The coronavirus keeps spreading.
People are dying.
California is broke.
How can schools safely reopen amid such dire circumstances?
That’s the message the politically powerful California Teachers Association and labor groups are pushing as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration attempts a delicate balance between letting some schools physically welcome students back this fall and requiring most to start the academic year online.
So far, the union’s work is paying off. It’s winning arguments over widespread school closures, budget cuts and coronavirus testing for teachers.
David Fisher, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, said the demands, and the negotiations that come with the requests, aren’t about politics. He said school employees are putting their lives on the line during an unprecedented pandemic that already killed one of the district’s substitute teachers in March.
“If it was any other circumstances — literally life or death — we wouldn’t be advocating for this,” said Fisher, whose union is a branch of the statewide organization. “It’s a cliche, but there are no good choices. There’s a really bad choice and there’s a choice that could literally lead to people’s death.”
The success, however, has drawn fierce criticism from Republicans and families who don’t like distance learning, and who say the pandemic offers fresh opportunity for the association to influence school choice in California.
“Everyone knows the California Teachers Association runs education policy in California,” said Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin. “This is a Super Bowl for them.”
Here’s what the unions have won so far:
- Newsom signed a budget in June that avoided chiseling billions from K-12 funding, as the governor proposed in an early fiscal draft. The financial plan Newsom ultimately signed uses a handful of strategies to delay the cuts, and, importantly, helped him avoid a political fight with the association and other labor advocates.
- Nine days after the association urged Newsom to delay in-person instruction, he announced school reopening guidelines on July 17 that restrict most districts from opening their doors.
- The union has in recent weeks campaigned for two tax levies on the state’s wealthiest residents as a way to generate more revenue for schools. On Aug. 3, legislators began debating a millionaire’s tax for California’s seven-figure earners. On Aug. 13, Democrats unveiled a second proposal to hike rates for 30,000 wealthy Californians with a net worth of $30 million or more.
Despite the victories, the association and other public employee unions argue the administration and Legislature are still falling woefully short in efforts to educate students while protecting them from COVID-19.
On Aug. 10, the groups announced a push to fill an eventual $17.8 billion hole in K-12 funding. They said the money is needed to send thousands of laptops and internet hot-spots into students’ and teachers’ homes, support deep-cleaning efforts and provide training opportunities for staff who work with students with disabilities.
“We can’t continue to kick the can down the road when it comes to funding our schools and students,” association President E. Toby Boyd said in a statement. “We are in the midst of historic and severe health, economic and racial crises and all eyes are on state lawmakers to provide leadership and address before it’s too late.”
Testing, cleaning supplies and ventilation
Thirty-eight counties remain on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list, which means districts in these areas can’t let schools physically reopen until there’s a 14-day decline in new case numbers, per the California Department of Public Health guidelines Newsom announced last month.
Though distance learning is what the unions have spent the summer pushing, they still have a laundry list of COVID-19 demands.
What they’re asking for:
- More testing — Schools are encouraged to test teachers, faculty and other staff on a rotating schedule so everyone is screened at least once within a two-month timeframe. California Federation of Teachers President Jeff Freitas said that routine of tests is “too few, and not often enough” and should extend to students.
- Masks for kids — Freitas also said though Newsom’s guidance strongly encourages face coverings for younger kids, it should be a universal requirement for both teachers and all students.
- No exceptions — Newsom is allowing some elementary schools to apply for a waiver that would authorize them to physically reopen if they meet a narrow set of criteria, an allowance the unions oppose.
- More money — The unions want additional funding for cleaning supplies, upgraded ventilation systems and protective gear like masks.
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Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, a Bell Gardens Democrat and former math teacher, said the unions’ request for additional revenue would help cover what the budget usually doesn’t account for, including access to regular testing and cleaning materials.
“If we are going to open schools we need to ensure we have access to regular testing, PPE, and additional disinfecting supplies, and that all costs money,” Garcia said.
Political flexing
There’s reason to believe the labor advocates will get more of what they want. Historically, they usually have.
In 2005, then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lost his special election campaign for Proposition 74, a ballot measure that would have extended the time it takes for teachers to get tenured. The California Teachers Association, representing some 300,000 educators, waged a public advertising battle against the initiative, which more than 55% of voters rejected.
A decade and a half later, the association maintains its status as one of the state’s top spenders on lobbying activity. The union spent more than $1.28 million in the last quarter alone, according to state finance records, and has funneled $8.66 million total toward its legislative priorities during the 2019-2020 session.
The lobbying translates to policy wins. Last year, the association clashed with school choice advocates over proposals that would curb charter schools’ power in California. The debate ended with Newsom signing a new law that gives school districts more power to reject proposed charters.
This year, the association is a major supporter of Proposition 15, the so-called Schools and Communities First ballot measure that would change property tax rates for businesses, generally making them pay more tax on properties worth more than $3 million. The initiative’s supporters say the change will accrue billions for K-12 schools and community colleges.
Advocates herald the union as an agent for equitable education policy in California.
Critics, including Kiley, who is vice chair of the Assembly Committee on Education, argue the association’s influence in Sacramento has prevented families from making choices about education alternatives for California children, especially during the pandemic.
Kiley said as districts face pressure from unions wanting to keep schools closed, they’re deciding to start the year with distance learning even though COVID-19 numbers might not be high in their counties.
“Everyone appears to be on the same page, but everyone has been forced to be on the same page,” Kiley said. “The political pressure and other barriers are simply insurmountable.”
This story was originally published August 14, 2020 5:00 AM.
