Controlling a classroom isn't as easy as ABC

Among the top reasons why teachers are deemed unsuccessful or leave the profession is their inability to effectively manage student behavior, experts say.

An interesting article from today's LA Times.

Open Letter of Thanks

Dear Mr. Gomez and Mr. Cabanting:

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to both of you for donating boxes of textbooks in support of our organization's effort to provide assistance to those affected by the typhoons in the Philippines. You might have read that subsequent flooding have severely damaged schools and instructional materials including what little books they have available have been rendered useless.

Through your generous response and assistance from your companies, we will be able to provide much needed instructional materials to some of the affected communities. Once basic needs including food and shelter are addressed, children and teachers will eventually return to school and these books will surely find use again. I invite you to visit our website and there you will keep track of our activities including how these books will be distributed. We are looking forward to partner with you in anyway possible and perhaps we can continue to work together in future endeavors.

On behalf the students, teachers and members for FAEALA, I thank you once more.

Sincerely,

Daniel Gumarang, President
Filipino American Educators Association of Los Angeles

Efren Penaflorida is CNN's Hero of the Year

FAEALA congratulates Filipino educator, Mr. Penaflorida (Kariton Klasrum). Mabuhay ka Efren, you are indeed "an ordinary person with extraordinary impact" whose commitment and vision serves us well as an inspiration and a model.



Here's his story.

How can we help those affected by the typhoons?

Soon after the typhoons struck the Philippines, I thought of ways to provide support to children and schools affected by the floods and sent the following message...

"For our part, FAEALA is considering supporting public school children possibly in Cainta or Pasig who will eventually return to their classrooms. We can only imagine the condition of the schools as what little books, equipment and other resources they have, may no longer be there when they arrive. As a group, we can effectively leverage our relationships and connections in our work. American school districts may have surplus materials that may be of use in these classrooms. I have been in contact with a vendor who indicated that they can provide us with older textbooks at no cost. We will then work with other individuals, businesses, groups, and agencies to find ways to get these books over the Pacific Ocean."

In response on October 17, Naylene Bautista replied- not only with words but action...

"Dear Sir Daniel, I sent already this morning a total of six boxes (LBC) of books, four boxes to Mrs. Helicita Villanueva, Principal of San Lorenzo Ruiz Elementary School (map), Brgy. Manggahan, Pasig; and the other two, to another school, also in Pasig. I just addressed it to my son because I was not able to get the exact address. My son will just give it to the school. I sent them via LBC as they have a free box for every 5 boxes you send. I wrote a letter to Ms. Villanueva saying that these donations were made possible through my school, Malabar Elementary, and our organization, FAEALA. Salamat sa lahat ng tulong, hindi natin masusukat kung ano ang magiging epekto nito sa mga batang matututo dahil sa mga librong ito. Again, salamat sa idea na ipinakalat mo amin. -N.B."

Mabuhay ka Mrs. Bautisata! You are a testament to the power of one. What you did is a reminder that it only takes ONE- one person to take action and make a difference.

The vendor/publisher I mentioned came through today and I was informed that the company is responding by diverting books and materials our way for the purposes stated. Additional updates will be forthcoming as soon as more information becomes available.

(Photo credits: Girl standing on a rickety raft along a submerged street in Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal bt RAFFY LERMA, www.inquirer.net; Naylene Bautisata, self-portait).

Federal complaint filed on behalf of Filipino Teachers

Meet Ingrid Cruz... a teacher at Scottlandville MS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ingrid is among the 300 teachers in Louisiana who have been recruited from the Philippines since 2007. Their story as told in today's edition of the USA TODAY is the latest to bring attention to the practice and implications of American schools hiring Overseas-Trained Teachers (OTTs).

On September 30, the American Federation of Teachers and its state affiliate filed a complaint with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and attorney general. This filing was followed by another on October 20 with the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that recruiters kept the teachers in "virtual servitude" by holding onto their U.S. work visas unless they kept paying inflated fees, commissions and rents.

The article is entitled, "Federal complaint: Filipino teachers held in "servitude." Feedback from readers appearing at the end of the piece is also worth reading.

(Note: USA Today is a national daily newspaper. It is only second to the Wall Street Journal in terms of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States.)

Focusing on 21st Century Skills

Today I was fortunate enough to attend the 3rd Annual 21st Century Learners Symposium which was held at California State University, Los Angeles. The keynote speakers was Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education. In his speech he referred to compelling global trends in education, and described how the transformative effects of new technologies are affecting education. Most importantly, he challenged the audience, to reflect how students are acquiring and learning 21st Century Skills.

