Volume I | July 2019
Welcome Back!
Dear Unit Members,

WELCOME BACK! I know it was short lived, but I hope you got some much needed rest during Summer break. I spent mine sleeping, cleaning areas of my house that were neglected for a year and getting healthy! I took several wellness classes through VEBA that I highly recommend- Stress and Emotional Well-Being and Healthy Eating. It got me ready for this school year with a plan- take of myself first, so that I can be empowered to support my students and you, the members. Check out this link for information. Thriving Schools

So to get the school year started with your union, we've attached some highly important news about Special Education and the Enrichment schedule. And to motivate you, an oldy, but goody Ted Talk from the late Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion.

A couple of housekeeping items- please check in with your site rep if you have changed school sites, address, phone numbers, or personal email. We want to make sure we give you access to all the important information this school year.

Again, Welcome Back! I hope your 2019-20 school year goes great!

Christina Benson
President
National City Elementary Teachers Association
Update on Enrichment Teachers
Before the end of last school year, all Enrichment teachers were given written notices that they no longer belonged to school sites and that their home school was the district office. The association demanded to bargain on the change to their working conditions. An MOU was agreed to. Here are the main points:
  1. Assignment times would be equitable blocks as needed by the instructional times.
  2. The district shall make every effort to assign ET's to no more than two school sites, but ET's may be assigned to 3.

* Data teams time will be EQUITABLE across the district at 2 1/2 hours.
* The district sets the schedule & times, teachers will not change them (this is insubordination)
* ET's did not choose their school sites, but were asked for a preference, district had final say

NOTE: The association made every effort to resolve this before the school year began, the district had every opportunity to avoid confusion and missteps. Unfortunately, this is the result. Please support your Enrichment Teachers and welcome them to your school sites.
Special Education Updates
The Special Education Taskforce did not come to a unanimous recommendation for an Inclusion model for the district. A plan was not presented to the association for bargaining or a change to working conditions. Therefore, the SPED Taskforce will continue to meet for the 19-20 school year, and other meetings with the different specialties in the SpEd department (SLP's, RSP, Psych, SDC teachers) will take place as well. Again, no decisions or changes for an inclusion model will take place at this time.

Mainstreaming for the 2019-20 school year is inevitable at many school sites. Mainstreaming should not occur in a General Education classroom until the following has occurred:
  1. Principals should initiate the directive. There should be a discussion of which and how many students will be mainstreamed into your class. (They will take into consideration all other teachers in your grade level as well.)
  2. Contract Language should be followed. Read the contract language to learn more about the process of Mainstreaming Special Education student into a General Education classroom. (see link below, Article 19)
  3. A meeting with the IEP Case Manager. Principals will make time for you to be pulled and have time to meet with the case manager.
  4. IEP must be presented in person BEFORE the student is mainstreamed. IEP may not placed in mailboxes.
  5. Principals must support teachers. Teachers should request training and support from principals if needed. It is the responsibility of the principal to provide all Gen Ed teachers with support and materials to make mainstreaming successful for all Special Ed students.

Lucia Baeza, Central School,
2nd Grade

Congratulations to our NCETA member Lucia Baeza for being chosen as Teacher of the Year for the 2018-19 school year. She has been passionately teaching for 17 years as a bilingual educator. Her dedication to her students was reignited by a poem written by her late college Professor Cristina Gomez, which says, your passion will get you through the hard times of teaching. Congratulations Lucia!

"When you question your decision to go on teaching, look into the eyes of a student who needs you, that's where you'll find your passion again."
2018-19 NSD Teacher of the Year
Educator Activism
The mission of Minority Humanitarian Foundation is to provide a humanitarian response to the issues facing immigrants and refugees.

At this time, the needed items are: Non-Perishable Food items, Baby Formula, Diapers, Underwear all sizes, Socks all sizes, Arts and Crafts, Books- any grade, any language

*** All donations will be coordinated through site reps per school site, or can be dropped off at the South County Teachers United Office- 1061 Tierra Del Rey Ste. 100 Chula Vista, CA 91910
Every Kid Needs a Champion
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.