Educators urge Californians to vote no in the Sept. 14 recall election and keep proven leader and friend of public education Gavin Newsom at the helm as governor.
CTA State Council of Education voted overwhelmingly at its June meeting to oppose the recall and support Gov. Newsom, who has a history of working side by side with educators for the resources our schools need and our students deserve.
“Educators stand in strong opposition to the recall of Gov. Newsom,” CTA President E. Toby Boyd says. “From our classroom vantage point during the pandemic, we didn’t always agree on approach, but we’ve never questioned his commitment to California’s students and public education.”
At a time when public funds are needed to support our schools, students and families, the state will spend an estimated $276 million to hold the recall election a year before the next regularly scheduled gubernatorial election. The recall effort is funded by anti-union billionaires who want to roll back decades of progress and defund public education, with the goal of putting forth a school voucher initiative in 2022.
“The donors belong to a national network of billionaires who attack public education and are actively working to lower wages, eliminate healthcare and undermine our voting rights,” Boyd says. “We’ve made a lot of progress as a state, and we look forward to working with a large and broad coalition to defeat this anti-worker, anti-union recall effort.”
Newsom continues to support California’s public schools, colleges, working families and communities. In February, he prioritized vaccines for educators, paving the way for a safe return to in-person instruction. Newsom’s budget provides record funding for public education, with landmark investments in early childhood education, community schools, and a focus on the whole child.
“The governor’s budget includes historic increases for the restart and recovery of our school and college campuses,” Boyd says. “His plan to expand transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds and his investment in social and emotional supports will help give students a promising start to a bright future.”
Newsom is also leading with record investments to address California’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis, expand affordable health care and child care, and increase wildfire preparedness.
“Gov. Newsom’s commitment to California’s working families and communities is long-standing,” Boyd says. “He has worked with educators to bring accountability and transparency to corporate charter schools, support equity and social justice, and protect workers’ safety and rights on the job.”
Mail voting will begin Aug. 16, and all voters must be registered by Aug. 30 to vote unconditionally in the recall election. Polling places will also be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 14. Check your registration status and find your polling place at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Boyd urges all educators to support Gov. Newsom and vote no on the recall. “We have to stop this recall, and I hope that you will help us.”
For more information, visit cta.org/recall.