Socorro AFT

06/22/2022

Attn: SocorroISD Teachers and Staff.
Please Share

SISD Board has approved the following for 2022-2023
6% For Teachers/support staff
$2500 Retention Stipend(Paid 1/2 Aug, 1/2 Nov)
$15/hr. Min starting wage.

04/08/2022

02/12/2022

Mary Gonzalez and Laura Marquez Public Education town hall

Mary Gonzalez and Laura Marquez Public Education town hall

02/09/2022

Mary Gonzalez and Laura Marquez Public Education town hall

Join us as educators discuss pressing issues in El Paso and Socorro!

07/21/2021

Attn: Employees

At Last nights SISD Board Meeting, Administration proposed a $2,000 retention stipend for ALL Employees. (Funded by ESSER II)

A public hearing on ESSER II plan will be held August 17, 2021(Make plans to attend this meeting)

This is in ADDITION➕ to $1000 COVID-19 Stipend (Paid in May), $1000 Retention Stipend (Will be paid in Aug 2021)

Please share.

05/19/2021

Say no to state takeovers. Say no to SB 1365.

Time to take action!

Senate Bill 1365 gives "final and unappealable power" to the unelected commissioner of education to override the will of thousands of voters by taking over an elected school board. Public schools should be governed by boards elected in your local community, not a bureaucrat in Austin. Can you send a...

04/26/2021

Defending Public Education in Socorro and El Paso, TX

AFT President Randi Weingarten joins with Texas AFT President Zeph Capo, Socorro AFT President Veronica Hernandez, El Paso AFT President Ross Moore and U. S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and AFT-endorsed school board candidates Cindy Lee Najera, Angelica Rodriguez, Paul Guerra and Gary Gandara to discuss ongoing threats to public education in El Paso and Socorro, charter expansion efforts and our anti-charter endorsed school board members, and need for state to distribute all its share of the American Rescue Plan funds to school districts.

04/06/2021

Texas STAAR faces technical problems, leaving thousands of students unable to access test

Texas education officials advised districts to suspend the first day of STAAR testing after thousands of students showed up in person and were prevented from taking the standardized test online because of widespread technical issues across the state.

Texas officials mandated that students take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness in person this year at monitored test sites. Millions of students are still conducting their studies remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

03/09/2021

There is Power in the Union! ✊🏽

01/26/2021

Ask Dr. Fauci

Join us for a fireside chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, as he answers your questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines.

We are grateful to have a new administration that is finally following the science and leading with compassion. President Biden released his national COVID-19 strategy and signed 10 executive orders on his first day in office to control the spread of the virus and to help Americans who are dealing with this pandemic.

Fauci will take questions from you. If there’s a specific question or topic you want to make sure we don’t miss, please submit it here.

Remember to mark your calendars for Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. EST and watch the stream on Facebook.com/AFTunion or YouTube.com/AFTHQ

Join us for a fireside chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, as he answers your questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. We are grateful to have a new administration that is finally following the science and leading with compassion. President Biden rel...

11/17/2020

💙🌎👍Follow Everyday Health Habits.

😷 Wear a mask that covers your nose 👃and mouth 👄

🧍‍♀️↔️🧍‍♂️Stay at least 6 feet away from others

🚫🤒 Avoid contact with people who are sick

🧼👐Wash your hands often, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds each time ⏳

🚫 Don't Touch Your Face 😬

🧴Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available

10/13/2020

🗳 Early voting starts Tuesday, October 13, and runs through Friday, October 30.

👩‍🏫🧑‍🏫 Educators/Support Staff are either at the table or on the menu during the next Legislative session, and this is our chance to elect a better Legislature.

✊🏽Your Voice!
✊🏽Your Power!
✊🏽Your Vote!

09/11/2020

Are you safe at school?

🚨Attn: Educators and public school employees deserve to feel safe at work.

https://www.stopthespreadtx.school/

Today we launch , a public, crowdsourced map of COVID-19 cases and safety violations in Texas public schools. 💻

Report confirmed positive cases, safety concerns and your personal story on your campus, privately and anonymously, and give us the bird's-eye view of the health of our schools the TEA should be providing.

