Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1103796
#OurVoiceOurUnion #WeAreCTA For our full social media directory, see cta.org/social. facebook.com/wearecta @WeAreCTA youtube.com/californiateachers @WeAreCTA WeAreCTA No to Amazon First, I am taking issue with your publication's promoting of the increasing corporate presence in the classroom ("Your Classroom Assistant: Amazon's Alexa is here to help," February/ March). I would argue that this often-pernicious presence need not find every nook into our lives, let alone a formative presence into the highly impressionable lives of our students. Second, your cover story ("#RedForEd") rightly addresses recent events concerning teacher unions advocating for their rights and better working conditions. Your recent issue helps further extend such necessary and galvanizing forces to help support our teacher unions (and all working-class unions by extension), which have been and remain under attack from cor- porate interests. Do not support corporate organizations that actively seek to undermine our rights as workers. JEFF TAVES Livermore Education Association Editor's note: Our story prompted several readers to respond, voicing their displeasure about featuring a company that has not embraced unions. We had thought that Alexa's growing usefulness to educators was newsworthy and of value to readers. But we've heard your feedback and will tailor our future content accordingly. L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and californiaeducator.org. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 9 V O L U M E 2 3 I S S U E 4 1902 Educator cover v1.0.indd 1 2/8/19 2:51 PM Why So Red? I am so glad and proud to see teachers in Oakland and LA walking for what is right- fully theirs ("#RedForEd," February/March), but please, why must the union evoke the color red? Red with yellow letters is emblematic of Communism, and that will alienate many allies and give fuel to the right-wing hacks that are now harping on Trump's socialism mantra. I have conservative colleagues who are fed up with low pay, class sizes and incompetent administration, but they will be put off by the far left references. I have other more centrist colleagues who feel the same way. Please think about being more inclusive and going with more neutral themes in the future. Strength is in numbers, so don't drive out the center or center right. MARK ALLENDORF Palo Alto Educators Association Why Educators Stay NEA Today recently pub- lished interviews with educators about what moti- vated them to become (and remain) classroom teachers. Jayson Chang, who teaches world history, government and economics at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, was one of them. Prior to becoming a teacher, the East Side Teachers Association mem- ber held an unfulfilling marketing position. He wanted a job where he could make a difference, where he could share his love of history. In 2016, Chang stepped into the classroom. "Teaching history, and why it matters — especially now that the country is so divided — is where I can make an impact," he says. Read the story at neatoday.org. 3 A P R I L / M AY 2 019 U P F R O N T Testing, Testing May means it's time for standardized tests. California law allows parents to opt out of state-mandated standardized testing for their children — but California regulations govern what educators can say to parents and fami- lies. See a fuller explanation on page 57 and check out CTA resources to help educators have these conversations at cta.org/optout.