August

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  • Posted on
    August 30, 2011
  • Author
    CTA
  • Category
    Advocacy

Let’s Get Back to Schools!

Strong public schools are essential to building stronger communities – and a better California for all of us.

To celebrate the start of the new school year, we’ve launched our annual Back to School campaign with a series of print, TV, radio and web ads encouraging parent involvement and a renewed focus on California’s classrooms as the place where innovation starts.

English version:

Spanish version:

View our print ads in the following languages:  English1 | English2 | Spanish | Arabic Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Thai | Vietnamese

  • Posted on
    August 20, 2011
  • Author
    CTA
  • Category
    Testing

2011 STAR results show steady improvement statewide

California’s students continue to steadily improve their performance across the board, with a larger proportion than ever scoring proficient or higher on the 2011 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program exams in English–language arts, mathematics, science, and history–social science.

“The significant and sustained improvements we’ve seen for nine consecutive years prove how hard teachers, school employees, administrators, and parents are working to help students achieve despite budget cuts that have affected our schools,” Schools chief Torlakson said. “Their heroic teamwork is paying off for California.”

Americans rating their teachers higher now than in past

The PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes toward Public Schools is a well-known research instrument. Conducted annually, it allows educators and policy makers to track public opinion about one of this nation’s most important institutions, its public schools.

Key findings of this year’s poll include:

  1. Americans rate their public school teachers more highly now than they have in the past. More than 70% of Americans say they have trust and confidence in the men and women who are teaching in public schools.
  2. This year’s PDK/Gallup poll shows that Americans believe the key to good schools is high-quality teachers.
  3. Consistent with past findings, Americans believe teacher salaries should be based on multiple factors, including advanced degrees, experience, and the principal’s evaluations of the teacher. Students’ scores on standardized tests were rated as least important.
  4. Americans polled, in significant numbers, said the lack of financial support is the biggest problem facing public schools.
  5. Parents continue to give very high grades to the school that their oldest child attends, while many of those surveyed said their negative perception of the nation’s schools is based on media stories.

Of concern, half of those polled said they did not feel teachers unions helped public education. There is an obvious disconnect between the public’s opinion of ”teachers” and “teachers unions”. We need to work to show that our union is made up of teachers!

Boys and Men of Color Program

We strongly support the efforts of The California Endowment to reverse the disparity of educational opportunities for boys and young men of color in California.

Our state’s prosperity and health depend on all Californians having a fair chance to thrive and succeed. To this end, one of the best investments that we can make is to be certain that we are doing everything possible to help young people get the quality education they deserve and become healthy, productive adults. As California continues to be increasingly diverse, it will be especially critical to nurture and harness the talent, skills and hope of young people of color – boys and young men of color in particular. Young people are one of our greatest assets and the best indicator of our state’s future. Yet too many of our assets are growing up without a fair shot to be healthy and to succeed. This is especially true of boys and young men of color who are more likely to confront significant barriers on the road to adulthood.

“It is unacceptable that our state spends more feeding our men in prison than to improve their success in public school.” 
- Assemblymember Sandre Swanson

Disparity data related to the academic underachievement, poverty, female head of household, health outcomes, economic conditions and involvement in the criminal justice system for African American and Latino males has been well documented. CTA members witness the devastating effects of what African American and Latino male students come to school with every day:

  • Young men of color are more likely to grow up in neighborhoods where they confront challenges to their safety and well-being. In their neighborhoods, they are 5 times more likely to be murdered than girls and young women and 7 times more likely to die from gun violence.
  • Young men of color are also more likely to go to schools where they don’t have the tools and help they need to learn, including experienced and qualified teachers. For instance, during the 2008-2009 school year, the California middle schools that served more than 90% Latino, African American and American Indian students were almost 10 times more likely than majority white and Asian schools to experience severe shortages of qualified teachers.

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