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Dear SLTA Members,
Tonight, the SLUSD School Board will be hearing a presentation by Superintendent Mike McLaughlin on the reopening of our schools to in-person instruction. The Board is expected to consider a motion to safely reopen schools in a phased process beginning in January, 2021. SLTA's Bargaining Team is scheduled to meet with the District tomorrow to discuss next steps in bargaining. In September, SLTA submitted a "Demand to Bargain", which brings the Union and the District to the table to negotiate changes to working conditions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Remember that until now, School Districts developed a Distance Learning program because the Governor's Executive Order instructed them to do so. As both the State and the County ease restrictions, it is incumbent on local districts to prepare for our inevitable return. At every step along the way, your Bargaining Team is committed to fighting for the priorities expressed by you, our Members, in surveys, emails, site meetings and working sessions: • Maintain the safest level of health and safety standards for our members and the community. • Maintain contractual guarantees around a manageable workload and work hours. • Build a program that gives SLTA Members the highest level of professional agency while building a quality educational program. Last week, I joined teachers in Alameda County to sign onto a letter to ACOE Superintendent Karen Monroe and ACPHD Director Dr. Nicholas Moss. Our letter calls for the highest level of PPE, ventilation, distancing protocols, screening, testing, tracing, and reporting in Alameda County as a condition of school openings. You can access that letter here. Earlier this month, I shared a memo with you outlining your rights with regard to sick leaves. A more detailed guide to leaves and accomodations is available here from CTA.org. I will update you later this week about our discussion with the District, and our plans to return to the Bargaining Table to continue our work. In Solidarity, Tom
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Dear SLTA Members, Here is your 2020 SLTA voter’s guide, including SLTA / CTA / NEA endorsements for the November 3 Elections. Included are endorsements from our sister CTA locals in neighboring communities. Also, your activism these next 12 days may make a significant difference in the outcome of these critical races, especially for Proposition 15. Please join the CTA Region 1 Phone Bank on Monday, October 26, from 5-7 PM. Click this link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedYEIh5WywUTPGLeddMmvkGjA3nNO-bl2C_HC_fNUrVRhTFA/viewform?usp=pp_url State Initiatives Proposition 15…. YES!!! Schools and Communities First will serve as a critical lifeline for our schools, providing as much as $6 million each year for San Leandro Schools, urgent in the face of devastating budget cuts Proposition 16… YES!!! For Equity, Racial Justice and Gender Justice, reinstate Affirmative Action. Proposition 20… NO! Reject the Prison Spending Scam. Stop precious public dollars from being diverted from schools into the prison system. Proposition 22… NO! Gig workers deserve basic employee rights. Proposition 25… YES! End the Cash Bail system. For more details about each of these initiatives, visit https://www.cta.org/election-2020/toolkit-initiatives. Local Races San Leandro Teachers Association endorses Diana Prola for San Leandro School Board Oakland Education Association endorsements for OUSD School Board: District 1: Sam Davis District 3: VanCedric Williams District 5: Mike Hutchinson Hayward Education Association Endorsements for HUSD School Board William McGee Sara Prada Simon “Peter” Gutierrez Bufete Castro Valley Teachers’ Association Endorsements for CVUSD School Board: Dolly Adams (SLTA Member!) Mike Kusiak Monica Lee Lavender Whitaker Kristy Woerz Alameda Education Association Endorsements for AUSD School Board: Jenn Williams Beth Aney Heather Little California State Assembly District 18: Rob Bonta District 20: Bill Quirk District 15: Buffy Wicks California State Senate District 9: Nancy Skinner District 10: Bob Wieckowski United States Congress District 13: Barbara Lee District 15: Eric Swalwell And of course… For President and Vice President, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Know Your Rights
Quick Bargaining Update: Your Association has been working hard to reach a settlement with the district to protect students, employees, and our community during these trying times. We haven’t yet reached an agreement but will continue to work diligently until we do. In the meantime, we feel it is important that you know your rights under our current contract, state, and federal law regarding taking a leave of absence or asserting other legal rights in order to protect you, your family, and our school community. For specific legal citations and additional information, please review this document created by the California Teachers Association’s Legal Department. 1. MY RIGHTS IF I’m worried that I’m at increased risk of serious complications if I get COVID-19 because of an underlying medical condition.Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) - Requires the employer (including school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, and charter schools) to provide “reasonable accommodations” to persons with qualifying disabilities. If you believe your underlying medical condition may require a reasonable accommodation, start by informing your employer. Reasonable accommodations may include distance learning/working from home. Your employer cannot retaliate against you for making this request. You will likely go through an “interactive” process where you are allowed a union representative. Contact SLTA President Tom Morse for more information on how to secure union representation. 2. MY RIGHTS IF I’m worried that I’m at increased risk of serious complications if I get COVID-19 because I’m over the age of 65.Please note that the Californian Department of Public Health and Cal OSHA COVID-19 INDUSTRY GUIDANCE: Schools and School-Based Programs states that school districts should “support staff who are at higher risk for severe illness…by providing options such as telework, where appropriate, or teaching in a virtual learning independent study context.” Though this is not specifically a leave entitlement under the law, you should raise this with the district when advocating for a more generous application of leave provisions or, if you have a disability, for better accommodations under ADA and FEHA. Click here to read the latest guidance.
