SOS March 7.30.2011...teacher power!

My family taking a break at the National Mall

My former students and their parent at the White House Ellipse

The Filipino teachers and our families

Filipino teachers with their iPads talking to people (signature campaign)

This is our fight as well...we are ONE!

My favorite young activists!

APALA-DC officers and the PGCPS Pinoy teachers

Thank you, APALA-DC, for supporting us!

Our diverse young students marching with us

Cooling down after the SOS March

The Mitchell 20 Trailer

"We are honored to be producing this documentary with the Arizona K-12 Center. It is the story of 20 teachers at a low-income school who are driven to attempt the most rigorous professional development program for educators in the nation, National Board Certification. Less than 5% of teachers nationally attempt National Board, at this school 60% of the teachers are going for it. And they are doing it together.

This is a story of sacrifice and commitment, a story of leadership and hope and a compelling canvas to examine contemporary problems and solutions in education throughout our nation." - Mitchell 20

The Mitchell 20 Trailer from Randy Murray Productions on Vimeo.

Diane Ravitch addresses NBCTs this morning, calls for political action

Diane Ravitch is an historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, she was a U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education.

In her critically acclaimed national best seller, Diane Ravitch examines her career in education reform and repudiates positions that she once fiercely defended. Evaluating wildly popular ideas for restructuring schools, including charter schools and testing, she explains why they have had no positive impact on the quality of American education.

On teacher tenure, Ravitch lampooned critics who view educational work protection rules as lifetime employment guarantees: “[Teachers have] a right to a hearing if someone wants to fire [them] … it’s not so onerous ,.. it’s due process.”



How to increase motivation among teachers

Teachers are not motivated by the carrot-and-stick approach used in many schools, says author Daniel H. Pink. Instead, Pink -- a speaker at this week's National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Conference -- said a focus on autonomy, mastery and purpose will motivate teachers to succeed and engage students in learning. He recommends schools give teachers time to pursue individual goals, provide constant feedback and make sure teachers understand the purpose behind what they are doing. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership

 

Daniel H. Pink is the author of several provocative, bestselling books about the changing world of work.

His latest is Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, which uses 50 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation and offer a more effective path to high performance. Drive is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Publishers Weekly bestseller — as well as a national bestseller in Japan and the United Kingdom. The book is being translated into 31 languages.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies and describes the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced, automated age. A Whole New Mind is a long-running New York Times bestseller that has been translated into 24 languages.

NBCTs ask federal lawmakers for support, funding

Thanks to our NBPTS Hill Day 2011 team leader, Deborah!

A Maryland National Board Certified Teacher led a group of teachers in Washington, D.C., Tuesday as they spoke with federal lawmakers about the importance of National Board Certification and requested funding to support it. "We're trying to get the word out about the program's existence and about how valuable it is," said high-school teacher Deborah Carter. "There are many studies that show students in the classrooms of nationally certified teachers achieve more than other students." The Frederick News-Post (Md.)

APALA Passes a Resolution on the PGCPS Int'l Teachers during the Convention 2011

WHEREAS, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) recruited 1,000 foreign teachers under the H1-B Visa Program, between 2004-2009, in order to comply with the requirements of the “ No Child Left Behind” law.

WHEREAS, these teachers, most of whom came from the Philippines, made extreme personal sacrifices – including selling their homes and exhausting their savings – in order to fulfill an urgent need in the Prince Georges County Public Schools to serve American students.

WHEREAS, in April 2011, the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a ruling against PGCPS for making illegal deductions to the teachers’ wages to cover for various visa processing and placement fees that should have been shouldered by the county.

WHEREAS, the DOL Administrator imposed the following remedies against PGCPS: 1) $4 million payment in back wages to the teachers; 2) $1.7 million civil penalty payment; and 3) debarment from hiring any more foreign teachers for the next two years.

WHEREAS, PGCPS agreed to the terms set forth by the DOL Administrator, and informed the teachers that PGCPS would not be renewing their visas or assisting them in the processing of their green cards, as originally promised.

WHEREAS, this recent DOL decision will result in a series of terminations of Filipino educators and other foreign teachers, with more than 1,000 PGCPS international teachers to be deported starting this month.

WHEREAS, these teachers have made an overall positive impact on their students during their brief tenure and provided a high-level of service for the citizens of this county.

WHEREAS, terminating these teachers would be a disservice to these students who need the care and attention of these certified, highly qualified and technologically savvy educators.

WHEREAS, the teachers, through the Pilipino Educators Network, requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis twice in May 2011 but schedule constraints did not permit her to do so.

