Re “Bias? Teachers Union Treated Chardiet Differently from Goldberg” and “C’mon, Money, Not the Teachers Union, Decided the Election”
Let me clarify the world of school unions. There are three main ones in California:
• The California Federation of Teachers (associated locally with the Culver City Federation of Teachers and nationally with the American Federation of Teachers),
• The California Teachers Assn. (associated locally with both the Culver City Teachers Assn. and the Assn. of Classifed Employees and nationally with the National Education Assn.) and
• The California School Employees Assn. (associated with no local union)
The Culver City Federation of Teachers endorsed Nancy Goldberg and Laura Chardiet. They did not provide any financial contribution to the candidates they endorsed. We know that because neither candidate will report any income from either the Culver City Federation of Teachers or the California Federation of Teachers.
The Assn. of Classified Employees endorsed only Ms. Goldberg. They did provide a financial contribution to the candidate they endorsed. We know that because Ms. Goldberg will report income from the California Teachers Assn.
The answer to yesterday’s question about whether the Teachers Union treated their two endorsed candidates differently is “no.” Every one of their advertisements or mailers had both candidates' names and pictures. The money from CTA came only to one candidate because that candidate was the only one endorsed by a CTA chapter in Culver City. The Culver City Federation of Teachers has no more control over how CTA spends their money than do you or I.
But the bigger issue is that by placing our teachers, one of the most precious resources in CCUSD, in opposition to “our children's future,” is overly divisive and not helpful. We love our teachers and the contribution that they make to our community.
We will work with them, not blame them, for supporting candidates they believe will best lead this District.
Mr. Silbiger, a member of the School Board, ksilbiger@juno.com
