Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/358877
Morris is leaving Ballington as of Sept. 1 to teach in nearby "tradi- tional" Brawley Elementary School District. She feels better now for the future of Ballington, because teacher turnover had been about 50 percent a year before the union stabilized things. Her advice to teachers in nonunion charters: "Organize a union at your school. The union helps teachers have a voice. And teachers will use that voice to help our students." The Green Dot Chain Example After 11 years as a unionized example of an idea that works, the Green Dot chain of 19 charter schools in Los Angeles County continues to thrive today as the largest unionized chain of charters in California. This CTA chapter recently won raises of 4 percent at the bargain- ing table over two years and offers teacher salaries in the range of about $48,000 to $82,000, says Salina Joiner, Asociación de Maestros Unidos president, which represents the 552 Green Dot educators. About 100 Green Dot education support professionals are represented by another CTA chapter, the Animo Classified Education Association. "I would never work at a charter school that was not organized," Joiner says about the need to organize charters. "Management listens to us because we are unionized, and both sides are committed to collabora- tion. We should all be treated well, and we should not work for free." IN THEIR WORDS Watch videos of members telling their stories at cta.org/chartermembers. MOLLY FENN, Alameda CLARISA MONDEJAR, San Diego CARA BRYANT, Davis TERRI JACKSON, Richmond 47 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 1 "I want us to be viewed as having real jobs," Bryant says. "It's hard work. We're professionals, just like teachers in brick-and-mortar schools, and right now we're not treated that way." Bryant knows what it means for teachers to have a voice. She was a CTA member when she taught in Elk Grove Uni- fied School District, where her husband teaches now. And she understood when she came to nonunion CAVA that she was now an "at-will" employee who could be fired randomly without just cause. "We don't have any recourse if they don't renew your contract." Pay is low and raises seem random, Bryant says. Morale is further eroded by fears that, instead of spending the California public education dollars CAVA receives on its Cal- ifornia operation, K12 is siphoning off about half its funding and sending it to its national headquarters in Virginia. The K12 CEO and founder, Ron Packard, received more than $19 million in total compensation from 2009 to 2013, according to the Center for Media and Democracy. Pack- ard resigned earlier this year to start a company focusing on classroom-based digital learning programs. Educators believe public money would be better spent on students by focusing resources in their classrooms. CAVA teachers decided to build their union despite the usual scare tactics, like a May warning letter from management about CTA's intentions. Perhaps unaware of CTA's 151-year history in California public education, the manager's letter says CTA "may not appreciate who we are or how we operate." The New York Times spent several months investigating how K12 operates. The company "tries to squeeze profits from public school dollars by raising enrollment, increasing teacher workload and lowering standards," the newspa- per reported in December 2011. The company denied any wrongdoing. The NCAA will no longer accept student coursework from K12 schools at Division I or Division II colleges or universities as of the 2014-15 school year. CAVA teachers take student learning very seriously. By unionizing with CTA, they look forward to making sure California education dollars stay in this state rather than be exported to corporate headquarters out of state. "We will have more of a voice in making sure resources are spent on students," says Bryant. These days, to show their union support, they wear yellow solidarity buttons bearing two simple words: "I'm In." They were designed and made by hand in a project headed by a number of CAVA teachers, including Stacey Preach of Fair Oaks in Sacramento County. "It was kind of a grassroots movement," Preach says of the button effort. "It was about staff being able to see the button and know they supported the union." Cara Br yant says the feeling of connection at last among her CAVA colleagues during the organizing drive was ver y moving. "We had a lot of people thanking us for what we are do- ing. They're really appreciative. It's like we are a community for the first time." P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S C O T T B U S C H M A N