I have been a member of the California Teachers Association (CTA) since 1990 and have watched our union evolve into something I no longer believe represents the majority of teachers. First of all, teachers are not monolithic. They represent varied viewpoints; however, most teachers want what is best for students, they respect the role of parents, and desire fair pay and treatment in their profession.
Most teachers join the union because they feel it will represent their best interests and protect them in case of conflict. Very few are involved in the political side of their union and assume the CTA lobbies for laws that reflect their sentiments as educators. However, based on the laws CTA has supported, opposed, or remained silent on these past years, may prove those assumptions false.
Since 2018, courtesy of the Supreme Court’s Janus ruling, no public employee has to pay a penny to a union as a condition of employment. In reaction to this case, CTA endorsed SB 866, which forbids school districts to inform teachers of their right to join or not join the union. Why would my union prohibit my employer from notifying me of my rights? SB 866 says only the union can inform teachers of this right. However, as I speak to new teachers, most are not being informed of their options, and many veteran teachers are still unaware they can opt out. This feels like a power grab. Why is our union treating us like children by controlling the information we receive?
The CTA also supported a law in 2018 (AB 119) that forced teachers’ employing districts to hand over a teachers’ personal contact information (cell number, address, personal email address) without the teachers’ knowledge or consent. This is a privacy violation. Why is the union treating us like their “property”, rather than respectable adults?
The California Teachers Association endorsed a book in our schools that teaches kids how to use an adult sex dating app. The book instructs kids to upload a picture of themself on the app while the app can access their location. This book is on CTA’s “read a banned book list”. When community opposition arose, the CTA helped pass AB 1078, which forbids book censorship regardless if it compromises student safety.
In 2017, CTA endorsed SB 179 which said, “In 2019, there will be an official 3rd gender in California (Non-Binary)” However, CTA did not inform teachers of the definition of this “new gender”. The fact is, non-binary is not one gender, it is many. The Orange County Health Care Agency defines gender nonbinary as a spectrum of identities… an intentional creation of one’s own gender identity. San Diego Unified defines gender identity as “more choices than ever”. The CDC defines gender nonbinary as “gender creative” meaning kids can create or make up their own gender(s), and the CDE defines nonbinary as an umbrella term for identities outside of female or male, such as agender, genderqueer, gender fluid, Two Spirit, bigender, pangender, gender nonconforming, gender variant, intersex, or transgender. This extremist ideology of unlimited gender choices is being forced upon our society and upon our impressionable school children through the means of deception.
Besides a teacher, I am also founder of the Interfaith Statewide Coalition. Our coalition represents Catholics, Muslims, Orthodox Jews and Protestants of many races and language groups in California. Teachers are intersectional and many teachers have sincerely held religious beliefs. Teachers with these endeared religious and cultural identities, do not believe sex is “assigned” by a doctor or person. They believe sex is “endowed by our Creator.” And as the Declaration of Independence affirms, this endowment includes inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The CTA is not representing teachers with these religious identities, in fact, our union is placing our livelihood in jeopardy because of our religious beliefs. According to our mandated teacher trainings, we may be charged with sexual harassment if we refuse to use gender neutral pronouns such as they, ze, xem, tree, hir, etc… and possibly charged of discrimination if we do not affirm boundless gender choices.
CTA supported AB 1955, that says school personnel must not tell children’s parent(s) of their gender identities, unless the children give permission. Most teachers are also parents. This law labels parents who do not affirm unlimited gender ideologies as “unsafe”. It also creates a dilemma of conscience for teachers to deceive parents. The CTA also passed a 2020 Business Item, see here (p. R1-R2), saying kids should have access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy without parent knowledge or consent. When CTA passes a Business Item, it is not uncommon for it move to legislation.
Ironically, AB 1955, signed by Governor Newsom in 2024, is called the “Safety Act” however, if the CTA is so concerned about children’s “safety” then why did they refuse to support SB 1414 which makes it a felony to buy a child for sex? I do not know any teachers, religious or not, who would not support increased penalties for sex trafficking minors. And why did CTA support SB 239 in 2017 which says to intentionally infect someone with HIV is no longer a felony?
The CTA has a democratic process of representation on these legal issues; however, in my district only 17-25% of the teachers even vote for their representatives. I did not get involved in my union until 2015, 25 years after I first joined in 1990. However, when I got involved to voice my views, I was not only shut out, I was punished.
I was elected as a state delegate, but when I applied to be a workshop presenter to present alternative viewpoints, I was always rejected. This happened many times over. Eventually, I became so desperate to communicate facts to members, I passed out a QR code sheet to CTA conference attendees. I was chastised by CTA Leadership because they said my handout was “unauthorized”. Three months later, I attended the NEA conference, spoke out, and wrote an article about it. A few days after the article published, the CTA said I was suspended from attending conferences for the remainder of the year. The reason given though was the “unauthorized” QR Sheet. I challenged their hypocritical actions and asked for “restorative justice practices” rather than “suspension,” but my request was denied.
It has become obvious to me that the union does not value all their members. They only represent the members that agree with their increasingly radical views. My annual Teacher Union dues are $1200. Of that $1200, $800 goes to the CTA and $200 goes to the National Educators Association, only $200 goes to my local union. Over 95% of these state and national dues fund far left Democrat causes or candidates.
If teachers no longer feel represented by the CTA, they can join non-political associations, such as Association of American Educators or Christian Educators for a fourth the cost. These associations offer double liability provisions, legal counsel, protections, and professional support. Additionally, nonmembers have all the same salary, retirement, and health benefits as union members. I am living proof that these alternative associations will protect your job when you choose to go against the political and ideological flow of your union.