See the map and submit a report at
stopthespreadtx.school

Developed in collaboration between Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and United for Respect areyousafeTX.school puts power back into the hands of people who work in public education sector across Texas. See if COVID-19 reports or safety conditions have been reported in your worksite or nea...

08/26/2020

It's Red Wednesday, and we're *still* fighting for Texas school districts to .

To help you show your solidarity, we've created Facebook profile photo frames that tell the world to , and .

Find even more digital resources at texasaft.org/redwednesday.

08/20/2020

Socorro ISD

Great information from TeamSISD!

📞 The NEW Parent Education Support and Communication Call Center is here to answer your questions.

Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mon. through Fri.
Emails will be accepted 24-7.

The number is 937-7768 or 937-PRNT and the email address is [email protected]

📞El NUEVO Centro de Llamadas de Apoyo y Comunicación de Educación para Padres está aquí para responder sus preguntas.
Horario de 9 a.m. a 3:30 p.m. de lunes a viernes.

Se aceptarán correos electrónicos 24-7.

El número es 937-7768 y el correo electrónico es [email protected]. https://t.co/oGZcMrrdot

08/19/2020

Know Your Rights Workshop 8.19.20

Know your Rights Workshop, in progress, join us.

06/03/2020

Tell our U.S. senators to pass the HEROES Act to help save our schools from massive cuts!

🚨 Act now to help pass crucial aid to Texas in the HEROES Act! ✊🏽

🍎Texas schools and our students will soon be on a lifeline. Act Now to send an online letter to our U.S. senators from Texas telling them to pass the HEROES Act--which would provide billions of dollars of assistance and stave off harmful cuts (and possible layoffs and furloughs) down the road.

Please share!

💻🖱Click here to send a letter:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-our-us-senators-to-pass-the-heroes-act-to-help-save-our-schools-from-massive-cuts/

The Coronavirus has wreaked unprecedented havoc on the lives of the American people, and our schools are facing massive cuts unless we fight to protect them. For Texas to survive and recover from this pandemic, safely reopen our schools, and allow people to safely return to work to restore our econo...

05/25/2020

Memorial Day Tribute

Never Forget, Forever Honor.

05/16/2020

TEA is offering optional testing for districts and parents to administer to their kids

For 2020-2021 year.

A Union of Professionals

05/06/2020

Today is School Nurse Day!

School nurses lead the way to advance health and support education by ensuring that students are safe, healthy & ready to learn. Let’s celebrate our school nurses today and always! Learn more at: www.schoolnurseday.org

05/01/2020

Thank a Hero Sweepstakes

In May, AFT celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurse Appreciation Week and Public Service Recognition Week! This is always an important reminder to thank and honor the people in these professions, but this year, we hope people will really show how deeply grateful we are to them in these challenging times. Visit www.aft.org/ThankAHero for more information.

Say THANK YOU to Our, TEACHERS, NURSES, AND PUBLIC EMPLOYEES and support local businesses at the same time. Enter or nominate a hero to win dinner from a local restaurant or free books for kids.

04/29/2020

Make OSHA protect frontline workers

Only one click away from helping our Union Brothers and Sisters! ✊🏽😷❤
Please click on link to complete letter.

Every year on April 28th, we observe Workers Memorial Day and remember those who have died on the job. This year while healthcare workers are dying because they don’t have the protection they need, it’s never been more relevant. That’s why we’re calling on OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline heroes.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/make-osha-protect-frontline-workers?source=direct_link&

At its founding, OSHA’s mission was to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working people by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. Yet workers are being forced to work in unsafe conditions and are dying while OSHA gives employer...

04/27/2020

TRS COVID-19 response and impact to the pension fund

No danger to TRS pensions, but the faltering economy will have an impact. https://www.texasaft.org/government/trs/trs-covid-19-response-and-impact-to-the-pension-fund/

A Union of Professionals

04/24/2020

Factsheet: Cancel Federal Student Loans to Provide Short and Long-Term Stimulus Amid Pandemic - Americans for Financial Reform

AFT is calling on Congress to cancel student debt for pandemic relief and to stimulate the economy. Some interesting facts here...https://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2020/03/factsheet-cancel-federal-student-loans-to-provide-short-and-long-term-stimulus-amid-pandemic/

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating economic impact, Americans for Financial Reform calls on Congress and the U.S. Department of Education to use their authority to cancel federal student loan debt. Cancelling debt would be a powerful and efficient way to immediately relieve pre...

