State of Emergency for California Education

CTA’s State Council of Education has declared a “State of Emergency” during the week of May 9-13 and has approved a series of actions including a sit-in at the state Capitol building in Sacramento and several major regional rallies in order to pressure lawmakers to pass a budget that includes tax extensions to protect schools, colleges, and essential public services from further cuts.

In a demonstration of its commitment, Council passed a resolution approving at least $1 million to implement the action plan.

“The State of Emergency grew out of a grassroots movement. Council wanted to take bold and aggressive action to make sure the state Legislature knows that we are serious when it comes to preserving education in this state,” said CTA President David A. Sanchez. “That’s why we are engaging our chapters and reaching out to other coalition members and labor groups to participate in a week of activities that will culminate in regional rallies. You may not feel you can do absolutely everything, but we can all do one thing.

For several hundred volunteers, that one thing may be a sit-in at the State Capitol building. On the heels of the bold action taken in February by their colleagues in Wisconsin who took over that statehouse, members of State Council voted to send 300 volunteers to sit in at the Capitol for a week. Although details are still to be worked out (California has different regulations for its Capitol building), the volunteers will be “freed” at the end of the week during the statewide rallies.

State Council committees devoted part of their meetings Saturday afternoon to brainstorm possible events for the week in May. What resulted were lots of ideas which will be available to organizers of the activities.

Council adopted the acronym L.E.A.R.N. as a way of organizing activities for the week. On Monday, May 9, the focus will be on LEGISLATIVE activities; on Tuesday, May 10, members will be asked to reach out to EVERY PARENT; Wednesday, May 11, is California Day of the Teacher, a time to APPRECIATE educators and Allies; Thursday, May 12, will be the day to promote the need for REVENUE for schools, and to educate our members and the community about tax fairness. Finally, Friday, May 13, will be the day of NOT Business as Usual, when educators will gather for rallies in Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Fresno or Bakersfield, Inland Empire, and San Diego.

“We were hoping that our legislators would to the job that most Californians want them to do: make the cuts they needed to make, and put the issue of tax extensions on the June ballot. Let the voters decide! But they didn’t, and now we have to step up our level of activity to pressure them to do what’s right. We need a budget that protects schools, colleges and public services from further cuts,” Sanchez said.

More resources and information will be coming soon, but a leader’s guide, member flyer, SOE ideas, and SOE plan are available at www.castateofemergency.org.