Newsroom
A year of transition: Preparing for the Common Core standards
New law temporarily suspends most testing, gives educators and districts time to prepare
Tanya Golden is looking forward to changing how she teaches. “Before, my curriculum was an inch deep and a mile wide with too many things to cover. I had to keep moving even when my students weren’t ready. Now I can teach more for understanding,” says the sixth grade teacher in her tenth year at ABC Unified School District, southeast of Los Angeles.
A Tale of Hope and Caution: How three Latin American nations are defending public education
By Joshua Pechthalt, CFT President
As part of AFT’s ongoing effort to build alliances with educators and trade unionists around the world, President Randi Weingarten led an AFT delegation in May to meet education union leaders and other unionists in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. I joined them as we looked at their multi-year effort to defend and expand public education, and to develop a response to attacks.
Lessons from Latin America: Reclaiming public education requires powerful fight back
By Joshua Pechthalt, CFT President
The CFT’s emerging campaign for quality public education underscores the fundamental problem we face in this country — the lack of a powerful social movement for economic, political and social equality.
San Francisco city attorney files suit against ACCJC
August 22, 2013, San Francisco—Today the city attorney in San Francisco filed suit against the ACCJC, charging, among other things, that “the private agency unlawfully allowed its advocacy and political bias to prejudice its evaluation of college accreditation standards,” and termed the ACCJC “a wholly unaccountable private entity.”
U.S. Department of Education sends notice to ACCJC
August 13, 2013—Today the U.S. Department of Education sent notice to the ACCJC that three elements of the CFT’s complaint needed to be addressed or the accrediting agency’s reauthorization will be in jeopardy.
AFT passes resolution in support of keeping CCSF open and thriving
The American Federation of Teachers has reaffirmed its support for the faculty of City College of San Francisco, represented by AFT Local 2121, and the entire CCSF community in their effort to restore accreditation. The resolution was adopted at the July 20 AFT Executive Council meeting.
The AFT recognizes the important educational role CCSF has played in the Bay Area and decries the irresponsible actions of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in revoking City College’s accreditation.
AFT aims to ‘reclaim the promise of public education’
Remarks of AFT President Randi Weingarten at TEACH 2013
Introduction: The year that was
This year, there were many reminders of the role that educators play in the lives of America’s children.
ISSU-CFT and Pasadena City College reach tentative agreement
Instructional support staff employees ratify unanimously
On Thursday, June 20, the members of the Instructional Support Services Unit-CFT (ISSU-CFT) met to review and vote on a tentative agreement recommended by union President Julio Huerta and the executive board.
ISSU-CFT includes most of the nearly 225 professional and office staff at Pasadena City College. The independent ISSU unit voted to affiliate with the AFT last year as AFT Local 6525.
Raoul Teilhet, 1933–2013
Raoul Teilhet, a Pasadena high school history teacher who believed collective bargaining offered the path to dignity and respect for public school employees before laws existed allowing it, and served as president of the California Federation of Teachers in successful pursuit of that goal, died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease on June 5, 2013, in Los Angeles. He was 79.
Our work contributes to quality of education
By Paula A. Phillips, President, Council of Classified Employees
Every CFT member can play a role in the CFT’s campaign for quality public education, which will identify problems that are holding back our schools and colleges and set goals to move California forward.
A quality public education starts with adequate funding to maintain staffing levels and professional development. That’s a tall order in times of budget cuts, but with the passage of Prop. 30, fair funding will be within reach if Sacramento shows some political courage.
Union working to keep campuses safe and secure
CFT is focused on campus safety as it advances legislation and finalizes resolutions on gun control.
Retrofit door locks
Doors that lock from the inside have been mandatory on new school
construction since CFT-sponsored AB 211 became law in 2010, but
some districts have resisted retrofitting existing buildings
citing cost.
Unions find innovative solutions for staff development
Career development has been a convenient target of budget cuts, but locals unions have found creative approaches for investing in staff.
A sabbatical program the AFT Guild negotiated with the San Diego Community College District allows nine classified employees a year to take 16 weeks paid leave to study at an accredited college.
Nathan Talo used his leave to take a giant step toward his psychology degree. Talo began working at Mesa College as a part-time account clerk 15 years ago, and is now a senior account clerk.