4. MY RIGHTS IF I’ve tested positive for COVID-19.Depending on how long you need to be out of work due to your illness, the leaves discussed below will generally be available. Leaves that “may” apply are noted.
6. MY RIGHTS IF I’ve been quarantined by a federal, state, or local official.The leaves discussed below will generally be available. Leaves that “may” apply are noted.
If you believe you may have COVID, you should contact your doctor and/or get tested immediately. Once under a doctor’s care and your potential exposure has been verified, you will very likely be quarantined. Read item 5 above for available leave options. If you can’t get an appointment to see a doctor or get tested prior to reporting to work, call your site administrator to explain the situation. The district will likely require you to take sick leave until you have been tested or seen your doctor. If quarantined or positive, the leaves available in item 4 above will apply and you should ask that your sick leave be reinstated retroactively, if applicable. 8. MY RIGHTS IF I’m caring for a family member who has tested positive for COVID.The leaves discussed below will generally be available. Leaves that “may” apply are noted.
9. MY RIGHTS IF my child’s school or place of care has been closed due to COVID-19.The leaves discussed below will generally be available. Leaves that “may” apply are noted.
Please Join SLTA's Human Rights and Social Justice Committee for a virtual Community Forum. What does the Black Lives Matter Movement mean for our Public Schools? Thursday, September 24, 4 PM Viewable on SLTA’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/WeAreSLTA Moderated by... Angela Normand, CTA Board Member Trustee, Alameda County Board of Education Panelists include... Aisha Knowles, Trustee, Alameda County Board of Education, representing San Leandro area Jeff Ramirez, History Teacher, San Leandro High School Social Justice Academy Deanna Slaton, P.E. Teacher, Bancroft Middle School Coach and Wellness adviser Dr. Hoi-Fei Mok, Community Organizer, San Leandrans for Black Lives, Climate Justice activist and SLHS graduate Monique Tate Trustee, San Leandro Unified School District 
Join CTA in the campaign to pass Proposition 15, Schools and Communities First! When Proposition 15 passes, it will mean $12 Billion every year for California Schools and Community Services. What would it mean for San Leandro Schools? $5,815,281.00 EVERY YEAR! Looking for more information about Proposition 15, Schools and Communities First? https://www.yes15.org/ WHAT DO WE NEED YOU TO DO??? • FIRST, Commit to Voting Yes! Use this LINK to Commit to Voting Yes on 15! The benefit is that it will save the CTA Phone Banks a call. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=eYLkLdOcyk2i1KZORoXxMeLlEI0SVwFHlpurYU9BehtUNkNTR0VGNUNMQUVLOUk1WVVaQ1hTVlBVNC4u • THEN, SIGN UP FOR THE PHONE BANKS!!! When it comes to our schools, voters listen to teachers’ voices. The more people we talk to, the better we will do!!! Please Join Us, Monday, October 26, from 5 - 7. Use this link to sign up. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedYEIh5WywUTPGLeddMmvkGjA3nNO-bl2C_HC_fNUrVRhTFA/viewform?usp=pp_url • Finally, Help us recruit more folks! Please ask you family, friends and neighbors to join the campaign. Let them know how important Proposition 15 is to our students and our schools! If Every teacher signs up for at least 1 day of phone banking, We Will Win! Dear SLTA Members,
SLTA's Representative Council had its first meeting of the year yesterday, and it's clear we have a lot of work to do. The big issues in yesterday's meeting centered around the upcoming election, strengthening our voices at each school, and channeling SLTA's increasing activism. Election 2020 - Yes on Proposition 15!!! The Schools and Communities First Initiative is now Proposition 15. Proposition 15 will raise more than $12 Billion for California Schools, which translates to about $6 million each year for San Leandro Schools. Given the uncertainty of the economy, Prop. 15 might be the only thing that saves much of our education program, including jobs, class sizes and resources. SLTA activists did an extraordinary job getting this initiative on the State Ballot, now it's time to get out the vote. How do we do that??? Phone Banks. Please join SLTA members and CTA members at one of the following virtual phone banks... August 26 (That's right, TONIGHT at 5:30), September 2, September 9 and September 16. Please email me to volunteer. Our schools and our jobs might very well rely on your participation. Member Power at each School Site Our Distance Learning MOU gives a lot of power to members to resolve problems that come up at each site. Principals are required to work with site reps weekly in order to resolve issues that come up. The MOU also gives teachers a voice in how School Site Council funds should be spent. Now more than ever, SLTA will be working with Members at each school to build strong Union schools. Each school should be holding