Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/556394
An inclusive leadership style Heins describes his style of leadership as collaborative and inclusive, which are the same traits he admired in CTA lead- ership when he first became involved in the organization. "The things we do collectively are so much more than we can do individually," he says. "For me, it's important to listen to dissenting voices. For a long time I was a dissenting voice on L G B T Q I A i s s u e s , so I know the differ- e n c e b e t we e n b e i n g listened to and being d i s m i s s e d . I k n o w what it's like to have p e o p l e p r e t e n d t o listen to you. A dis- senting voice is good because it makes you q u e s t i o n y o u r o w n position. If you were s u r ro u n d e d o n ly by people who you think think like you, you'll lose perspective." While California is now in a "good place" with much better funding than previous years and a supportive governor and Legisla- ture, CTA must be vigilant and proactive to ensure that the rights of teachers and labor unions are not eroded, which has happened in other states, he says. With the Local Control Funding Formula, and with more classroom creativity taking place under the Common Core, teachers have an opportunity to take back the pro- fession and do what's best for students, says Heins. "There were so many years under NCLB when we were told what to do — and it was the opposite of what we felt was right for students. Now, it's as t h o u g h C TA i s o n t h e precipice of unprecedented change. We are reframing and redefining who we are. It's very exciting." The new president says he feels hopeful, excited a n d ex t re m e ly p ro u d to assume the top leadership position within CTA, representing 325,000 teachers, higher e d u c a t i o n f a c u l t y m e m b e rs , e d u c a t i o n support professionals, school counselors, school nurses, speech-language pathologists, and Student CTA members. "So much is happening, it feels a little bit like the Wild West," he muses. "We are doing away with one-size-fits-all education. CTA is not just reacting to change. Instead, we are the driver of change that is happen- ing in schools. Together, we are shaping the future." Newly elected CTA officers: Secretary-Treasurer David Goldberg, Vice President Theresa Montaño and President Eric Heins. "CTA IS NOT JUST REACTING TO CHANGE, WE ARE THE DRIVER OF CHANGE IN SCHOOLS. TOGETHER, WE ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE." • Immediate past vice presi- dent of CTA. • Co-chair of the CDE Advisory Task Force on Accountability and Continu- ous Improvement, reviewing Blueprint 2.0, Superinten- dent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's updated plan to provide children a world-class education. • Chaired the CTA Quality Education Investment Act Workgroup, monitoring the program that provided $3 billion for interventions at schools of greatest need. • Chaired the CTA Teacher Evaluation Workgroup, which adopted new guide- lines to strengthen the teaching profession. • Represented the San Fran- cisco Bay Area on the NEA Board of Directors. • Member of the NEA Task Force on Accountability, helping define accountabil- ity in a post-high-stakes testing world. Heins' leadership roles 14 cta.org Feature