A Message from our President - Marjean Rosen
Dear Fellow Members,
Welcome back! I hope that you’ve all had a restful and enjoyable summer.
Myself and the Executive Board welcome both returning and new teachers to our Association. Being an active union member has never been more important than it is right now. We must stand in unity and continue to protect and improve public education here in Whittier City School District and across the nation. Educators experience many daily successes and provide support in your challenges. WETA is here to celebrate your successes and support in your challenges.
The Whittier Elementary Teachers' Association(WETA) represents 320 Pre K - 8th-grade educators, counselors, nurses, and Teachers on Special Assignments.
WETA is a union that is part of a larger network of education and labor unions, including California's Teachers Association and the National Education Association.
We encourages you to reach out to your school site Representatives, who are elected by your peers, to support you, our WETA Secretary, Cathy Eckhart, as well as your elected leaders at WETA. If you would like to email them, ask them for their home email address and telephone number. Your school WETA rep will ask you for your home email address and phone number too, since we can only send emails to your home email and not through out WCSD email addresses.
In the months ahead, I or a member of the Executive Board will be providing lunch and visiting each of our school sites. Please join us for lunch. We want to hear your voice!
Thank you for choosing to become a fellow member of Whittier City School District and dedicating your time to impact the lives and learning of the students in Whittier.
The WETA's Office information is located on our website. We also have a Facebook account. I invite everyone to “LIKE” our page and you can stay current with WETA’s events.
Here is to a great year!
Sincerely,
Marjean Rosen
President, Whittier Elementary Teachers' Association
New Update:
Next WETA Rep Meeting: Monday, September 21, 2020 at 3:45pm - Online
Teacher of the Year 2019 - Mercedez Marin
Orange Grove Elementary School
Orange Grove Elementary School
New Information is available:
WETA is constantly uploading new information on our website to provide you with the most current information. Please check out the following items:
* 2020-21 Calendar of WETA Meetings for Representative and Executive Board available
* 2020 - January 1 Salary Information is available - Thank you bargaining team for getting our increase in salary!!!
* Retirement - Date: May 18, 2021 at Double Tree by Hilton Whittier 7320 Greenleaf Ave
* Also, join us on Facebook at Whittier Elementary Teachers' Association
* 2020-21 Calendar of WETA Meetings for Representative and Executive Board available
* 2020 - January 1 Salary Information is available - Thank you bargaining team for getting our increase in salary!!!
* Retirement - Date: May 18, 2021 at Double Tree by Hilton Whittier 7320 Greenleaf Ave
* Also, join us on Facebook at Whittier Elementary Teachers' Association
CTA Information
Dear CTA Leader:
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced a budget agreement that prevents immediate cuts and layoffs and prioritizes our public schools and colleges. We appreciate their work, but must agree with their take: a lot of work remains. Take a look at our news release which has more details and reaction.
Kudos and thanks to all of you for taking action by calling and emailing your legislators and the governor. Along with the fierce CTA lobbying efforts, earned media, and TV and digital ads, your action paid off!
We were facing $10 billion in cuts as well as August layoffs. This budget averts those cuts and many of the layoffs. It maintains proposed funding levels for K-14 through deferrals and other moderate increases and relies heavily on federal funding. There’s a lot more so please take a look at the CTA Budget memo for K-14 here and community colleges here.
Lawmakers acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a threat. The budget trailer bills include language on distance learning in the 2020-21 school year as well as language that holds districts harmless on ADA, with some conditions. Providing flexibility to school districts on ADA and instructional minute requirements will help address equity needs and accommodate distance learning as needed to serve all students. But CTA has some concerns and is seeking clarification on the ADA and Distance Learning provisions. Below is what is in the budget trailer bills:
The pandemic wreaked havoc on our economy and we need the federal government to step in and help jump-start the healing process. The HEROES Act would help fill state and local budget gaps and prevent a record $12 billion in school district deferrals and avoid CSU/UC cuts. Please continue to ask members to email their U.S. senator and urge them to pass the HEROES Act now.
Please visit the Leader Resource Center on the newly-redesigned CTA website at cta.org/leader-resources for all the legal and bargaining guidance you need to engage in critical conversations with your school district.
As we continue to see the COVID-19 cases on the rise in our communities across the state, please stay safe and remember to check in with health officials' guidelines and recommendations at covid19.ca.gov/.
Thank you,
E. Toby Boyd
CTA President
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced a budget agreement that prevents immediate cuts and layoffs and prioritizes our public schools and colleges. We appreciate their work, but must agree with their take: a lot of work remains. Take a look at our news release which has more details and reaction.
Kudos and thanks to all of you for taking action by calling and emailing your legislators and the governor. Along with the fierce CTA lobbying efforts, earned media, and TV and digital ads, your action paid off!
We were facing $10 billion in cuts as well as August layoffs. This budget averts those cuts and many of the layoffs. It maintains proposed funding levels for K-14 through deferrals and other moderate increases and relies heavily on federal funding. There’s a lot more so please take a look at the CTA Budget memo for K-14 here and community colleges here.
Lawmakers acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a threat. The budget trailer bills include language on distance learning in the 2020-21 school year as well as language that holds districts harmless on ADA, with some conditions. Providing flexibility to school districts on ADA and instructional minute requirements will help address equity needs and accommodate distance learning as needed to serve all students. But CTA has some concerns and is seeking clarification on the ADA and Distance Learning provisions. Below is what is in the budget trailer bills:
- Attendance Hold Harmless. The budget agreement extends the 2019-20 average daily attendance (ADA) hold harmless to the 2020-21 school year for all LEAs, contingent on in-person instruction or distance learning under certain parameters.
- Distance Learning. The budget agreement maintains instructional day requirements, but provides flexibility for instructional minute requirements to allow for distance learning under certain conditions including: if the LEA or school site closes due to state or local health guidance, if a student is medically fragile or would be put at risk by in-person instruction, or is self-quarantining because of exposure to COVID-19. The budget agreement includes specific requirements for distance learning, including that students have access to technology and devices, student support services and meals. The agreement also requires teachers to provide daily live interactions and document student participation daily.
- Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP). The final budget agreement eliminates the requirement for LEAs to complete a LCAP for the 2020-21 school year. Instead, the budget requires LEAs to complete a local Learning Continuity and Attendance plan by September 30, 2020.
The pandemic wreaked havoc on our economy and we need the federal government to step in and help jump-start the healing process. The HEROES Act would help fill state and local budget gaps and prevent a record $12 billion in school district deferrals and avoid CSU/UC cuts. Please continue to ask members to email their U.S. senator and urge them to pass the HEROES Act now.
Please visit the Leader Resource Center on the newly-redesigned CTA website at cta.org/leader-resources for all the legal and bargaining guidance you need to engage in critical conversations with your school district.
As we continue to see the COVID-19 cases on the rise in our communities across the state, please stay safe and remember to check in with health officials' guidelines and recommendations at covid19.ca.gov/.
Thank you,
E. Toby Boyd
CTA President