PEA

focus
on educators
focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA

California Teachers Association

Statement of Mission
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.

JANUARY PEA President’s November Sock Drive, December,

January and February Habitat for
2011 Message Humanity Build and now we will
continue with March 2nd Read
Since we are beginning a new
Across America Collaboration with
year it is a good time to reflect on
thePittsburg library and Railroad
the past year and then make some
Book Depot, an April local Earth
decisions for the upcoming year.
Day community cleanup, the
At our last PEA leadership team
Seafood Festival, Pittsburg Teacher
retreat in August we made three
Outreach In September, and the
Volume XX goals for the year: #1. Political
Action Goal: To elect candidates at
Farmers Market Teacher Outreach
in October. Please volunteer to
Number 5 the local, state and national level
who support the goals and
help at any of these events and
receive a Pittsburg Teachers Care
In this Issue objectives of PEA/CTA/NEA.
T-shirt. This goal is still a work in
Thanks to the leadership of Iris
progress and I hope we can count
President’s Message & Contreras and Steve Longley and
on your help. Finally goal #3.
for the support of a lot of
Informational Items… Pgs. 1-5 Internal Organizing Goal: To
volunteers I can say Mission
improve membership participation
Conferences……….… Pgs. 4 & 7 Accomplished (why does it feel
in union activities and awareness
weird to use that phrase?) Now for
CTA News…………… Pg. 5 of PEA’s mission. This is a work in
goal #2. Community Outreach
progress as well, but we have been
Legal Issues…………. Pg. 6 Goal: To increase visibility and
very active in giving you as many
develop the positive image of PEA
Excerpts……………… Pg. 9 opportunities to be informed and
through actions and participation in
aware as we can think of. We, the
PEA Calendar……….. The Last Page the community. We began the goal
Executive Board, had Relational
with the Delta Youth Soccer Team
Meetings at every school site. Now
sponsorship last summer,
I will be visiting ever school site
with my President’s Relational
Meeting so you can ask me directly
about the state of our affairs. We
supplied membership input boxes
to every staff lunch room. We have
had two General Membership
Meetings with dinner supplied to
encourage you to attend and be
informed. Our latest effort to
improve member awareness is our
just launched PEA website which
you can reach at peateachers.org.
Monthly additions and updates will
be available for you around the
clock. Now I have a request of you
to help with our internal organizing
goal since you are the target
audience. Please give your site rep
your personal e-mail address so
that any information I forward to
the rep can be forwarded to you
quickly and directly. Since we are
about to begin to bargain the
contract, having you immediately
informed is imperative. Next,
attend your site reps 10 minute
meeting, attend the next General
Membership Meeting March 9th,
wear your PEA Weingarten Rights
lanyard tag, read your monthly
FOCUS and, finally, ask me
directly if you have any questions
by e-mailing me at
peatchrs@att.net.
Wag More, Bark Less!
Chris Coan, PEA President

PEA Leadership 2010-2011 NEA Director for California, District 3

President Marc Sternberger – Special Education/MLK
Chris Coan Technical Editor
Willow Cove Elementary/ PEA Office Susan Harrison – PEA Site Secretary
Elementary Vice President
Cindy Joy Focus on Educators
Parkside Elementary
is a publication of the
Secondary Vice President
Arthur Pruyn Pittsburg Education Association CTA/NEA
Pittsburg High 1901 Railroad Avenue #A
Secretary Pittsburg, CA 94565
Tammy Carr Phone: (925) 432-0199
Highlands Elementary
fax: (925) 432-4854
Treasurer
Gale Higgins E-MAIL:peatchrs@att.net
Stoneman Elementary
Committee Chairs
Grievance Committee Rep. Council Meeting Calendar
Cindy Joy September 15
Parkside Elementary October 20
Richard Higgins November 17
Pittsburg High December 15
Negotiations Team January 19
Marc Sternberger - Chair February 16
Political Action Committee March 16
Iris Contreras and Steve Longley - Chair April 20
Elections Chair May 18
Sharie Chmura June 8
Human Rights Committee ******************
Tasharie Ameral – Chair
Women’s Issues Committee School Board Meeting Calendar
Deborah Cummings - Chair September 22
PEA Organizing Team October 13
Vacant - Chair October 27
CTA State Council Representatives November 17
Chris Rohde - Pittsburg High December 15
January TBA
Denise James, Valorie Luke, Sara Savacool - AEA
February TBA
Alternate
March TBA
Cindy Joy - Parkside Elementary
April TBA
CTA Director District C May TBA
Eric Heins – Willow Cove Elementary June TBA
 ****************** coat to get ready for the day. The teachers at Los
Are you Getting your PEA Medanos have lost their time 5 days a week and
Information??? therefore have to do their morning prep on their
own time before contracted hours begin.
Having the site reps attend their monthly meeting and
then reporting back to you is vital in the communication  A Level 1 grievance was given to Linda
chain of our Association. Rondeau on following the contracted language
for maximum class sizes in elementary for ELD
Roll call at last December 15th Rep Council Meeting:
Adult Ed. – absent Stoneman – present classes. There are no provisions for altering class
Foothill – present Willow Cove –absent size maximums due to “special groupings” and
Heights – absent MLK – absent so we believe ELD class size numbers should
Highlands – present Hillview - present mirror class size language in the contract.
Los Medanos – present Rancho Medanos - absent
Marina Vista – present PHS - present
Parkside – absent Riverside – present
****************** ******************************
Has your Rep Collected your Sites ***
Personal E-mail Addresses??? Basic Premise of Unionism

