Sara Kennedy

Letters in Solidarity: Fighting for Equity & Support for Our Students

Fighting for Equity and Support for Our Students

As SDEA union educators, we serve the highest-need student population in the county. We know that in order to set our students up for success, we need to address the needs of the whole child inside and outside the classroom. Advocating for the well-being of our students has been a guiding principle for SDEA elected leaders from schools and programs throughout the district as we have voted to adopt several policies in recent years that have oriented us as a fighting, social justice union.

With the constant threats by the new federal administration to target our most vulnerable students and communities, the impact of politics on our schools is undeniable. As a union, we could choose to sit on the sidelines, hoping that more humane values eventually prevail. Our SDEA Board and Representative Council, however, have set us on a path to not acquiesce to the status quo and to instead organize together with union and community allies to secure protections and supports that advance equity and human rights.

We took on this mission when we ratified our contract bargaining platform and collectively committed to fight for the 3 pillars in our statewide We Can’t Wait campaign: fully-staffed schools, improving our pay and stability for our students and communities. Locally, we are building on our history of successful community demands campaigns where we as union educators have joined with families and other members of our education justice coalition to win agreements on community schools, stronger shared decision-making, and affordable housing. 

This year, guided by the feedback provided through our SDEA bargaining input process and by coalition partners, we honed in on expanded housing and mental health supports as the community demands for our campaign. At our first bargaining session on February 27, we proposed a new equity article in our contract that includes solutions to address the housing crisis in San Diego that is contributing to declining student enrollment. We also proposed a 10% combined salary increase by 2026 so that we can continue to afford to live near the schools where we teach. 

These proposals by the SDEA bargaining team were backed by walk-ins across SDUSD as we chanted, shared our contract campaign platform with families and added signatures to petitions with our demands for the schools our students deserve. Through the participation of thousands of SDEA union educators in our collective actions, we are building the power needed to get the district to prioritize resources for our students and also send a unified message to decision-makers up and down the state that Now Is The Time to reverse decades of disinvestment in public education in California. We Can’t Wait!

by Sara Kennedy

2025 Bargaining Kickoff

Last week, SDEA members started bargaining for a stronger union contract, demanding fully staffed schools, improved educator pay, & stability for our students. Union educators all over California are also beginning bargaining and gathering community support as part of the statewide We Can’t Wait campaign. 

Educators, families, students, and community members showed up #UnionStrong last week!

SDEA members at schools across the District held rallies and walk-ins last week to show solidarity, raise awareness as bargaining began, and gather community support for the fight ahead. Everyone signed giant community petitions in support of the We Can’t Wait platform, and then walked in together in solidarity. See some highlights from across the District:

https://youtu.be/kSSGMZJUbC0

At the bargaining table, SDEA members proposed improvements to pay and stability.

SDEA members on the Bargaining Team met for the first session on February 27, 2025, where they presented 19 proposals focused on improving pay and stability for students and communities - two of the three goals that educators across the state are currently fighting for. Here in San Diego Unified, that means proposals of future and retroactive raises, better benefits and leave policies, equitable compensation for extra work, no more layoffs for the duration of this contract, and a new equity article with protections for our students and educators who are currently targeted by federal policies and threats. Our next bargaining session will be on March 27, when proposals will focus on fully staffing schools. Read the full bargaining update sent to all members after the session, and keep track of more information on the We Can't Wait bargaining information hub.

What’s next?

As bargaining continues, SDEA members will continue building their site-based union power with rolling pickets starting in late April. Make sure to attend your next union meeting to find out more! With daily threats to federal funding in the news, it’s clear that this won’t be an easy fight. It’s more important than ever to advocate for public education, and to bring along families and community members to join us in our fight!

by Sara Kennedy

Dream Big: Fund your projects with an IFT Grant!

Did you know that union membership can help fund innovative projects in your classrooms and schools? CTA’s Institute for Teaching (IFT) Grants are a key part of the IFT’s mission to support public educators, students, and communities. These funds help educators turn big ideas into real impact, and are available to all SDEA members as part of our statewide affiliate. Could your classroom or school be next? 

