Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1543424
President Stephen Davidson. CVEA site reps organized a signature collection blitz in December that resulted in almost two-thirds of their nearly 900 members signing petitions, in an effort that Davidson says was the result of a deliberate, structured and relationship-based approach. CVEA asked site representatives to lead the charge in engag- ing members and building a local movement for the campaign. CVEA Site Representative Daisy Delacruz says the school district losing $21.8 million in Prop. 55 funding without an extension would be catastrophic for the district and community. "at's 15% of our budget, which impacts our students, our class- rooms and our peers," she says. "is is one in six of our colleagues who will lose their jobs unless we pass an extension." CVEA is also utilizing a combination of communication tools, includ- ing digital outreach through Hustle and direct follow-up with members who have not yet signed. Delacruz is inputting data to track progress toward the 85% signature goal. Davidson says CVEA will use these same organizing structures that made their initial outreach successful as the campaign progresses, uti- lizing site reps to provide clear and consistent information and create easy, accessible ways for educators to participate. "Most importantly, we will center the campaign on the impact to students and classrooms, so that members remain motivated by the shared goal of protecting educational quality and stability in our district," Davidson says. "By staying organized, transparent and mem- ber-driven, we believe we can sustain momentum and help secure a successful outcome in November." WA L N U T VA L L E Y: Building Union Power with Friendly Competition "When people sign the petition, they're taking ownership over it and Prop. 55 Extension: Advice on Engaging Fellow Members " Focus on clarity, structure and relationships. Clearly explain what Prop. 55 does, what would be lost without it and how it affects students and classrooms. Use trusted site leaders to deliver the message, set clear timelines and make participation simple. Combine peer-to-peer outreach with consistent follow-up and always connect the campaign back to your shared commitment to students and public education." — STEPHEN DAVIDSON, Cajon Valley EA " It's important to start early. I made a TikTok video about why Prop. 55 is important — educating our young members!" — DAISY DELACRUZ, Cajon Valley EA " Ask for help from members you know are down for the cause, target meetings or PD that have large numbers of teachers in one place as a first pass. Log signatures and identify people who have not signed and do a second pass with one-on-one conversations. Make sure you work with your CTA staff — they are invaluable." — KADIE COLLET TE, Lincoln Unified TA " I was president 20 years ago and we didn't have release time. I see such a difference now that I do. Having that time and getting face-to-face with my members, that's where it's at. To any president who doesn't currently have release time, get that CTA grant, go out and talk to your members because that's been a gamechanger for us." — MARGARET PALMER, Lowell Joint EA " What worked really well was running our signature gathering campaign in conjunction with a day of action, so we were already in our members' ears." — JOSHUA HENNESS, Walnut Valley EA Left to right: Cajon Valley EA Site Rep Baha Hashemian, President Stephen Davidson and other CVEA leaders discuss signature-gathering strategy. 19 W I N T E R 2 0 26