Dear Chapter Presidents: We’re less than two weeks away from one of the most important elections of our time. Your vote will make the difference in the lives of our students and their families. Earlier this year, the 800 democratically elected members of CTA’s State Council of Education made recommendations for this election. At the same time, State Council voted to allocate up to $5 million to fund these recommendations as well as our efforts in the state budget crisis.
Those recommendations are:
· Barack Obama for U.S. President
· Congressional, State Assembly and Senate Recommendations
· YES on Proposition 3 - Children's Hospital Bond Act of 2008
· NO on Proposition 4 - Protect Teen Safety
· NO Proposition 6 - Fund Schools not Prisons
· NO Proposition 8 - Support Equality for All
· NO Proposition 9 - Costly, Unnecessary and Misleading
You may have heard from the public and some members concerned about CTA’s position on Prop. 8. The Yes on 8 Campaign is using lies and scare tactics to deliberately mislead voters. Prop. 8 will not change any state education law. It has no impact on public schools at all. A California Superior Court Judge has ruled these claims by Prop. 8 proponents as “false and misleading.”
The California Teachers Empowerment Network, which is supported by National Right to Work, has jumped on these distortions in an effort to undermine the strength and unity of CTA. You or some of your members may have received an email from CTEN encouraging people to resign from CTA. This is the same group that organized in support of the anti-teacher and anti-union initiatives that were soundly defeated in 2005.
CTA has a long and proud history of standing up for the civil rights of all people. It is part of our mission: The California Teachers Association exists to protect and promote the well-being of its members; to improve the conditions of teaching and learning; to advance the cause of free, universal, and quality public education; to ensure that the human dignity and civil rights of all children and youth are protected; and to secure a more just, equitable, and democratic society.California’s constitution should guarantee the same freedoms and rights to everyone. Prop. 8 singles out some people to be treated differently. CTA’s recommendation to vote No on Prop. 8 is the latest in a long line of positions that promote equality for all.
Below are two links to information that can help you when answering questions about CTA’s recommendation process and No on 8.
· CTA’s recommendation process (Prop. 8 example)
· Fact vs. Fiction: the false accusations by the Yes on Prop 8 Campaign You can find more about all CTA recommendations www.cta.org.
David A. Sanchez, CTA President
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3 comments:
If CTA got its money from voluntary dues, they could ethically spend it however they want. But since it gets teachers' money whether the teachers want them to or not, CTA should focus on teacher pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Much of what CTA takes positions on, and spends money on, has nothing to do with those three items. Prop 8 has nothing to do with those three items, and that's why CTEN has brought mentioned it in their ads. CTEN has not taken a position on Prop 8, and will not. It's not in CTEN's charter.
By the by, CTEN is made up of classroom teachers just like you and me. How do I know? Because I'm on their board.
Thank you for your opinion. Like the League of Women Voters and other Labor organizations, we proudly take positions on many facets of civil rights issues currently affecting our students and their families. Good luck to you and yours. And always remember the value of separating church and state.
It seems to me that the Yes on 8 campaign made it an 'education issue' as soon as they started placing misleading ads saying we would have to teach homosexual marriage in the schools. I endorse spending CTA money to combat this misrepresentation of the facts, on behalf of teachers.
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