News Releases
State Auditor’s Report on Community College Accreditation confirms deep problems with Accrediting Commission
Sacramento—Today the California State Auditor issued a stinging critique of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in a Report on California Community College Accreditation. The report confirms numerous problems first articulated by the California Federation of Teachers in its complaint to the U.S. Department of Education in Spring 2013, and validated by the USDOE in August, with ACCJC’s operations.
ACCJC’s Conflicts Of Interest Invalidate Appeal Decision
CFT releases analysis of City College appeal panel finding, calls for scrutiny
After careful analysis, the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has determined the decision by the panel appointed by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to review City College of San Francisco’s appeal of its disaccreditation to be invalid and that the ACCJC should repeal its “show cause” and disaccreditation orders. CFT President Joshua Pechthalt has sent a letter to Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris informing him of CFT’s findings.
California Educators and State of California to Appeal Judge’s Ruling in Vergara v. State of California
Flawed Decision Hurts Students, Punishes All for A Few Poorly Run Districts
Burlingame—California’s educators are disappointed by the judge’s decision in the Vergara v. State of California as it hurts students and educators.
Protestors tell ACCJC to Rescind Decision to Close College
Sacramento—More than two hundred community college faculty and students, some of whom had traveled from as far away as San Diego, rallied and picketed today outside the venerable Citizen Hotel as the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges met inside behind police barriers and held the brief “public” portion of its biannual three day meeting. June 5, 2014
CFT Reiterates Support for Tom Torlakson as State Superintendent Race Moves to Runoff
Statement from CFT President Joshua Pechthalt
I want to take a moment to congratulate State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on his success yesterday for winning the primary and to pledge our support as he prepares for the General Election this November.
Celebrate classified school workers and their work during Classified School Employee Week
Thank the workers whose efforts keep our schools functioning and our students learning
May 18-24 is Classified School Employee Week in California.
California Federation of Teachers Votes to Boycott Staples over “Dirty Deal” with U.S. Post Office that Privatizes Work of Local Post Offices
Teachers union encourages educators to purchase school supplies from stores other than Staples
Sacramento, CA – The Executive Council of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), representing 120,000 educational employees from Head Start through university, voted unanimously last evening to boycott office supply and bulk goods retailer Staples.
The May Revision of the State Budget
Statement from CFT President Joshua Pechthalt
“Governor Jerry Brown has been a responsible guardian of the state’s financial resources, and the healthy condition of the budget today reflects the Governor’s strong focus on careful management of the taxpayers’ money.April 29, 2014
Assemblymember Pan and California Federation of Teachers Introduce “Healthy Kids, Healthy Minds” Legislation:
Bill to increase funds for schools to hire more school nurses, mental health professionals, and librarians
CFT Launches Website on “Vergara” trial
LOS ANGELES – Today, the California Federation of Teachers – one of the union interveners in “Vergara et. al. vs. The State of California et. al.”– launched a new website: www.VergaraTrial.com
Teachers, State Begin Case Against Vergara Plaintiffs’ Baseless Attack on California Laws that Serve Students, Educators and Communities
LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday the State of California and intervening parties—the California Federation of Teachers and the California Teachers Association—will begin presenting their side of the Vergara v. State of California lawsuit.
AB 1942 Calls for Fair Accreditation of Community Colleges
Legislative strategy adds pressure to lawsuits against ACCJC
Sacramento—In front of a packed room of supporters at the State Capitol, Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) announced the introduction of the Fair Accreditation for California Community Colleges Act (AB 1942), which would reform the accreditation system for California Community Colleges.
CFT Urges Restoration of Local Control to City College of San Francisco
Supports Supervisor Campos’s Resolution Reinstating Board of
Trustees
Oakland, CA – The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) today
announced its support of Supervisor David Campos’s effort to pass
a resolution at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting
urging California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris to
restore the elected Board of Trustees to City College.
Statement from CFT President Joshua Pechthalt on the Vergara Trial
The very best teachers make learning come alive and help students become critical thinkers. But teachers are also advocates for students, the teaching profession and quality public education. That’s why in a democratic society committed to equity for all students, teachers must have the ability to speak and act on behalf of their students without the fear of reprisal from administrators, or subject to changing political winds that could stifle academic freedom.
L.A. Trial for Meritless Lawsuit Seeking to Eradicate Teachers’ Professional Rights Begins Today, Wastes Taxpayers’ Dollars and Time
Lawsuit does not improve student learning and hurts students, demonizes teachers
LOS ANGELES — One day after nearly 1,000 educators denounced the Vergara v. the State of California lawsuit, opening arguments begin today in Los Angeles County Superior Court. This meritless lawsuit, which seeks to eradicate teachers’ professional rights, highlights the wrong problems, proposes the wrong solutions, and follows the wrong process while doing nothing to improve student learning. This is yet another attempt by the usual corporate special interests to undermine the teaching profession and push their agenda on California public schools and students.January 10, 2014
CFT letter assails continuing lack of transparency by accrediting commission
California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt sent the following letter today to the Chair of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) regarding the Commission’s continued lack of transparency. Most of the letter was read aloud by CFT Vice-President Alisa Messer during the brief public portion of the Commission’s twice-yearly meeting, held today in Sacramento.January 9, 2014
Statement from the California Federation of Teachers on Governor Brown’s Proposed Budget
“We are heartened to see that the Governor’s proposed budget acknowledges the crisis in funding in our educational system and the state’s social services, but it will not support the necessary and vital changes we need immediately to protect students in our schools and colleges now against becoming a gap generation that suffers from our cutbacks,” said Joshua Pechthalt, President of the California Federation of Teachers.
S.F. Superior Court grants preliminary injunction against ACCJC
Yesterday San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow granted a preliminary injunction to keep City College of San Francisco open until the conclusion of a trial to determine whether the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges acted in an unfair and illegal manner in sanctioning and disaccrediting the college.
Putting Educators’ Professional Rights on Trial Hurts Students, Wastes Taxpayer Dollars and Time
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled the deeply misguided Vergara vs. the State of California lawsuit may proceed to trial, denying the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) motion for summary judgment against it. CFT and CTA remain firmly committed to protecting learning and teaching environments, despite today’s ruling which will put on trial the professional rights of teachers.
CFT Acts to Block Threatened Closure of City College of San Francisco
The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in S.F. Superior Court to keep City College of San Francisco (CCSF) open and protect access to higher education for the vulnerable student population that relies on its programs…November 13, 2013