Mountain View Teachers Association

Laura Gaber lgabermtva@gmail.com

September 2016

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Hello and welcome to the 2016-2017 school year. We started the year off running, as
usual. Summer is a distant memory, and many of you seemed to work through the whole
break. Still, I hope you were able to get some time off with family and friends to recharge.
As of September 1, 2016, our membership has grown to 405 an addition of 40 members
over the beginning of the 2015 school year. Our Unit includes: Children Center teachers,
Headstart teachers, Home-based teachers, School Age teachers, Teacher IIs, Preschool
Intensive Needs teachers, TK-8 grade teachers, Alternative Ed teachers, Psychologists,
Program Specialists, Nurses, Speech and Language teachers, Counselors, TOSAs, Physical
Education teachers, Special Education Teachers, and Newcomer teachers. Did I get everyone?
Altogether we make up a community of support providers and teachers very dedicated to the
children of the Mountain View School District and very proud to be serving the families of El
Monte and South El Monte.
This November, there is a very important proposition on the ballot. Proposition 55 is the
extension of Proposition 30 that was passed in 2012. With the passage of Proposition 30, the
vast cuts that had devastated California public school education over the prior 5 years are
slowly being filled in and districts are beginning to get back on their feet. Proposition 55 is
designed to keep that progress going. The .25% sales tax increase is going away this
December and Proposition 55 will not change that. Proposition 55 simply extends the
Proposition 30 personal income tax increase on incomes of $250,000 and above for 12 years.
It is vital that this Prop 55 passes. Stay tuned for information on how you can help.
I hope you have a fantastic year. Let us know if you need anything. Were here to
support.

Membership Engagement Corner

By Belinda Hyde, Membership Engagement Chair
This summer several of your MVTA members attended the
UCLA CTA Summer Institute and I was one of them.
All I can say is WOW!!!!
Areas that we engaged in and will be presenting to MVTA
Members will range from free life insurance, discounts to various
stores such as MACYs, retirement, and loan forgiveness. In
October, we will be offering COFFEE with our Executive Board at
Starbucks (both locations). Also, we will be sharing websites and
how to add beneficiaries for our free life insurance. In November,
we will share the many discounts available to union members, as
well as preparing for an Open Enrollment in December for various
life and disability insurances. In January, we will have an NEA
presentation on Loan Forgiveness! In the following months, we will
have different presentations on saving for retirement, as well as
what to do when you are ready to retire. WOW!!!!!
Besides working to better inform our members as to what is
available to them, we are also becoming more engaged with our
community. On August 20th, MVTA participated for the first time
in the El Monte Resource and Health Fair held at the El Monte
Mall. The students and families (who lined up as early as 5:30 a.m.)
who benefited from this were students from El Monte as well as
South El Monte including Kinder through High School students. It
was amazing to see the local beauty school giving free haircuts and
the smiles that this elicited not only from the students, but from
parents as well. The event organizers gave out 1500 beautiful
backpacks! The students then walked the mall and filled it with
supplies. MVTA gave out over 1500 one-subject notebooks, as well
as MVTA pencils, and bookmarks. We ran out with students still
coming. Next year, need more!
If you want to have a good feeling, join us next year and for the
events we will be promoting throughout the year. Also, to kick off
the year, please bring family and friends to the regional CTA Service
Center One picnic in San Dimas on September 10, for tacos, games,
and fun in the sun.
LIFE IS GOOD with the outstanding teachers from MVTA!

CTA Service Center One

2nd Annual WELCOME BACK
September 10, 2016
11:00 am 2:00 pm

San Dimas Canyon Community

Regional Park
1628 Sycamore Canyon Rd. San
Dimas, CA 91773

Bring your family and your own

chairs, shade, and extra water
to stay comfortable during this
summer afternoon.

Service Center One Council/CTA/NEA

Free Parking
Fall Leadership Conference/Legislative Breakfast
"Leading the Way for Public Education
Saturday, September 24, 2016
One FREE fair ticket per participant courtesy of SCONE
Registration: 7:15 - 7:45 a.m.
Legislative Breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m.
Keynote Speakers:
Seth Bramble, CTA Legislative Advocate
Patty Blume Taylor, Chair, CTA AB 420 Workgroup
Door Prizes
AB 420, Student Discipline - Keeping Students in School
Sheraton Fairplex, Conference Center
601 West McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
Registration Deadline
Friday, September 9, 2016
Register on Evite, the link is: http://tinyurl.com/SCONE2016,
(in the comments box please provide your full name, chapter
name, and e-mail address)
Mail a check for $25 per participant made payable to:
Service Center One Council,
1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 150, Monrovia, CA 91016
MVTA Executive Board
President: Laura Gaber, x-6625
Vice President: Leticia Urias, x-4311
Secretary: Jacquella Payne, x-4934
Treasurer: Rose Marie Dominguez, x-6624
Member at Large PreK 3:
Maria Aguilar, x-4674
Member at Large 4 6: Mai Dang, x-6631

