Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
NEA Vice President Becky Pringle, left, and NEA President Lily Eskelsen García flank CTA President Eric Heins at CTA State Council in June. Photo: Mike Myslinski The Many States of Teaching A C R O S S T H E C O U N T R Y this year, we have witnessed a powerful and dramatic wave of walkouts by teachers, who forced the hands of their elected officials to do the right thing and provide more funding and resources for education. In so-called "right to work" states where teachers don't have the ability to collectively bargain their contracts, educators stood up for their students and their profession. And they won! And America tuned in every night to see teach- ers protesting, walking out, and taking over the statehouses in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado. NE A President Lily Eskelsen García was there among them. Of West Virginia she said, "By walking out, walking in, rallying, and filling the state Capitol, educators are making it abundantly clear that they expect to be treated with respect and dignity." For se veral days, Am ericans were fo cused on the conditions of teaching and learning in states t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y, p a r t i c u l a rly i n O kl a - homa . They tuned in to the nightly news to see classrooms with broken chairs, teachers waving outdated text- books that were duct-taped together, and educators selling blood plasma to make ends meet. California remains integral to this national battle. California educators are the ones standing up to those who want to privatize schools, strip us of our rights, turn teachers into a militia, and deport parents and separate families. In this critical election year, we are redrawing the lines and holding firm for all of our students. If you want our support, you must first commit to support all children in all ZIP codes and their right to a quality public education. Finally, we have welcome news for our public schools and col- leges. anks to our support of Prop. 30 in 2012 and Prop. 55 in 2016, and to the leadership of Gov. Jerry Brown, we are looking at a state budget that will fully fund the Local Control Funding Formula two years ahead of schedule. Also significant is the certification of the Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantee and the continuous appropriation of the LCFF. This creates certainty for educators and students in future years. (For more on the budget, go to page 39.) J u n e i s L G B T P r i d e Mo n t h , a re m i n d e r t h a t among the greatest gifts we pass along to students are the values of inclusion, self-worth, dignity, individuality, community and belonging. Our students may have to struggle with their studies at times — that's what it is to be a student — but they should never have to struggle with being who they are. We at CTA pass along similar values to our members. Educators may have to struggle with the everyday chal- lenges of being the best teacher they can be, but in the larger battles of their profession, they are never alone. is union is our power. We are CTA. Eric C. Heins C T A P R E S I D E N T @ericheins " In this critical election year, we are redrawing the lines and holding firm for all of our students." 5 J U N E / J U L Y 2 018 P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E