Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1543424
Our Fight for School Funding Prop. 55 is essential to our fight for school funding. It was approved by voters in 2016, extending Prop. 30's personal income tax increases. It generates almost $15 billion annually for our schools and community colleges. But Prop. 55 is set to expire in 2030. Extending it — permanently — is vital to preserve the resources we have and achieve more in the future. The tax extension would apply to couples earning more than $700,000. Without an extension, our schools and community colleges will be hit with an immediate 15% cut in funding. Take action with our union now to secure permanent funding: • Find out how much funding your district stands to lose at cta.org/Prop55Extension. • Join your chapter 's signature-gathering campaign to qualify an initiative for the November 2026 election. • Talk to friends, fellow educators, families, neighbors and more about this crucial school funding extension for the 2026 ballot. E d u c a t o r s i n th e i r l o c a l u n i o n s across the state are collecting signa- tures every day to qualify the crucial initiative — and building a massive movement from Eureka to El Cajon to ensure victory on Election Day for California schools. Here's a look at how some local unions are working to meet the goal of collecting signatures from 85% of their members and building structures at every school site to orga- nize and win. L I N C O L N : Site Blitz Success Example of Growing Power "ere were times in the past that this would have been a tough ask due to needing to work on our site rep struc- ture," says Kadie Collette, president of Lincoln Unified Teachers Association (LUTA). " We have spent a few years working on that." LU TA organi zed a signature sit e blitz at their largest site, Lincoln High S chool , aft er th e union's executive board identified that the site needed additional support with collection. In early Januar y, LU TA's E xe cutive Board members used release time to have targeted meetings with mem- bers to talk about Prop. 55 and collect signatures, creating a schedule and breaking into teams to reach members throughout the day. "We jumped in and helped our larg- est school site — it was amazing! We visited teachers on their prep periods and lunch, and had one-on-one conver- sations," Collette says. A We Can't Wait power -up local , LUTA has been organizing, develop- ing relationships and building power over the past few years, flipping their s c h o o l b o a rd a n d w i n n i n g a t t h e bargaining table. It all starts with a leadership team that refuses to leave any members behind and 17 W I N T E R 2 0 26