News From Your ITA President
February 2020
Dear ITA Members,
The OC Board of Education is a race important to all of us because 3 people on that board of 5 can override our school board’s decisions, even if none of the 3 live in our district. Currently the majority of the board is actually spending over $1,000,000 of our tax money, meant for students, on their own attorneys to sue the Superintendent over control of the budget; they want to eliminate a $170,000 line item for administration travel to Sacramento for education meetings.
We need to VOTE in the March 3 election to re-elect BECKIE GOMEZ, to elect JORDAN BRANDMAN, and to elect ANDY THORBURN. If all three of these candidates can win, the board majority will again focus on the needs of all our students, including the most vulnerable in the county.
Just as a reminder, CTA endorses YES on Proposition 13 as well to provide much needed funding for k-12 and state college safety and other improvements. Prop 13 is also endorsed by the PTA, the California School Board Association, and the League of Women Voters.
Thank you for voting and sharing this information with friends and colleagues!
Teri Sorey
President, Irvine Teachers Association
OC Board of Education!
There are three seats open. CTA members interviewed and endorsed the three candidates who are best qualified to serve all of our students. Please vote for the endorsed candidate in your area and tell your friends and family that these are the TEACHERS’ CANDIDATES!
Professor Beckie Gomez, Area 1
(parts of Santa Ana, Tustin, Garden Grove, and Fountain Valley). Beckie teaches at Cypress College and is an incumbent who has worked hard to communicate with teachers, parents, and students to make fair decisions for all our children.
Andy Thorburn, Area 3
(parts of Anaheim, Lake Forest, Dove Canyon, Irvine, Brea, Orange, Yorba Linda, Villa Park). Andy is a former public high school English teacher who recognizes that the current board majority is putting its personal interests before those of our students, many of whom are the most vulnerable in Orange County.
Jordan Brandman, Area 4
(Buena Park, Placentia, La Habra, Fullerton, parts of Anaheim). Jordan is a former Anaheim school board member who was hand-picked by the outgoing OCBE member and friend of teachers, Jack Bedell; Jordan has worked in Sacramento with both Republican and Democratic governors on education issues.
It is imperative that Beckie, Andy and Jordan be elected to stop the on-going practice of the current three-member majority on the OCDE board from overriding the decisions of local school boards and approving inferior charter school applications.
CTA-endorsed candidates for state office:
Melissa Fox, Assembly District 68; Cottie Petrie-Norris, Assembly District 74; Dave Min, Senate District 37. These candidates are supportive of public education, local control, and teachers!
Proposition 13, 2020:
CTA is also endorsing Proposition 13 on the March ballot. This bond initiative will provide funds for school facilities repairs, safety, and upgrades.
Local School Bonds on March ballot need your vote:
Capistrano USD, Measures I and H; Saddleback USD, Measure M; Tustin USD, Measure N.
Schools and Communities First petitions:
Please be sure to sign a petition with your Site Rep to put the SCF initiative on the November ballot. This measure protects residences, agriculture, and small businesses while closing the loophole that has enabled corporations to avoid paying $12b/year in property tax, while homeowners have seen continuous increases. For 40 years, corporations have been paying the equivalent of 1% tax on only 60% of their property value! With this loophole closed, IUSD can see up to $750/year more in funding PER STUDENT! We need to close this unfair loophole and strengthen our communities.