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BTA
BENCHMARK
Volume 28, Number 7
BTA Benchmark APRIL 2015
President’s Message– by Lori Adams
It’s Time to Organize!
What’s Inside:
Executive Director’s Report
2
State Council Notes
3
President’s Message –Cont
4
Retirement Appreciation Celebra-
5
Calendar
6
Employment Related Emergency?
7
Who’s Who at BTA?
8
News From The Table
9-10
Standard Insurance
11
Frequently Requested Num./Add
Change
Disability Insurance
12
Classifieds
13
If there ever was a time
for us to get organized, it
is now. BTA needs to become the most efficient
professional organization
possible. We are now in a
position that will require
us to be prepared to mobilize at any given moment. Ignoring the facts
and fears conveyed at the
board meeting and outright scolding us for exercising our right to speak
in a public meeting, the
outgoing School Board
has hired an extremely
high risk Superintendent, Matt Hill.
Mr. Hill is a product of the Broad Foundation. Typical
actions of a Broad Superintendent include: replacing district staff with other Broad graduates, pushing for test
scores to be used in teacher evaluations, causing chaos
in a district and then replacing neighborhood schools
with charter schools. All of these events took place in
LAUSD under Matt Hill’s watch.
BTA has filed the following
complaints of possible Brown
(Continued on Page 4)
Page 2
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
Kidd’s Corner
Executive Director’s message
by Arleigh Kidd
State Budget Update
So far state revenues have been coming in very strong! February
revenues were a 1 billion dollars above the Governor’s estimates
and March came in 562 million dollars above estimates. The Governor is projecting the state will take in $12.2 billion dollars during the month of April. The reason this is so important is that
almost all of the extra revenues above the Governor’s estimates
will go to public schools. You can track the revenues during the
month of April at :
http://www.sco.ca.gov/2015_personal_income_tax_tracker.html
Know your contract
9.3
Instructional Minutes
9.3.1 The District has exclusive discretion to schedule a beginning and
ending of the instructional day consistent with provisions of this Article.
9.3.2 The normal regularly assigned on-site hours for elementary (K-5) full-time
classroom teachers, special teachers, and long-term substitutes shall be
from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and shall include a forty-three (43) minute dutyfree lunch period, with the exception that the normal regularly assigned
on-site duty hours for Kindergarten teachers in an a.m./p.m. configuration
shall be scheduled within the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in consensus
with the teacher partner. The schedule shall be submitted to the site principal.
I’m also looking forward to continuing to visit BTA members during our on-going lunch visits.
Sincerely,
Arleigh Kidd
BTA/CTA Executive Director
Page 3
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
State Council Notes (April 10-12, 2015)
by Alexis Weiner
It was election time for CTA! After almost a year of campaigning, candidates for CTA executive offices
and NEA Board of Directors seats gave their speeches and left the decisions in the hands of State Council. In the end, State Council delegates elected Eric Heins as next year's CTA President, Theresa
Montaño as the next Vice President, and David Goldberg as the next Secretary-Treasurer. They will
serve a two-year term that will begin in June of 2015.
ESEA (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this weekend,
and is up for reauthorization by Congress. We currently know ESEA by its most recent moniker, No
Child Left Behind. Now is the chance to re-form it into useful, meaningful legislation. Call Congress at
(866) 232-7471, text STUDENTS to 83224, or go to getESEAright.com to contact your representative.
Sign the petition at educationvotes.nea.org/eseapetition. This is the time to reduce the focus on standardized testing and ensure that support is in place to create and maintain high-quality schools. Find out
more at www.nea.org/hotresourcesESEA.
NEA Vice President Becky Pringle spoke to the Council, and brought the audience to its feet several
times with her passionate, heartfelt, and sometimes humorous eloquence. Four of the five California
Teachers of the Year were also on hand to receive recognition.