WHEREAS, on July 15, hundreds of PG County teachers and their supporters protested in front of the DOL and later met with DOL officials, including the Deputy Solicitor, who promised to convey the teachers’ concerns and appeals to higher officials in the department.

WHEREAS, APALA stands in solidarity with the teachers in Prince George’s County and fully supports their quest for justice.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that APALA urge the Department of Labor to reconsider making the debarment ruling against PGCPS prospective, instead of retroactive, so it will not affect the teachers who are currently in this country and provide an immediate remedy that is fair and just to these diligent and dedicated teachers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance mount a campaign to educate its affiliates regarding the practice of hiring international teachers, and work together with the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to collect information on current loopholes in international worker recruitment through third party agencies to ensure viable options to workers when employers are at fault.

Submitted by the APALA-DC Chapter

July 21, 2011

APALA's Statement on the Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action

Around the U.S today, public sector workers find themselves under constant scrutiny from the rest of the country. While CEOs get away with bail outs funded by the government; while millionaires are receiving tax breaks; and corporations are getting away with paying no taxes at all, it’s ironic that the public chooses to attack the rights of the working class—those whose only real demands have ever been fair wages and sustainable benefits for themselves and their families.

With education reform becoming a key issue of debate in the past few months, public school teachers, especially, have felt the blow of an increasingly unsupportive audience. In key states, legislators continually cut funding and put education on the back burner of what they believe to be more immediate policy priorities. We see it repeatedly – the attack on workers is committed in the same mean spirit that inspires the attack on minority and immigrant communities too. Migrant teachers from other countries that answer the call to serve in some of the most disenfranchised communities are stuck in legal limbo as they seek a path to legalization, only to end up with thousands of dollars in visa processing fees and no feasible way to stay in the country. The question now becomes, how do we support these educators in their struggle for a better school system and in essence, a better life of opportunity for themselves and the communities they serve?

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) stands with our community’s educators this July 30 at the Save Our Schools March and Rally. It is time to stand behind them as they fight to have their voices heard in the education reform debate and it is time to put the power of reform back in the hands of the stakeholders that matter the most– teachers, students, and parents. Please join APALA-DC as we lend our voices in appreciation and solidarity to these individuals. For more information go to: http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/

THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LABOR ALLIANCE ENDORSES S.O.S. MARCH

FOR IMMIEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Laverty
Vice President of Communications
Email:lavertyhm@gmail.com
phone:269-598-2235

THE ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LABOR ALLIANCE ENDORSES

THE “SAVE OUR SCHOOLS” MARCH AND RALLY

WASHINGTON, DC – APALA today announced their endorsement of the “Save our Schools”(SOS) Movement Saturday, July 30th. APALA stands in solidarity with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), and Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU ) along with numerous other labor allies and educational stakeholders to show policymakers have gone awry in their remedies for improving American schools.

At noon on the White House Ellipse APALA DC members, including local teachers of WTU, will join forces with a diverse group of celebrities, unions, allies and labor leaders, including Diane Ravitch, Matt Damon and AFT President Randi Weingarten.

This grassroots movement is dedicated to putting public school stakeholders back at the center of all education policy conversations and to refocus national, state, and local efforts on providing the resources and support schools need in order to provide a high-quality education for each and every student.

“The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance stands with our public school teachers as they fight to reclaim their voice in the education reform debate,” said Katrina Dizon, APALA DC President. “With a growing number of APA immigrants joining the ranks of our nation’s educators, we want to stand in solidarity with them and all teachers around the country as they work to achieve dignity on the job, fair funding for all schools, and safe learning environments conducive to quality education for future generations.”

Statement on the Plight of Filipino Teachers of Maryland’s PGCPS

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM)

Statement on the Plight of Filipino Teachers of Maryland’s PGCPS

July 15, 2011

Lured by the American dream, non-immigrant workers here in the US have been subjected to different forms of exploitation, manipulation and abuse. The complexities of the recruitment process are being taken advantage of by placement agencies and sometimes with the collaboration of representatives of US employers. Oftentimes foreign workers leave their country deep in debt in raising money needed to cover for exorbitant placement and other fees.

Recently, the US Department of Labor found Maryland’s Prince George’s County Public Schools in willful violation of the laws governing the H1B temporary foreign worker program. The DOL cited the school district’s failure to pay the proper wages by virtue of deduction of fees that are supposed to be shouldered by the employer as required by law and its failure to maintain complete documentation.

The same decision also issues the following remedy as a penalty to the school district: (1) the school district is ordered to refund illegally collected fees to foreign teachers as back wages, and (2) debarring the school district for two years from participating in the H1B program. At face value it seems that this DOL decision is a victory to the foreign teachers who have been victims of illegal fees by their employers and also who have been the milking cow of placement agencies who practice shady recruitment schemes.

