Because of CTA members' contributions last school year through the voluntary dues donation, CTA's Foundation for Teaching and Learning was able to greatly increase the number of grants and scholarships awarded to members and students across the state, and fund advocacy programs such as the successful Pink Friday campaign, which brought awareness to last year's attacks on public education.
"The voluntary dues fund has been vital in helping CTA create advocacy campaigns such as Pink Friday, a major statewide movement that brought attention to educator layoffs," said CTA President David A. Sanchez, "and in funding the TV campaign to battle the governor on the state budget. And soon after, when class size reduction was being attacked, CTA was able to mobilize and launch a TV campaign within two days."
The CTA Foundation for Teaching and Learning consists of the CTA Institute for Teaching (IFT) and CTA's scholarship and grant programs. IFT works to research and promote teacher-driven reforms that work to improve public schools, with a mind toward creating better teaching and learning conditions in all schools and helping struggling students and schools.
The grant programs include the CTA Disaster Relief Fund; CTA Scholarships for Members; CTA Scholarships for Dependent Children; the L. Gordon Bittle Memorial Scholarship for Student CTA Members; Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarships; the CTA César E. Chávez Memorial Education Awards Program; and the GLBT Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program.
"The fact that CTA would help to alleviate some of my financial burden with the MLK scholarship is very significant to me," said Benjamin Quiñones Jr., a member of the Association of Colton Educators and a recipient of a 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship. "I appreciate this support immensely, and it reaffirms my strong belief in union membership."
CTA advocacy includes promoting policies to improve public education, such as additional funding for our public schools, smaller class sizes in all grades, and affordable college for all students. It also includes fighting back attacks on teachers and public schools, such as massive budget cuts, voucher programs, NCLB, legislation to decrease education employees' pensions or attack teachers' professional rights, and the current push to accept funds for the faulty Race to the Top program.
The dues contribution is voluntary and flexible. New members are automatically enrolled in the default allocation of $10 to support CTA advocacy efforts and $10 to the CTA Foundation for Teaching and Learning.
No action on your part is needed to contribute the suggested amounts to support CTA advocacy efforts and the CTA Foundation. To reallocate or opt out of a portion or the full amount of your contribution, CTA's interactive Voluntary Member Contribution Change Form is available. Also available is a downloadable change form.
To make a desired change to your contribution, use CTA's online form at by logging in to the CTA website and accessing the Forms Center.
Learn more about CTA advocacy efforts and the CTA Foundation for Teaching and Learning.
Options for changing your donation
- CTA members can choose to contribute the suggested amounts to support CTA advocacy efforts ($10) and the work of the CTA Foundation ($10). This is the default choice for new members. If this is your choice, you do not need to use the form.
- CTA members can choose to opt out of a portion of the $20 contribution by requesting a partial refund or by simply choosing to contribute to only one of the two categories.
- CTA members can choose to allocate the entire $20 contribution to support either CTA advocacy efforts or the work of the CTA Foundation
- CTA members can choose to opt out of the entire $20 contribution by requesting a full refund.
There is no need to make a selection if you want to retain the same selection that you had last year.