President's message

CSEA siblings,

My favorite part of serving as your Association President is being able to meet so many of you at events across the state. Hearing from you is the best way for me to know what is happening in our union, in your schools and in your lives.

This is so important that I am busy planning and preparing to hit the road for 22 town hall meetings across our Association to have a conversation on the current state of our union. Executive Director Keith Pace will join me for these town hall meetings, and we look forward to visiting all ten CSEA areas to learn of your accomplishments, listen to your concerns, and receive your feedback.

My hope through holding these town hall meetings is to further strengthen our union’s commitment to each other, our students and our communities through open communication. Keep an eye out for an email from your field office with information on the town hall for your area.

For the first time in four years, CSEA’s Paraeducator Conference is back in-person at the Ontario Convention Center, taking place April 4-6. This year’s conference marks 26 years of empowering paraeducators and instructional aides with tools and skills-specific training while reinforcing CSEA’s focus on professional development.

As a school employee for nearly two decades, I have never strayed away from my passion for learning and as Association President that will never change. One of the key priorities the Board and I share is to continue to innovate and expand the training opportunities we provide to reflect our diverse membership and the communities we serve.

Specialized training, whether in union advocacy or trade, goes hand in hand in achieving our goals of providing opportunities for all members to succeed and thrive both as CSEA activists and classified professionals. I encourage you to find and attend one of CSEA’s many training events, whether local or at the state level, that will help you with your work and with your union advocacy.

Whether you want to strengthen your skills at the bargaining table or learn new industry standards to help you grow professionally, your union can help you take the next step in your career. With your participation and engagement, we can reach these goals together.

Throughout my time with CSEA, I have had the honor of seeing our union’s advocacy grow in leaps and bounds. The classified experience extends beyond a given worksite, classification or profession; we are an essential part of California’s public education system from transitional kindergarten to college graduation.

The cover story of this issue of Focus highlights our union siblings working in our community colleges, showcasing how our union advocates for all classified workers. Each of us are committed to helping our students reach graduation, but for those working in community college, seeing students earn a degree reminds us of what makes our jobs so important and the true potential that exists in every one of our students.

Whether you are serving kindergarteners or adult learners, I continue to be amazed by your commitment to your students and your union. And I look forward to renewing my commitment to you all soon at a town hall.