The Blog at CTA

Educators, Parents, and Community Coalition Urge Voters to Support Proposition 55 to Help Children

CTA President Eric Heins, who is an elementary teacher, other educators, parents and community members used a Los Angeles news conference on Monday morning as the opportunity to ask voters to support Proposition 55.

That measure will prevent nearly $4 billion in cuts to education and boost child healthcare services by approving the ballot measure that would keep in effect current income tax rates on the wealthiest Californians.


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Board of Education Must Adopt Wider Criteria than Standardized Testing in State's Accountability System, CTA Members Urge

At its July meeting next week, the State Board of Education will take more action regarding the Local Control Funding Formula Evaluation Rubrics that will be used to assess student and school progress as part of the state's new accountability system.(Photos courtesy of the State Board of Education.)

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Children's Education and Health Care Protection Act Has a Number: 55

The CTA and coalition-sponsored initiative to help protect youngsters’ education and health care programs now has a number. It’s Proposition 55 on the Novembr 7 ballot.

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Children's Education and Health Care Protection Act Qualifies for Nov. 7 Ballot

CEHCP qualifies

Efforts by thousands of CTA and coalition members around the state have begun to pay off.  The vital Children’s Education and Health Care Protection Act (CEHCPA) has officially qualified for the ballot.

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CTA Gains Approval of Bill to Bar For-profit On-line Charter School Companies

(Center) Stacey Preach, a former teacher at the California Virtual Academy and a parent, and other educators testify in support of CTA-backed AB 1084 (Bonilla).

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Educators Defeat Bill to Weaken Teacher Protections and Harm Students

Getting ready to testify. (From l.) Deborah Behm, Dan Reynolds, and other education community representatives wait for their chance to testify before the Senate Education Committee against CTA-opposed AB 934 (Bonilla).

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CTA Members Go to Capitol to Battle for Students and Educators

(At right) Dan Reynolds, a classroom teacher and CTA member lobbyist, and other educators – including charter school teachers – take notes during a morning briefing on three key bills they will be talking to lawmakers about during Tuesday and Wednesday meetings.

About a dozen teachers from around the state are in the Capitol on these two days to discuss a crucial ballot measure and three CTA-position bills. They include members of four CTA State Council of Education committees: Professional Rights and Responsibilities, Civil Rights in Education, Teacher Evaluation and Academic Freedom, and Negotiations.

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Opposed Measure to Relax District Reserve Caps Dies in Committee

Money Bags

After intense work by CTA members around the state who contacted their lawmakers, SB 799 (Hill/Glazer) died in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday. The bill never even came up for a vote after the authors realized they did not have enough support to move the measure.

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Educators Battle Bill That Would Harm Students and Gain Approval of Measure Expanding Parental Leave

Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) meets with a team of educators, including Maria Elena Cabellero and Deb Behm, on issues including parental leave during a member lobby day in the state Capitol. (Photo by Seth Bramble.)

Three teams of educators, including education support professions, K-14 teachers, and higher education faculty, worked closely with lawmakers early this week on a range of key education issues. Much of their focus was on three measures –a CTA-cosponsored bill that would expand parental leave programs to cover education support personnel, a second CTA-cosponsored measure that would help provide fair treatment for part-time community college faculty, and a bad one that would undermine student learning.

The educators brought their expertise gained in the classroom and as members of several key State Council of Education policy committees, including Professional Rights and Responsibilities and Negotiations.

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Pending Bill Would Take Away Educators' Rights and Negatively Impact Students

Corporate millionaires and special interests have mounted an all-out assault on educators by attempting to do away with laws protecting teachers from arbitrary firings, providing transparency in layoff decisions and supporting due process rights.

Because they failed in the courts, they are now trying to push their agenda through lawmakers—an agenda that negatively impacts student learning.

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