OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 2 The Election Issue 2010 Educator cover v1.indd 1 9/22/20 4:57 PM You Got This. Your confidence shines through. So do these new CTA benefits. In these uncertain times, CTA membership makes more sense than ever. CTA provides new educators with 9 months of CTA Introductory Disability insurance at no cost when you join CTA for the first time within 90 days of your first day of work. With benefits paid directly to you, this quality coverage from The Standard protects up to 75% of your regular daily contract salary if you’re unable to work due to illness, injury, pregnancy or childbirth. Protect your paycheck with coverage on or off the job with a policy designed exclusively for educators. Be sure to sign up for CTA membership to be automatically enrolled in CTA Introductory Disability insurance. For more information, visit CTAMemberBenefits.org/Disability CTA Introductory Disability insurance available to eligible new educators starting work on or after 7/1/2020 who become CTA members for the first time within 90 days of their first day of work. Disability insurance eligibility requirements apply. Dear Colleague, For more than 100 years we have been dedicated to our For costs and further details of the coverage, including exclusions, benefit waiting periods, any reductions or limitations andcore the purpose: terms under to whichhelp people the policyEach achieve may year, be financial youcontinued and all well-beingin Californiaforce, please Teachers contact StandardAssociation Insurance members Company dedicate your atand 800.522.0406 peace of (TTY).mind.Enrolling We havetime earned is and easy. aenergy national Visit to reputationpreparing us online the children at CTAMemberBenefits.com/Disability. of California for the future. You are for quality products and superior service by always striving Standard Insurance Company, 1100often SW asked Sixth Avenue,to develop Portland, creative OR 97204approaches GP190-LTD/S399/CTA.1 to new and unique 21688-CTAvolchallenges. (08/20) to do what is right for our customers. Eric C. Heins With the passion and commitment you bring to your students, it can seem like Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, The Standard is a President, CTA there isn’t enough time to look after your own needs. nationally recognized provider of group Disability, Life, 2010 Educator cover v1.indd 2 9/22/20 4:57 PM Dental and Vision Insurance.To We help provide you get insurance the protection to nearly you deserve, CTA offers Voluntary Disability and 23,000 groups covering moreLife than Insurance 6 million through employees Standard Insurance Company (The Standard). These nationwide.24 Our first groupplans policy, were written specifically in 1951 designedand still to meet the needs of CTA members. They offer in force today, stands as a testamenthigh-quality to ourcoverage commitment that you to and your loved ones can depend on. building long-term relationships. CTA endorses only one provider of Disability and Life Insurance – The Standard. For more information about They’veCTA-endorsed been protecting Disability theirand customers for more than 100 years and are Life Insurance from The Standard,highly regardedcall our dedicated for their service CTA and integrity. With their history of strength and Customer Service Departmentreliability, at 800.522.0406 we are confident (TTY), The Standard is a partner you can trust. 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. This brochure contains information about Disability and Life insurance from The Standard, and the forms you need to enroll. More details and convenient online 24 As of December 31, 2015, based on internal data developed by Standard Insurance Company.enrollment are also available at CTAMemberBenefits.org/TheStandard. We take pride in offering benefits that members like you value. That’s why over 76,0001 of your peers have chosen to protect their way of life and families with The Standard. Please consider taking a moment to get the peace of mind you deserve. Sincerely, Eric C. Heins President, CTA Standard Insurance Company 1100 SW Sixth Avenue Portland OR 97204 www.standard.com 1 As of 3/31/2016, based on data developed by The Standard. GP190-LTD/S399/CTA.1 GP190-LIFE/S399/CTA.3 SI 13565-CTAvol 05/16 60K October / November 2020 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 2 To not vote says you are‘‘ OK with today’s America. I am not OK with it. That’s why I am voting.” VOTE ABA NGISSAH Inglewood Teachers Association 2o2o #WeAreCTA OUR VOICE, OUR UNION, OUR PROFESSION WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW MAGAZINE DIGITAL PROFESSIONAL MEMBER DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS BEING AN INCLUSIVE ELECTION 2020 DISTANCE LEARNING WHEN LIFE CHANGES EDUCATOR Find the info