focus
On educators
focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA www.peateachers.org
The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the conditions of
teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure that the human dignity and civil
rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society.
SEPTEMBER 2017
Volume XXVI, Number 1
Presidents Message
Welcome to the 2017-2018 school
year! New start to a brand new
experience of your professional life.
Summer may have had its delights,
but now we get back to the passion of
our life STUDENTS!
This school year keep in mind an
attitude of determination in your work
life. The specifics of what people are
going through all around the country
have made me focus on what is most
important to PEA. We are here to be
education leaders. We are here to
speak for our students, their families,
and the community of Pittsburg in
terms of a quality public education.
There are issues that directly affect
our students and how the education
we are able to provide can lead to
student success. You may not want to
California Teachers Association
Statement of Mission
be involved in politics, but
unfortunately politics is involved in
education. We are obligated to be
advocates!
I attended the Summer Institute, about
a weeklong conference put on by
CTA on the UCLA campus. Many
different types of intensive trainings
were offered to help build your
leadership skills and meet challenges
in the field of education. I took the
Legal strand which focused on group
labor and employment issues with
coverage of student issues.
The Legal strand went over basic
union and employee group rights such
as protected activities and labor law.
In the second half it delved into
individual rights such as employment
discrimination and disability rights.
The coverage on students was well
done making sure to keep issues of
immigrant student rights and student
GLBTQ student rights about how all
students should feel safe in their
learning environment under the Safe
Place to Learn Act (Ed Code 234).
Ed Code 234 prohibits discrimination,
harassment, or bullying at public
schools. PUSD is required to have a
policy prohibiting this conduct and a
process for receiving and
investigating complaints. Every child
deserves a safe learning environment.
As educators we have responsibilities
under this act to give students a sense
of a safe zone on their campus.
All of our students have a baseline of
rights regardless of their status in the
U.S. We are able to advocate and
assist our students with the caution
that educators do not completely have
free speech. We have great
protections when we engage in
activism outside of work. But there is
a limit to our protections based on the
first amendment. Yes, schools can
prohibit educators from joining
protests during contract time.
I deal with these issues on a daily
basis. Having some verifiable
knowledge of case law and acts
greatly influences how much better I
can be for my members, the students,
and the community. PEA will be
conducting workshops to provide
power behind our mission to promote
a quality public education for all.
In Solidarity,
Tammy
P.S. I hope youve had a chance to
read the current California Educator
August/September 2017 magazine.
Our PEA member, Jim Goble of
Willow Cove is featured in the article
Tips From the Pros: CTA members
offer up their best advice, insights,
and hard-earned wisdom on pages
40-45. Definitely give it a read!
 PEA Leadership 2017-2018 Rep. Council Meeting Calendar (Tuesdays)
President September 12
Tammy Carr October 17
PEA Office
November 28
Elementary Vice President
December 19
Michell Redfoot
January 16
Willow Cove
Secondary Vice President February 20
Irwin Manangkil March 20
Black Diamond April 24
Secretary May 22
Nicole Glassel
School Board Meeting Calendar
Los Medanos
September 13 & 27
Treasurer
October 11 & 25
Vacant
________________________________________________ November 15
Committee Chairs: December 13
Grievance Committee
January-June TBD
John Kleinjans Pittsburg High
Chris Coan Willow Cove
Are You Getting Your PEA Information?
Negotiations Team Having our Site Reps collect your input, attend the monthly Rep

Mark Maselli Chair - Hillview meeting and then report back to you is vital in the

Political Action Committee communication chain of our Association.

