By Denise Jennex
The California Teachers Association’s rigorously democratic structure gives members the ultimate voice in what CTA does. You and your colleagues elect the 803 member State Council of Education, CTA’s highest governing body. State Council, which meets four times a year, sets all policy for the organization. BTA’s elected State Council representatives are: Bridget Highfill, Disney Elementary and Jerry Mullady, Burroughs High School.
A 24 member Board of Directors employs the CTA staff, oversees all CTA operations and exercises other policy making responsibilities between meetings of the State Council. The Board, which meets ten times a year, is headed by President David A. Sanchez, Vice President Dean E. Vogel, and Secretary-Treasurer, Daniel R. Vaughn. Your CTA Board of Directors member is Bonnie Shatun who teaches at Bret Harte Elementary.
Your local Association (BTA), one of more than 1,000 affiliate CTA/NEA associations, handles issues directly affecting your compensation, working conditions and professional interests. These local associations serve as the exclusive bargaining agents for 340,000 educational employees statewide.
CTA members automatically gain membership in the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s oldest and largest (3.2 million members) organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Each year 1,000 California delegates join with 8,000 delegates from around the nation at the NEA Representative Assembly to decide the course and set policy for the national organization. BTA sent five elected delegates this past summer to attend the Assembly. They were: Diana Abasta, Sue Conway, Cynthia Madera, Jerry Mullady, and Bonnie Shatun.
As the largest professional employee organization in the state, CTA has the clout to get things done for public education and education personnel. CTA also has economic clout, which enables us to offer members some valuable benefits, including low rates and substantial discounts on home loans, insurance, merchandise, travel and legal services. Next month I will go into further detail as to what these benefits are.