04/20/2020

continues working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy!

🍎Please note new distribution method at meal pick-up sites in the district. CNS employees will place meals in trunks/backs of vehicles🚙⬅️ to increase social distancing measures/lessen unnecessary contact.

04/14/2020

🙌 Thank you Socorro ISD Board Members for unanimously approving a motion to submit a waiver to TEA to pause TTess Evaluations amid COVID-19! Motion made by Paul Guerra, second by Angelica Rodriguez.

SISD Board also approved guidelines for grading during Remote Learning. GUIDELINES ATTACHED.

04/11/2020

Thank you, May God bless you all!!

‪ for our & ‬

04/01/2020

👏THANK YOU to SISD Board Trustees Paul E Garcia and Paul Guerra for advocating for our Teachers.

✊🏽Please share with

✊🏽Socorro AFT President Veronica Hernandez will be meeting with Dr. Espinoza tomorrow.

Statement to SISD Board Meeting

March 31, 2020

President Najera, Dr. Espinoza, Members of the board-

My name is Veronica Hernandez and I serve as President of the Socorro American Federation of Teachers.

I can’t speak for each of you or any other teacher organization but, the cell phones and emails of my organizers and myself have been blowing up since the Borrego email this afternoon outlining expectations for teachers during the Covid-19 hiatus from the classroom.

I do not know of a single teacher out of thousands or, an organization president who was consulted or contacted or allowed input into the Remote Learning Academy guidelines.

The admonition in the email to be caring and solicitous of parents and students and their families was admirable. The attention to their stress levels and learning curves in these trying times is appropriate.

However, not a word about these very same stresses, worries and concerns of our teachers?

SISD is expecting teachers to:

Contact every parent and teach them to be teachers, facilitate their grasp of technology and give them a shoulder to lean on. That could be hundreds of parents!

Contact every student, every week. Interact with them virtually and then document that interaction. Some teachers have over one hundred students!

You can require teachers to prepare and present material but, you cannot require parents to speak with or, be available to speak with teachers.

You cannot simply publish a long list of available websites and expect parents or students to access them, navigate them and make use of them.

You can require teachers to call every student but, you cannot require the students to be available or willing to speak with teachers.

All the while teaching and parenting their own kids, caring for their own parents or neighbors and dealing with the emotional/social/medical ramifications of this pandemic.

Teachers realize that there must be accountability for the paychecks they earn but, I urge you to be sensible in your expectations and work together with the people you NEED to accomplish the task at hand.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you.

Veronica Hernandez

Socorro AFT President

Response by SISD Board Trustee Paul Garcia:

From: Paul E. Garcia
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 5:13 PM
To: Espinoza, Jose A - Superintendent Of Schools, Office Of Superintendent
Cc: Veronica Hernandez, Socorro AFT President
Subject: Re: District Policy

Dr. Espinoza

I have also received feedback that the current teacher expectations that is consistent with the remote learning is causing much hardship for SISD teachers. Simply put: Socorro AFT would like to be involved in the discussion regarding the current teacher expectations. I encourage SISD administration to engage in thoughtful discussion with associations.

thanks

Paul E. Garcia

03/29/2020

Coronavirus Update- March 29,2020 - A message from Superintendent José Espinoza Ed.D.

March 29, 2020 update from SISD Superintendent Dr. Espinoza.

03/24/2020

Union president urges governor to place employee safety regulations

Union president urges governor to place employee safety regulations

Texas American Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo urged Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday to direct all school districts to stop requiring employees to

03/24/2020

Official notice on school closures.

10/01/2019

Socorro AFT

09/17/2019

Socorro AFT

08/05/2019

This is a great idea, led by our AMAZING students at different schools! Let’s all join in solidarity and wear white tomorrow, Monday, August 5 to honor the victims of yesterday’s tragedy.