Two local associations were singled out for commendation at the March meeting of CTA's State Council of Education. Both successfully fought to change the face of anti-teacher school boards in local elections.
United Teachers Los Angeles took on billionaire Eli Broad and multi-millionaire Dick Riordan "and beat two of their anti-teacher school board puppets," said CTA President Wayne Johnson. "And they're going to beat the third in a run-off election soon."
Los Angeles teachers are taking the victories to mean the community is ready to take back its schools, and make kids and classrooms the number one priority.
"These candidates have experience in the classroom," says UTLA President John Perez. "They know what is needed to help kids succeed. And they will be instrumental in fighting to keep the district from wasting millions of dollars on consultants and bad real estate deals. Instead, they will make sure the classroom is first for funding."
The election proved the voters know the real answer to improving schools is in the classroom, not the boardroom.
In Redondo Beach, the school board was making funding cuts without consulting teachers or the community, and the district was stonewalling teachers in contract negotiations. Teachers, who had developed serious morale problems over time, were told to consider themselves fortunate to work in such a desirable location.
Even though the Redondo Beach Teachers Association had been politically quiet for many years, it was energized by the results of a community survey conducted with CTA assistance. Teachers hadn't realized they had so much support. The survey showed that parents and community members wanted to be partners with teachers in education decisions and were angry with the board for shutting them out.
Teachers set up a political action committee, endorsed three school board candidates, formed a community coalition, conducted a direct mail campaign, walked precincts and took picket signs to polling places. Their candidates won 70 percent of the vote in each precinct, ousting three anti-teacher board members and giving them a teacher-friendly majority on the board.
Within days, teachers settled their contract, winning everything they had sought over the previous 18 months. Within a couple of weeks, the superintendent, Bill Nunan, resigned.