As educators, the burden is on us to prepare a generation of learners for an unknown future that is ahead of all of us. These students will be working in job with descriptions that are yet to be written. They will be solving problems that we do not know are problems yet. It is certainly a future that is global, multicultural and competitive. For most of us, the previous sentence describes our reality today. To my surprise, he described the impact of Filipino teachers on the American educational landscape as an indicator of the flattening of the teaching profession. In this case, the "flattening" metaphor is used to described the leveling of the playing field in the teaching profession where Overseas-Trained Teachers (OTTs), have an equal opportunity to compete for teaching jobs in the United States and other parts of the globe. Just like instructional technology, we are learning that it is not solely about the tools, but more about the skills that would allows us to use those tools effectively.

As we continue to professional develop in this profession, it is of utmost importance that we recognize that Globalization is not a dirty word, but a reality in which we find ourselves operating in everyday. Yet are we acquiring for ourselves and modeling these 21st Century Skills that we expect of our students? We cannot teach what we do not know. Perhaps it is awareness of this, and other shifts in paradigms that will drive us to constantly "retool" and develop adapting skills that allows us to use our experiences to effectively share with our students a glimpse of a time that is yet to come today. The future certainly does not come at the same time for everyone.

Daniel

Importing Educators

(Thanks to Dr. Bartlett, Asst. Professor of Education, UCSC, for sharing this information...)

Add OTT to your alphabet soup. OTT is an acronym for Overseas-Trained Teachers. OTTs have been receiving increasing attention for the past few years in light of a variety of reasons ranging from their numbers to impact on school districts struggling to fill shortages. This month, the NY Times featured an article entitled, "Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/education/15teach.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

The article also reported the release of a major report by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that examines the causes and effects of international teacher recruitment. The AFT is the second-largest education labor union in the United States, representing about 856,000 members as of fall 2008 mostly in large metropolitan areas and the east coast.

http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/intl/Teacher_Migration.pdf

I have not read the report yet, but I wanted to share this with you ASAP... Like all reports, some are good, some are bad, there may be even questions regarding inaccuracies. Nevertheless, this is what is written and reported. You are strongly invited to read the report and reflect on how others have chosen to describe your/our experiences. What do you think?

News Article of Interest

This one is from the LA Times dated August 26, 2009.

Philippine workers abroad: The boon has a price

Remittances from Filipinos abroad are higher despite the global financial crisis. The $1 billion sent back monthly alleviates the effects of poverty and joblessness. But the exodus takes a toll.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-remittances26-2009aug26,0,3339063,full.story

Cory Aquino, 1933-2009

"You know, when Ninoy was in prison, I used to think all of us have a quota for suffering and when Ninoy was assassinated, I supposed I'd filled up my quota of suffering. But that isn't so, and when we think of Jesus Christ who did not do anybody any wrong, He was goodness Himself, and yet He was prepared to make all of these sacrifices and His suffering did not end until he died. So I suppose, each of us, while we are in this world, while we are here in the Philippines, must think of what it is that we can still offer to make life better for our fellow Filipinos."

FAEALA joins the Philippine nation and Filipino people around the world in mourning the death of former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Maraming salamat Tita Cory...

FAEALA to present at FAEAC Conference.

CONFERENCE UPDATE... FAEAC Conference is now a one day symposium!

The Steering Committee for the 2009 Filipino American Educators Association of California (FAEAC) Statewide Conference is cognizant of the fact that our current economy has greatly impacted our abilities to participate in conferences and to travel. Thus, we were not surprised by the limited number of individuals who are able to commit to attending the Conference.

To accommodate the needs of our membership, we are reorganizing the event into a one-day Symposium scheduled for Saturday July 18th, from 8:30am – 2:00pm. The location remains the same at Ross Elementary School (7470 Bagdad Street, San Diego, CA 92111).

The format will mirror the 2006 FAEAC Statewide Leadership Symposium. Instead of addressing both the Statewide Conference theme and incorporating additional workshops of professional and personal interest to K-12 and higher education professionals (e.g. Classroom Management, Ethical Leadership, Individual Wellness), the Symposium will be composed of two sessions: Incidences of Suicide & Exploitation: The Recruitment & Retention of Educators to the United States from the Philippines; and the FAEAC General Body Meeting.