Adult Ed. – no Stoneman – yes  Means that the mistreatment of an individual

Foothill – no Willow Cove –no worker creates the possibility of mistreatment for
Heights – no MLK – no every worker.
Highlands – yes Hillview - no
Los Medanos – no Rancho Medanos - no  Requires that workers come to the support and
Marina Vista – yes PHS - no defense of fellow workers who are threatened.
Parkside – no Riverside - yes
 Creates a balance of solidarity among
employees.

ATTENTION  Is the foundation of solidarity among employees.

!!!
“An injury to one
is an
PEA has finally launched their new injury to all”
website: peateachers.org

******************************
***
Grievances Update…
 An Informal grievance was presented to Los
Medanos regarding their 15 minutes of morning
prep time. Since their school has the free
breakfast for all program, their administrator has
chosen to have the students eat their breakfast
the first 15 minutes of contracted work time
when normally a teacher comes into their room,
turns on the heat, computer and takes off their

The Man Who Said “No!”
Fred T. Korematsu was an ordinary person who took an
extraordinary stand. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go
to the government’s racist concentration camps for Japanese
Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the
government’s order, he appealed his case – all the way to the
Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him,
arguing that internment was justified due to “military necessity.”
In 1983, a group of young lawyers discovered key
documents that government lawyers had hidden from the
Supreme Court in 1944. The documents consistently showed
that Japanese Americans had done nothing wrong. With this
new evidence, the legal team reopened Korematsu’s case on
the basis of government misconduct. On November 10, 1983,
Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in the US District Court
of the Northern District of California. It was a pivotal moment in
civil rights history.
American Civil Rights Hero
In 1998, Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill
Clinton. After 9/11, he continued to speak out, filing a number
of legal briefs with the Supreme Court on behalf of Muslim
inmates being held in US military prisons. In 2005, after more
than 60 years of activism, Korematsu passed away at the age
of 86.
On September 23, 2010, California Governor
Schwarzenegger signed AB 1775, the Fred Korematsu Day of
Civil Liberties and the Constitution bill – the first day named
after an Asian American in US history. The law, which was co-
sponsored by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-South Los
Angeles County) and Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San
Diego), encourages schools across California to teach students
about Fred Korematsu’s story and its relevance in today’s post-
9/11 environment. The first Fred Korematsu Day will be
celebrated on January 30, 2011 and thereafter annually in
perpetuity.
*******************************
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2133 Loveridge Rd., Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: 925-439-9890 Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
*******************************
Upcoming PEA/CTA/PUSD
Workshops
All are invited to attend; parents, teachers and
administrators. Details and R.S.V.P. information
will be sent via district email in January.
Teen Suicide
March 3, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
 are reminders of your rights under law and also what to
Gang Awareness do if you need union assistance. You just never know
April 7, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. when something might happen.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexuals: Weingarten Rights

