Dear Colleague,

With the November election less than a week away, it's important for all of us to get out to vote - and to make sure that everyone we know does the same thing. We're especially calling on you, as CTA members and leaders in our diverse ethnic minority communities, to reach out to others. We can't afford to sit this one out.

Please remind your family, friends, people in your places of worship and community organizations to go to the polls on Nov. 2, and to vote for CTA-supported, pro-public education candidates. Our recommended candidates went through an extensive interview process with an emphasis on one thing: what's best for education in California.  While CTA has made recommendations on local, statewide and national candidates and measures, our top priorities include the passage of Proposition 24 to close corporate tax loopholes, and electing Jerry Brown as Governor and Tom Torlakson as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Here's why:

CTA Recommendations

Proposition 24, the Tax Fairness Act - At the same time lawmakers cut billions from our schools, laid off thousands of teachers, and raised taxes on working Californians, they made a secret backroom deal that will give $1.3 billion in unnecessary tax breaks to California's largest and most profitable corporations. These corporations have not created new jobs or opened any new facilities. In fact, they have laid off thousands of workers while making huge profits and paying their CEOs millions. Voting YES on Prop 24 ends these unfair tax breaks before they take effect, and will help fund our schools and protect students from more devastating cuts. That's tax fairness. It's time to give our public schools a break, not big corporations.

Governor - With a lifetime's devotion to public service, Jerry Brown is the most qualified and experienced candidate there is. His service work began in the fields of California, where he organized farm workers with Cesar Chavez, and has gone on to include serving as a trustee of the Los Angeles Community College, Secretary of State, Governor for two terms, Mayor of Oakland, and state Attorney General. He knows that California's future depends on a world-class education system, and he has made that a priority. His opponent, billionaire businesswoman and former executive of eBay Meg Whitman, has vowed to cut $15 billion from California's budget, which would mean another $7 billion in cuts to education - cuts that our schools cannot afford. Check out our side-by-side comparison of the two candidates for more in-depth information. 

Superintendent of Public Instruction - Assembly Member Tom Torlakson, a teacher, has been a champion of public education throughout his career.  During his time in the legislature, Torlakson initiated significant educational reform when he authored the Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA). This valuable reform legislation targeted extra resources and interventions to California's lowest-performing schools, narrowing the achievement gap and producing proven results. Torlakson also championed legislation to get resources away from the educational bureaucracy and directly into classrooms by boosting funding for instructional materials such as textbooks and computers. He also spearheaded the drive to develop the largest after school program in the nation, giving students the hands-on assistance they need to succeed. Tom Torlakson will use his office as a bully pulpit for quality education in California.

If you'd like to inspire someone to vote, send out our new GOTV video. Visit the election section of our CTA website for a complete listing of our recommended candidates and initiatives, as well as other campaign resources. You can also find election information on CTA's Facebook page and on Twitter. Check out our TV and radio advertisements as well in our media center.

  Cliff Kusaba
  CTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Co-Chair, Pacific Asian American Caucus 

  Jose Alcala
  CTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Co-Chair, Hispanic Caucus

  Simone Zulu
  Chair, African American Caucus

  George Melendez
  Chair, American Indian/Alaska Native Caucus