By Dale Martin
Bake sales are a time-honored way to raise money for schools, but a recent bake sale sponsored by the Chowchilla Elementary Teachers Association also raised awareness about teachers' salaries in the district.
On the surface, the event raised money for the association's program to provide a scholarship for a student interested in an education career. But the real purpose was to hand out flyers to parents to let them know that teachers were disatisfied with their salaries and working conditions. "It was very eye-opening for them," says CETA President Tracy Haas.
While the school district maintains a 36 percent reserve, teacher salaries are lower than those of their colleagues in surrounding districts. Teachers are also expected to pay for their own classroom supplies as well.
"It's a horrible situation, so we all agreed we wanted to do something," says Haas. "The parents were very receptive. Many of them said they had no idea the teachers were unhappy."
Chowchilla is a small town with a population of about 7,000, so when the teachers do something in force, it gets noticed.
In addition to holding the bake sale, teachers have been conducting informational picketing and speaking out at board meetings.
For Haas, the actions represent a groundswell of teacher activism that hasn't been shown in Chowchilla for at least 18 years.
"Right now, my teachers are rarin' to go," says Haas. "We're seeing a real show of force, strength and solidarity here."