and resources SUPPORT SERIES Whether you’re thinking Learning, reflecting, taking you need to vote, make Our series helps ensure your of starting a family or action to integrate anti- informed choices and make a success with remote teach- coping with unexpected racism into teaching. PAGE 44 difference. PAGE 17 ing. View recorded sessions illness, CTA can help. cta.org/reac, cta.org/election and sign up for new ones. CTAMemberBenefits.org cta.org/blm cta.org/distancelearning YES ON PROP. 15 DEALS, DISCOUNTS FOR YOU AVOID ONLINE CHEATING Our schools and communi- CONFERENCES TO PLAN FOR Access to Savings offers Encourage student learning ties come first. PAGE 22 Build knowledge and net- deals on dining, travel, instead. PAGE 48 yes15.org works at CTA’s LGBTQ+ entertainment and more. cta.org/educator Issues and New Educator CTAMemberBenefits.org/ DIGITAL ORGANIZING Weekend, Dec. 4-6 and Dec. access QR CODES FOR CLASS Use social media to GOTV. 11-13, respectively. PAGE 9 Give young students easy PAGE 12 ctago.org DISASTER RELIEF FUND access to digital content. Members who suffer signif- PAGE 52 NEW CTA CALENDAR! MINDFUL MONDAYS icant losses from wildfires Your new comprehen- Learn mindfulness and other disasters are eligi- LIT FROM WITHIN sive, customizable online skills the first and third ble for grants. cta.org/drf New(ish) work by members. calendar is here. PAGE 55 Mondays of the month. PAGE 56 cta.org/events cta.org/distancelearning Art: Joseph Carrington OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020 1 2010 Educator draft v2.indd 1 9/22/20 8:12 PM The Election Issue October / November 2020 Integrating Anti-racism Into Our Teaching Election 2020 PAGE 44 WITH THE FOCUS on mail-in ballots, the revolution is happening at your dinner table PAGE 17 Distance Voting 101 PAGE 18 Alex Padilla: Vote by Mail PAGE 19 Our Mission and Our Positions PAGE 20 Time to Put Schools & Communities First PAGE 22 We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For! PAGE 22 Yes on Affirmative Action and Justice PAGE 24 No on Incarceration and Exploitation PAGE 25 Educators Seek Elected Office PAGE 26 How to Avoid We Need Compassionate Leadership PAGE 34 Online Cheating Six Reasons We’re Excited About Kamala PAGE 35 PAGE 48 Decision 2020 Voter Guide PAGE 36 DEPARTMENTS In the Know Teaching & Learning 8 Calendar 44 RACIAL JUSTICE: Anti-racism in teaching 10 News & Notes 48 CHEATING: Encouraging students’ integrity online 12 Digital Buzz 52 TECH TIPS: QR codes provide easy access 14 Quotes & Numbers CTA & You Spotlight 54 AWARDS: Nominate protectors of human rights 15 YOUR VOICE: Thomas Courtney 55 CTA EVENTS: Check out our customizable online calendar Advocacy 56 LIT FROM WITHIN: Works by our members 37 ACTION: Call for leaders to commit to equity 39 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Shortened session, crucial bills 41 LEADERSHIP: NEA’s new executive officers 42 BARGAINING: Statewide roundup Illustration top left and cover: Joseph Carrington; photos in right-hand column: Deposit Photos. 2 cta.org 2010 Educator draft v2.indd 2 9/22/20 8:12 PM UP FRONT LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and cta.org/educator. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. [email protected]; #WeAreCTA No Plastic, Please! Editor’s Note: Our August/September Back to School Issue was polybagged in order to enclose CTA membership cards (due to the pandemic, cards were not distributed through chapters this year). Members spoke up. I noticed that the latest edition of Please stop wrapping the California California Educator arrived with a plastic Educator magazines in unnecessary wrapping around it. I can’t for the life of plastic. Save plastic for medical and me see the benefit of this for educators health reasons. who are trying to teach their students to be environmentally responsible. MARISSA GRUENWALD Bellflower Teachers Association JEB GIST Reed District Teachers Association Get in Safe Schools: A Difficult Decision the Educator! (Posted in mid-September on the “CTA Teaching, Learning and Life” Facebook group.*) We regularly publish Today is my first day of leave. I am at risk, and my school wouldn’t work with members’ opinion pieces and me. We had been distance learning, which was going well, but they decided stories in print and online at to go back 100 percent, and I couldn’t risk it. ... cta.org/educator. Tell us about I had a student who had COVID-like symptoms on Friday. She wasn’t your experience with students, tested and is starting in-person school today because [students] can come the art and science of teaching, back if they are supposedly symptom-free. and being an educator in these This is a hard day for me. This isn’t what I want, but it’s what I had to do. I challenging times (no more than love those kids and I worry about them.