Teachers need better pay and working conditions and more clout to determine what and how to teach California's six million public school students, not to mention an accountability system that doesn't depend entirely on a cumbersome national test.
Those are some of the key themes of a statewide CTA radio ad campaign launched in October. Featuring President Wayne Johnson in the English spots and Secretary-Treasurer David A. Sanchez in the Spanish spots, the ads also speak out against overcrowding and call on California to level the playing field for students from low-income backgrounds.
The 60-second spots are airing on 44 stations in English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Part of CTA's ongoing "Straight Talk" radio campaign, the ads are designed to educate the public and lawmakers about the priorities of teachers today.
"These ads are telling the public where and how public education must be strengthened," says Johnson. "Teachers are not the problem in public education - we are the solution. We're continuing to use radio in prime time to offer solutions and goals that will benefit everybody in the long run."
In the first ad, which aired through mid-November, Johnson says, "Our classrooms rank 50th in students per teacher, and our supply of qualified teachers is getting tighter each day. California schools need more focus on the real basics of public education - better training, pay and working conditions for our teachers so we can attract and keep the best teachers for our schools."
"We need to level the playing field to make sure that kids from disadvantaged backgrounds receive an education that is every bit as good" as that offered in higher-performing schools, he stresses.
In the ad about testing that is airing for three weeks during the holidays, Johnson notes that preparing for and administering the state's SAT-9 test to grades 2-11 eat up nearly one out of every nine class days.
"Our schools should evaluate students not only on standardized tests, but also on written work, attendance, and classroom performance," he says. "The state accountability system needs an overhaul to create the schools California needs and our children deserve."
Other ads are being developed for the campaign which continues through May.
