EVERY AUGUST in school districts across the state, admin brings all educators together for a big pep rally and professional development for the school year ahead, begging the question: What if our local unions held our own convocations focused on building power for our members and students?

“That two days before you return to school you are here doing the good work and building your collective power is why our union is strong and alive.” —CTA President David Goldberg

San Diego Education Association (SDEA) did just that a couple days before members had to report to work, starting the year off right with their Union Academy. More than 150 SDEA site representatives and program chairs converged for a day of skills development, power building and fellowship to fill their cups with solidarity as the new year began.

SDEA President Kyle Weinberg welcomes SDEA leaders.

“Thank you for taking the time during your last days of vacation to come to Union Academy to learn and build a stronger SDEA together, so that we are able to achieve even greater wins for our fellow educators and the students and communities we serve,” SDEA President Kyle Weinberg told member leaders in attendance.

The academy included workshops on a variety of resources and tools to help site reps best advocate for their fellow educators and build power at schools throughout San Diego Unified, including sessions on members’ rights regarding student discipline and special education, the role and responsibility of site reps, and assertive advocacy. SDEA also offered workshops on community schools, shared decision making and the power of unity.

“This work you do as leaders fills me with awe. That two days before you return to school you are here at Union Academy doing the good work and building your collective power is no small thing and it is why our union is strong and alive,” CTA President David Goldberg said at the academy. “It’s a good thing too, because I think you know better than anyone that the difference between having a union and not having one is the difference between winning the schools our students deserve and losing public education as a fundamental part of our democracy.”

Sessions included workshops on special education and community schools.

The academy comes after a school year that saw SDEA successfully organize to fight teacher layoffs and defend San Diego schools from draconian cuts. Weinberg said that SDEA members are preparing for the continued fight for the resources all students deserve and the public schools our communities need.

“Through collective actions like putting up signs on the doors of our classrooms throughout the district, rallying at school board meetings, passing out thousands of flyers to parents asking them to contact board members and demands that layoffs be rescinded, we were able to push the district to rescind the layoff notices. And we will bargain our salary increase for next year together with our successor contract negotiations,” he said.

“But if we don’t address how schools are funded by the state, we will continue to find ourselves on the defensive and battling the district over the impact of the latest budget crisis.”