Conference with the White House on US Gov't Typhoon Response

FAEALA will be participating...

The White House Office of Public Engagement invites you to a conference call with senior officials to discuss the U.S. Government’s response to Typhoon Haiyan.

White House Call on Typhoon Haiyan Response

Thursday, November 14, 2013

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. EST

Helping the Survivors of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan

(The following is a message by United States Charge D’Affaires Brian L. Goldbeck- forwarded by our dear friend Capt. Michael M, US Embassy, Manila, Philippines)

Mission Colleagues,

Many of you have expressed concern over the calamity left by Typhoon Yolanda, known internationally as Typhoon Haiyan.  Most of us have received phone calls, emails and messages from concerned family members and friends, wanting to know exactly what the situation is and how they can help.

For Americans in our community and back home trying to locate family members and/or friends here in the Philippines, the Bureau of Consular Affairs has formed a Response Call Center.  Callers can reach the call center at 888-407-4747 from within the U.S. or 202-501-4444 if calling from other locations.

I can assure our entire Mission family that the United States Government and this Embassy are focused on supporting the government of the Philippines’ efforts to address this emergency.  We are meeting regularly and working closely to make sure our assistance is based on what our Philippine friends need most.  We are focused on immediate needs for shelter, water, sanitation and food.

For updates on Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan relief efforts please check the U.S. Embassy’s website at http://manila.usembassy.gov/ regularly.  Over the course of the coming days and weeks, our Mission will work together to find ways we as a community can help.  You will hear more on this soon.

Generally speaking, what is most needed during these early days are cash donations to professional relief organizations which allow them to purchase exactly what is needed and when it is needed, from established supply chains, and to procure supplies near the affected area, cutting down on transportation time and cost. If you are interested in making a monetary contribution, take a look at supporting relief organizations who are accepting such donations.

At this time, while it is not the position of the U.S. Embassy to suggest whether you make such a contribution, we provide the following information without endorsement for those who are interested, in order so that you, and your family and friends around the world, may make informed decisions about where to direct resources.

List of Organizations Accepting Donations:

(Note: These links are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply any endorsement by the U.S. Embassy Manila.)

Plan International
http://plan-international.org/what-you-can-do/emergency-appeals/philippines-typhoon-appeal

World Vision
http://www.worldvision.org.ph

World Food Programme
https://www.wfp.org/donate/typhoon

Catholic Relief Services
http://crs.org/countries/philippines

Save the Children
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150549/

UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/philippines/

Yesterday EAP Assistant Secretary Russel called me to express his appreciation for the Embassy's superb response to typhoon Yolanda. He lauded the mission's teamwork, organization, and communications skills, adding this event has the President's attention. I want to add my thanks to all for again rising to meet these challenges, especially over a three-day holiday.

As President Obama stated, “the spirit of Bayanihan will see you through this tragedy.” The people of the Philippines are strong and resilient. We will assist them through this time of need and support the Philippine government in their efforts.

Charge D’Affaires

Brian L. Goldbeck

A Chapter Ends

This week I got a call from a reporter inquiring about Philippine-trained teachers hired by LAUSD.  I must admit, it has been a while since I heard anything, our contacts are fewer and opportunities for get togethers have become less frequent.  The economy and state funding of public education remain to be in the headlines.  Despite the bad news, I mentioned in the interview that those we happen to be in touch with are doing just fine.  Despite the initial hardships and challenges, many seem to have adjusted quite well, some are thriving, some are very successful and there are those who are not.

Today's teaching job market is certainly very different to what it was in 2006.  The downturn in the economy continues to create budget woes in school districts across the country and Los Angeles is not immune to this trend.  There have been cuts to instructional programs, furloughs and outright reductions in force. Those who have been laid off in addition to newly graduated teachers have together created a surplus and apparently, there is no longer a shortage of teachers.  Districts like Los Angeles are no longer in the practice of sponsoring "out of country" teacher applicants.  Much have been written about the practice of hiring Filipino teachers to fill the shortages of highly qualified teachers in math, science and special education in American schools.  Now that it is over, we can expect stories about the end as well.

• LA Unified foreign teacher program ending; instructors head home
• L.A. May Send Hundred of Foreign Teachers Back to Their Home Countries

Bantay Bata and FAEALA

This public service announcement for Bantay Bata is now showing all around the globe through TFC and locally in the Philippines on Ch 2. Thanks to Ferdz for posting.

