In anticipation of the governor's announcement calling for a special election on his so-called reforms, CTA President Barbara E. Kerr did not mince words when she spoke before the State Council of Education June 11.

 

"On Monday, we expect to be treated to him announcing that he is going to waste 80 million taxpayer dollars – that's your money and mine – on a special election that nobody wants, that won't help improve our schools and will actually cut school funding even more," Kerr said.

"That's money that could reduce class sizes in about 6,000 classrooms. It could buy more than four million up-to-date textbooks or hire more than 2,300 teachers. It could pay tuition costs for 10,000 UC students or 12,000 Cal State students. It could provide health care to more than 45,000 uninsured Californians. There is a lot that could be done with that money."

 

Regardless of the timing of the special election, CTA is already mobilizing to defend public education and fight the governor. This time it's not taking on the governor by itself, as evidenced by the two major rallies held on May 25 in Los Angeles and Sacramento that drew 30,000 people including teachers, firefighters, state workers, school support professionals and parents.

 

The rallies were about "everyone, coming together to tell the governor, 'You're not fighting the special interests, you're fighting us.' And we're not going to take it," Kerr said.

Kerr also referred to numerous other times over the past few months where teachers and their allies in the Alliance for a Better California have held rallies and picketed the governor when he has shown up in public. "Our organizing is having an impact with our members, and it's having a huge impact with voters," Kerr said, noting the governor's approval ratings remain at a dismal 40 percent while 62 percent of voters say a special election isn't needed.

 

Nevertheless, CTA and its allies will keep up the pressure.

 

"I don't care what the governor says or even about what names he wants to call us. We are the voices for providing a quality public education to all kids. We are the voice for our students," Kerr said. "We can't break our promise to them."

 

 

 

CTA's State Council voted overwhelmingly for a $60 temporary dues assessment to protect minimum funding to our public schools and to ensure the concerns of teachers, students and parents are heard during the campaign up to the governor's wasteful special election.

"California teachers are upset with the governor's broken promises to our students and schools," CTA President Barbara E. Kerr said after the nearly unanimous vote Saturday. "We didn't pick this fight, but this vote clearly shows teachers have never been more united than they are today. Educators across the state are opposed to the governor's destructive agenda that won't help improve student learning one bit." 

The nearly unanimous vote came despite a deceptive campaign by the governor to divide CTA members. The dues assessment proposal was announced in March. Council delegates then met with teachers in their local communities to get their input. The temporary assessment will last for up to three years and will raise about $50 million.

 

"We can't hold $100,000-a-plate fundraisers with CEOs like the governor does, but I am more than willing to do what needs to be done to make sure my students have the resources they need to succeed," said Tony Diaz, a third-grade teacher in Long Beach Unified School District.

 

 

CTA may be one of the major players in the current campaign to save public education funding in California, but it continues to play other, significant roles in the lives of teachers and students as well, CTA Executive Director Carolyn Doggett told State Council during her Sunday morning address.

"Clearly the campaign is our top priority this year, but that doesn't mean we are letting all the other issues that are so important to our members and our students slide," she said.

Doggett then listed several other issues that are also of major importance to CTA. Among them is the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Because of NEA's efforts in the December reauthorization of IDEA, CTA is now working with the State Board of Education on adopting regulations so that special education teachers has the same options to become NCLB-compliant as other teachers.  CTA supports the lawsuit filed by NEA in April to fully fund the NCLB. Doggett noted that the funding shortfall for the act is $27 billion, and growing.

CTA is also intervening in a lawsuit that would require the state to comply with NCLB to test English Language Learners who are not yet English proficient in a language they can understand.

CTA has also worked locally with the San Diego Education Association to remove the anti-teacher Superintendent Alan Bersin from his post.

CTA continues to help local associations deal with the growing challenges to health care benefits and has appointed a Health Care Task Force to develop a statewide strategy.

This year, again, CTA attorneys helped every members who received a layoff notice to make sure their rights were protected. An overwhelming majority of the 4,000 notices that were sent have been rescinded.

"I tell you these things not just to toot our own horn, but to show you how strong of an organization we really are… Together we will succeed," Doggett  said.

 

In a State Council appearance, Los Angeles Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa announced a settlement to end an L.A. County hotel workers strike. The president of UNITE HERE Local 11, Maria Elena Durazo, also appeared with Villaraigosa to thank CTA for its help in the fight leading to the agreement. The new deal includes good wages and better health benefits. The settlement will allow thousands of NEA RA delegates to stay in Los Angeles hotels.

 

 

In other action during the weekend meeting, CTA's State Council of Education: