The Redwood Educators Conference last weekend brought in 200 educators from chapters with the Redwood Service Center Council. There are 15,700 members in Redwood District A, covering the areas from San Francisco all the way to the Oregon border for a total of eight counties. Embracing the theme, “Our Unity Is Our Strength,” members participated in elective sessions ranging from coalition building, highlighting the East Bay Coalition for Student Success as a prime example, to energizing members from apathy to action. Though this conference is held every other year, members left feeling energized and hopeful for the work ahead.  

For Hanan Jibarah, a member of the Windsor District Educators Association, it was her first time attending this conference. When asked what she hopes to take back to her local chapter, she said, “I can’t wait to just go and tell them about the conference. I think it’s a great opportunity that some teachers didn’t even know about, so I just want to share that with them, that it was great, and they should always look at the website, find those conferences, and just attend them.”

Members of the Eureka Teachers Association

“What really empowered me is being involved in my local. We were in a Save Our School campaign and just seeing the organizing efforts of our local and how we saved our school from getting closed, and just witnessing the power in everybody coming together. Once that happened and seeing that success, I decided I needed to do more,” said Jenny Ryan, member of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association, Redwood SCC Equity Chair and Redwood SCC Minority Member at Large State Council Representative.

Jenny Ryan, Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association

CTA Board Member VanCedric Williams, who covers District A, opened the closing session by emphasizing the importance of building unity together. There is no “together” without “you and I.” No matter our differences, we are the union and there is strength in our unity.

CTA President David Goldberg addressing members at the conference

CTA President David Goldberg closed the conference with something that unites us all – the struggle for public education – one of the most unifying issues of our time. “If a student is struggling, there’s nothing we won’t do to help them. When a student is thriving, there’s nothing we won’t do to help them achieve their next goal. It is that resolve. That grit. That compassion that tells me WE are the ones who can turn it all around,” said Goldberg.