
- California Department of Public Health — Guidance for PreK-12 Schools
- Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education
- CalSTRS Circular
- CalPERS Circular
- Temporary Suspension of Student Withdrawal Regulations to Address the Continuity of Education in Community Colleges During the C
- Preliminary Guidance for Hard-to-Convert Courses
- Guidance – BRN Requirements for Nursing Clinical Hours
- Guidance - Clarification on Apportionments, Withdrawals and Student Fee Refunds
- Guidance - Attendance Accounting Implications and Approved Exceptions
- Temporary Suspension of Various Specified Grade-Related Regulations to Address the Continuity of Education in Community Colleges
- Grading Policies and Term Extension Guidance Due to Covid-19 Pandemic
- Guidance Memo - Emergency Technology Resources Available
- Thurmond's Letter to Superintendents
- CalPERS Circular
- Labor-Management Framework
- AFT Summary of CARES Act — California
- CalPERS Stakeholder Letter
- Read the Education Coalition statement here
- Read more
California Primary Election yields big wins, and some losses
Many races too close to call
Across the state CFT local unions supported a variety of candidates, parcel taxes, and bonds in their local communities. With many votes still to be counted, results for many of the races are yet to be determined.
There is some good news to report coming from local unions.
The CFT campaign to Fund our Future
By Jeffery M. Freitas, CFT President
In 2011, the CFT worked with community partners to lead the charge for a Millionaires Tax that eventually turned into Prop 30 and was then extended by Prop 55. Those funds helped stop the bleeding in K-14 education following the recession and drastic funding cuts of the mid-2000s.
Now, however, there are pressures throughout our school districts and community colleges that are preventing CFT members from getting the pay, benefits, program funding, and staffing levels our schools, colleges, and communities desperately need.
Thousands of UC lecturers mobilize for job rights, fair salaries
Academic and blue collar workforce fight back against university’s substandard pay
When Josh Brahinsky isn’t teaching “Academic Literacy and Ethos” and “Brain, Mind, and Consciousness” classes to new students at UC Santa Cruz, the lecturer is researching bio-cultural anthropology at Stanford University, teaching at San Jose State, or leading online classes at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania.
“UC only pays me $19,900 yearly,” Brahinsky said. “That’s not enough to live on, so I have to make up the difference somewhere else.”
Has Calbright lost its legislative support?
Senators take online college to task in February 13 hearing
It may have taken over two years, but the Calbright online community college has apparently lost any support it might have enjoyed in the state Legislature when the CFT first warned about the potential for failure. In December 2017, Jim Mahler, president of the CFT Community College Council, sent a seminal letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, Calbright’s main promoter, pointing out key flaws in its proposed structure.
Special education in crisis
CFT SPECIAL REPORT
Marcela Chagoya, a special education teacher in Los Angeles and chair of the CFT Special Education Committee, has been teaching at the same middle school for 21 years. And she’s never seen special education in such a bad state.
“First and foremost, it’s the elimination of programs,” she said. “Districts seem to think it’s one size fits all or fits most when it comes to special ed.”
Nominate your classified colleagues for national and state recognition
AFT helps in creation of new national RISE award
“Recognizing the work we do has been a long time coming,” said Carl Williams, president of the CFT Council of Classified Employees.
The “unsung heroes” of education have continued to enjoy new levels of respect since California first proclaimed Classified School Employee Week in 1969. This year’s weeklong celebration will be from May 17 to 23, but staff and paraeducators may also be recognized through a series of national, state and local awards.