a Site Representative Election if they haven't already done so. I have already shared instructions with existing site reps about how to conduct those elections. The good news is that there is a place for ALL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN UNION ACTIVITIES, whether or not you're a site rep or an officer. In fact, you are encouraged. There are a number of ways to get involved, both at your site and within our whole Union family. Also, Representative Council meetings are open to all members. The dates for the rest of the year are September 22, October 20, December 8, January 19, February 23, March 16, April 20 and May 18. Put these dates in your calendar and let me know if you want to be included on the invitation list. Union Activism This Summer has seen an extraordinary rise in SLTA Activism. Now our job is to turn our voices into power. We have a lot of work to do, and the strength of our work will rely on how many of you get plugged in to one team or another. Please think about joining one of these committees or working teams. (Let me know with an email): • Political Action / Elections team. Help us win the Prop. 15 campaign, and plug into national campaigns which will have an impact on our schools. • Bargaining Issues Survey Committee. With 2 rounds of negotiations coming up (an MOU for the transition to live teaching, and the whole contract, which expires at the end of the year), this group will be responsible for getting the conversation started with our members. • Special Education Committee. Already meeting, but more voices welcome. • Human Rights / Social Justice Committee. Already meeting, but more voices welcome. • Communications / Social Media Committee. Also, if you or a colleague want to participate in one of the Union / District working groups that we fought for in the MOU, please let me know! • Employee Wellness Working Group • SEL / Racial Justice / Trauma-Informed Instruction Working Group (Specific groups for each level of education) The work that we do is critically important for our community. And our work will be much stronger with YOU at the table. I'm happy to talk about these working groups with you, please reach out. In Solidarity, Tom If you haven’t done so, please check out our website at https://www.weareslta.org/, and follow us on Facebook. Also, CTA’s website and NEA’s website are outstanding resources for everything from member benefits to lesson planning to the important political issues that impact schools. Feel free to contact me using my personal email address at mistermorse109@gmail.com. Dear SLTA Members,
Welcome Back to School. Our “Not-Normal-Summer” went by quickly, and we’ll be greeting students in our “Not-Normal-School-Year” next week. I hope you’re all getting oriented to the challenges that we face as educators this year. As much as this is a time of change and adjustment for public education, it’s also a time of change and adjustment for SLTA. As you know, this summer was eventful. From our successful fight to keep San Leandro charter free to negotiations for a Distance Learning MOU, concluding in a ratification vote, there has never been more SLTA activism. I am personally excited by the challenge of harnessing all the extraordinary energy that our members bring to the table. Ultimately, SLTA works to build great public schools. We have a lot of work to do. • Elections: We’ll work to pass Proposition 15 (Schools and Community First), with a real potential to fix California’s broken Property Tax system and raise $12 Billion for California Schools and local services. • Racial Justice: Our Human Rights/Social Justice Team will host a series of Forums for teachers and community members to talk about what our commitment to justice means for our schools. • Expanded role in site decisions: The Distance Learning MOU carries an expectation that teachers will be a part of site-based decisions. That’s going to require expanded site-based activism. By the way, each school should have site representative elections. I will give guidelines for these elections at the August 25 Representative Council meeting. • Communications Committee: with so many changes in education, we’ll need expanded surveys and more thoughtful use of our website and social media platform to gather Member opinions. • Special Education Committee: Last year, SLTA instituted a Special Education Committee to highlight issues that impact this important work. That committee will be busy navigating the challenges of Distance Learning. • Workshops and CTA resources: Last year we scheduled several outstanding workshops, including a STRS workshop and a Special Ed workshop. More great opportunities for you, our members, will be available this year. Updates: • There is still a lot of Bargaining to do. First, we need to go back to the table to discuss how to return to live teaching. Then, the entire contract expires at the end of the year. We will start with a bargaining survey in January. • Given the organizational discussion around the Lincoln High School schedule during MOU ratification, we resurveyed Lincoln teachers about the schedule they preferred. A clear preference was stated, and SLTA renegotiated the Lincoln schedule with the District. Lincoln will be operating under the same schedule as San Leandro High School. If you haven’t done so, please check out our website at https://www.weareslta.org/, and follow us on Facebook. Also, CTA’s website and NEA’s website are outstanding resources for everything from member benefits to lesson planning to the important political issues that impact schools. Feel free to contact me using my personal email address at mistermorse109@gmail.com. In Solidarity, Thomas Morse SLTA President 
