Greetings and Happy Spring!

By the time you receive this edition of The Paper, FMEA will have met with the district at the bargaining table for the first time since February. After several weeks of teacher interviews, a six-member Negotiating Team was selected. These teachers come from a wide range of backgrounds including elementary schools, middle schools and special education. The members of our new Negotiating Team are Jana McKinley, Tom Blackman, Charlie Naves, Lynette Irvine, lead negotiator Bevon Martinez, and CTA staff person Kris Clarke. I am confident they will be an effective team that will negotiate the best possible contract; however, it won't be easy. The district's reserves have grown smaller, and the state's budget crisis is putting many districts into a defensive posture. The first meeting was Monday April 28th, and the two teams meet again to negotiate on May 15th and May 27th. I will keep you informed as the talks develop.

The district is planning some big changes at our two middle schools. They have formulated a plan to add an intervention period to the schedule. There are numerous problems with this plan, including a lengthened work day and a shorter prep period. Unilateral changes in working conditions such as these are not allowed under The Contract, and talks are taking place to address these issues.

Another big change in middle schools involves RSP. The plan is to turn the seventh grade RSP program into a "push-in" model.   RSP students would spend their full day in regular education classes, supported by the RSP teacher.  I will be meeting with RSP teachers to discuss the issues involved.

FMEA will be holding elections this week. There is exactly one candidate for each position other than Secretary, which no one has yet stepped up to fill.  Please consider joining the FMEA Executive Board as Secretary. It's a great way to get involved and have your voice heard. FMEA also needs a Political Action Committee (PAC) to oversee our funding of candidates and issues in November's elections. Our PAC is one of the primary we are able to fill school-board seats with teacher-friendly candidates. Please consider whether this is something that might interest you.

In case I haven't yet made it clear, we are under attack. Our Governor's budget is an all out assault on public education. California will become dead-last in per pupil spending if he gets his way. The proposed cuts would change the face of California public education as we know it. Funding for all sorts of things that we have come to expect are now in jeopardy. The possibility exists that class-size reduction in primary grades will not be funded. This is just one example of the way these cuts could directly impact our working conditions!

Fortunately there is a solution. When government doesn't have the resources to provide adequate services, revenues have to be raised. This is not a partisan issue. Past California Governors Ronald Reagan, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis all raised revenues. What is needed is a massive outcry to persuade Arnold and others to act like the leaders they were elected to be. Fortunately this outcry is beginning to take shape. Protests are growing in size and frequency. The biggest of these will be on May 14th. CTA is planning a massive mobilization on May 14th, the Califor4nia Day of the Teacher. This will be a statewide day of action to protest the Governor's $4.8 billion budget cuts to public education. There will be teaschers gathering and rallying across our region. The Oakridge Mall will be the primary destination for FMEA teachers, but there are other options that will be specified soon. Plan on doing your part and coming out from 4-6pm on Wednesday, May 14th, to educate our community about the proposed cuts. Special shirts will be handed out to all teachers in Santa Clara County. There will also be a sign-making party at Mt. Hamilton. (date to be announced soon)

CTA has also created an easy way for you to get involved without leaving your home. Just dial the toll free number 888-268-4334. Follow the instructions and it will get you to your legislator's home office. Let them know what you think about the proposed cuts to education. This really is the time for everyone to stip up and do their part.

In solidarity, Scott Shulimson.