We will be protesting the negative impact to library programs, child development programs, positive classroom environments, school safety, teacher morale, etc. etc. as result of recent budget cuts and RIFs.

Come out and support your fellow teachers and librarians, advocate for your students, and be part of a show of force.  Show the District how many people care and force them to do the right thing.

Bring your families, wear red, create banners and signs!

Nearly 200 UTP members, CSEA members, parents and students rallied at the Board of Education meeting on March 27.  Here is a transcript of UTP member David Berk's message to the Board -- Let's get this message out to our community!

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When last I spoke to you all, I asked about our district's spending.  I asked why you are trying to impose cuts to teachers' total compensation, impacting the quality of teachers our district can hire and retain, while choosing to hire a PR man in the same year, and stating your intent to eventually hire a director of secondary instruction as well. 

I asked why you are issuing pink slips to those of us closest to the classroom while we are retaining two directors of personnel.  Now, I'm asking why you adopted the supplemental Behavior RtI at cost to the district.  To this date, I've yet to hear any answers to my questions.

Now, I'm also asking why you're looking to impose up to 11 furlough days on our students and teachers, while making minimal cuts to administration.

Our teachers have sent you emails and made suggestions for how to open up the money in the budget to maintain current class sizes, keep a full instructional year including professional development days for teachers, and keep our teachers' total compensation levels steady so that we have the best chance to hire and retain the best and the brightest instructors for our students.

To reiterate:
Consolidate the Chief Finance Officer and the Budget Director positions;

Consolidate the Communications Director and the Communications Coordinator positions;

Consolidate the Special Education Director and the Special Education Coordinator positions;

Consolidate the Chief Technology Officer and the Technology Operations Coordinator positions;

Consolidate the Chief Human Resources Officer and the Human Resources Director positions;

And consolidate the Chief Academic Officer and Elementary Director positions.

The number of consultants needs to be reduced, and there should be a spending freeze in all District office departments that are not providing direct services to students.

The parents and teachers you see before you are here because they are upset, not only with California's  budget, but because your efforts to keep cuts away from our classrooms and kids are not yet good enough.

There is still time for you to do right by our parents, teachers, classrooms, and most importantly, students.

Make these recommended changes, rescind all layoffs, and drop your proposals at the bargaining table to cut teachers' total compensation and open up furlough days.  Thank you very much.

OVERALL GOAL: Protecting public education and essential public services.

SHORT‐TERM GOAL FOR THE WEEK OF ACTION MAY 9‐13: Convince the California Legislature to pass the state budget with tax extensions.

LONG TERM GOAL: Educate and convince communities to change tax structure and achieve tax fairness in order to achieve adequate, stable and ongoing funding for public education and essential public services.

During this critical week, we need to educate, energize and organize members; educate and outreach to the community; and engage in coalition building. May 9‐13, 2011, will be a week of escalating actions ending in a bold statewide unifying activity. 

The entire week of action will involve the broad and combined efforts of the Education Coalition (including California State PTA, California School Boards Association, School Administrators, School Employees, SEIU, County Offices and County Administrators, School Business Officials and Superintendent of Public Instruction), parents, all other labor unions, and faith and community groups. The week begins and ends with a group of educators (with others invited to join) taking over the State Capitol.  At the local level, members along with the Education Coalition will gather for a rally on Friday, May 13^th at Pershing Square (map) beginning at 4:00 p.m.

The success of action week depends not only on how our efforts can change minds and remind the public about the vitality of public education and other services, but more on how our collective and individual efforts can show that education and public good will always be an issue and a topic of highest priority.

In order to make the activities and goals of this week as productive as possible and open to every member, we are organizing around a plan guided by the acronym --

L.E.A.R.N.

Legislative. Every Parent. Appreciation and Allies. Revenue. Not Business as Usual.

MONDAY, MAY 9

Focus on LEGISLATIVE activities:

• Target lawmakers in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, as well as in other areas of the San Gabriel Valley.  The UTP Political Action Committee will develop a letter-writing campaign.

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Reach out to EVERY PARENT:

• Send letters home (letters currently pending District input). Members will distribute flyers and letters to parents before and after school.  Members are to wear red.  (UTP Tee-Shirts and Polo shirts are available at the Union Office, $10 and $20)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Use Day of the Teacher to APPRECIATE educators and ALLIES:

• Partner with PTA, and Invest in Kids to thank educators

* UTP Teacher Appreciation Dinner at a “Buy in PUSD” business (TBA).

THURSDAY, MAY 12

Promote the need for REVENUE for schools and other essential public services:

Encourage members to support pro-education businesses through the  “Invest in PUSD Kids” and the “BUY in PUSD” programs.  Check regularly for education supporting businesses!

FRIDAY, MAY 13

It’s NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL:

• Declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY!
• 300 volunteers will stage a  sit‐in at the State Capitol (beginning Monday, May 9^th)
• Hold regional rallies calling on legislators to “free the occupants” [sit-in participants] by passing the tax extensions and protecting public education and other essential public services.

WEAR RED!!! UTP Regional Rally will begin at 4:00 p.m. at Pershing Square (5^th & Olive in Downtown Los Angeles).   The use of Public transportation is strongly encouraged, to save on gas, and parking. UTP will have a bus leaving from PHS and another from CTA’s Monrovia Regional Office.