Are you a CTA member and educator of color? Interested in broadening your knowledge of your union and exploring leadership opportunities? CTA’s Ethnic Minority Early Identification and Development (EMEID) program may be for you.

EMEID’s goal is to increase the number of BIPOC CTA leaders in roles such as president, bargaining chair, State Council delegate, Service Center Council chair and other positions. The program builds on existing CTA/NEA programs, trainings and conferences and incorporates interaction and coaching with local chapters, CTA and NEA leadership and CTA staff.

Applications for the 2023-24 EMEID cohort are being accepted now through April 7. Those selected must commit to attend the EMEID orientation on Sat., July 22, as well as the Emerging Leaders Program at CTA’s Summer Institute held Sun.-Thurs., July 23-27. For details and to apply, visit cta.org/emeid. Pictured above: the EMEID 2022-23 cohort. 

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources with an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, leadership and community engagement, leading to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. The shared decision-making model ensures that educators, parents and community groups, along with school district administrators, have a voice.

CTA and NEA have been at the forefront of efforts to build community schools, providing resources and guidance to educators and local associations. And now, CTA leaders and staff have developed a five-step path to help locals build member and community support.

Read about CTA and local chapters’ work on this path in the Feb./March Educator magazine. Find more information about community schools and ways to get your school/district involved at cta.org/communityschools.

Get involved and help promote the importance of school music programs! The National Association for Music in Education offers lessons for multiple grade levels that are
free to teachers to use and share.

Read Across America Day is Thursday, March 2. It’s a day to celebrate with your students and school community, with a focus on books and the written word, special guest readers and more.

Among those guest readers will be CTA officers and leaders around the state, including CTA President E. Toby Boyd. They’ll visit classrooms to meet students and read aloud books from CTA’s 2023 California Reads program: teacher-vetted, engaging books for all grade levels.

The California Reads page also offers past years’ selections and tips on how to make children better readers, available in eight languages. Members can find links to buy the books at a 20 percent discount.

And yes, reading and literacy are year-round activities! NEA offers a monthly calendar of recommended books, authors and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion at nea.org/readacrossamerica.