BURLINGAME – Rallies, community forums and other actions in four of California’s largest cities today put a spotlight on the needed supports for students and educators. Events focused on funding supports, after school programs, California’s historic $4.1 billion investment in Community Schools and the need for school districts to include all stakeholders, including educators and parents, in the planning and implementation of this proven shared governance model for student success and strong communities. Today’s mobilization efforts are part of ongoing contract negotiations and public awareness campaigns by educators to ensure their students have the schools they need and deserve.

“Community schools are collaboratively imagined and democratically run public schools designed to meet the unique needs of local students. Through authentic governance structures and a bottom-up approach, educators, students, parents and community organizations utilize a model of shared decision making to provide academic, emotional and community support for student success,” said CTA President E. Toby Boyd. “Today’s actions across California show that educators are deeply committed to Community Schools, and that they are standing up to ensure their voices and those of parents, students and the community are heard.”

The actions today include a massive rally of thousands in downtown Los Angeles, where United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is standing in solidarity with SEIU Local 99 as they fight Los Angeles Unified School District’s resistance to meeting contract demands. UTLA’s contract proposals center on expanding community schools and providing resources for family/community/youth engagement and wraparound services, equitable wage increases, reducing class sizes, and fully staffing schools.

In Oakland, educators and community members rallied in support of Oakland Education Association’s contract campaign that includes safe, stable, and racially just community schools.

Educators and parents from four Sacramento area districts (Sacramento City, Folsom-Cordova, Natomas, Twin Rivers) are holding a community forum calling on those respective districts to establish nationally recognized shared-governance models that are the heart of successful community schools.

In San Diego, rallies at multiple school sites today and tomorrow highlight San Diego Education Association’s community-centered bargaining goals.

Because of the hard work of educators, as well as Governor Newsom’s and the state Legislature’s strong support, California is leading the nation in its advancement of Community Schools, with its record investment targeting the transformation of high poverty schools into thriving, community-based education, health, and social services centers. Last summer, CTA hosted a virtual news conference spotlighting this commitment and the promise of Community Schools that included Governor Newsom, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. Community Schools are a top priority for CTA, and many of its local chapters are leading efforts to transform their own neighborhood schools.

Educators and others throughout the state are supporting today’s actions both in-person and virtually through social media posts and livestreaming from the events. Find more information, including downloadable placards here. #CommunitySchools

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.