Included in the Symposium registration rate of $12.00 are breakfast and lunch. You may continue to register online at genevieveesmende@filameda.org. Registration payment can be made on site.

For additional information, please contact Eleonor G. Castillo at 619.417.2892 or leonorcastillo.faeac@gmail.com.

We look forward to your participation and thank you for your continued support.

8:30 – 9:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and Symposium Overview
9:10 – 11:40 Plenary Session: Incidences of Suicide & Exploitation: The Recruitment & Retention of Educators to the United States from the Philippines
11:40 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 2:00 FAEAC General Body Meeting

See you in San Diego!


FAEAC stands for Filipino American Educators Association of California (http://www.faeac.org) which is the umbrella organization for our association with chapters in Northern and Southern California. This year, FAEAC will hold its annual conference in San Diego, California on Friday, July 17-19, 2009.

The theme of the conference is "Incidences of Suicide and Exploitation: The Recruitment and Retention of Educators to the United States from the Philippines." This topic is very familiar to us having been witnesses to many accounts, challenges as well as solutions. Due to our depth of experience and recent exposure in the media, the organizers of the conference FILAMEDA (http://www.filameda.org) have extended a special invitation to FAEALA members to participate. To date, several teachers have have answered the call. They have committed to attend and will serve as panel speakers during the event.

For those of you with inquiries about presenting or attending, please contact us at faeala@gmail.com so that we may organize our delegates. Additional information about the conference is available at: http://faeac.org/conference.html.

Happy 111th Birthday Bayan!

Last Saturday (June 12, 2009), FAEALA members joined other Pinoys in celebrating the Philippines' 111th Independence from Spain. It was a gala event for about 2,000 people at the Westin Boneventure featuring a cultural show, dancing, eating and gawking. Dignitaries from the Philippines along with the who's who in the Filipino community in Los Angeles were in attendance. The picture above was taken at the red carpet, mabuhay!

FAEALA Meets with FVR

(Two Presidents. Former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos with current FAEALA President Daniel Gumarang.)

Former President of the Republic of The Philippines Fidel V. Ramos was recently in Los Angeles, and met with leaders of the Filipino American community to promote opportunities of common interests. Mr. Ramos invited all Filipinos from all over the globe to join him in his efforts to serve as "a catalyst of constructive change, a medium for fostering unity, stability and progress and a force for mutual understanding" through the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation. FAEALA shares this vision and looks forward to forming a partnership through educational exchange and leadership development.

"In order to move the Philippines forward, we must address and remedy every gap: education, health, economic... as especially- tangGAP!" -FVR

Is there a Manong Philip in you?

Philip V. Vera Cruz

In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month (May) FOX Network is producing Americans in Focus (www.americansinfocus.org) featuring short vignettes of individuals "who have excelled in life and professions that initially were considered outside the realm of possibility for a person of color."

Although the Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States, it is noteworthy that in this list of notables there is only ONE pinoy, Philip Vera Cruz! He was of the Manong generation of Filipino immigrants who came during the early half of the 20th century. Later in life, he became a key farm labor organizer and was instrumental in the creation what eventually came to being as the United Farm Workers union. There are Filipinos all over the world who certainly fit this description and we are charged with sharing those stories, our stories.

The series, celebrates the diversity by highlighting the achievements of short features are now being shown globally across the FOX Network and in the Internet. FAEALA is honored to be a part of this project.

Pinoy Teachers featured in the LA Times

(Watanabe, Teresa. "Filipino teachers exchange homeland for jobs in America." Los Angeles Times 15 Mar. 1995)

Filipino teachers exchange homeland for jobs in America

More than 100 school districts, including at least 20 in California, are recruiting in the Philippines to fill teacher shortages in math, science and special education.

By Teresa Watanabe
March 18, 2009

Filipino exchange teacher Ferdinand Nakila landed in Los Angeles expecting "Pretty Woman" scenes of swank Beverly Hills boulevards and glittering celebrities. What he got was Inglewood, where he stayed for two weeks in temporary housing and encountered drunkards, beggars, trash-filled streets and nightly police sirens.

It got worse. In training sessions about American classrooms he received in the Philippines, he was told his students might not be quite as polite and respectful as those in his homeland. Nothing, however, prepared him for the furious brawl that broke out in one of his Los Angeles classrooms, where two girls rolled around on the floor clawing at each other while the other students jumped on the desks and cheered.

But Nakila said his American sojourn has transformed him into a far better educator than when he arrived in August 2007. In the Philippines, he was imperious and demanding, throwing students out of his classroom for inadequate preparation with little thought of their plight.

