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CFT and BFT Respond to  BUSD Superintendent’s Testimony Before Congressional Committee

BERKELEY, CA – CFT President Jeff Freitas and Berkeley Federation of Teachers President Matt Meyer released the following statement following the testimony of Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel before a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce earlier today in Washington, D.C. The hearing was called to discuss antisemitism in our schools:

Article gender equity LGBTQ+
Civil Rights

Celebrate Women’s History Month
Learn about the history of women in the labor movement and more

Women’s history month is an opportunity to look back at the contributions of women throughout American history. This month we will be posting content on our social media pages that centers women in the labor movement.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Threads to follow along!

Check back here throughout the month for updates and refreshed materials to share in the classroom and beyond.

Article state budget
Education Funding

Governor’s Proposed State Budget for 2024-25
Research Brief

Governor’s initial proposal for 2024-25 budget addresses large deficit without significant cuts or increases to public education funding

On January 10, Governor Newsom presented his initial budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. With tax receipts down this year and the late tax deadline last year, the Department of Finance is estimating a $37.9 billion budget deficit in the year ahead. Despite the shortfall, Governor Newsom did not propose significant cuts to education, instead essentially funding K-14 education at a similar level to the current year.

Article racial justice Black Lives Matter
Civil Rights

Black History Month 2024

Every February, we honor the contributions, recognize the adversities, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of African American people in the United States. This years national theme is: African Americans and the Arts.

Right now in the United States, we see extremists banning books and censoring curriculum. Many of these attempts are directed at African American studies and Black history.

Article state budget
Education Funding

Legislative Update: Newsom’s Proposed State Budget ‘24-25
Initial Overview

January 11, 2024

Governor Newsom presented his initial 2024-25 budget proposal yesterday, with less dire projections than had been anticipated. The $291 billion budget proposal is about 6% smaller than the total 2023-24 budget, and about 8% smaller than the General Fund spending approved in the 2023-24 budget act.

The budget deficit as calculated by the Department of Finance (DOF) is estimated at $37.9 billion for the coming fiscal year; this is about $30 billion lower than the Legislative Analyst projected last month.

Article
Standing Together

President Freitas is focused on building power for classified members

Jeff Freitas, President of the CFT, emphasized in his address to the attendees of the annual Council of Classified Employees Conference that the organization isn’t a teacher’s union, but a union of teachers and classified professionals.

“We have made sure that we represent everybody in the field of education in the classroom, as well as outside of the classroom,” he said.

Article state budget
Education Funding

State budget for 2023-24
Protects public education with ongoing funding; staffing crisis requires more support

State budget for 2023-24 protects public education with ongoing funding; staffing crisis requires more support:

Governor Newsom and the state Legislature came to an agreement in late June on a budget for 2023-24 that includes $225 billion in general fund expenditures while addressing a $31.7 billion deficit.

The Proposition 98 funding minimum guarantee is $108.3 billion in 2023-24, which is less than what last year’s enacted budget assumed, but slightly higher than the revised guarantee for 2022-23.

Article
Collective Bargaining

Relief for Hard-hit Staff at El Camino College

Not a single member of AFT Local 6142 was furloughed during the Covid pandemic, but the economic crisis hit El Camino College staff hard, and many received notices of 10% increases in rent as soon as eviction moratoriums ended.

“Five union members have told me they live in their cars, and another member was picking cans out of the campus trash cans to buy medicine for his children,” said Local 6142 President Roy Dietz. “That’s humbling, to tell someone about the state you’re in.”

Relief is on the way.