AGENCY’S HISTORIC RULING WILL HELP TEACHERS IMPROVE LEARNING CONDITIONS AT STATEWIDE CHARTER
Three CTA teachers at CAVA – from r. Debbie Scoltock, an algebra and geometry high school teacher; Sara Vigrass, an elementary teacher; and Jen Shilen, a social sciences teacher – told the legislative staff they were committed to telling the story about CAVA because change is needed.
Teachers at the California Virtual Academies (CAVA) have gained a stronger voice in advocating for their 15,000 students, thanks to a decision by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
The ruling in favor of educators requires their employer, at the state’s largest provider of online education, to recognize the CTA chapter, an outcome actively opposed by CAVA. The PERB ruling comes after 17 months of hard work by the teachers and intense CTA advocacy on their behalf.
“We are elated,” said Sarah Vigrass, a 9-year CAVA Community Day teacher in Redlands. “We applaud the decision, and we look forward to sitting down and negotiating as soon as possible over much-needed improvements for teachers and the students we serve. Our students’ learning conditions would improve if more resources were focused on them. There are many problems and now we have a real way to fix them.”
“The ruling by PERB clears the way for negotiations toward a first contract that will address some of the many concerns that CAVA teachers have voiced,” said CTA President Eric C. Heins. “Now, these teachers can begin to address the problems that are hurting their students, such as insufficient time spent on instruction, high teacher turnover, and too much public money going out of state.”
Read CTA’s news release containing additional information about the ruling and its implications.Agency’s Historic Ruling Will Help Teachers Improve Learning Conditions at Statewide Charter - California Teachers Association:
