CTA President Kerr Says Union Will Involve its 335,000 Members
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August 21, 2003
BURLINGAME ? While remaining strongly opposed to the recall, the Board of Directors of the 335,000-member California Teachers Association voted this afternoon to endorse Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as a successor if Gov. Davis is recalled.
CTA is the largest professional employee organization in the state. The union will mobilize its members to vote no on the recall and yes on Bustamante, said President Barbara E. Kerr.
"CTA remains strongly opposed to the Oct. 7 recall of a democratically elected governor," Kerr said. "But if the recall passes, teachers want to know which candidate has the best plan to protect public education. We know that Lt. Gov. Bustamante has a long history of supporting students, teachers and public schools. He will fight to provide our schools with the resources they need."
The $70 million it will cost for this special election orchestrated by extremists is money that could be spent on reducing class sizes, hiring teachers or buying textbooks for students, Kerr said.
There are also two propositions on the Oct. 7 ballot. CTA opposes Proposition 54, Kerr said. "By banning the collection of all data based on race or ethnicity, Prop. 54 hinders the state's efforts to make sure all students and schools get the resources they deserve to succeed, and makes it harder to hold schools accountable for closing the achievement gap."
The CTA Board voted today to oppose Proposition 53 on the Oct. 7 ballot, which would set aside general fund revenues for state infrastructure projects, but specifically prohibits that any of this money be used to build or renovate schools or community colleges.
"Prop. 53 takes billions of dollars out of the state general fund at a time when California is cutting funds for our schools, raising college tuition fees and cutting health care programs," Kerr said. "It gives politicians a 'blank check' to spend money on pet projects with no accountability to taxpayers."
The CTA is affiliated with the 2.7 million-member National Education Association.