Volume II | August 2019
In union, there is strength...
President’s Message
Dear Unit Members,

Please note some items that were discussed at Curriculum Consultation in late July:

New Promethean Boards - if you have not had the training be sure to speak up as to when you’d like to be trained. You will choose when you receive the training this school year.
  • Purchasing items for the new boards. The district has agreed with the association on a few items to make the use of the new board successful. We are in talks for the district to purchase wireless keyboards, wireless mice, apps, or docu cams. Please do not purchase items for the board at this time, the district is working on this. You may not be reimbursed for items already purchased.
  • Work Orders- the LCAP budget helps to fund two of our NSD tech team members. If you pull a tech person to help you in the classroom, please put in a work order, for everything, even if it’s something you think is small. They are working tirelessly for us, and need our support in documenting the work they are doing. Please put in the work orders on the district website. (ask your principal on how to do this)

District Trainings - there are tons of training which are pulling us out of the classroom, and it is the most disruptive of timing. The district has assured us that this will not happen for the following school year. Make sure that you are emailing Wendy O’Connor when you are needing to sign up or pull out of training.

Mainstreaming - Please read the first newsletter for information on how to make sure this goes smoothly in your classroom. August 2019 Newsletter

Welcome Your NCETA Representatives for the 2019-2020 School Year!
Central - Amy Hayes & Lynn Carswell
El Toyon- Natalia Morales
Ira Harbison - Janis Ireland
Kimball- none
John Otis- Cuauhtémoc Baeza & Randy Rodriguez  
Palmer Way- none
Las Palmas- Kara Holtzman
Lincoln Acres- Chris Craven
Olivewood- Gina Marshall
Rancho- Kathryn Giffin
Enrichment- Dedee Ard
Counselors- David Valencia
Preschool- Lorena Dambois
SDC- David Mahlow
RSP- none
LAS- none
Grievance Team- Sharlena Smith

Executive Board
Vice President- Sandra Puentes
Treasurer- Jonathan Isaacs
Secretary- Elizabeth McEvoy
Membership Chair- Patricia Carrillo
Grievance Chair- Jean Howard
Social Chair- Tamlyn McKean

Bargaining Team
Chair-Irma Sanchez, Molly Sterner, Veronica Ojeda

Yours in Solidarity,
Christina Benson
President
National City Elementary Teachers Association
Organizing for Member Unity
Tuesday #RedforEd & Unity Days
 
Members, show unity with your fellow educators by wearing red on Tuesdays. 

What is #RedforEd?  We're raising our voices to protect public schools. To support every student, we're wearing Red for Education.

When we think about the promise of education today, we see the future leaders of our nation and the qualified educators who reach, teach and inspire them. We see classrooms with modern tools that help students prepare to make an impact on the world. We see students getting the support they need to thrive and educators having the support they need to serve.

We see progress and hope.

But today we also see budgets being cut, overcrowded classrooms and outdated materials. We see educators working around the clock to make a difference in the lives of their students and standing up to lawmakers to ask for better pay and school funding. We're raising our voices together for our students, for our schools and for ourselves as educators.

That's why we’re wearing #RedforEd.

MARK Your Calendar :
NCETA Welcome Social
Friday, September 13th  
Get your #RedforEd or SuperHero shirt!

Hold the dates:
1/31/20 - Topic TBA
5/8/20 NCETA Teacher Appreciation & Retirement Event
NCETA Educator Spotlight
For our first educator spotlight, NCETA would like to introduce to you Mrs. Kimberly Carnagey! A fifth grade teacher at El Toyon, Kimberly is going into her 5th year as an educator. She has a unique approach to educating her students where she incorporates popular culture, characters, and themes in her classroom environment. Her love of Star Wars, SuperHero comics, and Harry Potter are seen throughout her classroom. She becomes a human poster board for these themes with her lively t-shirts, and costumes that she wears to school. It’s no wonder why her students love coming to school every day! 

In her own words, here’s what she says about creating an environment specifically for her students. “ I feel that the classroom environment that I’ve created for my students has showed them to be more positive about learning. By incorporating things that I like, it gives my students a sense of who I am and better understand my expectations. Learning is supposed to be fun, and I feel that by having my classroom the way it is, I am able to make sure that my students are getting just that.“ Advice from Kimberly on how to inspire your students with your classroom environment? “Add a piece of yourself into the classroom. You don’t have to be the ‘Pinterest teacher,’ but just that pop of color, that school pennant, that Yoda POP figure, can be all the difference.”
Thank you Kimberly Carnagey for being an inspiration for your colleagues and your students! #WeAreNCETA!
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Benefits of Membership

 Your site rep will have your new member IDs for you this month. Are you interested in getting access to member benefits? Download the CTA Benefits app and use your member ID to get access.

Contract Issues and Concerns
Many people ask:
"If I am being given a directive (an ask or a to do) by my principal and I think or feel it violates the contract, do I have to comply?"

Answer: Yes, comply. Do not be insubordinate. Always comply with the directive, then alert your site rep and an informal grievance process begins. (conversation with the administrator) Formal grievances are filed when a principal does not change or correct the contract violation.

Note: Whenever you feel there might be a grievance, read the contract to identify the article being violated then contact your site rep!

Jean Howard
NCETA Grievance Chair
NCETAgrievance@gmail.com
Secretary's Report

Check in with your site representative to update your contact information so you can receive all the materials, benefit information, and current events of the association. Know your rights!
Treasurer's Corner

Conferences such as the New Educator Weekend and the Good Teaching conference are available from the California Teachers Association. You may visit www.ctago.org for information.

Any member that receives a scholarship from NCETA to attend a conference may submit a reimbursement request for items such as mileage, accommodations, and/or meals. Email Jonathan Isaacs at ncetatreasurer1@gmail.com to ask for the reimbursement form or if you have any questions.