Educators to legislators

Sherry Posnick-Goodwin

Educators to Legislators: Shirley Weber, Jose Medina, Susan Talamantes Eggman, Raul Bocanegra, Sharon Quirk-Silva

Hats off to the six CTA members elected in 2012 to state and federal office! Their victories ensure educators have a stronger political voice.

Jose Medina, State Assembly District 61, D-Riverside, Riverside City Teachers Association

U.S. government teacher Jose Medina’s students got a firsthand lesson in civics by volunteering to campaign for him. Some young campaigners were his former students at Poly High School, while others sat in his class at Lincoln Continuation School in Riverside last year. A longtime member of the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees, Medina’s leadership helped to expand job-training programs and upgrade classrooms and science labs.

One of the first things I’d like to do…

is obtain funding for UC Riverside School of Medicine. It has been accredited, but now requires $15 million in state funding. It will boost the economy and address the shortage of doctors in the Riverside Area. It will bring more diversity to the medical profession.

When teachers lobby legislators…

They should convey exactly how legislative decisions will directly impact their classrooms. How will legislation affect class size? How will the budget affect the number of counselors at their schools? Provide something specific.

Sharon Quirk-Silva, State Assembly District 65, D-Fullerton, Fullerton Elementary Teachers Association

The former Fullerton mayor and city council member, Quirk-Silva stunned the incumbent with a come-from-behind win. She sent letters to the parents of her third- and fourth-graders in the gifted program at Richman Elementary School explaining that she was not leaving their children; instead, she would be looking out for them in Sacramento because education is her top priority.

My top goal…

is providing access to community college and reinstating some of the classes that were closed. Students need to be able to get through community college in two years instead of five. Students are languishing because they can’t get the courses they need and aren’t able to transfer. Students are losing hope and not moving forward. We’ve got to do better.

Being a teacher prepared me for this new role…

Who better to fight for our kids, for a quality education, than a teacher who works every single day in the real world? When I go to Sacramento, I’ll be doing what I’ve always done — meeting challenges head-on to find solutions. At my core I’m a problem solver. I’m not afraid to take on tough issues.

Advice for teacher advocates?

Your first time visiting a legislator should not be your last; make sure it’s the beginning of a relationship. Give legislators one or two specific things you would like to see happen. Write it down and give it to us so we can follow up. If you don’t hear back in a timely fashion, follow up!

Susan Talamantes Eggman, State Assembly District 13, D-Stockton, California Faculty Association

When George W. Bush made an acceptance speech for a second term, Susan Talamantes Eggman decided to stop “feeling like a victim” and become a candidate for the first government office available. Soon she was a Stockton City Council member. The economy tanked and Stockton was among the cities hardest hit by foreclosures, crime and unemployment. It only strengthened her belief that education was the way out of the nation’s problems and a way out of poverty. The devastating impact of budget cuts at CSU Sacramento, where she was an associate professor of social work, led her to run for state Assembly.

Serving on the Stockton City Council…

made me aware of the important role education plays in society. Explaining things to the student interns who worked with me for a full academic year helped me to be more intentional about my decisions and the thought that went into making them. It’s not about just what I can achieve personally; it’s about educating the next generation for leadership.

My top priority is…

fixing the California State University system. It was terrible seeing students who needed my class and being unable to add one more chair to an overcrowded classroom. Due to budget cuts, faculty had to teach things that were not their forte. I saw students staying in school longer and taking out extra loans to get the classes they needed.

What do you expect from lobbyists?

I tell my students they need to know exactly what they are asking for and to tell a compelling story about what is needed. If they are telling a legislator that cuts are detrimental to mental health services, they need to show there are real consequences that will impact them personally if services are cut.

