Newsroom
EC/K12 Award: Claytor honored with Raoul Teilhet Award
After people in leadership at the local where he is the former president, United Teachers Los Angeles, got up to talk about his mentoring, his commitment to growing the movement, and the respect they have for him, the winner of this year’s Ben Rust award, John Perez, got up to speak.
In Memoriam: Former CFT President Miles Myers dies
Passionate educator led CFT for five years, edited California Teacher for 15
Teacher, author and former CFT President Miles Myers died December 15 from complications related to heart disease. Myers devoted his six-decade career to improving educational standards and the conditions for teaching and learning in public education. He was 84.
CFT introduces significant bills in 2016 session
Each year our members recommend legislation that will address important issues to educators and the students we serve. Based upon these recommendations and Executive Council approval, the CFT is sponsoring several new bills and a budget proposal aimed at improving our working conditions, and strengthening the labor movement and public education.
Ben Rust Award: John Perez recipient of union’s top honor
After people in leadership at the local where he is the former president, United Teachers Los Angeles, got up to talk about his mentoring, his commitment to growing the movement, and the respect they have for him, the winner of this year’s Ben Rust award, John Perez, got up to speak.
Randi Weingarten: You bend the arc toward justice every day
You have created a mighty, mighty union with mighty, mighty values,” AFT President Randi Weingarten told attendees of the CFT Convention. “You bend the arc towards justice every day. Now we have a fight like never before, a fight to the finish, and we must win.”
Accreditation reform: Final blows to the ACCJC
College presidents support move to new accreditor: On March 17, community college presidents from across the state struck a decisive blow with a more than 90 percent vote to reform the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and prepare to move to another accreditor. This vote of the presidents confirmed the consensus that the ACCJC is no longer widely accepted in its community, and does not meet the needs of California public higher education.
Educators work to preserve education funding, extend Prop. 30
CFT members collect signatures to place vital measure on November ballot]
Passing Proposition 30, officially known as the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012, turned years of cuts into a period of growth, CFT President Josh Pechthalt said at the CFT Convention. Not extending the law would be a huge setback for the state.
Solidarity: Rally for public education ends in civil disobedience
At a rally and march for fair pay and quality public education held the Friday of the CFT Convention in San Francisco, hundreds of attendees joined AFT Local 2121, the faculty union for City College of San Francisco, as they marched from the Hyatt Regency to offices of the college’s lead contract negotiator a few blocks away. Two dozen people — community and union leaders as well as members — blocked the entrance and got arrested in an act of civil disobedience. This came right after the union’s largest voter turnout ever for a strike vote, which was approved by 92 percent.
CFT becomes first statewide union committed to climate justice
Under the Convention theme “Activate Labor for Justice,” climate was highlighted when the CFT became the first statewide union to pass a resolution “committing the CFT to a climate justice agenda.”
San Diego piloting move to make community college free
Can the goals of California’s Master Plan for Higher Education be fulfilled again?
The San Diego Community College District has joined the states of Tennessee and Oregon in implementing free community college. In February Chancellor Constance Carroll announced that 200 students would have their course fees waived for the 2016-17 academic year.
The State of Our Union: We are working to “Activate Labor for Justice”
By Joshua Pechthalt, CFT President
Four years ago we talked about the need to pass Proposition 30, a measure that has added more than $6 billion dollars annually to the state budget after years of devastating cuts. Now we have to extend it. The measure for which we are gathering signatures — The Children’s Education and Healthcare Protection Act — will raise $5 to $11 billion a year, eliminate the sales tax increase, and continue to ask wealthy Californians to pay a bit more in personal income tax.
Democracy: Delegates pass resolutions and amendments
EC/TK-12 EDUCATION
Resolution 1 Support best practices in
Local Control Accountability Plans
Resolution 4 Ensure adult education exists
in its best and fullest capacity
Resolution 5 Call for rationality in
testing
Resolution 6 Support for the California
Education for a Global Economy Initiative
Resolution 7 Sponsor an education
technology implementation study
Resolution 8 Create a School Climate and
Student Engagement Advisory Committee
Resolution 10 Create a working group on
teacher induction