Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1537217
T H E A C A D E M I C Y E A R is behind us, and I hope many of you are taking a well-deserved rest. Our work as educators is all-con- suming, especially as we continue to operate in an environment that lacks the resources and funding that our students and com- munities need and deserve. And while one of our greatest joys is seeing our students move forward — learning, growing, exploring — they are also moving into a future that feels very uncertain. To put it plainly, our students — and educators, workers and communities — are under attack. Immigrant students and fami- lies, trans youth, poor and hungry kids are under attack. Funding for special education services, educational assistance for rural communities and other vital components of public education face debilitating cuts from the federal government. As educators and union members, we know our duty is to fight back against these harmful attacks and cuts to our classrooms. We can cut through the noise of dishonest and politically cal- culated culture wars and extremist narratives that attempt to divide and distract us. We see evidence of our power all around us — and you'll see many examples in this #UnionStrong issue. Up and down the state, educators are working together and with our broader communities to fight for fully funded and staffed schools. Local chapters in the We Can't Wait campaign and beyond are fighting for better working conditions and pay for educators and fight- ing back against school closures, and layoffs that contribute to California having some of the highest class sizes in the nation. As part of our Fight for Schools campaign, this spring CTA members went to the offices of Republican members of Con- gress in our state and demanded that they vote to protect school meals, special education, and services for families living in pov- erty and against tax cuts for billionaires. Every single Republican promised they would protect funding for communities, and when they returned to Washington D.C., broke their promise. en, on May 17, 15,000 educators rallied in San Francisco, Sacra- mento, Hanford, Los Angeles and San Diego to fight back. We will Our Union Power Embracing continue to organize against any attempt to erode public education and vital public services that our students and communities rely on. Our struggles today are not new. In fact, our strug- gles to give students the quality education they deserve and to ensure that all of us live and work in a demo- cratic, equitable society repeat themselves, over years, sometimes over generations. But we meet and over- come our struggles by rebuilding and renewing our movement again and again. One of the most beautiful and powerful aspects of being union is that it gives us a means of engaging in struggle together. It's hard to imagine how we'd sur- vive and navigate the challenges we face as working people if we were to do so without our union — with- out each other. rough deep organizing we will continue to defend the rights of educators and students and fight to ensure that all schools are safe places to learn and teach. We will also continue our fight for school funding so that every educator in California can earn a living wage and live in the community they serve. In the days ahead, let's care for each other, and after we've rested, let's get ready to continue our fight. We will do this together. David B. Goldberg C T A P R E S I D E N T 5 S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E