Shirley Weber, State Assembly District 79, D-San Diego, California Faculty Association

Shirley Weber senses a “new optimism” with the passage of Prop. 30, and now that she’s a legislator, she wants to make sure that Prop. 30 goes to schools so people don’t feel “tricked” again. Nothing is more important than closing the achievement gap, says Weber, who chaired the Africana studies program at San Diego State University and also taught at CSU Los Angeles and Los Angeles City College.

Running for office…

was a calling and a statement of gratitude, because I’ve had the best education in the world. Being in the Legislature will be like another school for me, it’s a whole new chapter. There will be a tremendous learning curve. I’m looking for various ways… to improve inner-city school instruction. If we don’t rescue inner-city public schools, we will lose that battle to charters. We need to improve the educational experience of every kid in the state. That involves a number of things including staff development and teacher training. We don’t have time to waste, and there needs to be a sense of urgency.

I believe it’s important…

to have another CSU in the San Diego County area. We need to have one close to the border in the Chula Vista area and enough universities around the state to meet the needs of students who can’t afford to go away to school. It might have been a deal breaker if I had to go away.

Education advocates should consider…

that when they come to me with a problem, they also have a reasonable solution that will help solve the problem and at the same time not break the bank.

Raul Bocanegra, State Assembly District 39, D-Pacoima, California Faculty Association

As a professor of urban studies and planning at CSU Northridge, Raul Bocanegra encouraged students to look at the past, present and future of Los Angeles when focusing on ways to improve the quality of life for residents. His ability to look at the big picture and visualize change helped him to win a seat in the Legislature by 17 points. He believes job creation and education are “one and the same” and says it will be his main focus in Sacramento. The son of a gardener hopes he will be an inspiration, proving to students that they, too, can fulfill their dreams if they come from humble beginnings and work hard.

Being in the classroom helped me prepare for this…

There are a lot of similarities between professors and legislators. As a professor, I try to find a way to get through to my students and engage them in a subject. As a legislator, I’m trying to do the same thing with my colleagues and constituents, but this is a bigger classroom.

I was honored…

to be named chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Committee, and honored that the speaker chose me to serve in this very important position.

One of the most important things…

we will need to consider in this new era is changing the two-thirds majority to raise taxes. Now that Democrats have a two-thirds majority, it allows us to enact some progressive reform. It will be all about looking at the tax code and trying to make sense of it. The last time it was revised was 35 years ago.

Educators should talk with legislators…

using electronic media, so we know what is happening in the classroom on a daily basis. Dialogue should not just be one time a year during Lobby Day. During my campaign, there was a lot of communication through Facebook, and it’s a great way to continue to engage and communicate with voters.

Mark Takano, Congressional District 41, D-Riverside, Rialto Educators Association

This Rialto High School English teacher and Riverside Community College District Board member is the first openly LGBT person of color elected to Congress. When he ran two decades ago, he was attacked by opponents for being an openly gay Asian man; this time it wasn’t an issue. He served as the gay-straight alliance club leader, helping to protect teens from bullying. His students convinced him to run for office again after the passage of Proposition 8, which outlaws gay marriage, and he says the feeling on his campaign was highly energetic, with participants knowing they were going to be part of history.

Being a teacher…

has prepared me for Congress because I have seen the shortcomings of federal policy. When it comes to No Child Left Behind, I would like to see other ways to think about teacher accountability besides test scores. I don’t really like Race to the Top, which incorporates standardized testing as part of teacher evaluations. I would like the first bill we take up to be the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Other goals I have…

are initiating and expanding training programs to create jobs and improve the economy. Jobs are unfilled because people lack training to fill them, so workers are recruited from overseas or we have critical job shortages in fields like nursing. We need to improve career technical training opportunities for young people — and older people trying to retool careers.

It’s important for teachers to be advocates…

because they are emblems of hope. Our voice is respected and our community wants us to step forward. Advice for teacher advocates? Remind legislators of the important work you do and that education is an investment for the long term. It’s different from being a consumable luxury for the moment. Remind legislators we can’t afford not to invest in education. It’s our seed corn; we must protect it.

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