FAEALA welcomes a partnership with Tina Monzon-Palma and Bantay Bata

When Bantay Bata's program director Tina Monzon-Palma contacted Daniel Gumarang earlier this year to explore how the Filipino American Educators Association of Los Angeles (FAEALA) might assist, FAEALA and its members expressed more than interest. Banta Bata 163, is a non-governmental organization created by the Philippine media network ABS-CBN. As a child welfare program, its core mission it to rescue and help abused children. According to Ms. Monson-Palma, she is visiting with a variety of community organizations in the United States to solicit support for her organization's efforts to provide "for a child go to school, and to support a child to be able to eat everyday.” As a professional group of educators, FAEALA may be an untapped resource given its members' skills and knowledge.

During the meeting that included a presentation followed by a two-hour conversation on topics that include the state of Philippine education, teacher professional development and other areas of mutual interest, Ms. Monson-Palma described several instances of child abuse occurring in the Philippines and what Bantay Bata in conjunction with local authorities are doing. According to Ms. Monson-Palma, "the biggest kind of abuse that occurs in the Philippines is neglect. We are experiencing an upward trend in the number of children now being neglected. Not only are their stomachs not fed, their minds are also starving for an education. We are concentrating on feeding and education because the number of neglected, uneducated, and unhealthy children is expected to grow and this cannot be good for the Philippines or any other country."

As the conversation progressed, it became clear that there are specific areas of opportunity for FAEALA members to collaborate with Banta-Bata beyond financial donations. In terms of providing professional development to Philippine service providers for example, Ms. Monson-Palma was elated about the possibilities. "I’m really so pleased that many of you here are experts when it comes to the education of people with special-needs. We have a difficulty looking for special needs teachers and providing the latest training to those we have. I don’t know how I can convince you to go back there...”

This visit and conversations are just the initial steps of what FAEALA hope to be a meaningful and sustained partnership with Ms. Monson-Palma and Bantay Bata.

Coffee with Tina Monzon-Palma

It is with great honor and pride that the Filipino American Educators Association of Los Angeles host legendary Filipino broadcast journalist and Bantay Bata program director Tina Monzon-Palma on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at Covina UMC.

Ms. Monzon-Palma will be in the United States as part of the 2011 Bantay Bata US Caravan. Specifically, the purpose of her visit is to touch base with the Filipino communities in California and personally share the scope of programs and services provided by Bantay Bata to Filipino children. In its 14 year history, Bantay Bata has grown from a 24/7 Hotline and Rescue operation, to a nationwide Child Helpline, to whom countries throughout Asia come to learn how to provide support and establish programs designed to protect children.

Coffee with Tina Monzon-Palma
Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Covina United Methodist Church
437 West San Bernardino Road Covina, CA 91723-1588

This is a free event and space is limited. Please let us know of your attendance by registering. For inquiries, please contact us via email at faeala@gmail.com. Thank you.

Fil-Am Esteban Appointed President of Seton Hall

Congratulations to Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban who was recently named Seton Hall's 20th president. Located in Seton Hall is South Orange, Seton Hall is New Jersey's largest Catholic University. Dr. Esteban holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California at Irvine, an M.S. in Japanese Business Studies from Chaminade University in Honolulu, and an M.B.A. and B.S. in mathematics from the University of the Philippines.

The State of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Education in California

Earlier today, California Assemblymember Mike Eng (49th District) and the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multicampus Research Program (UC AAPI Policy MRP) released a newly published report titled, The State of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Education in California.

One of the many reasons that make California special is the fact that it has the largest Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population in the union. California, of course, has the largest concentration of Filipinos outside the Philippines. Some of the findings of the report pertaining to Filipino Americans in California include:

• 20% of Filipino American students in CA are limited in English proficiency
• 6% of Filipino Americans are living in poverty
• 23% of Filipino Americans have college degrees (BA+)
  
• Of the California students who graduated high school in 2007-08, 3% identified themselves as Filipino
  
• In a 4-year period, 8.6% Filipino American students would drop out of school in grades 9-12
  
• Of all the Filipino American students enrolled in California public colleges and universities, 10% are in University of California (UC), 23% are in California State University (CSU), and the remainder are in California Community Colleges
• About 5% of all California Associate Degrees were awarded to Filipinos American students
• Filipinos alone were awarded 4.5% of Bachelor’s Degrees by the University of California
  
