PEA
on educators
focus on educators is an award winning publication of the Pittsburg Education Association/CTA/NEA
California Teachers Association
The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the
conditions of teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure
that the human dignity and civil rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable,
and democratic society.
DECEMBER
2010
Volume XX
Number 4
In this Issue
President’s Message &
Informational Items… Pgs. 1-3 & 6-7
Conferences……….… Pg. 4
Legal Issues…………. Pg. 4
CTA News……………Pg. 4
Photos……………...... Pg. 5
PEA Calendar……….. The Last Page
PEA President’s Message
Thank you to all who donated
socks for our first annual PEA sock
drive. I was able to give almost 100
packages of socks to the Pittsburg
Boys and Girls Club which they
will distribute to children in need.
focus
Statement of Mission
Some of you sent in some pretty
fancy looking pairs.
Thank you to the 6 people from
PEA who volunteered at our first
Habitat for Humanity build on
December 4th. It started out looking
like it was going to be miserable
weather but that wasn’t the case.
We worked on two of several
houses being newly constructed off
of Buena Vista Avenue in Bay
Point. There were about a dozen
people all together from other
schools or organizations as well.
Many of us hung siding, or made
stairs, or did the flooring for a
second level. The bottom line is that
NO SKILL WAS NECESSARY.
This is one of several Community
Outreach programs PEA will be
helping in and I do hope that you
can come to a build in the future.
Several of us were able to attend
the QEIA presentation from CTA
on November 30th. In case you
didn’t know, we in Pittsburg were
the lucky recipients of 4 QEIA
(Quality Education Investment Act)
grants: Foothill, Stoneman,
Parkside and Rancho Medanos. All
of these sites have received large
chunks of money for 7 years time
which they can decide how to best
utilize to improve API scores. What
they have used the money for is
smaller class sizes, Intervention
programs, grade level collaboration
time, staff planning for staff
development, and early back days
for those students in need. The
results, as done by an independent
research firm, have shown
incredibly large growth for QEIA
schools on their API as compared to
the non-QEIA schools for ALL sub
groups. The results also show that
when teachers have a significant
voice in what they are going to
teach as well as how they are going
to teach, then students’ scores go
way up. It is called Teacher Buy In.
It gets frustrating sometimes with
the large amount of “great ideas”
coming down on us from the top.
Please never stop speaking out and
letting your voice be heard and
putting in your “two cents.” We are
professional educators and we know
our stuff. We are not administrators
who are far from the front line. Let
them know how these “great ideas”
are going.
Wag More, Bark Less!
Chris Coan
PEA President
 PEA Leadership 2010-2011 Rep. Council Meeting Calendar
President September 15
Chris Coan October 20
Willow Cove Elementary/ PEA Office November 17
Elementary Vice President December 15
Cindy Joy January 19
Parkside Elementary
February 16
Secondary Vice President
March 16
Arthur Pruyn
April 20
Pittsburg High
May 18
Secretary
June 8
Tammy Carr
Highlands Elementary ******************
Treasurer
Gale Higgins School Board Meeting Calendar
Stoneman Elementary September 22
Committee Chairs October 13
Grievance Committee October 27
Cindy Joy November 17
Parkside Elementary December 15
Richard Higgins January TBA
Pittsburg High February TBA
Negotiations Team March TBA
Marc Sternberger - Chair April TBA
Political Action Committee May TBA
Iris Contreras and Steve Longley - Chair June TBA
Elections Chair ******************
Sharie Chmura
Human Rights Committee Are you Getting your PEA
Tasharie Ameral – Chair
Women’s Issues Committee Information???
Deborah Cummings - Chair Having the site reps attend their monthly meeting and then
PEA Organizing Team reporting back to you is vital in the communication chain
Vacant - Chair of our Association.
CTA State Council Representatives
Chris Rohde - Pittsburg High Roll call at last November 17th Rep Council Meeting:
Denise James, Valorie Luke - AEA Adult Ed. – absent Stoneman – present
Alternate Foothill – present Willow Cove –absent
Cindy Joy - Parkside Elementary Heights – present MLK – absent
CTA Director District C Highlands – present Hillview - present
Eric Heins – Willow Cove Elementary Los Medanos – present Rancho Medanos - absent
NEA Director for California, District 3 Marina Vista – present PHS - present
Marc Sternberger – Special Education/MLK Parkside – absent Riverside - present
Technical Editor
******************************************
Susan Harrison – PEA Site Secretary
“Question of the
Focus on Educators Month for You”
is a publication of the
Pittsburg Education Association CTA/NEA Please answer the following question and email your response
1901 Railroad Avenue #A to peatchrs@att.net. Responses will appear in the January
Pittsburg, CA 94565 FOCUS.
Phone: (925) 432-0199
fax: (925) 432-4854 October’s question: Why did you go into teaching?
E-MAIL:peatchrs@att.net
November’s question: What motivates you to keep going?

