News Releases
Common Sense Charter School Legislation Killed by Corporate Special Interests
SB322 would have prohibited charter schools from implementing policies intended to limit admission of students with disabilities, English learners and the economically disadvantaged
Sacramento – In a blow to fair public education policies, the California State Assembly failed to pass common sense legislation that would have, in part, prohibited charter schools from instituting policies intended to limit admission of students with disabilities, English learners and the economically disadvantaged.
Victory for Students as California Supreme Court
Rejects Review of Vergara Appeal
San Francisco – In a victory for students and educators, the Supreme Court of California today announced it will not review the Vergara v. California lawsuit, letting the unanimous appellate court decision upholding five statutes governing professional and employment rights for educators stand as constitutional.
CFT files new complaint against ACCJC
Department of Education asked to pull plug, aid in finding new accreditor
San Francisco—The California Federation of Teachers filed a substantive new complaint against the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) today, arguing that the accreditor of California’s community colleges has failed so completely to fulfill its duties that the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) should immediately “de-list” it—deny its renewal as an accreditor.
Bill Modifying Teachers’ Due Process Dies in Committee
AB 934 would have changed probationary
period
Statement from the California Federation of Teachers:
Assembly Bill 934 from Assemblymember Susan Bonilla failed to
make it out of the Senate Education Committee today.
Statement by the California Federation of Teachers Supporting Teachers in Mexico
The California Federation of Teachers, which represents over 120,000 educational employees in California, is extremely concerned about the recent killings and attacks on teachers in Mexico. As U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto gather today for a special summit, we call on Nieto to immediately halt these attacks, and to guarantee teachers and education workers in Mexico their human, civil, political and labor rights.
Budget Proves Need to Extend Prop 30
Strong Education Spending Plan Shows Value of Wealthiest Paying Fair Share
Statement from the California Federation of
Teachers:
The success of Proposition 30, and the importance of extending
it, is front and center in the 2016-2017 budget signed today by
Gov. Brown.
Legislature’s budget would strengthen California
CFT urges Gov. Brown to sign budget that will help pull children out of poverty, create more full-time community college faculty positions, prevent UC tuition hikes, and more
The success of Proposition 30 and a growing economy are reflected in the 2015-2016 budget approved Monday by the Legislature and headed for Governor Brown’s desk.
CFT Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
Oakland – The California Federation of Teachers Executive Council endorsed Hillary Clinton for president this past weekend. The CFT had not previously endorsed a presidential candidate, but given Secretary Clinton’s win in the California primary and her status as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, the CFT leadership decided that now is the time to pivot to the general election.
Statement by CFT President Joshua Pechthalt on ‘Vergara v. California’
Answer to Petition for Review
Los Angeles – Today lawyers representing the California
Federation of Teachers and California Teachers Association,
intervenors, filed their answer to the petition for review in
Vergara v. California with the California Supreme Court.
Failed Vergara Suit Backers in Supreme Court Gambit
Statement from CFT President Joshua Pechthalt
We learned today that that David Welch and Students Matter have filed an appeal to the California Supreme Court in their failed Vergara v. California lawsuit. We are disappointed but not surprised that they are continuing to spend large sums of money on the suit and the PR campaign attached to it smearing teachers and public education.
CFT files amended lawsuit against Accrediting Commission
Broader in scope than the S.F. City Attorney’s
Earlier today the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) filed an amended complaint with Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow against the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). The complaint, delayed for more than two years by ACCJC legal maneuvers, alleges a broad array of violations of federal laws and regulations, as well as California common law fair procedure, by the Commission. The plaintiffs, in addition to CFT, include several local community college faculty unions, a number of individual faculty members and a student.
City College faculty walk out for “the college San Francisco deserves”
Unfair Labor Practices strike calls for rebuilding the college, not gutting it
San Francisco—At City College campuses across the city, 500 faculty walked picket lines beginning at 8 am today to protest the district administration’s unfair labor practices in contract negotiations. They were joined by their students and community supporters on behalf of a broad, accessible college, a vision competing with the college administration’s stated plan to “realign” the San Francisco Community College District by reducing course offerings over the next few years by 26%.
Faculty Stand Up for City College and the Education San Francisco Deserves
Union press conference announces one-day unfair labor
practices strike
San Francisco—City College of San Francisco faculty, students and
community supporters announced at a Chinatown campus press
conference today that no classes will be held tomorrow at all
nine City College of San Francisco campuses. However, they said,
faculty will still be on campus. Instead of teaching, they’ll be
walking picket lines in the first-ever strike of 1500
instructors, librarians, and counselors represented by American
Federation of Teachers Local 2121. The unfair labor practices
strike is the union’s response to more than a year of
unsuccessful negotiations between the faculty union and college
administration and occurs after the administration has engaged in
numerous unfair labor practices, including bad faith bargaining
and attempting to go around the union’s elected negotiations
team.
Appeals Court Overturns Vergara Lawsuit
Educators Applaud Appellate Ruling in Meritless Vergara Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES —In a sweeping victory for students and educators, the California Court of Appeal today reversed a lower court decision in the deeply flawed Vergara v. California lawsuit. The unanimous appellate opinion is a stinging rebuke to Judge Rolf M. Treu’s poorly-reasoned ruling, and to the allegations made and millions of dollars spent by wealthy anti-union ducation reformers” to bypass voters, parents, and the legislature with harmful education policy changes. The reversal affirms the arguments of educators, civil rights groups, legals cholars and education policy experts that the state statutes affirming educator rights do not harm students.
Statement from CFT on the recent vote to increase the state’s minimum wage
Higher Minimum Wage Will Help Millions
“Today, California lawmakers passed legislation that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour in the coming years. This is an important step and a common sense development that will improve the lives of millions of Californians currently struggling to make ends meet in an economy that too often seems rigged in favor of the haves at the sacrifice of working men and women. We applaud those who voted in favor of this bill.
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Working People
Statement from CFT President Joshua Pechthalt
Friedrichs Decision a Blow to Corporate Special Interests
“Earlier today, working men and women across this country heard some welcome news: The United States Supreme Court ruled 4-4 in the Friedrichs v. CTA lawsuit.
Board of Governors Votes to Reform Accrediting Agency
CFT leadership applauds courageous change in accreditation
SACRAMENTO, MARCH 21, 2016 – In an historic vote in Sacramento today, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors voted unanimously to reform its current accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), and begin to establish a new model for fair accrediting practices with a new agency.
CC presidents move to reform, then leave ACCJC
Statement from CFT president Joshua Pechthalt
CFT applauds growing momentum for accreditor’s ouster
“Today California moved another step closer to reforming the broken accreditation system for California’s community colleges. With a more than 90% vote earlier this week to reform the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), while preparing at the same time to move to another accreditor, community college presidents struck a decisive blow to ACCJC’s fading hopes of maintaining the unacceptable status quo.
CFT Convention Delegates March, Arrested in Civil Disobedience Action for “the Education Californians Deserve”
Show of unity with CCSF faculty union
SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday, dozens of educators were arrested following a march and rally calling for “the public education that all Californians deserve” while protesting the hard line taken by City College of San Francisco’s administration in contract negotiations with CCSF’s faculty union, AFT 2121. The show of unity came on the first day of the annual statewide convention for the California Federation of Teachers.
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.