• Less than 1% of school administrators in California are Filipino
• 1.5% of teachers in California are Filipino
• The largest proportions of Asian and Filipino personnel are Classified Professional (12% Asian, 4% Filipino) and Classified Support (9% Asian, 3% Filipino)
  

This report highlights the achievements and challenges of Filipino Americans and other Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander subgroups in public K-12 schools and public post-secondary education, and provides recommendations for policymakers and community advocates. Whether you are a student, parent or educator, of Filipino ancestry or not, the topic couldn't be more important and timely. There has been increasing attention at the federal and state level on the performance of schools and colleges/universities in preparing California's youth for participation in an information-driven economy and in the nation's and state's democratic institutions. The complete report is available here.

CNN Profiles Filipino Teachers in Louisiana

The caption for this report reads, "CNN's Soledad O'Brien profiles teaches who came to Louisiana from the Philippines for teaching jobs and got scammed." The piece appeared in CNN.com on August 6, 2010.

Erick Mata Named Principal at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School

Former FAEALA president Erick Mata is now the new principal at Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School. A veteran educator and administrator, Mr. Mata previously served as principal of Marina Del Rey Middle School. He taught at the renowned Downtown Business Magnet School, before assuming successive leadership positions as an instructional advisor at LAUSD's Division of Instruction and director in the district grants office. Returning back to the school site, he served as assistant principal at Emerson Middle School.

Located just east of the Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Center campus, near downtown Los Angeles, Orthopedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School opened in the fall of 2004, with an emphasis on health care and medical science. The school is relatively small compared to comprehensive high schools serving approximately 800 students who demonstrate interest in health science and medicine. As joint venture between LAUSD and Orthopaedic Hospital, the school provides students with an opportunity to learn in a highly enhanced curriculum. Its vision aims for students to broaden their interest and enter into the medical and biological science careers.

We at FAEALA congratulate Mr. Mata on his most recent appointment, our hats are off to you! We also extend our best wishes as you and your staff work towards helping all students achieve.

Pinoy Principal Appointed for Franklin High School

A big congratulations goes to Joseph Nacorda who was appointed to serve as principal of Benjamin Franklin High School beginning this fall. A long-time FAEALA member and a graduate of UCLA, Mr. Nacroda has served the students of Los Angeles in variety of positions: as a teacher and for the past nine years, as a school administrator. Prior to his appointment as principal, Mr. Nacorda was an assistant principal at Hollywood High School.

Located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Franklin HS is one of the over 60 comprehensive high schools in Los Angeles. It first opened its doors in 1916 with 225 students. Today, Franklin serves approximately 2,500 students and is at the forefront of school reform offering small learning communities (SLCs) to its students which includes: Health & Human Services, Arroyo Seco (formerly Transportation Academy), Academy of American Studies, Media & Graphic Arts (aka MEGA), Academy of Business & Sports Science (aka ABSS), and Math & Science Magnet.

FAEALA recognizes the significance of Mr. Nacorda's most recent accomplishment and wish him nothing but the best in the days, months and years to come!

Membership Drive 2010

In an effort to sustain our ability to provide quality service and increase membership, FAEALA is conducting a membership drive for 2010. As a supporter and friend of FAEALA, we are asking that you join us and become a new member. For those of you who have joined us in the past, now is the time to renew your membership. An online membership form is now available for your convenience.

As you know, there are a number of reason to join the FAEALA. Here are just a few:

• Get connected and access an extensive network for educators. FAEALA functions provide opportunities to meet other educators, build relationships and discuss common interests.
  
• Discover great resources. FAEALA offers a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of educators, parents as well as students.
• Watch yourself grow with personalized professional development opportunities.
  
• Help others by volunteering your time and expertise; gain valuable experiences and provide an opportunity to put your skills to good use for a good cause.
• FAEALA is a forum for exchanging ideas where you are encouraged to safely participate and be heard.
• By getting involved, you will be an important part of the solution and help make positive changes.

FAEALA is a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. Membership dues are generally tax-deductible. Nearly all of our financial support comes from the generosity of members and we are most grateful for your past and current support!

(Please feel free to forward this email as you see appropriate. Thank you.)

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