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Analysis: California’s state budget has big benefits for teachers union, stifles charter schools and funds phantom students
Students of civics might think the California state budget is crafted by the elected representatives of the citizenry, who debate and amend proposals working their way through various committees, ultimately leading to a spending plan with majority support and the signature of the governor. All that happens, of course, but no budget makes it to...
By Mike Antonucci | August 10, 2020
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Analysis: National Education Association abruptly endorses Joe Biden, angering Sanders supporters
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears most Wednesdays; see the full archive. The National Education Association finally threw its weight into the Democratic presidential primaries, announcing Saturday night that it recommended Joe Biden for the nomination. A Biden endorsement is hardly a surprise; he is an establishment candidate, and NEA is a major player in the...
By Mike Antonucci | March 17, 2020
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Analysis: Teacher unions in Oakland and Richmond join United Teachers Los Angeles in endorsing Bernie Sanders
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. Two Bay Area teacher union locals followed the lead of United Teachers Los Angeles and endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. The Oakland Education Association (2,605 active members) and United Teachers of Richmond (1,666 active members) issued...
By Mike Antonucci | February 12, 2020
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Analysis: Who will run UTLA next? A rundown of the candidates, and what sets them apart (or doesn’t)
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. It’s election season — not just for America’s political parties, but for United Teachers Los Angeles. The union mailed ballots to members this week. They will vote by mail or online, with the results to be tabulated Feb. 28. Active members will choose the UTLA...
By Mike Antonucci | February 5, 2020
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Analysis: The California Teachers Association claims 310,000 members. Here’s the breakdown for every local affiliate
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. The California Teachers Association is “310,000 members strong,” according to its website. But it’s difficult to track that number over time, or assess its impact on California school districts, because our only sources of information have been the union’s public pronouncements. Until now. Culled from figures...
By Mike Antonucci | January 29, 2020
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Analysis: The CTA really wants the split-roll property tax initiative on the ballot. Union members don’t seem so enthused
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. The California Teachers Association has made the passage of a split-roll property tax initiative its top priority for 2020, allocating an initial investment of $6 million for the campaign. But three months into signature-gathering to place the measure on the November ballot, the union is...
By Mike Antonucci | January 22, 2020
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Analysis: Four years ago, UTLA increased its member dues by 33 percent. What did the union do with the money?
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. In the summer of 2015, Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, gave a state of the union speech in which he alerted members to the dire necessity of raising dues by 33 percent. Without the increase, he said, UTLA would be “bankrupt or...
By Mike Antonucci | January 14, 2020
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Analysis: With school revenues at record highs, why are California districts facing insolvency? Auditor offers a case study in Sacramento
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. California State Auditor Elaine Howle can’t be making too many friends among the state’s education policy establishment. After releasing a report concluding that the state’s system for financing public education “has not ensured that funding is benefiting intended student groups and closing achievement gaps,” Howle...
By Mike Antonucci | January 8, 2020
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Union Report: Is all the extra state student funding that districts get benefiting the kids? State auditor says we don’t know
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report. Somehow I missed last month’s report from the California State Auditor on one of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature education policy accomplishments: the Local Control Funding Formula. The formula simplified the way the state funded K-12 education in local school districts, giving every district a...
By Mike Antonucci | December 11, 2019
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Analysis: How the sausage gets made — more than you ever wanted to know about the internal workings of the California Teachers Association
Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears weekly at LA School Report With 310,000 members, more than 400 employees and $200 million in annual revenue, the California Teachers Association is a large-scale enterprise. It wields great influence at the statehouse, but its presence is felt in the smallest communities throughout the state. Nothing happens in education or...
By Mike Antonucci | December 4, 2019