California Educator

MAY 2012

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TAKING A STAND Political action training Budget Update Dismissal bills still alive ............................................................................................22 ........................................................................................................24 ...........................................................................................26 GOOD NEWS! The CTA-supported tax plan will be on the November 2012 Ballot! This means the super-wealthy, who don't currently pay their fair share in taxes, will have to ante up. GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN said enough signatures have been collected to qualify the tax initiative for the November ballot. Thank you, CTA members who collected signatures and made this happen. More than 800,000 valid voter signatures were col- lected — and CTA members, with the help of coalition partners, collected at least 300,000 of them! The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 taxes the super-wealthy to provide billions for public schools and essential services, and helps close the state budget crisis. Polls don't win elections. Votes do. VOTE JUNE 5 EVERY DAY YOU GO TO WORK, politicians make decisions that impact your students and your profession. To get better decisions, we need better decision-makers. There are many ways we advocate for our students and for public schools. Voting is just one of them. We want lawmakers ready to advocate for our schools and colleges and the funding we need. In California's "open primary" system, the top two vote- getters, regardless of political party, will move to the November general election. Make your vote count! Vote for pro-public education candi- dates. See CTA's recommended candidates and why you should vote YES on Prop. 28 at www.cta.org/campaign2012. How many things are governed by politics? FEEL FREE TO TEAR OUT THE POSTER on the previous page and post it in your classroom, worksite or wherever you think it important to share our opposition to the Corporate Power Grab. CTA President Dean Vogle participates in the Organizing4Power Training with Riverside County Office TA President Mike Bochicchio and members Lionel Castro and Sheryl Eugene. Photo by Bill Guy 22 California Educator / May 2012 Making a difference in the political arena "I'll get out of politics when you take politics out of my classroom." —Mary Hatwood Futrell, NEA President, 1983-89 THIS OFTEN-ECHOED STATEMENT clarifies the dilemma many teachers face — wanting to focus their energies on their students and classrooms while knowing that political decisions made by school boards, legislators and government officials directly impact everything that takes place there. "After being RIF' I realized that everything in school is politically driven, from the number of pencils in my classroom to my grade level assign- ment," says United Teachers of Pasadena second-grade teacher Yolanda Munoz. "Teachers come into the profession to make a difference, but how can we when our rights and the rights of our students get mired in political bureaucracy? In order to effect change, we have to be involved in the political process." Munoz joined 100 of her CTA colleagues to do just that — d [pink-slipped] in my first year of teaching, gain knowledge and hone their political advocacy skills by par- ticipating in the Region IV Political Academy in April. "Either we can sit back and accept what happens to us, or we can take an active role in advocating, lobbying and educating the politicians who represent us and the citizens in our com- munities," says Jolene E. Tripp, Redlands Education Support Professionals Association president and school bus driver. She cites a nasty passive-aggressive manager as her impetus for politi- cal action. "I often find the first challenge is to help politicians understand who ESPs are in the first place. I can guarantee that if we do not engage them about our issues and concerns, the result will ultimately harm our students." Fontana Teachers Association member Trent Stillman draws upon a diving metaphor to characterize his involvement in political advocacy. "Once I dipped my toes into the water, it was easy just to dive in completely. Not everyone is initially comfortable gathering signatures, organizing precinct walks or

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