Interviews by Sherry Posnick-Goodwin
Venetta Cormier-Walker, San Lorenzo Education Association
I think it’s teachers working for teachers and taking care of teachers. If we have an issue, we can talk to each other, and if we have a problem, our union people work with us to help us solve our problems. The union stands up for us.
Debra Vittore, Mariposa County Teachers Association
Fourth-grade teacher, year 8
It’s about negotiating good things for teachers and support professionals, like benefits. It's about fighting for good salaries. It’s about fighting to protect these things when our district tries to take them away from us.
Madline Cabading, United Educators of San Francisco
Paraeducator, education support professional
To me, CTA means support and networking. CTA is an acknowledgment of what I do as a teacher, and it is an organization that says we are important. To me, that’s the most important thing about being a member of CTA.
Maya Escudero, Gilroy Teachers Association
English and CAHSEE prep, year 4
CTA is about ensuring equity for all children. It’s about developing competent professionals and supporting new teachers with literature and the Internet, and offering new information to present fair-minded discussions about issues of importance that are happening statewide and nationally.
Susan Seyan, San Jose Teachers Association
First-grade teacher, year 3
CTA is about camaraderie and sharing a common vision of how our students should be learning, irrespective of their grade level. CTA is the voice for what students really need, because we are the professionals and the ones who know what is best for our students.
Venetta Cormier-Walker, San Lorenzo Education Association
San Lorenzo Adult School, year 5
"CTA is about giving information to teachers about their career path opportunities and making people aware of what they can do and how to implement that."
Chance Carrico, Student CTA, Student at CSU Stanislaus