Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
Article: Our Leaders, Ourselves - Page 5 Eric Heins speaks at CTA's Region I Leadership Conference in September. E V E R Y D A Y in thousands of c l a s s r o o m s , C TA m e m b e r s guide young minds, maintain discipline, develop and follow careful plans, and inspire and motivate others to achieve. Educators are inherently leaders. Their leadership skills don't just apply to working with students; teachers are better qualified than any- one else to be the driving force behind education change. CTA has long recognized not only the potential, but the desire and responsibil- ity members have to lead the profession. Unfortunately, over the years, that desire has often been thwarted by people who have not set foot in a classroom since they graduated, but who believe they know what's best for students and how we do our jobs. Ask almost any veteran teacher and they will tell you, often with justifiable cynicism, of the latest and greatest education fad that has come and gone, or legislation affecting educa- tion that's been passed with little or no respect for the input of actual educators. When CTA launched its long-term strategic plan nearly four years ago, tap- ping into and building upon the natural leadership skills of our members was a key component. Transforming our profession, advocating for education reform, and developing leadership to build a stronger union have all become top priorities since the plan's adoption. Am o n g t h e e f f o r t s I 'm proudest of is CTA's part- n e r s h i p w i t h S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y t o f o r m t h e I n s t r u c t i o n a l L e a d e r - s h i p C o r p s (s e e d e t a i l s o n p a g e 5 2 ) . T h i s t r u l y e xc it i n g c o l l a b o ra t i o n i s helping teachers train teachers and is already making professional develop- ment more meaning ful and relevant for thousand s of educators. I firmly believe teacher-led PD is far better for both students and teachers than rely- ing on "drive-by " consultants. C TA m e m b e r s a r e a l s o r i s i n g t o the occasion as leaders advocating in their districts for best use of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and implementation of the district's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Not only have educators become key voices in the development of those plans, but they have been the ones reaching out to parents and the community, educating them about the LCAP and encouraging them to participate fully in the process. Thi s l ead ership i s chan gin g th e ol d dynamic of district committees and their cherry-picked-by-administrators parent members who rubber-stamp whatever the administration wants, including set- ting district budget priorities. We've seen CTA members standing up for the rights of Dreamers facing threats to their immigration status, advocating for affordable college for all, and work- ing to ensure adequate school funding, access to preschool, and a quality educa- tion for every student regardless of their ZIP code, along with other important goals of CTA's Advocacy Agenda. I encourage you to be a leader out- side as well as inside the classroom. You already have the skills, and you almost certainly have much to contribute. Get involved in your local chapter. Attend CTA conferences. Share your ideas with colleagues. Reach out to parents and community. No one knows better than you what's best for your students — let's put that knowledge and the leadership skills that go with it to good use. Eric C. Heins C T A P R E S I D E N T @ericheins Our Leaders, Ourselves A New Look for the Advocacy Agenda Just in time for parent-teacher conferences, CTA's Advocacy Agenda — 10 initiatives that lead to "the public education all California students deserve" — is now a snappy online infographic easily sharable on social media. The agenda, based on education research, was created with the input and expertise of thousands of educators across the state. See advocacyagenda.cta.org. " I encourage you to be a leader outside as well as inside the classroom."