Our students are counting on us this year to challenge, inspire and motivate them. And they are counting on us to help them feel welcome and safe, regardless of their ethnicity, orientation, religion, identity or ZIP code. In fact, our commitment to diversity — in our students, in teaching and learning, in our union — makes us stronger. It’s a value we hold dear. And as we enter the new school year, it is abundantly clear that we are stronger together.

When we work together and stand together:

• We have the power to ensure students get the public education they have a right to.
• We are a more potent force for one another, both professionally as educators and personally as working men and women.
• We can be much more effective activists, helping forge a fair and democratic future for our families and our communities.

At CTA, our shared values and the strength we have together bind us and keep us close.

We stand united in the work we do for our kids every day — in the classroom, in the schoolyard, on the college campus, on the bus. We’re excited about the learning and transformations our students will experience this year. We’re eager to continue to nurture tomorrow’s inventors, thinkers, artists and leaders.

“ At CTA, our shared values and the strength we have together bind us and keep us close.”

We’re also invested in one another. CTA members are always there to lend a helping hand, dispense sage advice, or offer a shoulder to lean on when needed. CTA formalizes this support in such initiatives as chapter buddy programs and the member-funded Disaster Relief Fund, which gives out grants to those who have suffered losses due to wildfires and other tragic events.

This investment extends to members’ professional development. CTA’s conferences and workshops are opportunities for educators to gain new skills, hone existing ones, and broaden their learning networks. CTA’s Institute for Teaching funds educators’ innovative ideas and projects. And the resources available through the Instruction and Professional Development Department — concerning standards, assessment, curriculum, instruction, special education, accountability, and teacher evaluation — build the capacity of all members and strengthen the education profession.

The important work we do for our students and for one another involves decisions we must make and actions we must take on a statewide level as well. It is essential that we elect public education leaders and supporters who can develop sound and progressive policies that impact our schools, our communities and our state. We are a stronger California when we have effective leaders in office who share our values and who will ensure that education experts, like you, have a seat at the table.

I know it will be a tremendous, fulfilling year for students and educators. CTA is with you every step of the way.

Eric C. Heins
CTA PRESIDENT
@ericheins