Reaping the benefits of earlier victories

"I'll take 'Contract' for 5 points," calls out a contestant.

"The answer is March 1," says the moderator.

"Question: What is the deadline for your first evaluation as a new teacher?" responds the contestant.

Welcome to New Teacher Jeopardy, which includes such categories as Conflict 101, Ed Code, Working Conditions, Membership, and Leave and Compensation. The brainchild of Fremont Unified District Teachers Association (FUDTA) member Sherea Westra, the game is a hit with new teachers who receive raffle tickets in exchange for the correct answers. There is no "daily double."

In just a few short minutes, new teachers learn that salaries are negotiated at the bargaining table; secret ballots are useful when voting on issues that may affect colleagues; teachers have the right to a union rep if they are the subjects of any disciplinary meeting; teachers have the right to look at their personnel file in the district office at any time; and parents are supposed to discuss problems with teachers before discussing them with the principal.

When teachers get stumped, FUDTA President Greg Bonaccorsi gladly steps in with the right answers on such things as CTA group disability and life insurance plans, and legal representation for teachers provided by CTA attorneys.

"Remember, the association is not Sherea or me - it's everyone in this room," he says at the conclusion of the presentation. "It's everybody working together for the betterment of the profession."

Having been in the classroom for just five years, Westra is fairly new to teaching herself. With the memory of being "overwhelmed" still fresh in her mind, she has dedicated herself to making life easier for others new to the profession.

Even before teaching, Westra was no stranger to CTA. As a student at California State University-Humboldt, she was the Student CTA chapter president as well as the northern regional vice president. In those capacities, she attended CTA's State Council of Education regularly. When she joined FUDTA, she decided to put her skills to work for new colleagues and persuaded the association to create a New Teacher Support Committee, whose five members (including Westra) are all fairly new, with the exception of one teacher.

"New teachers lack understanding about what a union can do," says Westra. "It's not that new teachers can't relate to unions, but nobody's told them about unionism. It's not their fault."

Westra never studied about unions in school. "I would have loved a course that described the fights that unions had engaged in to better the conditions of workers," she says. "I don't think that new teachers here realize that there was a strike in 1991. Teachers walked the picket line for higher salaries, which is why we have the salaries we have. There needs to be education about this so that the new teachers know the battles that have been fought and the benefits that can be reaped from belonging to a union."

"I got involved because I didn't feel enough was being done," she recalls. "When I was a new teacher, they said, 'Come sign your contract. Thanks for coming.' Then I never heard from them again. That's how I felt four years ago. If that's what happens, new teachers won't stick around; there will be higher teacher turnover. And we really need to retain new teachers."

"I think it was easy to overlook newer members," concedes Bonaccorsi. "Our attention was focused on the annual political battle, and every three years we were dealing with bargaining issues. All these things are important, but we have to remember that the future of the association rides on members staying in the profession - and staying active. Plain and simple."

The New Teacher Support Committee puts out a monthly newsletter, the

Beginning Teacher Buzz

, which focuses on the concerns of new members. The committee also operates a new teacher hotline. "We're here to listen when things get rough," says Westra.

Presentations on the Ed Code, the contract, pay stub interpretation, professional growth hours and CTA benefits have been held, along with CTA's "I Can Do It!" classroom management training. But it's not all serious. There are social events throughout the year.

"Our motto is 'For new teachers, brought to you by new teachers,'" says Westra. "But these social events are open to everyone - veteran teachers come, too."

"I guess the committee gives new teachers a voice, more than anything else," says Margarita Ordonez, who's in her third year of teaching. "It also informs new members of their rights. Newer teachers don't know if what the administration is asking them to do is reasonable or acceptable. The first issue of the newsletter discussed combination classes - and what teachers can and cannot be asked to do. We let new teachers know what is reasonable, and what they can say no to."

"A little bit goes a long way," says Westra. "For example, a phone call, a token of appreciation, a thank you or a pat on the back for doing a good job makes a difference. A lot of new teachers are reluctant to ask questions because they think it might be considered a silly question. Or they may feel the association is not approachable.

"I'm glad to see that things are changing. It's a new and better way of thinking."