Leading the way to improve learning and teaching conditions 

Joe Bartell, a veteran music teacher at Brea Olinda High School in Orange County, is serving his second three-year term on the Board that expires on June 25, 2024. 

Representing educators in parts of Orange and Riverside counties, he has spent 14 of his 16 years teaching instrumental music at Brea Olinda — inspiring thousands of students over the years. He became a music teacher because

“I was fortunate enough to have an amazing band director when I was in high school and I wanted to make the same impact on students that he had on me.” 

His union activism runs deep. He served for seven years as president of the Brea Olinda Teachers Association and was also vice president and a member of the union’s bargaining team. His many roles on the CTA State Council of Education – the union’s top governing body – included serving as a delegate for five years, chairing the State Council legislation committee and heading the CTA/ABC Committee for District M. 

Bartell was also honored in 2018 with the University of Redlands Alumni Educator of the Year Award. For his union work, he received a “We Honor Ours” (WHO) award from his CTA chapter in 2009, and a statewide WHO award in 2017. 

He holds a bachelor’s of music in music education from the University of Redlands and a master’s of music in conducting from Southern Oregon University. A talented musician, he plays the saxophone, flute and clarinet. 

He lives with his spouse, Glenda, in Chino Hills. They have one son.

Contacting Joe Bartell

California Teachers Association, P.O. Box 921
1705 Murchison Drive
Burlingame, CA 94011-0921

jbartell@cta.org | Twitter: @joebartell