This month’s question: What frustrates you with teaching?

-2-
 UPDATE… Upcoming PEA/CTA/PUSD
Monday Staff Meeting Workshops
Grievance All are invited to attend; parents, teachers and
Due to the many school sites which were having administrators. Details and R.S.V.P. information will
mandatory 2-hour Monday Staff meetings EVERY week, be sent via district email in January.
we at PEA were trying to work with the district to make
Teen Suicide
that stop and so we filed a grievance. There was a
March 3, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
response from the district trying to close the contract
language loophole that could perhaps permit this, but
unfortunately the loophole still made it possible to have Gang Awareness
Monday Staff meetings past contracted time. We have April 7, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
continued with the grievance to a level 2 and now, by
mutual agreement, to mediation. On January 5th we will Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexuals:
have a mediator help PEA and PUSD resolve this issue. Breaking the Silence
Yes the contract does say after hours meetings can occur, May 12, 2011 – 3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
but it also says that we have a set contracted work day and
that this work day cannot be made longer. *******************************
******************************* Calendar for PEA President’s
Badge Addition Q and A Site Visits
On December 15th your site reps will be receiving a Note: These meetings will occur right after contract
PEA Badge for each and every member at their site (you.) time ends in your staff lounge. Come with questions,
Please clip this badge to your existing PUSD badge (there concerns, and information to share.
is a slot already made for easy addition.) On one side of
the badge is the Weingarten Rights and on the other side it January 6 Foothill
tells what to do if you need union assistance; first speak to January 11 Heights
your site rep, and then if you still need help, contact PEA January 25 Highlands
at peatchrs@att.net February 10 Los Medanos
February 15 Marina Vista
This is a part of PEA’s Internal Organization and is to March 1 Parkside
protect you in the event of a problem you may have to March 8 Stoneman
face at any time at work. A problem happens to March 15 Willow Cove
EVERYONE at some time in their teaching career. March 22 Hillview
Remember – if you are afraid of an administrator meeting March 29 Rancho Medanos
with you that might result in disciplinary action then have April 5 PHS
a rep attend with you. This badge is a reminder to protect April 12 Riverside
you! April 19 MLK
*******************************
*******************************
Superintendent Roundtable
DATE: January 13, 2011

TIME: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: PUSD School Board Room

Everyone and Anyone are invited to attend to give

concerns and ask questions.

First Annual PEA Sock Drive

Donated to the Pittsburg Girls and Boys Club
-3-
 “NEWS…………”
Evaluation Standards for
Principals
This is the second in a series of six (6). The evaluation
standards for principals – FYI.
STANDARD 2
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes
the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and
sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive
to student learning and staff professional growth.
 Shape a culture in which high expectations are the norm for
each student as evident in rigorous academic work.
 Promote equity, fairness, and respect among all members of
the school community.
 Facilitate the use of a variety of appropriate content-based
learning materials and learning strategies that recognize
students as active learners, value reflection and inquiry,
emphasize the quality versus the amount of student
application and performance, and utilize appropriate and
effective technology.
 Guide and support the long-term professional development
of all staff consistent with the ongoing effort to improve the
learning of all students relative to the content standards.
 Provide opportunities for all members of the school
community to develop and use skills in collaboration,
distributed leadership, and shared responsibility.
 Create an accountability system grounded in standards-
based teaching and learning.
 Utilize multiple assessments to evaluate student learning in
an ongoing process focused on improving the academic
performance of each student.
******************************************
Teachers Legal Rights
and Duties Corner
Physical Violence Between
Students
On-Campus: no criminal sanctions against a teacher for
using the amount of physical force necessary to maintain
order, protect property, or the health and safety of other
students and staff, and to maintain conditions conducive to
learning. Ed Code 44807
But note: This section does not speak to civil liability. A
public employee is not liable for an injury resulting from
his/her exercise of discretion vested in him or her. Use of
judgment in determining whether to break up a fight or not
-4-
or following the district’s policies will probably immunize
a teacher from liability. Gov’t. Code 820.2
Weapons
Weapons: You have the right to confiscate them, even if
it means using some reasonable physical force.
Ed Code 49001

