Newsroom
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.”
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.
French language school staffs choose AFT as their union
Workers at three Bay Area private schools gain a stronger voice in the workplace
When math teacher Cheryl LaBrecque joined the staff of the French American International School in San Francisco in 1999, the preK-12 school was small and “things worked better.” Staff members “had a closer relationship with administration,” she says. Since then, it has become “more corporate, more top-down, more about money.”
University of California fails to solve campus funding inequities
Influx of non-resident tuition income outstrips new rebenching funds
Two years ago, the University of California system changed the way it distributes state funds and tuition revenue to the campuses. In the past, all tuition dollars and state dollars were sent to the Office of the President and redistributed according to unknown formulas.
Community college accreditation on trial
September 30, 2014—Over the past two years AFT Local 2121, representing faculty at City College of San Francisco (CCSF), and the California Federation of Teachers, representing 25,000 community college faculty around the state, have been embroiled in a life and death battle to save CCSF from disaccreditation at the hands of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).
The expensive and exhausting effort has taken place in the courts, the legislature, the state budget process, at the bargaining table, in the news, and in the streets.
Petaluma teachers “not asking for the moon”
Today teachers across the Petaluma City Schools District leafleted parents before and after school, asking them to contact the school board in support of a decent contract settlement that can properly support a quality education. Petaluma teachers have not had a cost of living adjustment in seven years.
The Petaluma Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1881, representing more than 425 teachers, counselors, psychologists, nurses and other certificated employees in the Petaluma City Schools District, has recently turned up the heat in support of contract negotiations.
State auditor’s report on community college accreditation confirms deep problems with accrediting commission
Report confirms numerous problems first articulated by CFT
Sacramento—Today the California State Auditor issued a stinging critique of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in a Report on California Community College Accreditation.
The report confirms numerous problems first articulated by the CFT in its complaint to the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) in spring 2013, and validated by the USDOE in August, with ACCJC’s operations.
CFT response to the decision of the ACCJC Appeals Hearing Panel
In review of commission actions in case of City College of San Francisco
On June 13, 2014 the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) released the “decision” of its own handpicked Appeals Panel on the appeal filed by City College of San Francisco (CCSF) on March 4, 2014.
CCSF’s appeal argued that it should not be disaccredited, but the decision of ACCJC’s Appeal Panel rejected that argument, while at the same time offering the College further “review” of evidence provided to the Appeals Panel.
“Appeals Panel decision should be abrogated”
Pechthalt writes to Chancellor Harris and BOG President Baca
Dear Chancellor Harris and President Baca:
I am writing you regarding the recent decision of the Appeals Panel of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (“ACCJC”) rejecting City College of San Francisco’s argument that it should not be disaccredited, while at the same time offering the college further “review” of evidence provided to the Appeals Panel.
Legislature passes significant changes in CalSTRS contributions
In June 2014, the California Legislature made significant changes in contributions to the California State Teachers Retirement System. The CFT formed a task force to study the issue of the system’s “unfunded liability” and to submit the union’s recommendations to the governor and the Legislature. Learn about the changes passed by the Legislature and the union’s positions below.
Local action around the state
Aromas-San Juan Federation of Classified Employees negotiated a 3 percent raise and 1 percent off-schedule, plus lowered health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
Gilroy Federation paraprofessionals will see a 4.5 percent salary increase and 1 percent off-schedule, as well as a reclassification study to compare the pay in surrounding districts.
Weaver Federation of Educational Employees negotiated a 6.5 percent raise for all workers and an additional 1 percent for some.