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H.E.A. Newsletter
H.E.A.is here for you because you deserve
the best.
Approved for publication by James Pace, HEA President, 1/15/04
Volume 4 - Issue 1 - January 2004
HEA/CTA/NEA
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Executive Board
Jim Pace
President
Gordon Williamson
Vice-President
Jose Madera
Treasurer
Claudia Ethun
Secretary
Vernon Johns
Secondary Director
Scott Johnson
Elementary Director
Jeanne Triska
Director At Large
Rep Council
Layne Chan
Pat Cook
Shelley Delang
Jim Garrett
Susan Gilman
Ralph Heller
Debbie Herndon
Kristina Holmes
Patty Liggett
Gerald Marrs
Jackie Marsh
Harvey Miller
Kathryn Mustain
Chris Pierce
Yolette Rios
Christine Robinson
Cheryl Rutledge
Lee Samuels
Steve Thompson
Richard Westerhoff
Gordon Williamson
Membership Chair
Barbara Bailey
Grievance Co-Chairs
Jim Garrett
Dick Westerhoff
SCSEBA Labor Rep
Blair Thompson
Newsletter Editor
Fran McCullough
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WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS AND FEWER TEACHERS
President's Message
By Jim Pace, H.E.A President
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Last year at this time, top district management was in the process of laying off teachers and cutting vital programs for students such as CSR for kindergarten, and Reading Recovery. The pretence for the layoff was financial. Management claimed that the district would only have a 3.2 million dollar ending balance. The audit showed the ending balance was $ 6,411,080. This is a 3 million dollar error. In fact, this is the third year in a row that there has been a 3 million dollar error in the ending balance.
A year ago we had 745 teachers. This year we have only 724 teachers. We have 708 more students than last year and 21 fewer teachers.
The recent school board elections confirmed by the voters that these cuts were wrong. District management should not continue to balance the budget on the backs of the students and teachers. The classroom should be the last place to cut, not the first. The district needs to listen to the voters and restore the cut programs.
Thank you again to everyone who helped win the elections. You proved to this community that your students are important to you. We will keep you posted as we continue to negotiate these important issues.
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UPDATE:
You can read past issues of the HEA Newsletters on line at www.hesperiateachers.com
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BY The #'s
Jose Madera
HEA Treasurer/Director HDIEET
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I want to thank all of you that chose to support our Political Action Committee. It is now history, but it can't be overemphasized how important our monetary contributions were in helping to elect two candidates that have students and teachers at the center of their philosophies.
If we want to elect candidates in 2005 of the caliber of Helen Rogers and Bruce Minton, we must be financially strong. If you decided not to contribute, please reconsider.
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HEA was proactive in getting your insurance premiums reduced from $71.27 to $46.03 a month. That's a $25.24 savings per month, which is almost a year's contribution to the HEAPAC fund. The money in the fund is used only for our local school board elections, not county, state, or national issues. If you have a change of heart, contact your site representative or me at Sultana.
Once again, thanks to all of you who decided to make a difference.
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DID YOU KNOW?
By Jeanne Triska
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Please Support the Grocery Strike
The Executive Board would like to thank everyone who participated in any of the grocery rallies at Von's or Albertsons. Your participation was greatly appreciated by the strikers and really helped boost their morale.
CTA is supporting the grocery strike by asking you to shop at Stater Brothers and Food for Less. The strikers' issues affect all of us. We believe that everyone should have a decent standard of living. We do not believe working people should make such a low income that the only way they will qualify for health benefits is through welfare. (This is how Wal-Mart employees get their insurance if they are not covered by a spouse of family.)
Many of Hesperia Unified School District employees have husbands, wives, or other family members effected by this strike.
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The strike has lasted three months and the strikers are now only earning $100+ a week for all expenses.
Health care has hit all of us this year with the out of pocket expense for prescription drugs. The grocery companies want the grocery workers to pay for half of the cost of their care. The money that the companies have lost already from the strike could have paid for all employees health care for years. One of the reasons that many of these stores are staying afloat is through the pharmacies. Please try to transfer your prescriptions to another pharmacy such as Rite Aide and Walgreens.
Please support the grocery workers by not shopping at Von's, Albertsons, and Ralph's. Any money spent in these stores hurts the strikers. Let's join together to keep the middle class working under fair conditions, including adequate pay and health care.
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