Breaking the Silence
May 12, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The United States Supreme court has ruled (NLRB
vs. Weingarten) than an employee has the right to
******************************* Union representation during any employer interview
which may result in discipline. In California, PERB
Calendar for PEA President’s has also held that these rights apply to public
Q and A Site Visits employees covered by the collective bargaining laws
it administers.
Note: These meetings will occur right after contract
time ends in your staff lounge. Come with questions, 1. Employees must request that a representative
concerns, and information to share. be present.
2. Employees have the right to know the
January 6 Foothill subject of the meeting.
January 11 Heights 3. Employees have the right to consult with a
January 25 Highlands representative prior to the meeting.
February 10 Los Medanos 4. Employees must have a reasonable belief
February 15 Marina Vista that discipline will result from the meeting.
March 1 Parkside 5. Employees do not have the right to refuse to
March 8 Stoneman attend the meeting if the request for a rep is
March 15 Willow Cove denied.
March 22 Hillview 6. Weingarten rights do not apply if the
March 29 Rancho Medanos employer is simply informing an employee
April 5 PHS
of some discipline which has already been
April 12 Riverside
decided – they only apply if she/he is being
April 19 MLK
questioned.
*************************************
*******************************
PEA General Membership
Health Benefits Breakdown for
Meeting
Certificated Staff
Medical Dental Vision Life Ins. When? Wednesday, March 9th
$470.67 $121.14 $7.66 $2.40 from 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Single Party - $601.87/mo. $7,222.44/annual Where? City of Pittsburg office building –
3rd level
$941.34 $121.14 $7.66 $2.40
Why? To hear from the bargaining chair the
Two Party - $1,072.54/mo. $12,870.48/annual
results of the membership survey on
your bargaining priorities and to hear
$1,223.74 $121.14 $7.66 $2.40
what we are going to “sunshine” (or
Family – $1,354.94/mo $16,259.28/annual
offer) to the district to start the ball
rolling.
*******************************
Who? All teachers
Weingarten Lanyards
As part of our internal organization efforts, please
wear your PEA Weingarten Rights Lanyard tags. These
 “NEWS …………”
Evaluation Standards for
Principals
This is the second in a series of six (6). The evaluation
standards for principals – FYI.
STANDARD 3
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes
the success of all students by ensuring management of the
organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient,
and effective learning environment.
 Sustain a safe, efficient, clean, well-maintained, and
productive school environment that nurtures student
learning and supports the professional growth of teachers
and support staff.
 Utilize effective and nurturing practices in establishing
student behavior management systems.
 Establish school structures and processes that support
student learning.
 Utilize effective systems management, organizational
development, and problem-solving and decision-making
techniques.
 Align fiscal, human, and material resources to support the
learning of all subgroups of students.
 Monitor and evaluate the program and staff.
 Manage legal and contractual agreements and records in
ways that foster a professional work environment and
secure privacy and confidentiality for all students and staff.

Election of State Council
Representative for Multiple
Electoral District CC-3
Please be advised that the newly elected State Council
Representative for Multiple Electoral District CC-3 is
Sara Savacool. She will complete the unexpired term of
Sandra Wilbanks to
June 25, 2012.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 17, 2011
Teachers Legal Rights
and Duties Corner
Student Searches
You have a right to search backpacks, clothing,
lockers, provided you are not acting in an arbitrary,
capricious or harassing way. In RE: Randy G. Cal.
Supreme Court case.
No strip searches or rearranging of student clothing to
permit a visual inspection of underclothing or private
parts of a student. Metal detectors are permitted.
Ed Code 49050
Sexual Harassment
No person may be discriminated against on the basis
of sex, ethnicity, race, religion disability or sexual
orientation in any program or activity conducted by
public schools. This can be enforced by a civil action.
Ed Code 220
School districts must have written policy on sexual
harassment that is disseminated to students and teachers.
Students can be expelled or suspended for engaging in
sexual harassment. Ed Code 48900.2
Title IX of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 gives
students and parents a right to sue teachers and
administrators for allowing student-on-student sexual
harassment to occur. School districts and employees will
be liable if they knew about the harassment, and did
nothing to stop it.
Harassment Based on Sexual Orientation,
Actual or Perceived
Nobozny v. Podlesny (1996) 92 F 3d 446-it can be
expensive. Nearly $1 million settlement where the
plaintiff suffered several years of student harassment
because he was gay and the school did nothing about it.
Court held that its failure to enforce its sexual
harassment policy against gay harassers denied the
student equal protection of the law and discriminated What Conduct is Prohibited by California Law?
against him on the basis of gender and sexual orientation.
Under Gov’t. Code 12940(a) it is an unlawful practice
for California employers, including school districts and
county offices of education, to refuse to hire, to refuse to
select for a training program leading to employment, to
discharge from
employment, or to
discriminate in
compensation or in terms,
conditions or privileges
of employment on the
basis of sexual orientation.
Legal Rights for Gay, Gov’t. Code 12940(j)
prohibits harassment
Lesbian, Bisexual, by employers on the basis of sexual orientation.