Jim Vaughan Black Diamond Roll call at last May 16 Rep Council Meeting:
Elections Chair
Sharie Chmura - Parkside Adult Ed. present MLK Jr. absent
Human Rights Chair Black Diamond present North Campus absent
Andrea McKinney Black Diamond Foothill present Parkside present
Womens Issues Chair Heights present PHS - present
Alicia Puzak Pittsburg High
Highlands absent Rancho Medanos present
O-Team Chair
Hillview - present Stoneman absent
Laura Silva - Parkside
CTA State Council Representative Los Medanos present Willow Cove present
Mark Maselli Hillview Marina Vista present
LGBTQ Chair
Marissa Young-Padilla - Parkside New 1st and 2nd Year Certificated Staff Social
Special Education Chairs
Michell Redfoot Willow Cove
On Friday, August 18 PEA had our first New 1st and 2nd
year Certificated Staff Social. It was a blast! Thank you to
Melonie Sauceda-Flemming Hillview/MLK
those who could make it out. We will be doing more so we
Technical Editor
become stronger as we build relationships.
Susan Harrison PEA Office Administrator

Focus on Educators is a publication of the

Pittsburg Education Association CTA/NEA
159 East 4th Street, Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: (925) 432-0199 email: info@peateachers.org
website: www.peateachers.org

2
 My happiest moment this summer occurred the morning of
August 16, when I first met my 21 students and
experienced the anticipation and deep potential of this
school year.
Joseph Sullivan, Highlands, 3rd Grade Teacher

By surprise, my middle son, Justin, and his wife, Kearsten,

showed up at our cottage on Lake Michigan. They came
all the way from Oregon to show us a sonogram of their
first child and my third grandchild! What a JOY!
Mick McCoy, Adult Ed., 12th Grade Algebra
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial
Education Awards Program This summer my family had the amazing opportunity to
CTA is holding the 16th
annual art and take a backstage tour at Hamilton SF! It was one of the
essay competition in honor of Cesar E. coolest things I have ever seen!
Chavez. Winners will receive Makael Huntsinger, PHS, Theater Arts Teacher
recognition and up to $550.00.
Individual Projects can be either
Written Essays or Visual Arts. All applications and projects
must be postmarked by December 1, 2017.
For more information and applications, please go to:
www.cta.org/scholarships
*************************************************************************

GLBT Safety in Schools Grant & Scholarship

Program in Honor of Guy DeRosa
This scholarship program will support self-identified
LGBTQ members enrolled in a teacher/counseling
credential or graduate program who are pursuing a
career in public education and who understand the
importance of LGBTQ educators as role models in our
public schools. Applications for grants and scholarships
must be received online by 11:59 p.m. on Friday,
December 15, 2017. For more information and
applications, please go to: www.cta.org/scholarships My happiest moment this summer was being able to take
my 75-year old Aunt to Disneyland where she was
*************************************************** honored for her military service at the lowering of the flag
ceremonies. She received a medallion and a flag patch.
PEA Member Spotlight Her oldest daughter was also able to attend.
Robin Achterberg, Stoneman, 2nd Grade Teacher
The question for September is:
What was your happiest moment from the summer?

My three sons havent been together the better part of 4

years, due to one being in Ghana for 2 years, etc. This
past summer we ALL spent two weeks at my brothers
home in Kauai. Heaven!!
Jeanine Koetting, Foothill, 2nd Grade Teacher