Several items were put before the Council for immediate action. For example, the Professional Rights
Committee put forth a policy statement that would remove more punitive measures for educators on
worker’s compensation than those in other professions. Currently, educators cannot leave the state
while on Worker’s Compensation without prior approval, a restriction not placed on other workers. The
Adult, Alternative, and CTE Committee wanted to add to CTA policies that Adult Education funding
“must be secure, dedicated and restricted to the education of adults”. The Political Involvement Committee put forward a policy statement for changes in the ballot order of statewide elections (with a focus
on bringing up the prominence of State Superintendent of Schools). Once the Council voted these immediate action (and often time-sensitive) items through, these committees can proceed with lobbying and
finding legislators that will bring these items to the state legislature and hopefully make these statements into reality.
There were a lot of New Business Items (NBIs) to sort through. A few of interest:
That CTA participate in and encourage others to support the United Farm Workers in their current
contract struggle with Gerawan Farming. More information is available at www.ufw.org.
That CTA write a letter to LAUSD Supt. Cortines and School Board members advocating for a full
funding of SRLDP (School Readiness Language Development Program, a pre-K program that provides
a free, high-quality education to four-year-olds; the district has proposed cutting 45% of the programs
for the 2015-16 school year and completely eliminate the program the following year).
That CTA advocate for leniency and minimal prison sentences for the Atlanta educators convicted
racketeering by cheating on standardized testing, as the punishment of up to twenty years in jail does
not appear to fit the crime and is excessive.
That CTA support and endorse the Black Lives Matter movement.
The next State Council meeting is June 5-7, 2015.
Page 4
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
President’s Message—Continued
(Continued from Page 1)
Act violations with Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Public Integrity Division in
hopes that they will overturn the decision.
1.) The Board of Education neglected to report out that they had taken any action to negotiate
and write a contract for Matt Hill, on March 15, 2015.
2.) The Board of Education called a Special Board Meeting to allow the community to question
Mr. Hill but did not allow more than 24 hours notice as is required by law.
3.) Board member Larry Applebaum was quoted in the media stating salary amounts for the
candidate before the contract was provided in the board agenda. We believe this constitutes a
“serial meeting”.
4.) Board member Charlene Tabet stated in the media that there was a second candidate,
which again, was never reported.
5) The proposed contract was withheld
until the meeting when it should have
been made public more than 72 hours
in advance.
BTA must hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We will be setting
up a new network of site teams and
committees to streamline our communications and add to the activities of
our association.
As I have stated many times before, a
union is only as strong as its members. As we roll out our new organizing plan, please consider which area
would be best for you to do your part.
( Bert Ring / April 18, 2015 )
Cartoonist Bert Ring gives us his take on the controversy surrounding the recent hiring of
Matt Hill as the new superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District. Hill, the chief
strategy officer at the Los Angeles Unified School District, has been heavily scrutinizied by
the Burbank Teachers' Assn. for his lack of teaching experience, as well as his role in a $130million implementation of a student management system that failed at LAUSD.
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
Page 5
All Burbank Teachers Association members are invited as guests of the Association to
honor our colleagues who are Retiring and those who have served in the District for 25
years. Members are welcome to attend to enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres
If you plan to
attend, sign up on the sheet
provided by your BTA Faculty
Representative as we need an
accurate count for the restaurant.
Castaway Restaurant
1250 Harvard Road
Burbank, CA
IMPORTANT:
Wednesday
May 20, 2015
3:30 p.m.
If you or someone you know is
not on the list below and
should be, please call the BTA
office at (818) 240-9180.