Member at Large 6 8:
Mary Aguayo , x-4311

Political Action Report

By: Elena Caballero
At this time I would like to say just a few words, or, actually, maybe more than just a few!
Many people say . There are two things that should NEVER EVER be discussed in public religion . and politics.
Well today, I will be forced to break that rule; I am the Political Action Chair for the Mountain View Teachers Association, and, as
such, Im allowed to break that rule!
The election - this November - is extremely important. We will be electing a new US President and a new CA Senator. And the
majority control in the House of Representatives and the Senate are also at stake! As you can see, of course, the national implications
are enormous. But, I submit, the local implications are just as enormous.
This election will have many statewide initiatives and propositions. The California Teachers Association is sponsoring three
important propositions - Prop 58, the California Language Education, Acquisition and Readiness Now (LEARN) Initiative, which would
establish the option of dual immersion classrooms, and Prop 52, the Medi-Cal Funding and Accounting Act, which would increase
health funding for low-income students and seniors. These propositions are important but the one that I think is the most important
of all, especially to our students and teachers, is Proposition 55, the Childrens Education and Health Care Protection Act. In a nutshell,
Proposition 55 would extend the benefits of Prop 30.
What are the benefits of Prop 30?
Well, let me begin by asking a simple question: how many of you, as teachers, were hired after 2012, can I see a show of hands?
Thats excellent. And so that means its safe to say that the rest of you were hired before then, right?
Now, if you were one of those that were hired after 2012, then, in essence, you were hired as a result of the passage of Prop 30
after many of your Association brothers and sisters, many of whom are here today, campaigned and fought for its passage. But if you
were here in the years before that, especially in the years from 2009 to 2012 then you witnessed the utter devastation that resulted
from huge budgetary cutbacks that resulted in massive layoffs where members lost their jobs, their homes, and, in some cases due
to divorce, had their lives literally torn apart. And as bad as it was for teachers, our students fared even worse! Because as bad as
financial setbacks are, it is possible, in time, to recover from them, but how do our students recover from the loss of unfulfilled
potential and unrealized dreams especially since such setbacks could have lasting effects. Every year, as our classes grew more and
more overcrowded, and as our responsibilities and workloads steadily increased, our students became the ultimate losers. That is why
it was literally so important to pass Prop 30 in 2012 - and we did!
But, unfortunately, the benefits of Prop 30 were not permanent. By design, they were made to expire in 4 years. But Proposition
55, on the ballot this November, would extend those benefits until the year 2030. It is not an increase in taxes, but, instead, maintains
them at their present levels. The passage of Prop 55 would be a positive vote for the future, and its defeat a return to a dark,
difficult, and uncertain past.
So, what can we, as Association members, do to help ensure the passage of Prop 55- as well as these other propositions? First, we
need to get involved. CTA will sponsor a host of election activities from phone banking and door-to-door visits, to email and text
messaging campaigns. Please sign up for these events- we are always in the need of good volunteers. And please dont assume that
others will volunteer or wait for me to call you, instead, contact me (626) 698 8268, and volunteer. In addition, each of us should
make it a point to tell our families our friends and our neighbors, why it is so important to pass these propositions. Lastly, in
addition to all these things, we must each remember to vote your vote is extremely important, and if you are not registered to vote,
please register as soon as possible, and encourage others to do so as well, it is that important.
So I ask, please, get involved, vote, and join me . in making a major difference for our schools and community.
A vote for these propositions, especially Prop 55, is a vote for our students, a vote for our fellow teachers, and a vote for
teachers yet to come.
Thank you.
September 2016

August 2016

Sun

Mon

Tue

October 2016

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

10

Executive Board
Meeting, Madrid
School Board
Meeting
4

Rep Council
Meeting, Kranz 14

11

12

13

14

Regional CTA Picnic,

San Dimas

15

16

17

23

24

Regional Presidents
Meeting, Pomona Back to School

Night, Kranz,
Coordinated
Madrid, MV
Bargaining, Pomona
18

19

20

21

22

Back to School
Night, Elementary
Schools
25

26

27

28

29

Legislative
Breakfast / Training,
Sheraton Pomona
30

Notes: