Campaign 2008

Be sure to make your vote count! This upcoming election is more important than ever for education. CTA recommends Barack Obama for President. Read his education platform and view the side-by-side comparison of the presidential candidates on educational issues.
Other recommendations include:

   YES  –   Prop. 3 – Children’s Hospital Bond
   NO   –   Prop. 4 – Parent Notification Measure
   NO   –   Prop. 6 – Criminal Penalties and Laws
   NO   –   Prop. 8 – Limit on Marriage
   NO   –   Prop. 9 – Criminal Justice System Amendment

For recommendations in state and congressional races, login and get the full list. Watch Kamala Harris, San Francisco District Attorney speak on the importance of funding education, log in to view CTA’s candidate recommendations and download CTA’s Voter Guide. The deadline to register to vote in California is October 20, 2008.

Use November Election As A Teachable Moment

Looking for interesting and exciting ways to pique your students’ interests about voting, democracy, the political process and the November election? Try MyVote Student Mock Election where Secretary of State Debra Bowen is inviting high school and middle school students, teachers and principals to participate in the MyVote California Student Mock Election on Thursday, October 30, 2008.Check out other fun ways teachers are engaging their students in the election, including a fun website with classroom resources

Beginning School With Tips For Family Involvement

Start the new school year off with helpful tips and ideas for parents at home and at school. CTA and the California State PTA have joined together to offer 7 Tips to Help Your Child Learn. Listen to CTA’s new statewide Back To School radio spots on tips for student success.
CTA’s Facebook group – Help Children Succeed in School, is a forum to help teachers and parents share tips on helping children learn, join discussions, share success stories, post items and ask questions. Do you belong to Facebook? If so, join our group!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Since the NBCAM program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined. Learn more about breast cancer, read about early detection or find support if you or a loved one has been diagnosed.

Get A Kick Out Of Reading And Grow A Garden Too!

The Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation, The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation and The Home Depot  have joined together to promote the joy of reading and a chance to have a Reading Garden built at elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District/Carson area. The Reading Garden Challenge is a four-week program of reading for fun each week for 90 minutes. The top five (5) schools that participate will be entered in a drawing for the Reading Garden.

Other Things Worth Noting…

• Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause
  This exhibit by the Drug Enforcement Administration Educational Foundation and the California Science Center highlights the impact of drugs on our children, our communities and on the human body and environment in Southern California. The exhibit will be open from October 2, 2008 through May 3, 2009.

• Classroom Jeopardy! StandardsLink Contest for Teachers
  Beginning October 6, 2008, teachers in K-8 schools can test their knowledge by answering online Classroom Jeopardy! StandardLink questions every Monday. Each time a teacher answers a question correctly, their name is entered into a prize drawing. The more times a teacher plays, the greater the chance they have to win. Grand prize is a Classroom Jeopardy! StandardLink Game Event held at the winner’s school. Read the rules, learn more about it or sign up to play.

• LA Kings Make Reading a Reality and Royal Affair
  The Los Angeles Kings are CTA’s newest partner for Read Across America 2009 and they are kicking off their LA Kings Royal Readers Program for students and teachers in October. The program is designed to enhance required classroom reading goals for teachers and encourage reading for pleasure. 

• CTA Scholarships And Grants
  
CTA offers several different educational scholarships and grants to members and their dependents throughout the academic year. These include the Del A. Weber Scholarship, L. Gordon Bittle Memorial Scholarship, César E. Chávez Memorial Educational Awards Program and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship. Currently the GLBT Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program is being offered.


• This program was created to promote human and civil rights by making our public schools safe for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.
• The grants will support projects and presentations that promote understanding and respect for GLBT persons.T
• The scholarships will support members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of GLBT educators as role models in our public schools.

Download the brochure, email or call 650.552.5446 for more information. Deadline for applications is October 20, 2008.

“New TEACH” Grants May Come At A Price For Many Recipients”
Education Week, September 15, 2008

“Many Kids, Serious Demands Put School Nurses To The Test”
USA Today, September 14, 2008

“Superintendent Imposes 1% Income Tax On Himself”
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 13, 2008

“Projects Try To Prepare Students To Succeed At STEM In College”
Education Week, September 12, 2008

“California Schools Study Finds Black, Latino Performance Catching Up
To Whites, Asians” Sacramento Bee, September 5, 2008

“Planning To Leave Town Because Of The Schools? This Parent Didn’t
And Couldn’t Be Happier”
San Francisco Chronicle, September 5, 2008

“District Embraces Pilot Program To Reduce Student Dropouts”
Williston Herald, September 4, 2008