“We Have to Own This Moment” Big Turnout for Healthcare Vote Will Set the Stage for Powerful Action
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Award-Winning Newspaper of United Teachers Los Angeles • www.utla.net Volume XLVII, Number 5, January 26, 2018 “We have to own this moment” Big turnout for healthcare vote will set the stage for powerful action. UTLA members turning out in large numbers for the school system that addresses the loss of enrollment, healthcare vote will set the stage for an aggressive escala- attracts students, retains educators, and pushes back tion of our contract campaign for the Schools LA Students on privatization. Deserve. Winning a no-cuts, three-year agreement under- scores both the power of collective action and the need Go after $11 billion in funding by getting the for it: The fact that we had to fight to maintain a basic California Schools & Local Communities benefit like healthcare highlights the fact that we must Funding Act on the ballot solve the crisis in public education. Our spring action plan: There is no sustainable future for public schools in California if we continue to rank 46th in the nation in Build escalating actions and a major citywide per-pupil funding. The California Schools & Local Com- event in May to drive our contract campaign munities Funding Act would generate approximately The district has been sticking to its ongoing 2% salary $11 billion for schools, community colleges, health increase offer and has shown no movement in bargaining clinics, and other vital services by requiring all com- on key issues that impact student learning conditions and mercial and industrial properties to be assessed at fair educator working conditions, including class size, student market value, putting the state on par with how the vast discipline, charter accountability, health and human ser- majority of the country assesses these properties. This vices staffing, top-down mandates, over-testing, educator spring, we will be part of a statewide effort to collect and parent voice in school budgets, Community Schools, the signatures necessary to qualify the measure for the and bilingual education. LAUSD has refused to bargain November 2018 ballot. on a number of other items, including our Common “Trump’s massive tax giveaway to big business and Good proposals, and overall has demonstrated a lack the wealthiest 1% will hit California hard—but we can of willingness to take outside-the-box action to support fight back by closing loopholes that allow million- our schools. We must organize to force change at the aires and major corporations to avoid paying billions bargaining table, and now is the time to do it. in taxes,” says UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl. “In 2018, with the leverage of our escalating contract “Passing the measure is a critical step in UTLA’s 20 campaign and the statewide governor and superinten- x 20 campaign to reach $20,000 per pupil by the year dent races, the timing is right for an aggressive fight for 2020 and move California up from 46 out of 50 states a sustainable, thriving public education system,” says in per-pupil funding.” Jennifer McAfee, Dodson Middle School teacher and UTLA Board member. “We have to own this moment.” Beat the privatizers at the ballot box and elect Tony Thurmond Fight the anti-union Janus case and build state superintendent political power with the UTLA All In drive The 2018 elections will again be a face-off between The Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court case seeks public school supporters and those who would turn to allow union members to get the benefits of union Marshall High students Michelle Hernandez and Eduardo education over to private control. The billionaire representation and the contract without contributing Vazquez, members of Students Deserve, at a December 19 privatizers and the charter lobby are lining up behind dues, which would weaken us as a force to fight for protest outside the office of Netflix CEO and school privatizer Antonio Villaraigosa for governor and Marshall Tuck public education. Reed Hastings. Story on page 4. for state superintendent of public instruction. For state “We are the ones who are fighting for something superintendent, UTLA has endorsed Tony Thurmond, better,” says Gillian Russom, Roosevelt High School Schools LA coalition, we will be holding area forums a longtime legislator and public education advocate. teacher and UTLA Board member. “We have the vision for parents and the community to build support for our “Thurmond is in this fight for the right reasons—to to build fully resourced Community Schools and inspire contract demands for the Schools LA Students Deserve support public education and public school educators,” parents to come back to our district. The state isn’t doing and to organize ourselves into action. King Middle School Chapter Chair Wil Page says. “His it. The district isn’t doing it. Our union must be strong “Our connections to parents and the community are opponent will get Walmart money and Netflix money, to do this work. If the union falters, the fight for public our most important source of strength,” says Trinity but we