Fight for America's Future Tour 2010: Sacramento

Testimony before State Senate Education Committee
10 a.m.

In testimony before the California Senate Education Committee, AFT president Randi Weingarten brought both an AFT perspective and a national perspective to the issues of teacher seniority and layoffs. Repeatedly making the point that changes in the teacher seniority system should not be driven by the state's economic crisis, Weingarten urged the elected officials to oppose the "draconian" budget cuts that have led to layoffs. "Let's do things the right way," she said. "Let's figure out how to avert the layoffs."

The proposed law, S.B. 955, would gut due process and strip California teachers of their seniority rights, but would do nothing to prevent devastating cuts to education funding and services to students. "Changing state law in the middle of a crisis" is the wrong thing do, Weingarten argued.

The AFT president pointed to federal bills that would provide $23 billion to help avert teacher layoffs next school year, and urged the California leaders to get behind those bills. Weingarten also called for more focus on improving teacher evaluation systems, and provided examples of how states such as Maryland are successfully handling the issue of due process for teachers.

Weingarten was joined at the hearing by United Teachers Los Angeles president A.J. Duffy, who argued that there is no data showing that the elimination of seniority will improve student performance, and that the changes "give too much power to principals" and would "open the door to favoritism and age discrimination."

The bill attacking seniority and due process rights, which is supported by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was prompted in part by a lawsuit charging that seniority is a violation of civil rights. "Fighting the budget cuts would be the best way to maintain our commitment to civil rights," Weingarten told the California Senate panel.

March for California's Future and rally at the state Capitol
4 p.m.

Joined by close to 10,000 unionists, parents, educators, students, community activists and faith leaders, the group of six marchers, who left Bakersfield, Calif., on March 5, walked the last mile of their 48-day, 365-mile trek to the state Capitol in Sacramento. Organized by the California Federation of Teachers and supported by numerous other organizations, the "March for California's Future" was designed to draw attention to the state's disastrous economic conditions and call for, among other things, a fair tax system to help fund education and other public services.

Weingarten joined the six marchers for the last mile, and then riled up the massive rally with a rousing speech. "These marchers didn't march for themselves. They marched for our children, they marched for our future," she said. Pointing to the teacher layoffs and devastating budget cuts that "would cut services for California's most vulnerable," Weingarten said that "there are alternatives to the destruction of California's future," including a tax system "where the rich pay their fair share" and that closes the corporate tax loophole.

"But we must do the hard work," and that includes continuing to mobilize, Weingarten said.

Gavin Riley, a retired teacher from the AFT-affiliated ABC local in Southern California, was one of the six "core walkers" who made the journey from Bakersfield to Sacramento. At 65, he is also the oldest walker by more than 20 years. Riley said he made the walk because "it's a disgrace that the richest state in the nation can't take care of its people or fund its schools."

"We used to be able to go to the bargaining table to talk about ways to improve the quality of education," said Riley, the ABC local's chief negotiator. "Now, because of the budget situation, we're forced to talk about salvaging education." He hopes the walk and the attention it drew will "send our Legislature a wake-up call."

Looking at the crowd gathered in support of him and the other five walkers, Riley added: "I think the turnout you see here shows the level of frustration that Californians have with the direction of the state."

At a reception following the rally, Weingarten presented plaques to the six core marchers, and praised them for their extraordinary commitment and effort. She also commended California Federation of Teachers president Marty Hittelman for his leadership in helping organize the historic march and rally. [Roger Glass/photos by Russ Curtis/video by Matthew Jones]