The sounds of hammering and sawing could soon be welcome noise in more 43 school districts that are receiving more than $372 million for new construction and modernization projects, reports State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

The districts are receiving funding as a result of disbursement decisions made today by the State Allocation Board (SAB).

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State Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson - -a former teacher and coach – has announced that qualified school districts and county offices can submit their requests for a share of $33 million more in funding to cover the costs of energy efficiency projects.

The funds are part of the moneys for this purpose voters approved in November 2012 by passing Proposition 39.

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(From r.) Maggie Ellis, an elementary educator from Elk Grove and chair of CTA State Council’s Retirement Committee, stresses to members of the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee that a secure retirement is critical to attracting and keeping quality teachers in the profession. Ellis and Paula Weiss, a retired educator, reminded lawmakers that the CalSTRS shortfall didn’t occur overnight and can’t be addressed overnight.

Two dozen retired and active educators are spending Wednesday in the state Capitol pressing their legislators to take the steps necessary to ensure the stability of the State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) into the future.

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CTA and EdVoice are supporting a new legislation by Assembly Education Chair Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) that is designed to ensure student safety while protecting the due-process rights of educators.

The introduction of AB 215 follows three years of efforts to streamline the certificated employee discipline and dismissal process to help protect students.

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(Photo above from l.) Sen. Kathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) listens intently as John Anderson and other members of a half-dozen member team from her area talk about the importance of kindergarten in helping students – particularly those living below the poverty level and those learning English, as well as youngsters of color – master the skills that will help them succeed throughout the academic careers.

Educators from a wide area around Sacramento  – some from the Delta Service Center and others from the Capital Service Center – came to the state Capitol on Tuesday to speak with their local lawmakers.

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California educators and students have been pretty busy over the past week. 

Thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of their students have been helping field test the new Smarter Balanced Assessments that are synched to the new Common Core State Standards.

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As a former teacher and coach, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson understands that students’ ability to learn effectively is related to their health.  

Like CTA, Supt. Torlakson is actively supporting statewide efforts to improve children’s health by encouraging them to eat healthy foods and to take part in physical activities.

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Today the nation pauses to honor César Chávez, the human rights leader who battled for human dignity and social justice for all.

At CTA’s quarterly State Council of Education meeting this weekend, CTA President Dean Vogel, an elementary educator, and a thousand educators paid tribute to the co-founder of the United Farm Workers.

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From l., Michael Martinez, a program coordinator for Migrant Education in the Butte County Office of Education, and Jacob George, an educator in Lassen County and president of the Lassen County Special Teachers Association, provide compelling testimony in support of CTA-cosponsored legislation.

Certificated employees of small school districts and county offices of education are one step closer to gaining fair treatment, thanks to the Assembly Education Committee’s 4-1 passage of a CTA-cosponsored measure.

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Shouldn’t all school employees be treated equally and fairly, no matter where they work?  CTA-cosponsored AB 1619, by Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), answers that question with a resounding “yes.”

The measure shores up existing law to prevent some districts and county offices – including small and rural ones – from refusing to award permanent status to employees, in some cases after decades of service to pupils.

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