3
 2017 Presidents Conference
By, Tammy Carr, PEA President
I attended the 2017 Presidents Conference from Friday, July
21 to Monday, July 24. This being my second time attending
this conference I made sure to sign up for the Doing it Right!
Employment Practices for UniServs and Local Chapters
course that was conducted from the end of the conference
on Sunday afternoon to the entire day on Monday. The main
focus for the conference was on recruitment and
engagement of members and community. The sessions
available were to assist presidents of locals in developing
their skills to positively impact members, students, and the
community.
The sessions that gave me motivation and the most
knowledge to use in order to advance PEA were:
Messaging, Members, & Media: Framing your messages to
WIN!, Developing and Using an Equity Lens to Focus our
Union Work, and Closing the School Discipline Gap: An
Update on AB 420 Student Discipline. Here are some
resources to check out: http://bit.ly/2tLBKpX along with
www.tinyurl.com/ctaadvocacyagenda and
www.cta.org/forallstudents . The first resource has an online
binder to see the information that was covered in the session
Closing the School Discipline Gap: An Update on AB 420
Student Discipline.
Valuable applicable practice was given in the Messaging,
Members, & Media: Framing your messages to WIN! This
session served to show how to stand up for all students and
be an effective educator leader. It gave tools to make sure
that the association drives the message of what are the
priorities for the union. This can lead to life altering
improvements in your contract and another level of
advocating for students.
The Developing and Using an Equity Lens to Focus our
Union Work emphasized understanding where the
membership is in terms of social justice. The many
circumstances that rule our classrooms, schools, and district
stretch out to our students and their families. Being an
educator gives you the role of advocating for the community
you work in. Knowing what types of actions the membership
finds near and dear to their heart can build out the success of
our students farther than just the classroom. So, there will
be a survey sent out to members soon that will help PEA
narrow their focus in this area.
The Closing the School Discipline Gap: An Update on AB
420 School Discipline was very eye opening. Learning
some worthwhile resources that can help build the discipline
system within our district is key to our working world. They
suggested better ways to manage referrals using Google
4
Docs. Spoke of how Fairfield-Suisun district was doing well
with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
because there was an investment in training all staff and
making sure to note that PBIS is a framework not a program.
Check out www.cta.org/alterativediscipline for more
information on the practices that work.
***************************************************
Boston was Much More than Baked Beans
By, Melonie Sauceda-Flemming, PEA Bargaining Team
If youre anything like me, you generally pick and choose to
attend professional conferences based on the city in which
its being heldespecially if its a conference out of state.
While in your mind you know that youre attending the
conference for all of the information that youll be acquiring,
but in your heart of heart--you also know that there will be
several hours after the meetings when you can take time out
to enjoy the citys sights and culture. And there were plenty
of sights and sounds to experience in the historically rich city
of Boston, MA. The FOOD experience alone was simply
phenomenal! Boston definitely has more than just baked
beans. Everything from the acclaimed oldest restaurant in
the United States, Ye Old Union Oyster House est. 1826 to
the made to order cannoli found in North Ends Modern
Pastry--trust me when I tell you, the half hour wait in line was
definitely worth it. Taking in sights from all over the city like
Harvard University, MIT and the JFK Library were each so
enriching and powerful, but somehow experiencing the
Freedom Trail and getting the chance to walk the streets
while locating the landmarks of where many firsts happened
in order to give birth and establish this great country of ours--
was at times, breath taking and awe inspiring.
Because this conference marked the 155th NEA annual and
96th RA meeting, it was, in keeping with tradition, held over
the 4th of July holiday. There was a fireworks show like none
other I have ever seen. It was produced and accompanied by
none other than the Boston Pops, talk about a spectacular
event. By attending this RA held in Boston, MA this year,
when I tell you I hit the MOTHER LOAD just know that, that
it is a complete understatement. It was my first RA and I had
no idea what to expect even though several former attendees
tried to communicate what I could look forward to. Their
explanations paled in comparison to the actual experience.
Just try to imagine The Boston Convention Center almost
completely dedicated to over 7500 educator delegates with
an overall membership of 3 million making the National
Education Association the largest union in the entire nation.
This year we had over 150 new business items that required
each delegates attention and vote so that the united voice of
