Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1522302
No Layoffs: Our Fight Back Against 2,000 Layoffs Organizing in our local unions to defend public schools By Julian Peeples E D U C A T O R S A C R O S S C A L I F O R N I A fou g ht to d efen d th eir sch o o l s from attacks by school districts looking to balance their budgets on the backs of stu- dents, educators and our communities. Almost 2,000 CTA m emb ers in 106 local associations statewide received layoff notices this spring — a massive increase from years prior, reminiscent of the widespread impacts of underfund- ing more than a decade ago. With the state facing a huge deficit, some school districts have already started cutting preliminarily, pivoting quickly from try- ing to fill a teacher shortage to laying off dedicated educators. E ducators imp act ed by th e se pro- posed cuts are organizing to fight back and defend each other and the schools their students deserve. In Anaheim, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Farm- ersville and Santa Barbara, educators are rising in their local unions together with their communities to reject these cuts, layoffs and a broken public school funding system that cyclically upends California school districts and provides our students with less than they deserve. "is kind of organizing requires crit- ical conversations at our worksites and in our union meetings — what are we willing to do to stop these layoffs," CTA President David Goldberg said. "Quite simply: ere is power in our union — in our connections and commitments to each other." SANTA BARBARA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Amid a lengthy and contentious bargain, SBTA members are fighting against layoffs and for the resources that Santa Barbara students need. SBTA has been organizing for months, holding rallies, a march and working to show the community the impact of Santa Barbara Unified's decisions. In early May, on National Teachers Day, the school board voted unanimously to lay off four teachers and 11 education support professionals despite a record 81 public comments urging the school board not to do so. "We are losing educators today," SBTA president Hozby Galindo said. "We're losing positions that positively impact our students and educators.... They play a critical role; I hope that you see that, because the rest of the community sees it." SBTA members and community held a "wake" before that fateful meeting, "in memory " of colleagues who would not be with them next year due to layoffs. Educators and supporters filled the board room and overflow room, which has become a common occurrence recently. Families and businesses in the Santa Barbara community have shown up to fight alongside educators for their public schools, and signs of support for SBTA and teachers have popped up all over the city. Follow SBTA's fight for the schools Santa Barbara students and commu- nity deserve on Facebook at @MySBTA. SBTA educators speak out at a school board meeting. 28 cta.org Advocacy