Welcome Back!
Welcome Back!
We hope summer break has provided you with the rest and renewal you deserved. As we begin this year, we stand together in our shared commitment to educating and empowering all students, continuing to grow professionally, innovate in our practices, and foster a community where everyone thrives, especially during this time of unprecedented attacks on public education. We look forward to working with you to make this a great year!
Updates will come out every Friday EXCEPT for the last Friday of the quarter (the KHSTA Newsletter will arrive on these dates). Please check your junk mail folder if you are not receiving them. Past updates will be archived on the KHSTA website (khsta.org).
SOME NEW CHANGES FOR 2026
If you are teaching a zero or eighth period class, you will be asked to sign an agreement outlining the guidelines and expectations for meeting with the class. This ensures that all zero and eighth period classes are being conducted consistently and held to the same standards.
Additionally, the District is piloting a new Assistant Athletic Director position this year. This position will provide additional coverage for the increased number of athletic events resulting from the addition of new sports. The goal is to ensure adequate coverage at athletic events and prevent the Athletic Director from having to move between multiple games or events on the same day.
SITE REP ELECTIONS
KHSTA will be holding elections for site reps at the sites where there are openings (Stockdale, Frontier, Golden Valley, South (2), Vista, Vista West, Nueva, and District Office (1)). The declaration of candidacy was sent to the sites listed, so if you are interested in running for one of those open positions, please check your email and follow the timelines. The election will take place next week.
COMPLIANCE VIDEOS REMINDER
The Keenan workplace compliance videos must be completed by September 30th. As a reminder, we are paid for these hours as part of our contract. Several years ago, a ½ percent was added to the salary schedule to cover these hours (which means now the time will be reflected as part of your regular work year in retirement).
PROP 3
In November, Proposition 3 will be on the ballot. This measure is important because it would make permanent the funding that was originally approved through Proposition 30 and later extended through Proposition 55. The funding comes from an existing revenue source paid by California’s highest-income earners and provides critical support for public education.
Without continuing this funding, KHSD could lose approximately $75–76 million each year—nearly 15% of the District’s operating budget. This funding is essential to maintaining the programs, services, and resources our students and educators rely on.
KHSTA Executive Board members will be making presentations at your sites in the next several weeks. They are responsible for making sure the message gets out, so please make sure you attend and fill out a commitment card.
BARGAINING INFO
KHSTA will be going into a full contract bargain for 2027-2030. Mindy Montanio will be heading the bargaining team and will be sending out information during the year.
SALARY ADVANCEMENT UNITS
If you are completing units for salary advancement, remember the coursework must be completed by August 31st. Transcripts must be submitted by October 31st to be credited for this school year.
CONFERENCES
KHSTA offers scholarships for the following CTA conferences. KHSTA’s Exec Board reviews applications once a month, so please apply at least 30 days prior to the conference dates (exception would be made for the Special Ed Conference).
Conferences Available for the 2026 - 2027 school year (conferences will be added as they are announced):
Special Education, October 2 - 4, 2026 (Garden Grove)
LGBTQ+ Issues, November 6 - 8, 2026 (SFO Marriot, Burlingame)
New Educator North, November 13 - 15, 2026 (SFO Marriot, Burlingame)
CTA Organizing Academy, January 15 - 17, 2027 (Las Vegas)
Good Teacher North, February 5 - 7, 2027 (Burlingame)
New Educator South, February 19 - 21, 2027 (Hilton OC, Costa Mesa)
Equity and Human Rights, March 5 - 7, 2027 (Santa Clara)
Good Teaching South, March 12 - 14, 2027 (Garden Grove)
Women's Conference, April 16 - 18, 2027 (San Diego)
To apply for a conference:https://forms.gle/3aGLseLbXeRrJvgC8
IMPORTANT DATES
Wills and Trusts Workshop - Monday, October 19, 2026
A list of all the important datesin the contractis attached for your reference:Important Dates.
VIRTUAL OPTIONS FOR YOU
All of the following events will be virtual. Zoom links will be available in the updates as the date of the event gets closer. Here are some of the things that will be available:
Thursday, September 3rd at 5pm, KHSTA will be hosting a “Reading Your Paystub” Zoom meeting for those who need some help understanding it. Bring your paystubs and learn what each line means. Access theZoom linkhere. The meeting ID is 864 2914 8863.
Monday, September 14th, a representative from The Standard will be hosting an informational session on the benefits The Standard offers for our new hires.The link to make reservations was sent out yesterday. Please let your new teachers know so they can reach out as some of them don’t get the updates. They can contact Cathy Adams for more information if they didn’t get the email.
10 minute meetings for anyone who is unable to attend their site’s 10 minute meetings -- these will occur on the second Thursday of each month.
EXEC BOARD/REP COUNCIL
The current list of KHSTA Exec Board and site representatives is listed below. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Happy First Friday!!
KHSTA Executive Board
President:Cathy Adams (FrHS)
Vice President:Mindy Montanio (HHS)
Secretary:Stephanie Valenzuela (AHS)
Treasurer:Norma Procell (HHS)
State Council Reps
Elise Sotello (KL)
Candi Romero (TdS)
Tamara Clark (VWHS)
Joanne Barrick (HHS)
Jesse Aguilar (GVHS)
Past President: Vickie Shoenhair (Shafter)
Membership: David Ziegler
Site Representatives
Arvin: Stephanie Valenzuela,
Ty Newton
BAS: Linda Colvin
BHS: Hillary Sanders,
Randy Bennett
CHS: Kayole Bradford, Kim Henry
CVHS: Alix Garcia
DOHS: Olive Garrison,
Hannah Richert
District (includes all district programs):
Danny Arretche (KL),
Adriana Vasquez (TOSA)
EBHS: April Bynum,
Rosemary Silverman
Foothill: Elizabeth Deckard,
Allysa Jones
Frontier: Lara Winn
GVHS: David Lollar
HHS: Meaghan Barber Smith,
Jennifer Nelson
IHS: Robb Polski, Tanya Whitehouse
KVHS: Casey Robinson
LHS: David Ziegler,
Marycoco Ramirez
MMHS: Brooke Malley Ault,
Matt Day
NHS: Erika Zeimet, Tonya Davis
Nueva:
RHS: Kim Smith, Nathan Claunch
ROP/CTEC: Chad Wright,
Scott Trimble
Shafter: Jessica Smith,
Brian Feaster
South:
Stockdale: Gaby Scully
TDS: Candi Romero
VWHS:
Vista:
West: Eliza Pearsy, Steve Willis
Liaisons
COUNSELOR: Joanne Barrick (HHS)
NURSE: Jamie Henry (IHS)
PSYCHOLOGIST: Angelina Gonzales (ABLE)
TEACHER-LIBRARIAN: Amanda Rude (SHS)
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