Retirees
EVELYN STAFFORD
DISNEY
25 Years
MICHAEL ENGLISH
EMERSON
DEBRA J. ATHERTON
BHS
VIRGINIA HARTMAN
EMERSON
RICHARD JAMES SARQUIZ
BHS
MARYANNE O'BRIEN
EMERSON
ROBERT SHAW
BHS
ARNE PEARSON
EMERSON
ROBERT SMALLENBURG
BHS
JUDITH RIDDLE
PROVIDENCIA
KATHERINE L. TRIPODES
JBHS
LINDA STRONG
STEVENSON
SANDRA C. SOLIS
EDISON
ROSEANNE BELL
STEVENSON
LINDA V. GREGORCZYK
HARTE
SUSAN CONTRERAS
MCKINLEY ATB
KARYN B. LOMBARDO
HARTE
KAREN KOERTGEN
MANN CC
DIANA E. RHOADS
HARTE
KARIN WRIGHT
ADULT PARENT ED
EMMA FOY
HARTE CC
FARY TALEI
HART ATB (after recog)
DEBORAH CRANMER
JEFFERSON
JACQUELINE BOSTON
MONTEREY
SUZANNE E. MCHORNEY
LUTHER
CAROLYN ENGLISH
BHS (after recog)
VICKI G. THALHEIMER
LUTHER
STEPHEN FLEISHMAN
JBHS (after recog)
RANDALL WAYNE BADDERS
MAGNOLIA PARK
BONNIE FRIEDMAN
BHS
DEBORAH ANN GREGOIRE
MCKINLEY
BROOKS GARDNER
BHS
NANCY GENEVIEVE BRUHN
MILLER
STEVE LASSITER
BHS
JAMIE DESIREE REEVES
MONTEREY
ROBERT SMALLENBURG
BHS
JANET Y. LAM-ZIEGLER
MUIR
CAROL HAGEDOHM
JBHS (after recog)
SUSAN JO LEVY AUSTIN
MUIR
LAURIE KULCHIN
JORDAN MS
LYNN KOONTZ ROTHACHER
MUIR
DOREEN WYDRA
JORDAN MS
HEATHER BURNS BROIDY
SPECIAL ED
TWILIA PERRY
JORDAN MS
SHARI P. APROUX
STEVENSON
Page 6
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
BTA Board of Directors
SIGN UP at this link:
http://main.acsevents.
org/site/TR?fr_id=6827
9&pg=team&team_id
=1702562
16
BTA Office– 3:30 p.m
BUSD Board of Education
16
City Hall– 6:00 p.m.
BTA Rep Council
22
BTA Office– 3:30 p.m.
TGIF Happy Hour
24
BTA Office– 3:30 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS
to
Armond Aghakhanian
for winning a seat on
Burbank Unified School Board
BUSD Board of Education
7
City Hall– 6:00 p.m.
CA Democratic Convention
15-17
Relay for Life
16-17
Retirement/ Appreciation
Reception
20
BUSD Board of Education
21
City Hall– 6:00 p.m.
Memorial Day (All offices
Closed)
Final Exams
Bay Valley– Budget
25
26-28
28
Presentation
High School Graduations
29
Page 7
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
What To Do In
An
Employment
Related
Emergency
It is extremely important that in the event of
any adverse action affecting your employment
status that you immediately contact the BTA
office at (818) 240-9180. Examples of adverse
actions are: notification of dismissal, suspension, child abuse, non-renewal, transfer, demotion, civil or criminal charges, or any contract violation.
Assert your rights: If an administrator wants
to meet with you concerning any adverse action, the appropriate response for you to use
is: "I am a BTA member and I am claiming my
right to union representation for this meeting."
Until you are able to contact the BTA office:
DO NOT:
Admit Anything; Sign Anything; Make Any
Verbal or Written Statement; Resign or Be
Insubordinate. The above includes not speaking to your colleagues, principal, administrators, parents, or the police about the incident.
DO:
Remain calm and courteous.
Immediately upon receiving notice of any
adverse action, contact the Burbank Teachers
Association at: (818) 240-9180.
Keep copies of all papers relating to the
situation.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:
Halt any conference already in progress if it
becomes disciplinary. Reschedule when representation is available. Have the meeting at a
time and date that is convenient for you and
your BTA Faculty Representative.
Page 8
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
2014/2015 Who’s Who in BTA
Faculty Representatives
Each school site has at least one BTA Faculty Representative, or, in the case of larger sites, one representative for each 15 members or major fraction
thereof. Following is a list of representatives for the
2014/2015 school year who were elected in June by
the members at their respective sites.
The persons listed below are your representatives, so
please take a few minutes to introduce yourself and
to let them know if you have any concerns or questions.
They are your voice at the Representative Council
which meets once a month. They may be your witness at potentially negative meetings with a parent
and/or administrator.
