Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1380872
Continued on Page 32 It's a testament to how much these educators believe in each other and their students that they're willing to put it all on the line for their union. King says that's exactly what's at the heart of HTEC: a belief in what's possible for the students of High Tech High. "I really think this union is forming out of love for this place," King says. Uniting for students, fighting for justice Asha Hannah and Andy Marshall-Buselt have been teachers at Leadership Public Schools (LPS) in Oakland for seven years, which is also how long they have been working on organiz- ing a union. In February, their work was finally realized when educators across three schools formed East Bay Educators United (EBEU), affiliating with CTA. It is an effort that got a jolt of energy in 2019 when educators at LPS and other Oakland charter schools held a sympathy strike in conjunction with the Oakland Education Association strike. Marshall-Buselt says the experience was transformational. "Having us help hold the line and be out there really meant a lot to our colleagues. It was a watershed moment for our staff. Ever since then, the way we look at our own rights has changed." Hannah says after hearing repeated tales of colleagues being disrespected and mistreated, it became apparent that educators needed a seat at the table. e top-down decision-making that often lost sight of student and educator needs only became more Clovis Educators Launch Historic Organizing Effort F O L L O W I N G Y E A R S of district decision-making that has excluded the needs of educators and class- rooms as well as concerns that peaked during the pandemic, a large and diverse group of Clovis educa- tors launched a petition drive in April to form a union. The Association of Clovis Edu- cators (ACE) began gathering signatures to build a union among the more than 2,100 teachers, school psychologists, itinerant specialists, school counselors and other edu- cators in the Clovis Unified School District, just north of Fresno. ACE announced its plans to organize in a letter to the Clovis Unified commu- nity signed by dozens of educators from the district who belong to the ACE union organizing committee. The petition will circulate until a majority of educators' signatures have been gathered. "Clovis educators and schools are known for their excellence, and we believe that to stay true to our district's core values, forming a union is our next important step," says Kris- tin Heimerdinger, a 28-year Clovis teacher. " Though many of our con- cerns have been building for years, a mismanaged school reopening during this pandemic has shown us that district decision-making is bro- ken and does not value all students equally. Educators need a meaningful seat at the table, and we believe a union is the best way to ensure a strong future for our students and schools for years to come." Clovis Unified School District is one of the last large school dis- tricts in California without a union that represents educators. For more information about ACE, go to cloviseducators.org (#WeAreACE). 30 cta.org Feature Asha Hannah (left) and Andy Marshall-Buselt at CTA Summer Institute in 2016 (with Kamala Harris, then California attorney general), long before they helped organize East Bay Educators United. " It was really clear that we needed a formal say at the table, so that the folks on the ground working with our students and families can shape our policies." — ANDY MARSHALL-BUSELT, special education teacher, East Bay Educators United