At the end of the 2025-26 school year, 2026 SDEA Awards were presented to recognize some of the members and allies who helped build our collective power this past year:
SDEA Board Award: SDEA Election Committee
“Your countless hours of work and resolute commitment to our collective cause have made our SDEA democracy stronger and made us a more powerful union.”
- Sarah Sine, Normal Heights Elementary (Chair)
- Danny Blas, School for the Creative and Performing Arts
- Jason DeMendonca, Millennial Tech Middle
- Lori LaPointe, Garfield High
- Patrick Schoettler, Henry High
Per the SDEA Bylaws, the Election Committee are responsible for conducting all Association elections:
- Ensure that all Association/CTA/NEA election codes and timelines are followed
- Establish election timelines
- Develop and carry out timelines and procedures for paper and online elections
- Prepare ballots for election of officers, board of directors and such other elections as may be necessary
- Count the ballots and certify the results
- Handle initial challenges
The SDEA elections committee spent days counting contract ratification votes this Spring, with almost 5000 turned in
President’s Award: SDEA Organizing Committee
“You build our union’s power to win the schools students and educators deserve.”
- Jessica Arreguin
- Monique Barrett
- Amy Childs
- Keashonna Christopher
- Sarah Darr
- Sierra Donaldson
- Rahel Gottlieb
- Stefanie Hayes
- Michelle Hesse
- Rickeena Boyd-Kamei
- Lisa Morris
- Maria Romano
- Matthew Schneck
- Kyle Weinberg
We won our 5% raise and the concrete solutions to address the longstanding Special Education staffing shortages because we mobilized as SDEA union educators through our escalating collective actions at schools throughout the district.
These advances are a testament to the power of our grassroots organizing led by SDEA union educators on our organizing committee:
- In Fall of 2024, members identified priorities at Bargaining Input Sessions across the District and ratified a bargaining platform.
- In Spring of 2025, members kicked off bargaining by holding rallies and walk-ins across the District, and won our first significant tentative agreement after a week of rolling pickets.
- Members kept showing up throughout Fall 2025 as negotiations continued.
- Art Build
- Time’s Up Rally
- Strike Summit
- As bargaining progressed and the Special Education staffing crisis worsened, SDEA union educators proved we’re willing to do whatever it takes to fight for what our students need… even to go on strike, if needed.
We won the demands in our SDEA bargaining platform by coordinating our contract campaign with our We Can’t Wait union sibling locals across the state and getting strike-ready for the first time in 30 years in our district. When we achieved our goal of 90%+ SDEA union educators voting to authorize a strike for special education staffing, we left the district with no other choice but to shut down schools on the day of our strike because you can’t run schools without teachers! This gave our SDEA Bargaining Team maximum power 2 weeks ago to push the limits of what was possible because we had the full force of 6000+ mobilized SDEA union educators behind us. Because WHEN WE GET STRIKE-READY, WE WIN!
Photo credits (L to R) Brooke Anderson, Molly Stewart, Cali Camera
Executive Director’s Award: ICE Out of San Diego Coalition
For the past year, a variety of Labor and community groups have led the resistance to the federal government’s use of masked ICE agents to terrorize our communities. This includes a coalition that has organized weekly rallies outside the Federal Building in downtown and brought community together for trainings on how we can protect students, families, and members. Our members are grateful for the leadership and relationships this coalition has brought to push back and defend our rights.
This coalition is continuing to plan weekly actions. Join an upcoming action or amplify on social media.
Photo credits, L to R: Brooke Anderson, Sarah Darr, Ed Justice Coalition
