California Federation of Teachers (CFT) early childhood educators and union activists, Melissa Peterson and Joy Wi, spent a week

in December participating in New Mexico Early Educators United’s (NMEEU) statewide organizing “blitz.” NMEEU is an ECE organizing project of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Peterson and Wi worked with AFT ECE leaders from all over the nation engaging New Mexico early childhood educators about having a voice against the massive cuts to ECE programs around the state. They visited centers in Albuquerque, Gallup and Santa Fe, talking to  center owners and workers about the recent cuts to the state’s funding of preschool services.

It was a challenge in some centers to even talk to workers. However, when Peterson and Wi did talk to workers, the stories were very similar. Most centers have seen a considerable reduction in funding and are afraid even more budget cuts are on the way. One center went from 90 students to 50 and from a staff of 12 to only 5. Many centers are on the brink of closing and cannot afford to take more cuts. 

NMEEU is dedicated to organizing owners, directors, and staff  to have a voice to advocate for themselves and the kids they serve. The blitz was very successful in forming a statewide organizing committee to stand up for kids and fight state budget cuts. CFT is proud of Peterson and Wi who signed up a dozen representatives to the statewide organizing committee.

Betty Robinson-Harris from UESF, Arlene Riddick from ABC and Elaine Francisco from Jefferson Elementary present a Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit workshop to an overflowing room of engaged participants.

California Federation of Teachers (CFT) ECE members and Early Childhood Education Organizing Project (ECEOP) staffparticipated in the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Anaheim on November 3 – 6.  We helped staff the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) booth and facilitated several well attended workshops. Members also attended an invitation only Department of Education (DOE) forum where they engaged with and gave feedback to DOE representatives regarding the challenges and opportunities in ECE.

The AFT also hosted a very popular reception at the conference. Welcoming the members from around the country were CFT President Marty Hittelman, CFT and AFT Vice-President Laura Rico and CFT Executive Director Margaret Shelleda. Two CFT ECE locals were honored at the reception for their outstanding work and were presented with pieces of the Worthy Wage Day Quilt: Early Childhood Federation of Teachers, Local 1475 was recognized for building their union membership and member participation through an ongoing  organizing program and United Childcare Educators of San Francisco was acknowledged for their members’ contributions on external organizing campaigns and the advocacy outreach they have done in their community.

A broad segment of California's early childhood education community crossed the continent on Sept. 28 to highlight the profound economic, educational and social benefits that spring from high-quality education opportunities for all young learners-advantages that can only be maintained in lean budget times if Congress remains a vital partner in this effort.

Sandra Weese of the California Federation of Teachers, at right, speaks at a Capitol Hill briefing while Kris Perry from First 5 California and Fresno superintendent Larry Powell look on. Photo by Michael Campbell.

The American Federation of Teachers and the California Federation of Teachers took part in the coalition, which traveled from the Golden State to Washington, D.C., for face-to-face meetings with California lawmakers and congressional staffers. The visiting delegation was coordinated by Preschool California, a nonprofit early learning advocacy group in the state, and First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. The delegation included voices as diverse as Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Larry Powell and Susan Sifuentes Trigueros, Regional Public Affairs Manager for Southern California Gas Company. Together, coalition members led a presentation at the U.S. Capitol on the state of early learning in California-an event that underscored how progressive federal efforts to support early learning have broad constituent appeal back home.

Congress deserves high marks for making early learning a priority under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), said several speakers at the Capitol Hill briefing. They described how desperately needed resources made possible through stimulus funding had become a lifeline for early learning in communities across California and around the nation. However, that commitment will be scaled back to pre-stimulus levels if Congress, as expected, is compelled to keep the government operating through stopgap measures known as continuing resolutions. Once the budget impasse is broken, it is imperative that Congress put progress back on track-renewing its strong support for early learning in future budget rounds, several of the California speakers told lawmakers and congressional staff.