KHSTA Update 8/26/2022

Happy Friday!! Our first full week is complete! All updates and attachments will be posted on the KHSTA website (khsta.org). Repeated announcements will be at the bottom. 

COPY of COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA)
All bargaining unit members should have received a copy of the contract (collective bargaining agreement or CBA)  in the spring (for our new teachers, when you were hired). It is a small booklet with a yellow cover that says “Certificated Agreement 2020-2023” on the front. Please let your site rep know if you did not receive one. 

CONTRACT TIMELINE
We get a number of questions about when certain things (pre-eval meetings, when you have to return parent calls, etc) are supposed to be happening. We are attaching (here) a timeline of all the dates in the contract and what party is responsible for each activity. All the information can be found in the contract.

BARGAINING UPDATE
The KHSTA bargaining team will be meeting with the district team on September 12th in an attempt to come to a salary agreement. An executive summary of the contract is attached (here) and will be posted on the KHSTA website (khsta.org).

LOAN FORGIVENESS WORKSHOP - link issue
We have been told that the link for registering is not working. We are including the direct address to the registration form, but you might not be able to access the site through the district’s firewall (so try on your home computer). Here is the link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/generation-debt-student-loan-forgiveness-tickets-390593093457
We are happy to be hosting a Loan Forgiveness workshop for teachers who are interested at 4:30 on Wednesday, September 28. The workshop will be virtual, but does require registration. We are attaching the flier with the information and link to register. 

NEW TEACHER MIXER
KHSTA will be hosting a mixer for educators new to our district and to our association on Monday, September 19th at 6:30pm. The mixer will be at the KHSTA building at 2441 F Street behind Pep Boys. If you have new teachers on your campus, please encourage them to attend. For more information contact Cathy Adams at cathy_adams@kernhigh.org or VPKHSTA@gmail.com.

LGBTQ+ MIXER
The CTA Sierra Service Center is hosting a mixer for LGBTQ+ Educators and Friends on September 20, 2022 from 5 - 7pm at Temblor Brewing Company. If you would like to join the festivities, RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRmRXjhrUYRiJjY90VAt9jrjlETwkFEiQNSA-rELY0koawyg/viewform.

DUES ANNOUNCEMENT
CTA and NEA both had small increases to their dues, but KHSTA will be the same as last year. The new monthly deduction for KHSTA, CTA, and NEA is $112.60 (taken out from September to June). 

INTEREST SURVEY
We are looking for members who are interested in becoming involved at some level. There are many opportunities to do this, not only as site representatives and executive board members, but also as members of Association committees, such as LCAP, grievance, contract, and communication, etc. Filling out this form does not commit you to anything, only to getting more information. We will be in contact in the fall. If you are interested in getting more information about or participating in any of these areas, please fill out this form. If you just want information, check the “other” box and put ‘INFORMATION’. https://forms.gle/YZ7EE4ckR9huKmmdA

CELEBRATIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
As always, we would like to celebrate with you. Please use the following form to submit you and your family’s achievements with us.
Celebration Link
 
SAFETY CONCERNS
Have safety concerns on your campus? Ambiguous reports cannot be addressed. Report them here:
 Safety Concerns
 
Enjoy your weekend!
 
KHSTA Executive Board


REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
TAX INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS
The IRS is increasing the deduction for teachers from $250 to $300 for those of you who itemize deductions. Information is attached. 
 
KHSTSA - Scholarship Information 
 
The Kern High School Teachers for Student Achievement (KHSTSA) is a scholarship program for KHSD students funded by KHSD educators. Scholarships are given for furthering both vocational and academic education.
 
If you are interested in donating to the scholarship fund, the contribution form can be found on the KHSTA website at khsta.org. All contributions are tax deductible.
 
STRS RETIREMENT WORKSHOPS
We are trying to set up an in person STRS workshop for this year, but as of now, don’t have a date set. CTA already has twelve  virtual workshops scheduled. There are a limited number of spaces available for each session, so if you are interested, you will want to register. The registration link is in the flier at khsta.org. All workshops are from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. 

SALARY ADVANCEMENT DEADLINES
Just a reminder - any units for salary advancement need to be completed by August 31 and turned into the district no later than November 30 to have them reflected on this year’s pay.

CTA CONFERENCES
We wanted to post the CTA Conferences that are available to our members. KHSTA will be offering scholarships to cover part of the cost (more information to follow). CTA also offers grants, but those need to be applied for quickly. For more information, go to https://www.cta.org/conferences-2.
            Special Ed Conference (Sept 30 - Oct 3)  
            LGBTQ+ Issues (Oct 28 - 30)
            New Educator-South (Dec 16 - 18)
            Issues Conference (Jan 13 - 15)
            Good Teaching-North (Feb 3 - 5)
            Good Teaching-South (Mar 3 - 5)
            Equity and Human Rights (Mar 17 - 19)

PAC DUES
Our political action committee is called Kern High Teachers for Sound Schools (KHTSS) and its only purpose is to help elect school board candidates to the Kern High School District Board of Trustees and to assist our District pass school bonds for new schools. These funds are taken from the portion of your dues that stay with the local Association. If you choose not to have these funds directed to KHTSS they will remain with KHSTA for regular operational costs. None of the money is spent on state initiatives.
If you choose not to have dues money transferred from KHSTA to KHTSS you will need to return the bottom portion of the attached (here) form to the KHSTA office at 2441 F Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301, by September 7, 2022. Do not return the form to your site rep.