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| Teachers Association of Norwalk-La Mirada President Laura Williams accepts the Joyce Fadem Rookie Chapter-in-Politics Award from CTA Vice President Dean Vogel, President David A. Sanchez, and Secretary-Treasurer Dan Vaughn. |
The June State Council meeting marked the end of CTA President David A. Sanchez’s first year in office. In his address, Sanchez spoke about the challenges CTA has faced over that time.
“It’s been quite a year. It started off with a successful campaign to beat back proposals to include merit pay and undermine collective bargaining in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind,” said Sanchez. “We barely had time to enjoy that hard-earned victory when we were forced to mobilize again to protect public education from massive state budget cuts.”
Sanchez talked about the successful “Cuts Hurt” bus tour and the massive media interest in the event. “We had front-page photos and TV coverage in virtually every media market.”
He reiterated that CTA’s number one priority will continue to be the budget fight. “This ‘cuts only’ approach hurts students, schools, and it hurts our state,” said Sanchez. “Lawmakers have got to consider revenue increases.”
Pointing out that voters support public education, he cited that statewide 31 of 46 local school bond and parcel tax measures were passed, and 95 of the 105 CTA recommended Assembly, Senate and congressional primary candidates won their races.
Council voted to recommend expenditures of up to $5 million to support CTA’s positions on five initiatives that will appear on the November ballot, whose subjects include a waiting period and parental notification before termination of a minor’s pregnancy; criminal penalties and laws; victims’ rights; limits on marriage; Children’s Hospital grants; and the ongoing budget crisis.
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| Paul Markowitz, president of the Las Virgenes Educators Association, addresses Council. |
The delegation also voted to nominate Sen. Barack Obama for the U.S. presidential race.
“Senator Obama is the clear choice now for voters who want to protect and invest in California’s 6.3 million public school students and all students across the country,” said Sanchez. “Public education will be a major issue in deciding who will be the next president of the United States.”
Obama’s position on public education issues and his clear support for changes to the flawed federal education law, President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, led to the vote by Council.
Executive Director Carolyn Doggett spoke about the historic times we’re living in “when the highest voter turnout ever for the nomination of a president is between an African American man and a woman.” She also noted that changes “are coming with this new generation, changes to voter demographics and to the face of CTA, to local chapters and to how we must look at the work we do.”
Sanchez commented that he has had a great year as CTA president. “This month marks the end of my first year as your president. I want to say it continues to be a tremendous honor to serve the 340,000 members of this organization, and it gives me great strength to know CTA members have the tireless support of this Council.”
In other action, State Council:
- Re-elected: CTA Board, District A — Larry Allen; and elected: CTA Board, District E — Michael Bustos; CTA Board, District H — George Melendez; CTA/ABC Committee, District N — Michael Harrelson.
- Awarded Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial scholarships and State WHO awards. (For a complete list of awardees, visit the CTA members-only website.)
- Gave out the Theodore Bass Memorial Teacher-in-Politics Award to the following people: Overall Award — Marc Medefind, Merced City Teachers Association; Gettting Others Involved — Amy Santa Cruz, Redondo Beach Teachers Association; State Priorities — Michele Crncich, Dixie Teachers Association; Local Priorities — Charles Denonn, Grant Teachers Association; Coalition Building — Pam Kinsley, Santa Barbara Teachers Association.
- Awarded the Joyce Fadem Memorial Chapter-in-Politics award for a Rookie Chapter to the Teachers Association of Norwalk-La Mirada.
