In a State Council weekend marked by a historical vote to admit Education Support Professionals into CTA's ranks, a state primary campaign, a show of support for Hilton Hotel workers' labor organizing effort, and a celebration of member activism, CTA President Barbara Kerr still managed to call Council's attention to CTA's success in forcing the governor to keep his broken promise to repay the money he borrowed from education funding two years ago.
As a result of a settlement to a lawsuit brought by CTA, the governor's budget includes an additional $5 billion for education.
"When I think back on this past year - where we started, all that we've done, all that you have done in your local chapters and communities, and what we've accomplished together. It's been an amazing, emotional, often crazy and absolutely empowering year. We didn't agonize. We organized. We mobilized. And yes, we built strong local chapters. And we did it together."
She noted it took strength and courage for our members last year to temporarily increase dues to fight the governor's Special Election initiatives.
"And with the $5 billion in the May Revision budget, we got a 6,750 percent return on that election investment for our students and our public schools," Kerr said.
The repayment money will be used to help underperforming schools reduce class sizes, improve teacher and principal training, increase parental involvement programs and hire more counselors. A portion of the money will also go to community college career education programs and improve the transfer rate to CSU and UC campuses.
To continue the positive momentum, Kerr urged members to get out the vote for Phil Angelides for governor.
"This election provides us an opportunity to elect a candidate for governor who won't need a lawsuit or a pounding defeat to do what's right for kids and public education. Phil Angelides will put our schools first. He's the only candidate who has a real plan to fully fund our schools and he's already proven that he'll work with teachers to bring real change to our classrooms."
Council votes to allow ESP members to join CTA
The CTA State Council of Education took an historical vote Saturday to extend membership to more than 5,000 educational support professionals.
The new members work in California schools and have been members of the National Education Association, but have not been able to join CTA until now.
"We welcome these colleagues into our family," said CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "These are dedicated and committed education support professionals who, as members of the National Education Association, have been active for years in many CTA chapters across the state."
For more than 20 years, these school paraprofessionals, office workers, custodians and committed education support professionals have been members of NEA.
Now that they will be able to enjoy full membership of CTA, the educational support professionals, or ESP members, will be able to vote on CTA policy matters at State Council meetings.
The action is not directed at school employees already represented by other unions, but will allow for representation of unorganized education support professionals. The bylaw change will also make it easier to facilitate wall-to-wall charter school organizing.
CTA State Council takes action
CTA showed its support for UNITE HERE Local 11 and its fight to organize Los Angeles hotel workers, including 600 employees at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton where the State Council held its meetings this year.
Upon learning that several hotel workers had been suspended for trying to organize workers, CTA leadership started the process to change its meeting venue. However, at the urging of UNITE HERE, which urged CTA to stay and demonstrate its solidarity with Hilton workers, Council members wore pins and invited two workers to speak on Saturday morning. After hearing the stirring accounts of two female employees, Council delegates donated $6,350 to the workers strike fund, which was matched by CTA.
In other action, State Council elected Don Dawson to the CTA Board of Directors District F seat and re-elected Floyd Worsham to the CTA-ABC Committee, the union's political action fund.
State Council also honored a number of members for their activism. Among those honored were teachers who received the Ted Bass Teacher in Politics Award. Peggy Colwell, Shasta County Office of Education; Jeanne M. Marks, Eastside Teachers Association; Michael L. Heyl, Guadalupe Teachers Association; Shaun Lloyd, Redondo Beach Teachers Association; Mary Ann Luckinbill, Nevada City Faculty Association; and Patrick Riggs, Eureka Teachers Association.
Winners of the Joyce Fadem Chapter in Politics Awards included: the Redondo Beach Teachers Association; the Merced City Teachers Association; the Moreno Valley Education Association; and the Hollister Elementary Teachers Association.
Organizing remains a priority, Doggett says
As in the rest of the nation where the decline of union membership is cause for alarm, CTA faces challenges as well in growing its membership, CTA Executive Director Carolyn Doggett told State Council Sunday morning. Yet even though some might wring their hands in despair, there are many opportunities to organize new members in the coming years.
In addition to the 5,000 new ESP members that Council voted in on Saturday, there are thousands of others across the state who are not currently organized, she said.
The Preschool for All initiative on the state ballot also opens the doors to bring preschool teachers into CTA ranks if it passes. And beyond that, the organizing of charter schools also affords the opportunity to extend union membership to thousands of teachers and now, educational support staff. Doggett noted the early successes of CTA's year-old Charter School Organizing Project. Yet beyond increasing membership, is the important task of involving members.
"It comes down to developing local leaders, motivating members to become involved, building power in local chapters and articulating a vision for the organization," Doggett said. "I know we have the power and capacity to accomplish these goals. And we will do it together."
'West Wing's' Jimmy Smits backs preschool for all
He didn't arrive by presidential motorcade with his chief of staff, Josh Lyman. But actor Jimmy Smits, who portrayed U.S. president Matt Santos on television's "West Wing" drama series, did arrive at State Council Sunday morning in a get-out-the-vote rally for Proposition 82, the Preschool for All Act. CTA and Smits are both strong supporters of Prop. 82 that would provide quality preschool for all, strengthen our public schools, and give kids a better chance at academic success.
"Our public schools were founded on equality - on the notion that education shouldn't just be a privilege of the wealthy. That instead, education should be the great equalizer in our society.
"Preschool for all is a continuation of that ideal. By giving every child a chance to start school ready to learn, we will help them stay on the right track in school. And we will decrease the achievement gap that holds some children back."
He didn't arrive by presidential motorcade with his chief of staff, Josh Lyman. But actor Jimmy Smits, who portrayed U.S. president Matt Santos on television's "West Wing" drama series, did arrive at State Council Sunday morning in a get-out-the-vote rally for Proposition 82, the Preschool for All Act. CTA and Smits are both strong supporters of Prop. 82 that would provide quality preschool for all, strengthen our public schools, and give kids a better chance at academic success.