They put communications from the Association in
your mailbox, conduct elections for leadership positions and contract ratifications, recruit new members
and assist you in finding answers to your contract
questions, among just a few of their duties.
BURBANK H.S – Diana Abasta, Lori Adams, Christina Fahad, Bob Shaw, Bob Smallenburg, Laura
Messian, Bill Gallimore
BURROUGHS H.S.- P.Rex Bullington, Patrick Carman, Les Cohen, David Knatcal, Maria MarquezCarman, Robyn Russon, Jeil Salem, Alexis Weiner,
Jerry Mullady, David Hedin
MONTEREY H.S. - Todd Doty, Michelle Goldberg
JORDAN M.S. - Dana Ragle, Doreen Wydra
LUTHER M.S- Sue Conway, Nick Lundy, Michael
Concidine
MUIR M.S. - Brad Frank, Barry Sarna, Heidi Sasaki,
Jessica Wertlieb, Justin Riner
BRET HARTE- Dahlia Dobbertin
BRET HARTE CC- Emma Foy
DISNEY- Bridget Highfill
EDISON- Susan Stone
EMERSON- Arne Pearson
JEFFERSON- Kim Anderson, Tracy Sorensen
MANN CC- Rosalie Delgado
MCKINLEY- Diana Wong, Laura Mixon
MILLER- Joan Becker, John Ossiff, Jason Ragle
PROVIDENCIA- Kate Bailey, Lola Stewart
ROOSEVELT- Kathy Wills-Sarna
STEVENSON-Lindsay Hill, Heidi Lavitt
WASHINGTON- Theresa Landin White, Dorothy Hernandez, Chandra Collins
ADULT SCHOOL- John Keiffer, Linda Matsumoto
NEW VISTA- Arlene Fra Legaspi
FACTS- Elayne Howitt
SPECIAL EDUCATION
AT-LARGE DIRECTOR- Lola Stewart
COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL
New 2014/2015 Member Benefits Publications are Available for Order and Download!
The CTA Member Benefits materials have been updated and reflect a new theme this year, "Discover the World
of Member Benefits". If you would like to order these free publications for yourself or members, go to
www.CTAMemberBenefits.org/order or call 650-552-5200.
Page 9
NEWS FROM THE TABLE
April 7, 2015
The BTA negotiations team met with the District from 9:00 to 5:00.
The session began with a follow up to some questions BTA had previously posed to the District as part of their budget analysis.
The only point reinforced is that the CDE, according to our research, seems to say that LACOE has no authority to force BUSD
to reserve future LCFF funding. An estimated ADA is being used, so when the P2 comes out in the second week of April, it could
show underestimated revenue.
David Jaynes went over the second interim. The second interim shows the changes made from the first interim in December of
2014. It determines whether the District can meet its financial obligations during the current fiscal year and two subsequent fiscal
years. According to the report, “BUSD will show that it can meet the required reserve for economic uncertainties in 2014-15 and
2015-16 and will be able to file a ‘positive certification’ at 2014-15 budget adoption.” This is not a surprise because this has been
the trend even when we are always told in the third year that the sky is going to fall.
We received an organizational chart without names that go with the positions. We will get this next time.
Under Hot Topics we expressed the ongoing concern we have for strong, effective, instructional leadership starting with the
choice of superintendent. We still are puzzled why the District felt compelled to spend over $26,000 on a nation-wide search. It
seems in the past that has not been any more productive than if our district’s HR handled the search and interviews; Simi successfully hired a superintendent in this manner. Turnover in superintendents is very disconcerting to its employees and whether or
not it is usual, the BOE has a responsibility to take all stakeholders into account before bringing anyone in to serve our community.
There is concern that the new Director of Elementary. Dr, Peter Knapik has no elementary education experience. As educators,
we believe that spending a significant amount of time in the classroom is essential to the mindset if a school district is going to
thrive.
Will ask Sunita Batra to come to the next Negotiations session so we can see what is the status/update of the current MOU we
have with the District regarding SPED issues that were of grave concern to our members. We did this in lieu of creating a separate SPED article.