NEA could move forward and be heard at the national level.
Many of the hot and heavy topics this year evoked significant
debate and emotion from each corner of the country and all
of the states in-between. With the change in our countrys
administration as well as a new Secretary of Education
(Betsy DeVos) whose political stance is pro private school
choice and the use of vouchers for funding vs. free and
public school educationI cant begin to describe the energy
that permeated throughout the entire venue. Parliamentary
procedure was followed without flaw and even with all of the
amendments and new business items to discuss, it was also
an election year for all NEA officers and the feeling of politics
was in the air. Lily Eskelsen Garca was voted back in as
President of NEA with a landslide victory for another term of
3 years, and her former cabinet members were also re-
elected in support of her administration. Instead of most of
the members choosing to have NEA/RA once every two
years as a possible proposal presented on the floor, the
delegates voted to continue to have the RA every year.
This years keynote speaker and recipient of The Friend of
Education Award, was none other than LeVar Burton whose
most famous credits include Roots, StarTrek: The Next
Generation, and most recently, Reading Rainbow. During his
address he attributed his love for reading and passion for
learning to one of the most inspirational teachers he had ever
met in his lifetimehis own mother. His love and
appreciation for all educators was both moving and
inspirational.
As with any large group of diverse members coming together
in one forum, it afforded a myriad of viewpoints and causes
that were expressed in a variety of fashion, style and
discussions at the mic. NEA/RA offers the opportunity to
experience educators from all over the country. Many come
to share and express their passions, concerns and voice on
current issues that either currently, or will soon affect our
education union and students. Its an experience that I
believe everyone in education (or anyone whos even
thinking about going into education) could benefit from. Id
like to thank all of you who voted for me to be a local
delegate and for making it possible to have this amazing
experience. Id also like to send a huge shout out of gratitude
to my PEA for the sponsorship/grant that made this trip a
reality. The 2018 NEA/RA convention is scheduled to be held
in Minneapolis, MI and from my own experience, believe me
when I tell you, Minneapolis will be more than just a Twin
City!
5
Know Your Contract
By, Chris Coan, Grievance Chair
We should be beginning the school year with safe working
conditions all in place. Unfortunately that is not always the
case. We have a separate article in the contract just for the
district to put safety conditions in place (Article 11). Also,
unfortunately, there isnt any kind of time frame for when
these safe policies should be established. The bargaining
team will be working on that when we begin bargaining with
the district on our fully opened contract. We have also met
with HR and we have been working with them to get these
safety policies in place. When your Site Reps meet in
September they will be given a survey for your site to check
the following safety conditions as outlined in the contract.
Please help them by supplying them with information so we
can do a district check. Here are the questions:
Has the district posted rules for safety and
prevention of accidents? Is it assessable and easily
found?
Do you know who the district safety officer is and
how to contact this person?
Do you have a stocked first aid kit?
Do you know the whereabouts of disaster supplies
such as blankets, bullhorns, radios, rope, etc.?
Have you ever called in to the office and got a busy
signal? Do you feel confident that you can call for
help and reach someone?
Is your school site and classroom free from rodents
and pests?
Do you know the districts policy on what to do with
students when we have experienced a disaster?
If you have a student who exhibits violent behavior
have you been given support for dealing with this
student?
Do you have an emergency preparedness flip chart
in your room?
Has your site gone over your school site plan? Do
you have a hard copy or access to a digital version?
Do you know where the student with violent act
binder is? Have your looked thru it?
Our working conditions are our students learning conditions.
 Calendar
September 2017
4 Labor Day
12 PEA General Membership Meeting & Rep Council PEA
Office 159 East 4th St. 3:45 PM
13 PUSD School Board Meeting 2000 Railroad Ave. 6:30 PM
18-22 PEA Executive Board Treasurer Election
20 Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown
21 First of Muharram begins at sundown
22 Autumn begins
27 PUSD School Board Meeting 2000 Railroad Ave. 6:30 PM
29 Yom Kippur begins at sundown

October 2017
3 PEA Executive Board PEA Office 159 East 4th St. 4:00 PM
9 Indigenous Peoples Day
11 PUSD School Board Meeting 2000 Railroad Ave. 6:30 PM
16 No School/Mandatory Staff Development Day
17 PEA Rep Council PEA Office 159 East 4th St. 4:00 PM
25 PUSD School Board Meeting 2000 Railroad Ave. 6:30 PM
31 Halloween

Next Deadline for Articles is Friday, October 6, 2017

STAY INFORMED @ peateachers.org

cta.org & nea.org