The collective power of organized educators is unstoppable!
The 2024–25 school year was filled with victories fueled by our commitment to each other in our local unions, dedication to our students, communities and our fight for public education. We also worked together to defend vulnerable communities from continued extremist attacks following Trump’s inauguration in January.
“We are the kind of union that can win at the bargaining table, fight layoffs, extend Proposition 55, secure state funding and protect our most vulnerable students from federal attacks. A union that dares to struggle — and dares to win,” CTA Vice President Leslie Littman says.
From inspiring strikes by union educators to our continued fight to protect all students from attacks at both local and federal levels to our historic 2024 election campaign, CTA continues to lead the way in the fight back against extremism and the fight forward for the public schools and community colleges all students deserve.
Check out these amazing victories by union educators over the past school year.
Top photo caption: On Nov. 3, Natomas Teachers Assn. members knocked on over 1,000 doors in support of NTA-endorsed candidates.
Region I
Las Lomitas Education Assn. (LLEA): After three powerful and inspiring days on the picket line, LLEA won a pay increase and health benefit increases to better recruit and retain educators while building a historic movement for public schools in the wealthiest ZIP Code in the United States.
“This victory will bring much-deserved stability to our school communities. We made the powerful decision to go on strike and we won the contract we need to stay in the community we love serving,” said LLEA Co-President Jennifer Montalvo. “The support from our classified colleagues, parents, students, families and community members kept us moving forward to victory. Together, we remained united and steadfast in winning for our students today and future generations.”
Fremont Unified District Teachers Assn. (FUDTA):
Students and families joined FUDTA members in an inspiring art build and massive picket in April in their fight for the schools all Fremont students need to thrive and succeed. “I am proud of our members. We stood strong, rallying together for each other and for our community,” said FUDTA President Victoria Chon.
Franklin-McKinley Education Assn. (FMEA) members mobilized earlier this year to defend their students and families when district administrators proposed closing as many as six schools. FMEA organized opposition to the proposal, bringing to light the many potential consequences of school closures and working to prepare the community and district administrators to address them.
Region II
Association of Clovis Educators (ACE):
In November 2024, Clovis Unified School District’s naturalists successfully petitioned to join ACE. These incredible educators are negotiating their first-ever union contract — working toward fair compensation, safer working conditions and the resources needed to provide exceptional outdoor education to more than 11,000 students every year.
“By joining ACE, I am advocating for the support needed to provide the best outdoor experience for all students and to ensure every student feels valued,” Clovis naturalist and ACE member Kathy Valle said.
Madera Unified Teachers Assn. (MUTA) members have been organizing over the course of the past year through a pivotal bargain campaign, culminating in a May event that drew hundreds of educators and parents to a school board meeting to demand the district prioritize educators.
Plumas County Teachers Assn. (PCTA) fought against layoffs, organized against the school district’s
mismanagement of funds and met with community members to help form a “mobilization group” of pro-teacher, pro-public education supporters who are willing to show up to fight for students.
Rocklin Professional Teachers Assn. (RPTA)
worked to flip some pivotal school board seats, organizing members from all over the district to walk each week, knock on doors and talk to voters in the months leading up to the November election.
Sacramento City Teachers Assn. dedicated hours to precinct walking, hosting events and letter-writing parties, which resulted in a historic win of four board seats in the November election. Every school board member now on the board was endorsed by SCTA.
Western Placer Teachers Assn. (WPTA) organized and built power for a contract campaign and settled a contract in mediation this past May. The strength of the union was evident in the board action turnout and rallies!
Natomas Teachers Assn. knocked on thousands of doors and talked with voters about their endorsed school board candidates. Their power was evident in the number of educators who stepped up to fight for a better future for their students.
Region III
Union educators showed that an injury to one is an injury to all in January, coming together to support each other and the greater Los Angeles community after devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 18,000 structures and chased 200,000 from their homes. Working with actors Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer, our union raised more than $40,000 to help educators who were impacted move forward.
In all, 19 school districts closed and a dozen schools were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires. Our union mobilized immediately, with local associations in the impacted areas supporting members on the ground and CTA coordinating relief efforts through our Disaster Relief Fund to help support those in need.
“I’ve been so moved by how we’ve carried on together, wrapped our arms around each other for support, reached out to check on our colleagues, students and neighbors, and helped raise money and provide mutual aid,” CTA President David Goldberg said in January.
Carolyn Grumm, second grade teacher and Arcadia Teachers Assn. member, is a volunteer with Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team, which played a critical role during and after the 2025 LA wildfires. She is pictured standing behind the van’s open door along with the team.
United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP) organized and saved 40 jobs that were at risk of layoffs. Even after the wildfires that impacted educators and their families, members showed up to school board meetings and fought to rescind layoffs and keep educators in Pasadena.
In Pasadena, an estimated 10% of school district staff lost their homes, as well as one in six students, which made the district’s proposal to lay off 65 UTP members that much more difficult to swallow. UTP organized, showed up to school board meetings, fought to keep educators in Pasadena and saved 40 jobs.
More than 130 United Teachers Los Angeles members who work at El Camino Real (ECR) Charter High School went on strike for five days in February, walking picket lines in the rain to win the smaller class sizes their students deserve.
“It’s exciting and scary but totally worth it because we have the best kids ever and they deserve the best teachers,” said ECR English teacher Laura Casares.
Santa Barbara Teachers Assn. members mobilized to get the school board to rescind 79 layoffs it approved earlier this spring, saving nearly every single job before the end of the school year, according to SBTA President Hozby Galindo.
Region IV
Members of Grossmont Education Assn. in East San Diego have been mobilizing against harmful layoffs, and an anti-student, anti-union school board majority. Hundreds of educators, parents, students, labor partners and community allies showed up at school board meetings to demand that the board rescind the layoffs of teacher librarians, classroom teachers, special education teachers, VAPA teachers and more. The board’s rejection of the demands of the school community has activated a coalition of allies to continue the fight to rescind layoffs and a campaign that is building power to flip the school board in 2026.
With the support of the President’s Release Grant and CTA-ABC grants, Association of Placentia-Linda Educators (APLE) took on the fight of their union life! After four years of enduring an extremist board majority, APLE spent months planning and organizing, and was able to flip their school board. APLE and allies are now rebuilding the culture and outstanding reputation of Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. At left, APLE members canvass for their candidates.
San Diego Education Assn. (SDEA) members turned up the volume this spring with pickets across 125 schools in the San Diego Unified School District, combining organizing power with new art skills! SDEA is one of the 30+ local unions participating in the “We Can’t Wait” campaign, uniting educators statewide to demand fully staffed schools, competitive wages and benefits, and safe, stable schools. To help fuel the momentum, Bay Area artist David Solnit teamed up with several locals to create eye-catching visuals. In March, he spent a full day with SDEA’s organizing committee and community allies, teaching screen-printing and large-scale banner making. These sessions led to broader community art builds where members connected, built solidarity and prepared bold visuals for pickets in the spring. The results: A tentative agreement with San Diego Unified that included a 1.5% retroactive raise, and increased statewide pressure to finally fund the schools our students and communities deserve.
Cajon Valley Education Assn. set a high bar for membership recruitment to build union power to fight back against an extremist school board that has created chaos in Cajon Valley. CVEA leadership recruited 314 new members, increasing their membership by 45% over the last two and a half years! CVEA used all four available CTA grants this year (site visit, local planning, member engagement and community engagement). The site visit grant was focused on a listening tour for bargaining, while the local planning grant helped the executive board to create their membership recruitment goal. CVEA demonstrated its power at board meetings and beyond.
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