ARTICLE 7: District brought a proposal that still continued to include the 1% that was bargained and agreed upon by both side
last year. We find this to be disingenuous. Then there was an offer made that increased the salary of employees starting at step 15
and then adding two new steps for those at the top. This was insulting since our goal is to benefit all the employees and not just
281 people.
(continued on page 10)
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
Page 10
We countered with a 5% on schedule retro to July 1, 2014 to apply also to all extracurricular salary schedules
and stipends. Association wants the choice of receiving 11 or 12 monthly checks, and an increase to FACTS
MOU from the current daily rate of $41 to $55 retro to July 1, 2014. We agreed to go through the rest of the
articles and then they would work on a counter after lunch.
ARTICLE 9: Language that had been added regarding TK/Jr. K, ILA, Counselors, and FACTS was left out. The only agreed
change was that we have Zero period now officially names and that there needs to be breaks built in for employees during testing/block scheduling. They feel it is too early to have language in place regarding TK/Jr. K, ILA, and Counselors, (want to wait to
see what it is in the Guidance plan going to the BOE). This is still open for our counter.
ARTICLE 21: We said that we were no longer in agreement with keeping this article in the contract. Discipline
is a permissible subject of bargaining and for a permissive subject to remain in the contract both sides must be
in agreement. We understand that the District must now follow Ed Code provisions in the form of Discipline.
ARTICLE 11: The District came back and added the word “District-wide” when it came to annualized per pupil to classroom ratio of 30:5:1. There was a great deal of discussion. Then we broke for a caucus.
ARTICLE 7: The District came back with a counter in the form of “Comprehensive District Conceptual Proposal.” Increase of
3.5% retroactive to July 1, 2014 plus one time, off schedule of .5%. Maintain Art. 21 and reduce the maximum days of suspension
without pay to 5 days. Implement an MOU that would establish a class-size ratio of 30.5:1 at each school site which will be measured by the fourth week of school. This would include SPED, PE, Electives, All General Classes and all other classed held during
the regular school day. Under the MOU, the site administrator or designee shall meet with BTA rep(s) at the end of the fourth
week of school to review school site ratio. If the ratio is over the 30.5:1, both BUSD and BTA will be notified and the two parties will meet to discuss a resolution to the overage. Then they wanted to form a class size advisory committee in 2015-16 for
the purpose of addressing Article 11 and making recommendations to the negotiations parties. Finally, they would redraw their
initial proposal on Art. 9.
We countered with a 4.5% on schedule and retro to July 1, 2014 for all salary exhibits.
We would maintain Art. 21 and reduce the maximum days for suspension without pay to 5 days and verbal
warning
Letter of warning (may be included in Personnel file)
Letter of reprimand. (for Personnel file)
The District shall pay all arbitration costs and no arbitration costs shall be paid by the Association or member.
Other costs exclusive to BTA will be paid by BTA.
Extend the current MOU through the 2015-16 with the exception of changing from the 4th week of school to the
3rd week and change “BTA Member” to Bargaining Unit Member.
The District and BTA will use the next bargaining session on April 24, 2015 to use an interest based approach to
work out an agreement on Article 9 to reflect language for TK, Jr. K, Independent Learning Academy, Middle
School Counselor duties, and the FACTS program.
Page 11
Board of Directors
New to the District?
2014/2015
Don't Miss This Deadline!
Members of the 2014/2015 BTA Board of
Directors representing you are as follows:
President
Lori Adams - Burbank H.S.
Vice-President
Jessica Wertlieb - Muir M.S.
Secretary
Robyn Russon - Burroughs H.S.
Treasurer
Jerry Mullady - Burroughs H.S.
High School Directors
Diana Abasta - Burbank H.S.
David Knatcal - Burroughs H.S.
Middle School Director
Barry Sarna- Muir M.S.
Elementary Directors
Heidi Lavitt—Stevenson Elementary
Theresa Landin White - Washington
Elementary
State Council Representatives
Lori Adams - Burbank H.S.
Alexis Weiner– Burroughs H.S.
