Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1541528
IN ADDITION: The NEA Center for Organizing is offering grants through its Local President Release Time Program. Application deadline for the 2026–2027 year is Jan. 20, 2026. The three-year grants allow locals, with the advantage of a release-time president, to organize and to grow in strength and influence. Local leaders are able to have a more visible presence at worksites, identify future leaders, and be more engaged within the community. Locals that receive a grant have a shared commitment from the local affiliate, CTA and NEA to fund the release time. For details visit nea.org/grants/75315.htm#, Organizing Grants for Local Leaders A P P L I C A T I O N S R E C E N T L Y C L O S E D for CTA's Spring 2026 Local President Release Time for Organizing Program. ese grants allow presidents to engage all chapter members and orga- nize and strengthen their locals. e program is straighforward: All eligible chapters that are willing to do the site-based organizing work and submit an application on time receive the grant. Goal of the grants: rough site-based organizing, chapters are able to • increase union membership, expand site leadership and member participation, and run successful campaigns to win on issues that members, students and communities care deeply about; • take effective collective action to solve site-based issues and win strong contracts; • join with other CTA chapters across California to more effectively address key statewide issues like school funding and educator recruitment and retention. New participants are required to attend a training. About 220 local presidents are currently taking advantage of the grants. Douglas Knepp, president of West Sacramento Teachers Association, is in the middle of his second consecutive grant that allows 80% release time. He says the grants have been invaluable as he works to strengthen WSTA. "e ability to get all of my organizing structures in place and test them was impossible before," he says. "With release time I can build structures and relationships that I can track and count — so WSTA can be at peak power." Specifically, the grants give him time for site visits and one- on-one conversations with members. "I've developed personal relationships that make a difference. We've been able to get to our goal of one site rep for every 10 members and to identify organic leaders." Structure-building has included setting up action teams where site reps and member leaders can reach out to other members and rapidly get their input. "We've had pickets, walk- ins, limited work-to-rule actions, etc., and before doing them we need to know how many members can show up. e action teams mean we get prompt information and can make quick decisions. Our actions now have 80% participation." Knepp says the grants are particularly helpful for smaller associations, such as WSTA with its 450 members. "For small locals like ours, it's hard to raise funds for release time. So we really appreciate the CTA grants." Read more about the grants at cta.org/leader-resources/ cta-organizing-plan, where you can also find information about Local Planning Grants and Local Site Visit Grants. For questions about all grants, reach out to your CTA Primary Contact Staff or email releasetimefororganizing@cta.org. Knepp, foreground, at the #NoKings rally in LA in October, has received two Local President Release Time grants. 41 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 A