See these grant funds in action:

$20,000 is currently fueling a leadership program at Morse High School

SDEA members Maria Miller and Sonja Taylor received a $20,000 grant for their project, “Black and Brown Girls United to Heal” at Morse High School. Their project addresses the underrepresentation of young girls in leadership positions, and provides a program full of leadership development opportunities for girls to develop confidence, self-esteem, a stronger sense of belonging, and leadership capacity. Participants were invited through a collaboration with Morse’s counselors, Restorative Justice Coordinator, and Wellness Center Coordinator. This project is still ongoing, and the participants are holding a “Glow & Grow Gathering” event as a culmination of the project on Saturday, May 10th - RSVP if you’d like to attend and support!

“CTA really wants to provide educators access to resources to make projects come true,” said Maria Miller. “No project too small or too big! Educators have permission to dream without limits for students.”

$20,000 helped kick off a School Garden & Comprehensive Health and Wellness Program

SDEA member Emalyn Leppard got an IFT grant for Montgomery Middle STEAM Magnet School’s Comprehensive Health & Wellness Program - most recently, a $20,000 grant for the 2018-19 School Year to build on previous grants. This funding helped the Health & Wellness Program grow into a thriving collaboration of parents, teachers, university students, and community partners, which is still ongoing long after the initial grant period. Funds were used for a school garden, aquaponics system, and revitalized school kitchen, so students could grow and cook healthy meals, see real-world examples from their math and science lessons, and participate in monthly Family Dinner Nights to celebrate diverse cultures through food. 

See the school garden and Family Dinner Nights in action in this 2 minute video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU1ChVr7m1A

Today, Emalyn is “semi-retired,” but still involved in the school garden (now named after her!) as a Visiting Teacher and as a support for teachers and college interns. She’s also a garden coordinator at the Sage Garden Project, which funds and supports garden and cooking programs for elementary schools - not just as electives or after-school programs for a few students, but as comprehensive programs for every kid during the school day, run by trained (and compensated) educators. She’s a fierce advocate for school gardens for everyone, including advocating at the state level where SB 341 was recently introduced to support school gardens all over California.

“IFT grants were a game changer,” said Emalyn Leppard. “Dream big! If you’ve ever wanted to do something outside the box, this funding makes it so easy to follow that dream. You don’t have to submit requests through the District, and SDEA does all the bookkeeping so you get reimbursed quickly. I was able to pay stipends for a team, including a retired credentialed teacher to help run the program and a community member to help make connections to families who I wasn’t able to connect with on my own.” 

Read CTA’s highlight of Emalyn Leppard and this project!

Follow the Montgomery Middle School Community Garden on Facebook to see the ongoing garden!

What could an IFT grant fund in your classroom or school?

What big dreams do you have for your classroom or school? Could these dreams become a reality with the support of funds from an IFT grant?

Applications are still open for Institute for Teaching (IFT) Grants to fund projects in the 2025-2026 school year. The deadline is March 31, 2025. Learn more and apply at cta.org/ift-institute-for-teaching.

Grant opportunities include:

• Environmental Education Cohort (NEW!): Up to $5,000 (Environmental Educator Grant) or $20,000 (Environmental Impact Grant) for projects focused on environmental education, plus networking opportunities and an in-person convening! 

• Educator Grant: Up to $5,000 for individual educators to impact a classroom or group of students. 

• Impact Grant: Up to $20,000 for teams of two or more educators (three recommended) to make an impact across multiple classrooms or school sites. 

Get inspiration & support:

Not sure what this funding could look like in your school or classroom? Check out more examples of projects funded for the 2024-25 school year and the 2023-24 school year.

You can email ift@cta.org with questions, and check out the IFT website for lots more information (including an opportunity to schedule a one-on-one meeting to brainstorm with a Grant Project Coordinator!)

by Sara Kennedy