Justin Riner– Muir M.S. (Alternate)
If you're a newly hired employee and an eligible CTA
member, now's the time to get CTA-endorsed Disability and Life Insurance
from Standard Insurance Company (The Standard). You have a special opportunity to apply for Disability Insurance and up to $200,000 of Life Insurance
within 120 days of starting work.
You can apply online at www.standard.com/cta/newhire.
These plans were created specifically for California education profesionals and
offer a number of great features, including:
Coverage for disabilities occurring on or off the job
Access to the CTA Advisory Panel on Endorsed Services
Option to add Life Insurance coverage for your spouse/domestic partner
and children with your Life Insurance
The Standard is the only Disability and Life Insurance provider endorsed by
CTA. They were selected by CTA for their financial stability, integrity and commitment to serving CTA members. Just ask Joann Hardy of Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association, who used her Disability Insurance with The Standard
after she was diagnosed with cancer:
“Each time I interacted with The Standard,” Joann said, “I felt like they were
truly concerned and focused on helping me. … I’ve told many of my peers, especially new teachers, about this important coverage. You never know what
can happen and being prepared is important.”
Don’t miss this opportunity – apply online at www.standard.com/cta/newhire.
For costs and further details of the coverage and this enrollment opportunity,
including the exclusions, benefit waiting periods, and reductions or limitations
and the terms under which the policy may be continued in force, please contact Standard Insurance Company at 800.522.0406.
Frequently Requested Phone Numbers
REMEMBER TO SEND US
YOUR SITE NEWS!
Wanted: All the details of what's happening at your site and/or what special
Lydia Cordon
accomplishments members have
BTA
achieved so that we may publish it in
Office Manager
the BTA Benchmark.
Please e-mail Lydia Cordon at [email protected]
subject line: Benchmark Site News
Some Ideas: Special Recognition, Degree, Random Act of
Kindness, Promotion, Reclassification, Project, Retirement,
Engagement, Wedding,Graduation, New Baby, Special Anniversary.
Questions Regarding Your Health Insurance?
Blue Shield (800)334-5847
Kaiser(800)464-4000
Blue Cross (877)737-7776 Prescriptions (877)542-0284
Behavioral Health (Employee Assistance Plan)
(800) 554-6931
State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) (800) 228-5453
The Standard (Income Protection Plan) (800) 522-0406
TSA Entertainment Discounts for Members (800) 540-2373
Travel Discounts for Members - (800) 570-7877
NEA Special Services (800) 637-4636
CTA/NEA-Retired (650) 552-5355
A+Auto & Home Insurance Plus (877) 411-3425
BTA Benchmark, APRIL 2015
Page 12
Are You Protecting Your Loved Ones?
According to insurance industry research group LIMRA, 30 percent of U.S. households have no life insurance coverage. LIMRA’s most recent Trends in Life Insurance Ownership study also found that 40 percent of U.S. households
said that they would have immediate trouble meeting everyday living expenses if the primary breadwinner died today.
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, so take some time to check your own coverage and educate yourself
about the options available to you as a CTA member.
If you’re a CTA member newly hired by your district, the Fall is a great time to get CTA-endorsed Life Insurance from
Standard Insurance Company (The Standard). You have a special opportunity to apply for up to $200,000 of Life Insurance within 120 days of starting work – without providing any proof of good health.
And, all eligible CTA members can apply for up to $400,000 of Life Insurance at any time with satisfactory proof of
good health.
The CTA-endorsed Life Insurance plan was created specifically for California education professionals and offers a
number of great features, including:
Option to add Life Insurance coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and children with your Life Insurance Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits Continuation of coverage during total disability with payment of premium
The Standard is the only Life Insurance provider endorsed by CTA. They were selected for their financial stability,
integrity and commitment to serving CTA members and their loved ones. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the protection you deserve from a partner you can trust. Call The Standard’s dedicated CTA Customer Service Department
at 800.522.0406 for more information or apply online by logging in at CTAMemberBenefits.org/life.