Transgender Employees Under the Unruh Civil Rights Act [Cal. Civ. Code
and Students Corner Sec. 51] it is also illegal for any business to refuse to
provide full and equal accommodations, advantages,
CALIFORNIA LAW is clear and sweeping in its facilities, privileges, or services on the basis of sexual
protection of gay and lesbian employees from orientation or marital status.
discrimination because of sexual orientation or due to the
employer’s assumptions about the employee’s sexual
orientation. The law, Gov’t. Code Sec. 12940, also
protects against harassment based on sexual orientation
or marital status, and requires employers to take all
reasonable steps to prevent harassment from occurring,
even when that harassment comes from third parties.
The Department of Fair Employment and Housing
(DFEH) has jurisdiction over complaints of employment
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Employees have both administrative and judicial
remedies against employers who discriminate or harass
employees based on sexual orientation. The
administrative procedures are swift and efficient, thereby
minimizing the cost and time involved in resolving
Upcoming Conferences from
employment disputes. CTA

Good Teaching Conference – North

January 21-23, 2011, Marriot, San Jose ***************************************
*
Equity and Human Rights Conference
March 4-6, 2011, Fairmont, San Jose Bullying in the 21 st Century

Good Teaching Conference – South Definition of Bullying

March 18-20, 2011, Hyatt Regency, Garden Grove • A series of repeated intentionally cruel
incidents
Presidents Conference – July 18-22, 2011
Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove • Regularly involves the same children

Summer Institute – July 31-August 5, 2011, UCLA • Can consist of a single interaction

• Bullying behavior has also been defined
as a criminal act if the bully is twelve
years of age or older
Bully Fact Sheet
• 6% admit bullying others at least twice a
week
• Peers participated in 85% of the incidents
• Schools are aware of only 4% of the
incidents
• Bullies continue to bully throughout their
life
• 15% of secondary students report being
victimized
• Someone is bullied every 37 seconds
• Bullies are identified by age 8
• Schools are the prime location for
bullying
How Students Feel On Campus
• 37% do not feel safe at school
• 50% know someone who switched
schools to feel safer
• 43% avoid school restrooms
• 79% say that violence is over stupid
things (bumping into someone or rumors)
• 76% feel their lockers are not safe
• 63% say they would learn more if they
felt safe
• 47% say that teachers spend half the
class time disciplining other students
• 55% have seen weapons on campus
5 Characteristics of a Safe School
• Strong leadership
• Consistent and fair discipline policy
• High teacher involvement
• High expectations
• Parental involvement
***************************************
*
DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE
AND NEGLECT
To many, child abuse is narrowly defined as having
only physical implications. In reality, child abuse
includes:
 Physical abuse
 Physical neglect
 Sexual abuse
 Emotional abuse
 Internet Exploitation
The act of inflicting injury or allowing injury to
result, rather than the degree of injury, is the
determinant for intervention. A parent or caretaker
may begin by inflicting minor injuries, and then may
increasingly cause more serious harm over a period of
time. Therefore, detecting the initial small injuries
and intervening with preventive action may save a
child from future permanent injury or death.
Physical injuries, severe neglect and malnutrition are
more readily detectable than the subtle and less
visible injuries which result from emotional
maltreatment or sexual abuse. However, all
categories of abuse endanger or impair a child’s
health and development and therefore demand
attention.
Both physical and behavioral indicators for suspected
child abuse are presented in this publication to assist
mandated reporters in meeting their responsibilities
under the Child Abuse Reporting Law. The presence
of behavioral indictors does not necessarily mean that
abuse or neglect is occurring but should serve as a
warning signal to explore potential problems further.
***************************************
*
Enhancing Your Job Security
Things to Avoid
1. Don’t shirk your responsibilities. Make
every effort to attend required
meetings, meet required deadlines, and
take your fair share of the load.
2. Don’t become a “workaholic.” The most
productive persons are well-balanced
employees – people who can manage
their jobs and their lives.
10. Don’t panic! If you find yourself in a
situation where you may be subject to
disciplinary action or if you become the
subject of administrative harassment,
call your Association representative
immediately.