Dear SLTA Members,
Congratulations to all of you for completing another school year. Normally, this is the day when we clean out our classrooms, enjoy our staff luncheons, say our summer farewells to our friends, and bounce out of our schools on the way to our gardens, our vacations and our summer plans. I have always enjoyed the celebration of this day. Clearly, this year is different. Our world is giving us unprecedented challenges from the COVID crisis, the racial justice uprisings, and the economic uncertainty that will impact the way we do business. While we as teachers are feeling these anxieties, we also are deeply connected to the way our students are experiencing these crises. For many of our kids, your presence as educators has been one of the most reliable things in their lives. This might not be a time to celebrate, but it is certainly a time for recognition. Through all of our challenges, I am deeply grateful to you, the activists, members and leaders of SLTA, who join in the fight to defend our public schools and who recognize that we are far stronger when we fight together. I am deeply grateful to SLTA's Leadership Team, Vice President Nancy James, Treasurer Glenn Brodeur, Secretary Valarie Sowers, Bargaining Chair Jacob Clark, State Council Representative Joya Brandon, Elementary Rep at Large Lydia Oey, Secondary Rep at Large Lesa Ross, and our CTA Staff Representative Nicole Love. I cannot quantify the hours, the energy, the wisdom, the outreach, the guidance and the support that this team has contributed to our Union, but I know that without them, our work simply wouldn't happen. Please check out our Leadership Team's end of the year messages at https://flipgrid.com/brandon4950. Our Representative Council acts as the Union voice in each school. Thank you to Robin How, Phil Smothermon, Jenn Jones, Cameron Beatty, Kristina Morgan, Jeff Bruno, Anne Bengston, Bill Daniels, Amy Sosa, Stephanie Diehl, Patty Fishbaugh, Karen Koizumi, Jonathan Fall, Blake Green, David Mason, James Riddle, Laura Michaels Fox, Sarah Del Grande, Sonja Ebel, Lisa McNally, David Orona and Gaia Pine. SLTA's Social Media Team kicked off our website, WeAreSLTA.org and a Facebook page this year, deep appreciations to Stephanie Diehl, Joya Brandon, Valarie Sowers, Lesa Ross, and CTA Staffers Samantha DeMuro and Terry Ng. Our Bargaining Team negotiated a historic contract with improvements in class size and caseload, while also securing a competitive salary increase. Thanks to Jacob, Valarie, Glenn and Nicole. We will, of course, be on call this summer as we work to figure out how next year will look. I'm looking forward to working with our new team members Hong Quach and Natasha Weidner. Our SLTA Human Rights and Social Justice Team, including Joya Brandon, Gene Romano, Nancy, Glenn, Lydia and CTA Staffer Gail Watts. Our Special Education Issues Team, led by Nancy, and including Natanya Powers, Jessica Ortiz, Linda Nguyen, Jennifer Fischer, Carmen Watson, Jillian Smith, Starla Colburn, Amy Reick, Lesa Ross, Shamela McClain, Suzanne McCallin and Amy Sosa. Our SLTA Scholarship Team kept the program alive despite the crisis. Thanks to Starla Colburn, Victor Doane, Tina Kuang, JC Liesenfeld, and retirees Sallie Caraballo and Mike Mandel. Our STAND Political Action team included James Riddle and Nancy James. This team was instrumental in passing Measure N and helping to elect Angela Normand to the ACOE Board of Trustees. We also received enormous support from CTA Staffer Rick Wathen. Our Charter Free San Leandro Action Team included Gaia Pine, Natasha Weidner, Reena Valvani, Lydia Oey, Jeff Bruno, Rachel England, Joya Brandon, Sarah Bollinger, Vivian Nguyen, Lisa McNally, CTA staffers Ann Swinburn and Rick Wathen and the 90 of you that wrote out comments to the ACOE Board last week. (Don't forget to repeat your efforts for the June 9 Meeting!) I likely missed a few names, but there have been so many kindnesses and acts of courage and beauty on behalf of our kids, our schools, our Union and our community from so many of you. Thank you to all for being a part of SLTA. Again, this summer promises to be very busy for SLTA, so don't hesitate to reach out to me. It has been my honor to serve as SLTA President this year. In Gratitude and Solidarity, Tom |
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