Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1476161
CTA Stands for Health Access and Reproductive Rights At its July meeting, the CTA Board of Directors voted to support Proposition 1, The Reproductive Freedom Act, that seeks to amend the California Constitution to protect women's rights to basic healthcare and reproductive freedoms. "Standing in unity with the educators, stu- dents and families we serve, the CTA Board made the policy-based decision to support Prop. 1," said CTA President E. Toby Boyd. "Our mothers, daughters, partners, sisters and friends should have the freedom and right to determine their healthcare and to make deeply personal decisions on their own, a fundamental human right." The California Legislature put Prop. 1 on the ballot this November following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jack- son Women's Health Organization. " The recent Supreme Court decision not only strips people of those constitutional rights, but also undermines basic American values like freedom and fairness for all, hand- ing that power to state lawmakers," said Boyd. The CTA board's recommendation will be sent to CTA State Council in October for ratification. Read the full press release at cta.org/press-release. State Budget Approved On June 27, the State Legislature passed the 2022-23 state budget, with record K-14 education funding. CTA President E. Toby Boyd praised state leaders and the legislature for the budget agreement that provides much- needed supports for students, prioritizes social emotional learning, and includes funding allocation to attract and retain quality educators. " The funding will help address the critical shortage of teachers and support professionals and ensures our six million students are the beneficiaries of California's robust revenues and very strong economy," Boyd said in a state- ment. "It furthers California's focus on serving the whole child through additional investments in Special Education, student mental health, school nutrition, home-to-school transportation, transitional kindergarten implementation and expansion, and commu- nity schools." The 2022-23 budget includes total fund- ing of $128.3 billion for all K-12 education programs, and $41.6 billion for higher edu- cation institutions. Boyd noted that "the significant 13 percent increase to the statewide school funding base through the Local Control Funding For- mula will help ensure that school districts are able to recruit and retain qualified educators and provide students with equitable access to resources." Among the other record alloca- tions, the agreement includes an additional $1.1 billion in funding to implement and expand com- munity schools. (Last year, California's budget allocated $3 billion to community schools – more than any other state.) Legislative News "Our mothers, daughters, partners, sisters and friends should have the freedom and right to determine their healthcare and to make deeply personal decisions on their own." —CTA President E. Toby Boyd In support of school and gun safety: CTA President E. Toby Boyd was at the White House on July 11 with NEA President Becky Pringle and other NEA leaders to stand witness as President Biden signed the Safer Communities Act. The law is the most significant new federal gun safety legislation in decades, and an important step toward safer schools and communities. 32 cta.org Advocacy