Spotlight

Speak Out to Stop the Layoffs – May 14th – 5:00 p.m. – 555 Franklin

Board of Ed Votes 5-2 to Approve Layoffs Despite Reserves Ballooning to $50 Million

RSVP HERE

On May 7th the Board of Education voted to approve the layoffs of dozens of teachers, counselors, and social workers, despite reserve funds projected to balloon to $50 million by the end of the school year. The jobs of dozens of more paraprofessionals are also on the line.

According to School Services, strong tax collection in March indicates that our schools will see significant increases in funding in the Governor’s May Revise budget. Even with out a statewide Weighted Student Formula, the SFUSD is set to receive millions more than they anticipated when they sent the layoff notices out in March.

At the School Board session last night, Board members voted 5-2 to approve the layoffs (with Haney and Maufas the two no votes). During the discussion before the vote, they talked about budget shortfalls as being the rationale for their decision.

How can Superintendent Carranza and five members of the Board of Education honestly claim that educators need to be laid off for financial reasons when their reserves now sit at $50 million?

Join your fellow educators at 555 Franklin next Tuesday, May 14th at 5:00 p.m. to send a resounding message to the Board and to the district: Rescind the layoffs now.

RSVP here.

SFUSD Once Again Sends Out Far Too Many Layoff Notices

For the latest layoffs update, read page 3 of the April 2013 edition of the SF Educator.

March 18, 2013

According to documents provided by the SFUSD, last week the district sent out layoff notices to 14 Early Education and 135 K-12 certificated staff. The district is also set to send layoff notices out to 68 paraprofessionals. Continue reading →

School Safety Survey – Impact of Cuts to T-10 Security Aides

May 8, 2013

Two years ago all T-10 Security aides (UESF members) had their hours unilaterally reduced by the SFUSD from 8 to 7 hours per day. Several school sites have reported issues with school safety because of this reduction in hours. Please take the following brief survey to help us determine what impact this reduction has had on your school.

TAKE THE SURVEY.

Awards & Honors

MAYOR LEE ANNOUNCES FIVE RECIPIENTS OF 2013 MAYOR’S TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

May 6, 2013

 

Congratulations to These Five Outstanding Teachers for
Their Dedication Educating Our City’s Youth

  • Andra Young, Presidio Early Education School
  • Andres Tobar, Marshall Elementary School
  • Jennifer Moless, El Dorado Elementary School
  • Joel Austin, Roosevelt Middle School
  • Constance Walker, Woodside Learning Center

San Francisco, CA–Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced five recipients of the 2012-2013 Mayor’s Teacher of the Year Award. The award recipients will be recognized this evening during a San Francisco Giants’ home plate ceremony at AT&T Park. “Our public school teachers are true champions in San Francisco,” said Mayor Lee. “They are dedicated to their students and are making sure they succeed both inside and outside the classroom. These five individuals are dynamic and innovative teachers in our City and we thank them for their passion and commitment.”

Read more about these great teachers.

More awards & honors below the fold.

Continue reading →

CTA Celebrates 150 Years

 
UESF President Dennis Kelly speaks at the kickoff to the 150 year anniversary
of the California Teachers Association at Miraloma Elementary on May 6, 2013..

Watch the video commemorating the anniversary:

Learn more about the anniversary at www.cta.org.

UESF Night at the San Francisco Giants Game! Monday, May 6th

Due to overwhelming interest, tickets for the UESF baseball night have sold out. We are currently in the process of attempting to order more tickets. Should more tickets become available, we will let you know via UESF email blast and on the UESF website.

In addition to the game, UESF has ordered a limited number of Giants-themed t-shirts. This year, the shirts will be sold separately from the tickets, at a cost of $12. A variety of sizes will be available on May 1st for sale at the UESF office and at the Executive Board meeting. We will not be able to distribute shirts and tickets at the ballpark on game night.

UESF Member Tay McArthur Helps Lead Drive to Establish Month to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

UESF substitute member Tay MacArthur has an inspiring story that many in San Francisco may not know about – along with five students in his 1981 Oakland Tech American government class, Tay helped spearhead the establishment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday in California. Four year’s later the holiday was recognized across the country.

Now, over thirty years later, Tay and his students are organizing to establish the entire month of January to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. In January, they successfully lobbied the Oakland City Council to pass a resolution establishing the month long celebration. Since then, Tay has successfully passed resolutions throughout local and statewide education unions, including the UESF Assembly, the Oakland Education Association, the CFT Executive Committee and the CTA State Council. Continue reading →