Election Day is around the corner, and educators showed up big (online, of course) for CTA’s #EducatorsVote Week of Action. Activities, including themed clothing days, started on Oct. 5: Educators shared @WeAreCTA posts to urge our communities to register and make a plan to VOTE YES on Propositions 15, 16 and 25, and NO on Propositions 20 and 22. The week ended on Oct. 9 with members recording Flipgrid videos to share how we are taking action during this pivotal moment in history.

CTA President E. Toby Boyd rallied members and all educators to participate in the week of action. “Educators, we are known for our activism, for voting and for getting out the vote. That is because we vote for candidates and issues that matter to our students!” he said.

“We have the opportunity to make significant changes and right various wrongs that have hurt our students, our schools, our communities.”

Voting YES on Prop. 15 to put Schools & Communities First will:

• Reclaim $12 billion per year for K-12 schools, community colleges and local communities.
• Close commercial property tax loopholes that corporations and wealthy investors use to avoid paying their fair share of property taxes.
• Protect all homeowners and renters by maintaining tax protections for ALL residential property.
• Level the playing field for all the businesses that already pay their fair share.
• Ensure strict accountability so that money goes directly to our schools and communities.
• Provide one of the largest tax incentives in a generation to spur new investment in small businesses.

Voting YES on Prop. 16 will reinstate affirmative action. There has never been a more critical time to reinstate equal opportunity as we chart a path forward to a stronger economic future for women and communities of color, and a California where Black Lives Matter and our systems are just.

Voting NO on Prop. 20 stops the prison spending scam. If Prop. 20 passes, it will waste tens of millions of dollars on prisons every year, which could force draconian cuts to our schools and roll back effective criminal justice reforms. California educators and other advocates for racial and social justice oppose Prop. 20 because it will hurt our communities, break families apart, and take us backwards.

Voting NO on Prop. 22 means saying NO to Uber, Lyft and DoorDash profiting off workers. Together, we are saying that drivers deserve the rights they deserve, such as mininum wage, paid sick leave, health care, and unemployment insurance.

Voting YES on Prop. 25 will make California’s criminal justice system fairer and more equal for all! It will curb wasteful spending as California faces historic budget shortfalls and a long road ahead to economic recovery. And finally, voting NO on Prop. 20 will stop the prison spending scam that will waste tens of millions of dollars on prisons every year, which could force draconian cuts to our schools and rollback effective criminal justice reforms.

For CTA’s guidance on all 2020 initiatives and candidates on the November ballot, voting information and how to build your personalized voting guide, go to cta.org/election.

News conference was a highlight

A virtual news conference and rally on Oct. 8 was the biggest highlight of the week as CTA and its members announced statewide efforts to get out the vote. Legendary social justice and labor activist Dolores Huerta even made a special appearance!

“Our opponents have millions and already have spent more than $40 million in advertising. We won’t ever be able to match their money, but we have something even more powerful, and that’s the EDUCATOR vote and our community supporters,” said CTA Vice President David Goldberg.

Let’s remember, educators — our strength makes us stronger and our perseverance makes us unstoppable. As Dolores Huerta says, “¡Sí Se Puede!” We can do it!