Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/9051
¡Sí Se Puede! ¿Por Qué No? B Y C T A P R E S I D E N T D A V I D A . S A N C H E Z years of teaching, I have never experienced a cri- sis quite so dire in the classroom. For years Cali- fornia has dealt with indecisive lawmakers and a broken tax system that time and again have kept our schools in a state of disorder and uncertainty. As of March 15, more than 23,000 layoff notices have gone out to educators across the state. Add to that the dual threats of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — which could potentially be even worse than its last reauthorization as No Child Left Behind — and the ill-conceived Race to the Top competi- tion, and you have a combination that threatens to deal a hard blow to our students and teachers this year. With all of that hardship, however, we cannot fall prey to cynicism. We must instead come together and focus on solutions. The recent March 4 rallies were a step in the T right direction. All the incredible rallies across the state — together with educators, administrators, parents, students and community members — served to show that the public really does care about our students, teachers and all education employees. They demonstrated that our commu- nities are behind our schools and colleges, and are willing to fight for a quality public education sys- tem for all students. Thanks to the efforts of our members, our coalition partners, and thousands of education supporters standing together, our voices were heard in every community across California. Whether it was kicking off the day with early morning activities including leaflet- ing, picketing, mock funerals, disaster drills, and bake sales; staging afternoon rallies, dem- onstrations and marches; or holding candlelight vigils that evening, we made a great impact. The message was loud and clear: The cuts to public education and critical community services must stop. It’s time to rescind the tax breaks to big cor- porations and oil companies and have everyone pay their fair share. With the Obama administration’s release of the blueprint for reauthorizing the new version 4 California Educator | MARCH 2010 ¿Por Qué No? he difficult situation we now find our- selves in is truly a perfect storm of bad events for public education. In my 28 of ESEA, there isn’t very good news — it isn’t the change anyone hoped for. In fact, it’s not really a change at all, just more of the same one-size- fits-all approach, overemphasis on test scores and labeling, and punishing our most strug- gling students and schools. We’ve been dealing with this backward law for the past eight years, and we’ve had enough. The administration needs to understand that it is teachers who should be leading change, that teachers are the experts who are in the classrooms day after day and know what can best benefit their schools and students. We are going to have to work hard to change the situation for the better. Parents and the commu- nity at large trust us as educators to make good choices for their children. You are in a position to talk to your neighbors — at the grocery store, coffeehouse, church — and explain to them why education funding is in such a sore state and what we all need to do to help repair it. It’s important that the public get behind the campaigns to close corporate tax loopholes so that all Californians pay their fair share, and elect public officials who understand that an investment in education is an investment in our communities. March 4 was an extraordinary success, but we can’t stop there. We must continue to build on that momentum and take every opportunity to organize and mobilize in our local chapters and communities. Continue communicating with other members using www.standupforschools. org, sharing what you’re doing to stand up for public education and sharing your stories about how state budget cuts are dismantling your schools and colleges. Let’s keep moving forward together and standing up for our children and their future. To- gether, we can demand that public education be a priority. Together, we can make our publicly elected officials understand that the only way to build a strong California is to give California’s students a fair shot at a great education and a re- warding future. EDITOR IN CHIEF Dave Earl Carpenter STAFF WRITER Sherry Posnick-Goodwin CTA WEB EDITOR Karyn Ferrera Donhoff CTA WEB EDITOR Tiffany Hasker EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Craig Hamilton CTA ELECTED OFFICERS PRESIDENT David A. Sanchez VICE PRESIDENT Dean E. Vogel SECRETARY-TREASURER Gail M. Mendes BOARD OF DIRECTORS Larry Allen, E. Toby Boyd, Donald L. Bridge, Tyrone V. Cabell, Mikki Cichocki, Elana Davidson, Don Dawson, Dana Dillon, David Goldberg, Jim Groth, Dián Dolores Hasson, Eric C. Heins, Marty G. Meeden, George Melendez, Mary Rose Ortega, Cynthia Peña, Jim Rogers, Bonnie Shatun, Marc Sternberger, Michael Stone, Curtis Washington EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Carolyn Doggett ASSOCIATE EXEC. DIRECTOR Rebecca Zoglman COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Jonathan Goldman CONTRIBUTORS Scott Buschman, Dave Crosland, Len Feldman, Bill Guy, Dina Martin, Mike Myslinski, Kamran Nasser, Frank Wells EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Katie Young, chair; Ami S. Barker, Misao Brown, Rosalyn Collier, Tony P. Diaz, Michael Downey, Linda Guthrie, Gregg Solkovits, Sandra Thornton, KC Walsh; Jim Groth (Board liaison) EDITORIAL INFORMATION California Educator is published for the information and edification of its members. The editorial philoso- phy is governed by the policies of CTA. Articles and advertising reflect that philosophy. Letters to the editor may be sent to editor@cta.org. 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