CTA to elect newest member of leadership team

Dean Vogel

Times are tough - for all Californians, but particularly for teachers and educators. As we chart a course through the next few years, we must remain connected and responsive to each other. We are stronger when we remain together, and together, in all our diversity, we are a powerful force.

The next statewide leaders of CTA must take every step necessary to make sure that the voices of all our members are heard. Those steps include working to provide equal access to information, a guarantee that service delivery is equitable, and a commitment that the protections members pay for and deserve are available whenever they are needed.

Staying connected will be easier if we take those key steps.

We must stay vigilant. Teachers and educators expect their association to be standing right beside them while they confront the power brokers of today's so-called educational reform, whether those brokers are a local superintendent or the Governor of this state.

We must use the full power and might of our association, both at the state level and at your local district level. That is the power of a union, and when we act like a union we all win.

What's being done to children in the name of reform, and what's being done to you and me in the name of accountability, is unconscionable. Many of our colleagues feel demoralized and defeated as never before, even as they strive to work with children in meaningful and effective ways. Our challenge is to change the climate that has put so many under siege.

Your next Secretary-Treasurer must speak articulately and authoritatively about these issues. He must be a voice for all of us.

I have a proven record of advocacy. I am an inclusive leader, respecting the opinions of our diverse membership, inviting decision-making input from all sectors of the association, and continuing to identify and empower the future leaders of CTA. I pledge to be a voice for teachers and educators everywhere.

After seven years on the Board of Directors, I have proven myself a leader with a thorough understanding of our organization, the work required of the Secretary-Treasurer, and the demands of being an executive officer. I look forward to a future of hope and progress, and I eagerly await the opportunity to be part of the leadership team that guides CTA.

Tom Conry

These are trying times for CTA, our members, and public education. Now, more than ever, we need a leader who has been on the firing line defending all of us against those that would destroy public education. We need a leader who has successfully organized community efforts to defend their public schools against extremists. We need a leader who was shaped by fighting for our members' and our students' rights. Tom Conry is that leader. Now is the time for Tom Conry to be CTA's next Secretary-Treasurer.

Tom has been an advocate for our members and our students at every level of our organization since he first walked into his middle school math classroom 28 years ago. He understands the role a CTA Executive Officer plays in the professional lives of every CTA member who works daily to improve education for every student in California. Tom believes CTA is the hope for California's public schools. It is the hope for all our members and the students we care about. Tom will bring your voice to the debate on public education.

When forces are working against our members or our students, Tom believes we can't sit back and wait to see what may happen. CTA must be right there giving the public our point of view and offering and explaining our plan. The voters of California support us and believe us. We must use that support to pressure the State to do what is right.

This race is not just about having held positions in the association. All the candidates have the background of holding offices and working hard for CTA. This race must be about who is better prepared to be on the Executive Officer Team that will need to be fighting for the survival of public education in California. A look at Tom's record makes it clear he is the best prepared for that task. He is the one that has the experience that counts.

When deciding whom to vote for, remember, this isn't about who has been around the longest. This isn't about geography. This isn't about special interests. This is about who has defended all our members against attacks from extremists, who can bring our members' passionate voice to the debate on public education, and who has the experience that counts. The record is clear. Tom Conry is the candidate for Secretary-Treasurer we need now.

Donnell Jordan

I am Donnell Jordan, the right choice for CTA Secretary-Treasurer! I have what it takes to serve: experience and - most importantly - passion. As part of your state leadership team and with your support, I look forward to confronting the challenging times ahead of us.

My experience allows me to speak both as a classroom teacher and an Association leader. Your day-to-day challenges and triumphs are mine, too, whether you work in Weed or Calexico or Visalia. With my local and statewide experience, I can deliver our message in Sacramento or anywhere else that policy-makers and public-opinion-shapers address education issues. I have done my homework to prepare for the opportunity to serve as Secretary-Treasurer. Through the CTA Budget Committee and the CTA Board's Resources Deployment Committee, I have impacted decisions affecting personnel, property, and CTA's financial resources. I know what it takes to build a budget, to implement it and to monitor it. The significance of CTA's budget, though, lies in how it reflects our goals and priorities and how it focuses on our members' needs. More than numbers on a spreadsheet, our budget must be a dynamic tool, maintaining our solvency, responding to external challenges, and always reflecting our members' desires. We must constantly evaluate and re-evaluate what we do and how we do it. As your treasurer, my commitment is to keep the members at the center of the budget and the budget process.

Just as I am well qualified to be your Secretary-Treasurer, I am also enthusiastic to be one of your executive officers. I bring my passion for public education and for our students at all levels (pre-school through university) and in all locations (rural, urban, suburban). I am an advocate for the rights of teachers, competitive salaries, decent working conditions, and respect. All of these contribute to the success of our students. High stakes testing, budget cuts, vouchers, and increased fees threaten our students' success and access to quality education. We must double and redouble our outreach efforts and continue to forge partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations for our students. We must embrace the richness of the diversity within our state as a valuable resource.

As Secretary-Treasurer, I will fulfill my fiduciary responsibilities. I will listen to your concerns, bring my energy to every task, and work hard on your behalf. I am the right choice!