Richard Bammer, from the Vacaville Reporter, has just won a John Swett Award for a series of columns last year that examined vital school issues in the Vacaville Unified School District and neighboring districts.

Writing in a strong voice showing his compassion for public schools, his winning columns looked at the recent recession’s damage to local school budgets, the need to pass the governor’s Proposition 30 to halt more cuts, parental involvement in school reform, and how a local spelling bee showed the value of learning about the magic and origins of words (the bee contest words included ukulele, moccasin and ophthalmology).

For more information, go here – http://www.cta.org/en/About-CTA/News-Room/Press-Releases/2013/05/20130528_1.aspx

The VTA and VUSD teams met on May 24, 2013.

VTA: Brenda Hensley, Kent Puddy, Kim Campbell, Gary Masterson & Lynne Grow
VUSD: Randy Henry, Ed Santopadre, David Robertson, Christie Cochran, & Kari Sousa

The teams discussed School Services’ take on the Governor’s May Revise. It is still uncertain as to how VUSD will be funded in 13-14; the Governor has proposed a new Local Control Funding Formula but we don’t know if that will replace the current Base Revenue Limit funding structure. The District is holding a budget workshop for the Board on May 28th at the District Office at 5pm for the school board. The School Board is scheduled to adopt a 13-14 budget at the June 27th board meeting.

Hopefully the state budget will be adopted by June 30th. It will take some time to see how the budget impacts school districts.

The teams agreed to meet on July 19th and July 22nd.

Anyone can call himself/herself an advisor, so make sure you are getting objective advice and not a sales pitch disguised as advice. Insurance company reps who come to your school may be thinking more about the commission they could earn by selling you an insurance product than about recommending the best savings vehicle for you.

If you are working with an advisor or thinking about doing so, ask him or her to put the answers to these questions in writing for you:

Are you acting in a fiduciary capacity (in other words, are you legally and ethically required to make a recommendation in my best interests)? If not, why not?
How are you paid? Will you be compensated for selling me this product? Please detail all fees and surrender charges associated with this product, including who receives them.
Why is this product the best choice for me?

Don’t be sold, be informed!

Learn more about making the most of your 403(b) or 457 plan at CTAinvest.org, first-place winner for ongoing education-public in Pension & Investment’s 2013 Eddy Awards.

Click here for the a copy of the E-board agenda!

Exec Board Agenda

May 21, 2013

Cooper School library 3:30 P.M

*Special visit from John Niederkorn and possibly Ken Jacopetti – Time TBD

1)    – Approval of the minutes

2)    – Approval of the agenda

* Bargaining (Brenda Hensley)

3)    – President’s Report

4)    -Treasurer’s Report

5)    -Chair Reports

Action (Corey Penrose)

Human Rights (Alyson Brauning)

Women’s Issues (Tricia Cowen)

Grievance (Sylvia Aquino)

PAC ( Dawn Kelly)

Special Ed ( Tammy Parker)

Membership ( Julie Timmerman)

6)    –Business

-Reflect/Look ahead- discussion of past practice and future goals

– Meeting dates for 2013-14 discussion

-Recognition

7)  -Other

8)  -Adjournment