******************************************
??? Questions Corner ???
When will I be able to get my reimbursement for the Staff
Development Day settlement? And does the district have the
money to pay it back?
When you have completed the timesheet with the needed hours, turn
them in to your site secretary and you will receive the reimbursement
on the next paycheck. The money to pay for this has already been
allocated by the school board. The cutoff for payroll is the 15th of each
month.
Can ELD class sizes be larger than what the maximum class sizes
are in the contract?
The answer is NO. Even though it is difficult to group students and
have equity at the same time, the answer is still no. You CANNOT
have an ELD class with 16 in one class and 46 in another. The site
principal will have to reconfigure the class sizes. If this is happening to
you, please tell your administrator.
Upcoming Conferences from CTA
Note: PEA has four (4) $50.00 rebates for any
attendees to any of these conferences. The rebate will
be given after attendance.
Issues Conference – January 14-16, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
Good Teaching Conference – North
January 21-23, 2011, Marriot, San Jose
Equity and Human Rights Conference
March 4-6, 2011, Fairmont, San Jose
Good Teaching Conference – South
March 18-20, 2011, Hyatt Regency, Garden Grove
Presidents Conference – July 18-22, 2011
Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove
Summer Institute – July 31-August 5, 2011, UCLA
******************************************
 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
PEA COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENT
December 4, 2010

-5-
 Relational Meetings Site Date # Attendees
Willow Cove 10/26/10 9
Information  Call sites more often
 Email successes to peatchrs.net for inclusion in
How can PEA improve our two-way Focus
 Website
communication with you?  Morning potluck
Site Date # Attendees  Personal phone calls
Stoneman 9/2/10 9  Social gatherings
 Regular movie night
 We need to be notified asap of community
outreach events Marina Vista 11/4/10 9
 Not enough flyers sent out  Online surveys
 Excited about the website  On website add link to cta.org
 Bills – legislation – resolutions
Foothill 9/7/10 15  Local government
 Email phone trees  Leader links
 Cable community T.V. at PHS
 Social functions Pittsburg High 11/9/10 9
 Have good reps  Personal emails
 Specify what each committee does  Social networking