The problem with the recent DOL decision however is that the debarment of PGCPS from the H1B program will mean not only that the district wouldn’t be able to bring in new foreign teachers but also prohibiting them from filing for the renewal of existing teachers whose H1B visas are set to expire in the next two years. Further the district is prohibited from filing permanent visa sponsorships to those teachers who intends to continue serving their respective schools and become permanent residents of the US.

So in effect, this recent DOL decision will result in a series of termination of Filipino educators and other foreign teachers. Starting this month, more than 1,000 PGCPS teachers will be affected. In penalizing the school district, the DOL is in fact punishing the very victims of this illegal scheme by the employer and the recruitment agency.

We, at Partido ng Manggagawa, believe that the DOL decision is extremely flawed on the following grounds:

1) The DOL decision does not embody justice but on contrary represents appalling injustice. It is a slap on the wrist of the violator and punishes hard the very people who were victimized and originally made the complaint. Also, we can’t help but wonder why the DOL is silent on the role of the placement agency that clearly has some violations and is equally responsible as well.

2) The decision would be a powerful disincentive to other non-immigrant workers in similar circumstances to report illegal recruitment activities by US-based employers and placement agencies. This will discourage other victims from cooperating with DOL and CIS investigations. Foreign workers should be encouraged, not discouraged from filing complaints.

3) The decision sets a bad precedent in cases of other Filipino and foreign teachers who have exposed the anomalies in the process by which they were recruited. One specific example is the struggle of Filipino teachers in Louisiana who stood up for their rights and recently have filed a class suit against their recruitment agency and the school district. And the DOL also have an ongoing investigation on the circumstance of their recruitment.

4) With this decision, the DOL is party to an unfair labor practice that is equivalent to retaliatory action against teachers and union members who initiated complaints against their employer. This kind of ruling would be welcomed by employers who aim to terminate those employees who stand up against them.

5) This decision is also damaging to the interest of the children of Prince George County. These highly qualified foreign teachers have performed well in their responsibility to educate the children of the district. These children deserve these commendable teachers and it is a disservice to have these educators terminated.

It is with these points that the Partido ng Manggagawa is calling for the Department of Labor to retract its original decision and issue a ruling that is fair and just. We appeal to the Department of Labor to live up to its mission of promoting the welfare of working people.

We also call on the Philippine Embassy to intervene with urgency on this matter. We are aware that the embassy in Washington DC is coordinating some efforts. However, with several of these teachers’ visas expiring within this month, there is a need for our embassy to pursue immediate and stronger action. We believe that our embassy consider a possible lodging of a diplomatic protest as this is a clear injustice to our citizens -- our teachers who came here to help fill in the teachers’ shortage, sold their properties and were victimized by illegal and exorbitant charges, worked hard to educating American children, only to be terminated by a violation that they did not commit.

Lastly we call on all Filipino teachers of Prince George County to unite and move as one in pushing for your rights. The Filipino and the Filipino-American community are behind you. The workers movement is behind you. Stand up and let your voices be heard. It is imperative that you move together and you move now.

Mabuhay ang manggagawang Pilipino!

Mabuhay ang gurong Pilipino!

Signed:

Renato Magtubo

Chairperson

Ian Seruelo

US - Liaison Officer

PGCPS International Teachers' Rally at the Department of Labor

PGCPS Teacher Migrants standing up!

AFT Teach

From the AFT website:

July 11-13, 2011, Washington, D.C.

This summer, the American Federation of Teachers invites you to our TEACH (Together Educating America’s Children) conference. Educators are facing extraordinary demands—and we’re putting together an extraordinary gathering to provide you with the practical tools, professional knowledge, and inspiration to meet them.

With the theme of “Making a Difference Every Day,” TEACH will showcase the groundbreaking work taking place throughout the AFT. Learn how union members are tackling the toughest issues in our field, and making breakthrough changes that will improve education for students across America.

To be sure, the conference will provide the high-quality workshops for which its predecessor, QuEST, was known. But TEACH will also bring you overviews of innovative work in our field that educators need to know about, exciting demonstrations of the latest educational technology, thought-provoking keynote speakers and much more.

NEW! Whether you’re attending or not, you can have TEACH 2011 at your fingertips with our new mobile website. You’ll be able tor review workshop offerings and customize your schedule; get up-to-the-minute information on special events; ask questions through the online help desk; and receive special alerts. Add the TEACH 2011 mobile website to your smartphone or tablet today.

For more details as plans for AFT's TEACH conference take shape:

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AFTteach

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AFTteach 
Sign up to receive email updates: www.aft.org/teach2011/join.cfm