Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1130365
will be successful, but we can't do it alone. We have to do it as a group." His goals for public education "We must ensure that we look at our profession through the lenses of equity and social justice while seek- ing a dedicated funding source that provides educators and students with adequate resources. We spend more money on the prison system than our educational system. Where are our priorities? "Our educational system is built on the deficit model. We teach to the deficits of our children instead of their strengths. We focus on how well they did at point A or point B on the system's spectrum, but we don't know what their life is like, what is going on at home, what their health is like — there are so many factors that we don't have control over. "Since we know where they began on the spectrum and where we want them to finish, why not move them along on that continuum until they get to where they need to go? It's going to take a mind shift, not only for educators but policymakers, to change the system from a deficit model to a strength-based model, and what that looks like." Advice to new educators "Learning to be an educator is noth- ing like being an educator. It's not easy, especially if you don't have the tools you need. That first year, you're going to feel that you just don't have it. "But the more you do it, the bet- ter it gets. Try to build relationships, a community and network. Being able to talk to someone, having that person to confide in, having some- one with whom you can debrief and just breathe lets you understand that one day does not make your whole career. "And remember, you can always talk to your union representative." On #RedForEd "#RedForEd is not just about fund- ing education. It's about the working conditions of our educators, the learning conditions of our children. It's about the whole child. It's about racial and social justice. "I'm excited about #RedForEd, and about CTA members' role in it. We're here for the betterment of the children, and the adults and commu- nities we serve. No one is going to be left behind. We'll be here to make sure of that." Boyd, with Mayra Alvarado, at CTA's May 22 Day of Action. Boyd is sworn in as CTA President at June State Council. E. TOBY BOYD Personal: Age 60; lives in Sacramento with daughter Chauncee, mother Jacqueline. Professional: Kindergarten teacher for 25 years. Accounting major in college ("I'm a numbers freak") before switching; B.A. in liberal studies and teaching credential from CSU Sacramento. Leadership: On CTA Board of Directors since 2009; held committee positions on CTA State Council and the CTA/ABC Committee; 12-time delegate to NEA Representative Assembly; bargaining team member, Elk Grove Education Association. Served on the state Transitional Kindergarten Professional Learning Steering Committee. Special skills: "I used to be a hell of a bowler. And people at CTA Summer Institute think I sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody' really well." 15 J U N E / J U L Y 2 019