Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/812811
are organizing with our communities. And we are build- ing relationships, awareness and unwavering support with those who share our values and believe that all students deserve a quality education." Heins urged members to hold firm to CTA's values of inclusion and diversity and let these values guide us in the days ahead. e sentiment was echoed by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León as he stopped by to thank educators and double down on California's com- mitment to be a state where immigrants are welcome and safe. Heins spoke of CTA's Statewide Day of Action on May 1. e day is an opportunity for educators to con- nect with their communities to ensure public schools welcome and include al l stu d ent s, pro v i d e safe learning environ- ments for all students, a n d s er v e a s c ent er s of c ommuniti e s w ith community input. (See sidebar on this page.) At a forum later that d ay, att en d e e s h eard from several colleagues about th eir pl ans for the Day of Action. e next day, CTA Executive Director Joe Nuñez spoke of the importance of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and how the LCAP, in particular, can be used to engage members and communities. Regarding the LCFF's weighted allocation of fund- ing based on student n eed s, Nuñ ez said , " We will follow the intent of the law. School districts have the obligation to engage educators, parents and commu- nities in the development of their Local Control and Accountability Plans." He noted that the California School Dashboard, the state's new accountability system that goes beyond test scores and includes multiple measures, rolled out earlier in March. CTA provided key input for the dashboard, as Eric Heins is co-chair of the California Department of Education's Alliance for Continuous Improvement, which helped shape the dashboard and is part of an ongoing effort to create a groundbreaking, holistic review of a student's learning environment. In Other Actions, State Council… • Reviewed, debated and voted on 231 bills. More than 160 of them received a "support" or "oppose" position or made the "watch" list. See CTA's ongoing positions on these bills at cta.org/billpositions. • Honored the California Teachers of the Year. • Honored Teri Roots, the 2017 Paula J. Monroe ESP of the Year (see page 43). • Asked members to take the Bilingual Teacher Survey, which addresses the acute shortage of bilingual teachers, at svy.mk/2nZUVLh. CTA and Californians Together are working together to lead a policy agenda to tackle the issue. • Heard member Colleen Briner-Schmidt bring the history of women's suffrage to life and give a stirring call to action for modern-day women and men to stand up for women's health care and pay equality. May 1 Day of Action and Pledge for Ed May 1 is CTA's state- wide Day of Action. This is a day of resistance to the dismantling of public education, and a day for standing up for students and the idea that free public education is a basic civil right. CTA is asking chapters and members to organize walk-ins at their school sites that bring together students, parents, teach- ers and community members to show a united front against hatred, ICE raids, privatization, and any actions or policies that harm their students. Chapters and members can go to cta.org/may1 to access event ideas, tools and resources, including fact sheets, posters, fliers in various languages, and links to the Day of Action Facebook group, as well as CTA's Social Justice Toolkit (cta.org/forallstudents). Members can go to either site to "Pledge for Ed" — to join us in professing unwavering support for all students, vigilance in mak- ing schools safe zones, and persistent advocacy for the public education all California students deserve. Colleen Briner-Schmidt addresses State Council. 42 cta.org CTA & You