3. Don’t antagonize your supervisor

unnecessarily.
If you always do
4. Don’t get mixed up in intra-faculty
rivalries, or intra-school politics, and
don’t indulge in gossip on the job. what you’ve always done,

5. Don’t be a chronic complainer. If your you’ll always get

contract rights are violated, grieve,
but don’t gripe. Try to contribute to
what you’ve gotten!
the solution rather than to the
problem.

6. Don’t confide in details of personal

problems to your supervisor or to the
colleagues you barely know. The
exception is when a personal
emergency impinges on your job. Then
explain the situation briefly and
objectively.

7. Don’t lose your composure on the job –

with students, parents, colleagues or
your supervisor. Tears and losing your
temper will only work against you.

8. Don’t let yourself be pushed around.

Whether you are a permanent,
probationary or temporary employee,
you are a professional and are entitled
to be treated as one.

9. Don’t lie or attempt to deceive your

supervisor. Occasional lapses in
judgment may be tolerated, but
deception seldom is.
Community Outreach
Invitation
Our next event is ready for you to sign-up and be a
part of something PEA positive:
PEA Habitat for Humanity Build Day in Bay Point
If you volunteer you will receive a PEA Pittsburg
Teachers Care T-shirt.
When? Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 from
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where? At the end of Bella Vista Avenue
in Bay Point
No experience necessary!! Really...just be willing.
Wear comfortable work clothes, bring a lunch and
a water bottle. All tools, equipment and
explanations will be provided.
You must register first and here is how…
1. Go to Habitat for Humanity East Bay
2. Click on Volunteer
3. Under “Build Houses” click “Individuals”
4. Read and review FAQ’s
5. Go to “Upcoming Events” and scroll down
to Saturday, January 8, 2011
6. Click on Sign-up for Build Day – El
Rincon, Bay Point
7. Register if you are new to Habitat for
Humanity
Please let me know if you are coming and your
shirt size preference by e-mail to peatchrs@att.net
See ya there…Chris Coan
****************************************
Report Out
By, Chuck Jones
PUSD Energy Conservator
Our energy savings are equal to…
 Preventing 1,421 metric tons of CO2
emissions, or
 Removing 255 cars from our highways for
one year, or
 Planting and growing 36,344 tree seedlings
for 10 years
PUSD became an Energy Star Partner in
April, 2010 – Since then we…
 Achieved Label recognition for 10
buildings
 Are eligible for 20% Leader & Leader,
Top Performer recognition
Most importantly, the success of our energy
program is due to the participation of our faculty,
custodians, food service staff, and administration.
A special thanks goes to …
 Ms. Martha Strock, Mr. Ricardo Araiza,
Ms. Donna Marshall & Staff
 Mr. Mike Rodriguez, Mr. Mike Barros &
Staff
 Board of Trustees, Ms. Linda Rondeau,
Dr. Wilson, Mr. Enrique Palacios and
Mr. Ron Hickey
and to Everyone else who helped us conserve
energy.
PEA
Calendar
JANUARY 2011
1 New Year’s Day
5 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45
PM
6 PEA President’s Visit – Foothill’s Staff Lounge – After
Contract Hrs. End
11 PEA President’s Visit – Height’s Staff Lounge – After
Contract Hrs. End
13 Superintendent Roundtable – 3:30 PM – PUSD Board
Room
17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
19 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
25 PEA President’s Visit – Foothill’s Staff Lounge – After
Contract Hrs. End
TBA PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 7:00
PM

FEBRUARY 2011
2 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
5 PEA Executive Board Retreat
10 Relational Meeting @ Los Medanos’ staff lounge directly after school
12 Lincoln’s Birthday
14 Valentine’s Day
15 Relational Meeting @ Marina Vista’s staff lounge directly after school
16 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
18 Holiday – no school
21 President’s Day – no school
22 Washington’s Birthday
TBA PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 7:00
PM

Next Deadline for Articles is February 7, 2011

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