Highlands 9/21/10 9 Los Medanos 11/18/10 10

 Contract education  Get the website up
 Keep PEA as a positive force –  Have a bio section for politics and
wear t-shirts endorsement
 Facebook ****************************************
 Email tree Social Networking
 Blog on website
 Yahoo group Do’s and Don’ts
 Site days to attend school board meetings
Social networking sites allow you to create a “profile”
Hillview 9/30/10 5 about yourself that you can share with others. Profiles
 Mass texts – get site personal emails include personal information and interests; plus,
 Facebook educational and professional information. Social
networking is a great tool for multi-way
 President lunch visits
communication and can help you organize around
 Social gatherings
specific issues. Your use of social media should be
 Website used wisely. Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate
 More positive with community through social networking.
 Explain to members about medical increase
Don’t: Accept anyone who you do not know as a
Heights 10/5/10 4 friend.
 Email concerns to PEA directly if there are
concerns Do: Be aware that users can search for you by
anything in your profile (your employer, university,
Rancho Medanos 10/4/10 1 etc.) Control who sees your page. Set your privacy
 Website: PEA’s perspective on school board settings so only “friends” can review your information.
meetings Stay away from sites that cannot be closed to the
public.
Parkside 10/19/10 13
 Group texting Don’t: Join groups that may be considered
 Facebook unprofessional or inappropriate, and leave any such
 PEA President site visits group that you are already a member of.
 Afterschool Q &A’s
-6-
Do: Monitor comments that are posted to your page.
Delete any with inappropriate language or content.
Monitor your friends’ Facebook photographs. If
someone “tags” you in an inappropriate photograph,
remove the tag and ask that the photo be taken down.
On Facebook, disable the Google search function.
Don’t post: Vulgar or obscene language, materials,
photos or links that may be considered inappropriate or
unprofessional.
Don’t post: Any negative information about your
students or school administrators. This includes
information that can easily identify a student or
administrator.
Do: Use common sense when you’re using social
media.
Here’s what you should know:
School Employees with tenure or “just cause” rights
have far greater protection from discipline for their
postings on a social networking site than probationary
employees.
 Employees with tenure or “just cause” rights
can be disciplined or discharged only if, in a
due process hearing, the school district can
show some legitimate reason related to
conduct or competence. In the context of
off-duty conduct, including, e.g., posting on
social networking sites, many courts have
required a showing that such conduct has an
actual adverse impact on the employee’s
ability to perform his/her job in order to
uphold employee discipline.
 While probationary employees don’t enjoy just
cause protection, they may mistakenly believe
that the First Amendment protects their right to
post anything they want to on social
networking sites. Unfortunately, school
employees have limited free speech rights.
Specifically, employee speech is not entitled to
First Amendment protection:
1. If the employee is merely speaking
about matters of personal concern,
e.g., social activities, partying,
personal gripes, etc; or
2. If school officials believe that the
employee’s speech might disrupt the
workplace or interfere with their job
performance.
-7-
Enhancing Your Job Security
Things to Do
1. Do a good job. Be well prepared. Meet your deadlines.
2. Study your copy of the Contract. Keep it for reference.
Know your rights and responsibilities. Ignorance of the
Contract, like ignorance of the law, is no excuse.
3. Get to know your supervisor and try – within reasonable
limits – to adapt your behavior to meet his or her
expectations.
4. Develop a good rapport with your colleagues, your
supervisor, other school employees, parents and
students.
5. Maintain a good attendance record; avoid unnecessary
tardiness. Always give prompt notice of unavoidable
absences or tardiness.
6. Accept constructive criticisms gracefully, and try to heed
them.
7. Initiate regular communications with your supervisor.
Find out what is expected of you and how well you are
meeting those expectations.
8. Maintain files of all job-related documents. Save
paycheck stubs, salary placement notices, observation
reports and evaluations, letters from parents, etc. IF
IT’S IN WRITING AND IF IT PERTAINS TO YOUR JOB,
DON’T THROW IT AWAY.
9. Ask for help if you need it.
10. Obey direct instructions from your supervisor. If you
believe an order is unreasonable, unfair or in violation of
the contract, you can raise an objection, and indicate
that you are complying under protest. But always
remember this principle: FIRST DO AS YOU ARE
TOLD, AND THEN GRIEVE.
11. If a problem arises, document it at the time and contact
your Association Representative as soon as possible.
12. Become an active participant in Association programs.
Association activities provide an opportunity for you to
develop a District-wide network of supportive colleagues
while you also develop and demonstrate your leadership
skills.
PEA Calendar
DECEMBER 2010
1 Hannukah begins at sundown
1 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
2 General Membership Mtg. @ Hampton Inn, Pittsburg – 3:45 PM
14 Relational Mtg. @ Adult Ed./Riverside staff lounge immediately
after school
15 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
15 PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 7:00 PM
20-31 Winter Break
25 Christmas
31 New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 2011
1 New Year’s Day
5 PEA Executive Board – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
6 PEA President’s Visit – Foothill’s Staff Lounge – After Contract Hrs. End
11 PEA President’s Visit – Height’s Staff Lounge – After Contract Hrs. End
13 Superintendent Roundtable – 3:30 PM – PUSD Board Room
17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
19 PEA Rep Council – PEA Office – 1901 Railroad – 3:45 PM
25 PEA President’s Visit – Foothill’s Staff Lounge – After Contract Hrs. End
TBA PUSD School Board Meeting – 2000 Railroad Ave. – 7:00 PM

Next Deadline for Articles is January 10, 2011

STAY INFORMED @
WWW.CTA.ORG & WWW.NEA.ORG
THE BACK PAGE

-6-