CTA President E. Toby Boyd delivered a powerful speech this morning to the CTA State Council of Education. Here are 12 takeaways from that speech:

1. We’re on a Mission: “Everyone in this room is here for our students, the promise of public education, and our future.”
2. Tireless Efforts: “I owe each of you a tremendous thank you for all the work you’ve done through some of the most unprecedented and trying times in our nation’s history. You’ve moved CTA forward and you did it in the middle of a pandemic.”
3. Defending Our Students: “We continue to fight back against those who would marginalize or disenfranchise many of our students and many in our communities.”
4. Fighting for Equity and Equality: “CTA fights for immigrant rights and for DACA. We stand for Black lives. Black. Lives. Matter. We stand against Asian hate. We fight for LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion, so that each one of our students and educators have an overall sense of safety and support in our schools. We have zero tolerance for bullying, harassment and hate speech.”
5. Teaching Truth: “We are not going to lie about American history. We are not going to push LGBTQ+ students and educators back into the closet. Every student deserves to learn in a safe and supportive environment, and to learn truth, not lies.”
6. The Power of Community Schools: “We are working throughout the state to transform neighborhood public schools that serve poor and marginalized communities to community schools! With this groundbreaking model, we can ensure that all students get the proper individualized attention and services they need to succeed and thrive.”
7. Many Perspectives, One Focus: “You know what I love about us? About educators? About CTA? I love that we are all different, that we come from different backgrounds, that we have different political opinions. And that in spite of these differences, we all share the same value of strong public schools and dedication to our students.”
8. Your Vote is Your Voice: “Public education is ALWAYS on the ballot…because so much of what we do in our classrooms is decided by politicians in our local communities, the statehouse, or congress.”
9. No on Prop. 30: “Prop. 30 is a blatant attempt by Lyft to get taxpayers to change all gas vehicles to electric, masquerading as a climate initiative. Don’t be deceived and don’t let our friends and families be fooled!”
10. Tony, Tony Tony!: “Tony Thurmond has been a good friend to educators and to students. Over the past two years he’s helped close the digital divide, expand access to technology for low-income students, and led efforts to hire 25,000 additional teachers and mental health professionals. Let’s re-elect Tony for SPI.”
11. We are Our Greatest Resource: “Organizing our members and communities is going to be critical as we fight the political attacks that are driving educators away and as we stand up for honesty in education. We have additional state funding. We have new organizing resources from CTA. And we have a plan to make your local chapters union strong. But our greatest resource is each other.”
12. In This Together: “Let’s lift each other up and celebrate each one of us for who we are… knowing we are all in this together. Hope is what got us through the darkest of days and hope for the future, for our students, and turning that hope into action will get us through what lies ahead.”