End of the Year Message

Dear SLTA Members,
Congratulations to all of you for completing another school year.  Normally, this is the day when we clean out our classrooms, enjoy our staff luncheons, say our summer farewells to our friends, and bounce out of our schools on the way to our gardens, our vacations and our summer plans.  I have always enjoyed the celebration of this day.  Clearly, this year is different.

Our world is giving us unprecedented challenges from the COVID crisis, the racial justice uprisings, and the economic uncertainty that will impact the way we do business.  While we as teachers are feeling these anxieties, we also are deeply connected to the way our students are experiencing these crises.  For many of our kids, your presence as educators has been one of the most reliable things in their lives.

This might not be a time to celebrate, but it is certainly a time for recognition.  Through all of our challenges, I am deeply grateful to you, the activists, members and leaders of SLTA, who join in the fight to defend our public schools and who recognize that we are far stronger when we fight together.

I am deeply grateful to SLTA's Leadership Team, Vice President Nancy James, Treasurer Glenn Brodeur, Secretary Valarie Sowers, Bargaining Chair Jacob Clark, State Council Representative Joya Brandon, Elementary Rep at Large Lydia Oey, Secondary Rep at Large Lesa Ross, and our CTA Staff Representative Nicole Love.  I cannot quantify the hours, the energy, the wisdom, the outreach, the guidance and the support that this team has contributed to our Union, but I know that without them, our work simply wouldn't happen.

Please check out our Leadership Team's end of the year messages at https://flipgrid.com/brandon4950.

Our Representative Council acts as the Union voice in each school.  Thank you to Robin How, Phil Smothermon, Jenn Jones, Cameron Beatty, Kristina Morgan, Jeff Bruno, Anne Bengston, Bill Daniels, Amy Sosa, Stephanie Diehl, Patty Fishbaugh, Karen Koizumi, Jonathan Fall, Blake Green, David Mason, James Riddle, Laura Michaels Fox, Sarah Del Grande, Sonja Ebel, Lisa McNally, David Orona and Gaia Pine.

SLTA's Social Media Team kicked off our website, WeAreSLTA.org and a Facebook page this year, deep appreciations to Stephanie Diehl, Joya Brandon, Valarie Sowers, Lesa Ross, and CTA Staffers Samantha DeMuro and Terry Ng.

Our Bargaining Team negotiated a historic contract with improvements in class size and caseload, while also securing a competitive salary increase.  Thanks to Jacob, Valarie, Glenn and Nicole.  We will, of course, be on call this summer as we work to figure out how next year will look.  I'm looking forward to working with our new team members Hong Quach and Natasha Weidner.

Our SLTA Human Rights and Social Justice Team, including Joya Brandon, Gene Romano, Nancy, Glenn, Lydia and CTA Staffer Gail Watts.

Our Special Education Issues Team, led by Nancy, and including Natanya Powers, Jessica Ortiz, Linda Nguyen, Jennifer Fischer, Carmen Watson, Jillian Smith, Starla Colburn, Amy Reick, Lesa Ross, Shamela McClain, Suzanne McCallin and Amy Sosa.

Our SLTA Scholarship Team kept the program alive despite the crisis.  Thanks to Starla Colburn, Victor Doane, Tina Kuang, JC Liesenfeld, and retirees Sallie Caraballo and Mike Mandel.

Our STAND Political Action team included James Riddle and Nancy James.  This team was instrumental in passing Measure N and helping to elect Angela Normand to the ACOE Board of Trustees.  We also received enormous support from CTA Staffer Rick Wathen.

Our Charter Free San Leandro Action Team included Gaia Pine, Natasha Weidner, Reena Valvani, Lydia Oey, Jeff Bruno, Rachel England, Joya Brandon, Sarah Bollinger, Vivian Nguyen, Lisa McNally, CTA staffers Ann Swinburn and Rick Wathen and the 90 of you that wrote out comments to the ACOE Board last week.  (Don't forget to repeat your efforts for the June 9 Meeting!)

I likely missed a few names, but there have been so many kindnesses and acts of courage and beauty on behalf of our kids, our schools, our Union and our community from so many of you.  Thank you to all for being a part of SLTA.  Again, this summer promises to be very busy for SLTA, so don't hesitate to reach out to me.
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It has been my honor to serve as SLTA President this year.
In Gratitude and Solidarity,
​Tom