will be the boots on the ground.” education falters.” Elementary Chapter Chair Jesus Torres. “Our common Our volunteer efforts—phone banking, precinct Through the UTLA All In membership and PACE drive, ground is that we are all fighting for what’s best for our walking, and organizing—will be essential to defeat- members will reaffirm our commitment to our union by students.” ing opponents who will have unlimited campaign filling out new membership applications and contribut- Parents and community groups have been partners in money at their disposal. ing to PACE to strengthen our political program in this bargaining, joining us at the table to present Bargaining critical election year. for the Common Good demands on affordable housing, expanding early education, supporting immigrant Organize parent involvement families, expanding green space at schools, and more. Read more on the Thurmond-Tuck race on page 6, through area forums and actions Parents are key allies in putting pressure on LAUSD Ja-nus and UTLA’s All In drive on page 7, and the In February and March, along with the Reclaim Our to reach a fair contract agreement and help build a California Schools & Local Funding Act on page 6. Healthcare win: Details inside Vote February 8-15 to secure our healthcare Page 8 United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net January 26, 2018 United Teacher President’s perspective PRESIDENT Alex Caputo-Pearl NEA AFFILIATE VP Cecily Myart-Cruz AFT AFFILIATE VP Juan Ramirez The healthcare victory is our launching pad ELEMENTARY VP Gloria Martinez SECONDARY VP Daniel Barnhart It is crucial you vote, reaffirm membership, and join PACE February 8 to 15. TREASURER Alex Orozco SECRETARY Arlene Inouye By Alex Caputo-Pearl EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Good UTLA President BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2018 started on a somber note with NORTH AREA: Karla Griego, Chair (Buchanan ES), Mark Michelle King stepping down as super- Ramos (Contreras LC), Rebecca Solomon (RFK UCLA intendent. I’ve known King for many Comm. School), Julie Van Winkle (LOOC Liason) years, first working with her when I was SOUTH AREA: Maria Miranda, Chair (Miramonte ES), Ayde Bravo (Maywood ES), L. Cynthia Matthews at Crenshaw High and she was at Local (McKinley ES), Karen Ticer-Leon (Tweedy ES) District West. I respect her experience EAST AREA: Adrian Tamayo, Chair (Lorena ES), within public schools, her commitment Ingrid Gunnell (Salary Point Advisor), Erica Huerta to the civic institution of public education, (Garfield HS), Gillian Russom (Roosevelt HS) her groundedness as a classroom educa- WEST AREA: Erika Jones Crawford, Chair (CTA Direc- tor), Georgia Flowers Lee (Saturn ES), Noah Lippe-Klein tor, and her many accomplishments in (Dorsey HS), Larry Shoham (Hamilton HS) the fight for high-quality education for all CENTRAL AREA: José Lara, Chair (Santee EC), students. So many of us have expressed Kelly Flores (Hawkins HS), Tomas Flores (West Vernon our fullest commitment to stand with King ES), Claudia Rodriquez (49th Street) in her current fight against cancer and Alex with the staff at SOCES VALLEY EAST AREA: Scott Mandel, Chair (Pacoima for her health. Let’s keep Michelle King Magnet), Victoria Casas (Beachy ES), Mel House (Elementary P.E.), Hector Perez-Roman (Arleta HS) in our thoughts and prayers as we move unwilling to lead, our union is our primary called teachers’ unions the greatest barrier VALLEY WEST AREA: Bruce Newborn, Chair (Hale forward and as we continue to engage vehicle for these fights—our union and our to making schools successful, supports Charter), Melodie Bitter (Lorne ES), Wendi Davis the crucial issues of the day with Interim connections to parents, youth, community unregulated charter growth, attempted (Henry MS), Javier Romo (Mulholland MS) Superintendent Vivian Ekchian. organizations, and families. to do away with democratically elected HARBOR AREA: Steve Seal, Chair (Eshelman ES), The School Board, with its billionaire- And, yet at this very moment, the U.S. school boards, has attacked our healthcare Karen Macias-Lutz (Del Amo ES), Jennifer McAfee (Dodson MS), Elgin Scott (Taper ES) bankrolled, pro-privatization majority, Supreme Court, with Donald Trump’s ap- and pensions, and supports the idea of ADULT & OCCUP ED: Matthew Kogan (Evans CAS) will choose our next permanent superin- pointment creating the majority needed, tying our pay and evaluation to student BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Cheryl L. Ortega (Sub Unit) tendent. We must continue to work with is readying to level the most fundamental test scores. And Marshall Tuck, candidate attack on unions in decades. The billion- for state superintendent, rides alongside EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: Corina Gomez (Pacoima EEC) Reclaim Our Schools LA to challenge Ref Rodriguez, who faces multiple felony aire-backed Janus v. AFSCME case, which him on most issues. It is crucial that we HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Mallorie Evans (Marlton Spec Ed) counts yet remains the swing vote on we expect to be decided in June and im- defeat Villaraigosa and Tuck in November.