Don't Forget to REINSTATE Your Disability Insurance After Leave of Absence
A lot of CTA members assume that their voluntary Disability Insurance coverage from Standard Insurance Company (The
Standard) will be automatically reinstated when they return to work from an extended leave of absence. Unfortunately,
that may not be the case. Because your Disability Insurance is a voluntary benefit sponsored by CTA, your district may
not automatically notify The Standard that you are back at work.
The good news is reinstating your Disability Insurance with The Standard is easy. Once you know the date you will return
to work, call The Standard's Dedicated CTA Customer Service team at 800.522.0406. Tell the Customer Service Specialist
that you will be returning to work after a leave of absence and you wish to reinstate your Disability Insurance. The Customer Service Specialist will send you a brief form to complete and send back to The Standard.
It's important to notify The Standard as soon as you know your return to work date, because:
1. If you return your reinstatement form to The Standard within 120 days of your first day back at work, you do not
have to provide proof of good health.
2. If you wait longer than 120 days to reinstate your Disability Insurance, you end up with a gap in your coverage and
you might need to reapply with proof of good health.
Call The Standard's Dedicated CTA Customer Service Department at 800.522.0406,
M-F from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time to get your Disability Insurance reinstated once you know
your return to work date. After you return to work and send in the reinstatement form, be sure to
check your pay stub to confirm that premiums are being deducted from your paycheck.
APRIL 2015
Page 13
BTA CLASSIFIED ADS
EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT PERSONAL ADS, FOR EXAMPLE, CARS OR FURNITURE FOR SALE, GARAGE SALES, ETC., OF NO
MORE THAN 4 LINES FOR INCLUSION IN FUTURE ISSUES OF THE BTA NEWSLETTER. THERE WILL BE NO CHARGE FOR BTA MEMBERS. NON-MEMBERS
WILL BE CHARGED $5.00.
Paid advertisements are not to be considered an endorsement or recommendation by BTA
Big Bear Vacation Rental:
Beautiful four bedroom, three and a half
bath home, sleeps 10, in Upper Moonridge. Pool table, spa, HDTV. Close to everything. Call for availability and rates.
Call: Joanne - (818) 248-2047
Collectibles for Cash: Do you want to
turn your collectables into cold hard cash?
Call Brad after school any day: (818) 2813530
BHS Third Street Combo
made up of BHS jazz students, is ready to entertain at your parties and events.
Visit www.facebook.com/ThirdStreetCombo to
see what we are up to. Past gigs include headlining at Vibrato and Vitello's Jazz Clubs, as well
as steady work at the Smokehouse.
Contact [email protected]
Advertising Rate
Ad Sizes:
Business Card 3-1/2" W x 2" H
1/4 Page 3-1/2" W x 4-1/2" H
1/2 Page 3-1/2" W x 9-1/4"H
Full Page Flyer 8-1/2 x 11
$30
$50
$85
$135
1. The newsletter reaches administrators, Board of Education members, and others in the community via U.S.
mail.
2. For any ad, we must have electronic camera ready art.
3. Checks made payable to the Burbank Teachers Association must be received in advance.
4. Deadlines are the first of each month for the following
month. The newsletter is published once a month, August through May.
5. For further information, contact Lydia Cordon at the
BTA office - (818) 240-9180 or
by e-mail: [email protected]
REMINDER—IMPORTANT ALERT!
Are you receiving emails from the Burbank Teachers Association? It’s very important to use personal emails to facilitate fast
communications between BTA and it’s members.. Send your updated email address to:
[email protected]
The subject line should say “Updated Email Address.” Be sure to include your full name with your email address.
BTA Benchmark is a monthly publication of
Burbank Teachers Association,
3021 W. Burbank Blvd,
Burbank, CA 91506,
(818) 240-9180
www.burbankteachers.org

BTA Policy on Anonymous Letters
BTA would like to emphasize that we do not encourage or condone anonymous letters written for any purpose. The only appropriate use of anonymous communication would be to report fraud
or malfeasance on the District’s Fraud Hotline.
Vol. 28 - No. 7, APRIL 2015 •Editor: Susan Conway
•Asst. Editor: Lydia Cordon