In Los Angeles, his daily encounters with students struggling to learn despite shattered homes, sexual abuse, physical violence or hunger have humbled him into a new vision of teaching.

"I realize we are servants and teaching is more about touching lives and helping students own their own learning," said Nakila, 38, a special education teacher in English at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.

Nakila is part of a recent wave of foreign exchange teachers from the Philippines, who are primarily being recruited to fill chronic teacher shortages in math, science and special education throughout the United States. More than 100 school districts, including at least 20 in California, are recruiting from the Philippines, said Los Angeles immigration attorney Carl Shusterman.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has hired 250 to 300 teachers from the Philippines -- the largest contingent among more than 600 foreign exchange teachers overall, a district official said.

The statewide budget crisis and impending layoffs, however, have prompted L.A. Unified to suspend its foreign recruitment this year, said Deborah Ignagni, a district human resources administrator.

Pay is an incentive

Ignagni said the L.A. district first began recruiting foreign exchange teachers in the 1980s from Mexico and Spain to help with bilingual elementary education. But it shifted to the Philippines and Canada for math, science and special education teachers in the last four years, she said.

L.A. school officials have tapped the Philippines for several reasons, Ignagni said. The higher education system is similar, so credits are easily transferable for U.S. teaching credentials.

The Philippines has an abundance of teachers, which allows U.S. recruiters to avoid perceptions that they are taking educational resources needed by Filipinos, Ignagni said.

And most Filipinos speak English and can understand some Spanish, which is embedded in the Filipino language as a result of Spain's 300-year colonization of the islands.

Many of the teachers themselves say they jumped at the chance to work in the United States, lured primarily by far better pay. Most teachers in the Philippines earn $300 to $400 a month, less than one-tenth what they can pull down in Los Angeles.

But high processing fees from recruitment and visa sponsoring agencies have strapped many with debts of $10,000 or more.

Some, such as Gelacio Aguilar, sold land in the Philippines to finance their ventures. Others scraped up money from family and friends; still others took out loans.

To be hired in L.A. Unified, the teachers must pass basic skills exams and interviews, fulfill the requirements for a California teaching credential and have three to five years of successful teaching experience in public schools.

The teachers had hoped for work visas that would potentially lead to green cards. But L.A. Unified brings them in on three-year teacher exchange visas known as J-1s because they are easier to obtain, Ignagni said. The district is now applying for work visas for some teachers whose exchange visas have expired.

Rocky beginnings

Once the teachers arrive in Los Angeles, school officials give them a two-week orientation and offer job fairs to connect them with schools. But many describe a rocky start: loneliness, befuddlement over bus routes, apartment hunting, dealing with U.S. currency, American-style resume-writing. And, once in the classroom, utter shock.

Asked to describe his first year, Garcia leaned back in his chair, covered his face with his hands and murmured, "Oh, God."

His ninth-graders' average math skills were sixth-grade level. While he was trying to teach, students roamed the classroom, applied makeup, chatted with one other, tuned out with iPods. A hallway fight started spilling into his class, and when he tried to push the brawlers back out, he said, he was reprimanded for touching them.

During a recent evening interview at his Washington Boulevard apartment, Nelson de la Cruz pulled up his shirt to reveal a black and blue bruise. He got it, he said, after a student threw a book at him. Another teacher suffered injuries after a chair was thrown at her, said Daniel Gumarang of the Filipino American Educators Assn. of Los Angeles, which is aiding the teachers.

Some teachers have given up and headed back to the Philippines, but Ignagni estimated them at "less than a handful."

Nakila, for instance, said he learned something every day about how to handle his students. One lesson: be sensitive to their backgrounds. Aiming to inspire them, he presented Latino success stories and asked students to write about their own heroes, but the reaction was negative, even angry. When he told them about his own heroic father and asked them to describe their own, Nakila said one lashed out, "I don't even know his name, and I don't want to know."

Now he avoids lessons that might cause them to feel inadequacies in their own families.

He keeps cookies in the classroom to feed students who come to school without breakfast, a situation he said he never imagined he would find in wealthy America. He calls parents to ask why they're giving their children Kool-Aid rather than something more nutritious. He tells students he will never give up on them, even if they show their worst.

"I used to wake up thinking 'Oh, my God, let me survive this day,' " Nakila said. "Now I wake up excited, eager to meet my students."

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-filipino18-2009mar18,0,1449843.story