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Joint statement on forming an exploratory committee on consolidation

Sep 14, 2020 | Press

Joint statement from Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association (CEA) and Kallie Leyba, president of the American Federation of Teachers Colorado (AFT Colorado), on forming an exploratory committee on consolidation:

“The CEA Board of Directors and the AFT Colorado Executive Board voted last week to form an exploratory Unity Committee to develop a vision of what would be possible if our organizations consolidate our power, strength and resources. We believe we must do everything possible to create power for P-20 educators in Colorado at the bargaining table, in the community, at state and local boards of education and at the Legislature. We have an incredible opportunity to unify and strengthen our collective voice to proactively fight for public education,the schools our students and educators deserve, the labor movement and to push back against those who seek to undermine public education and the collective voice of educators.

“Over the years, our organizations have worked together informally to fight back against anti-public education school boards and corporate interests in Jefferson and Douglas Counties, Thompson, Denver and other districts. We have collaborated at the state Legislature and in statewide electoral efforts. While we work well together informally, we believe it is time to explore a more formal partnership.

“The Unity Committee will explore creating a new merged organization that will be stronger, unified, and deliver more programs and services to members. As a unified organization, we can accomplish so much more than we can as independent organizations. This exploratory process will provide research and analysis to determine what a formal partnership could look like and what the benefits would be to our organizations.”

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CEA statement on President Trump designating teachers as “essential workers”

Aug 21, 2020 | Press

Statement from Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), on the Trump administration designating teachers as“essential workers”:

“Today, President Donald Trump designated teachers as ‚Äòessential workers’ in yet another attempt to force public schools to re-open despite the deadly COVID-19 pandemic gripping our nation. His actions underscore his willingness to make re-opening our schools a political decision instead of one based in science. Over the past few weeks, Colorado school districts, educators, students, and parents have grappled with the complexities of re-opening our schools in the midst of this pandemic that is both conducive to student learning and makes safety the number one priority. Just in the past week, we’ve seen several Colorado schools forced to rethink those plans in light of positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

“If President Trump and Secretary DeVos are truly interested in getting schools back to normal, they would make their decisions in the interest of public health and safety. They would give school districts and educators the resources they need, and they would send a message to both educators and students that our safety is the top priority, not political games and showmanship.”

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CEA media release: Colorado Education Association Holds Town Hall with CEA-Recommended Senate Candidate Governor John Hickenlooper

Aug 18, 2020 | Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2020

Colorado Education Association Holds Town Hall with CEA-Recommended Senate Candidate Governor John Hickenlooper

Hickenlooper unveils his Senate education agenda

DENVER – The Colorado Education Association (CEA) hosted a virtual town hall event last night with CEA-recommended United States Senate candidate, Gov. John Hickenlooper. Over the course of an hour, Gov. Hickenlooper laid out details of his education agenda ahead of the 2020 United States Senate election in a match up with incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner.

“One of the greatest lessons public school educators have learned over the last several months is the need to elect public officials, including to the United States Senate, who are true champions of students, educators and public education,” said high school counselor and CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert.“Educators have lived the consequences of elected officials unwilling to act or who act by putting corporate profits over students.”

“As Educators, for nearly four years now, we have seen first-hand what a lack of commitment to public education and our students looks like as Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos slashed billions of dollars from our public schools and divert funding into unaccountable and oftentimes discriminatory private schools. Over the last several months, rather than working to get COVID under control and working on a plan to reopen schools and campuses when it is safe to do so, Trump and DeVos have tried to bully students and educators back into unsafe classrooms. And sadly, during this crisis, Sen. Cory Gardner has done nothing to stand up for Colorado’s students, parents, and educators. That is why it is so critical that Colorado voters reject Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos, and Cory Gardner this fall – by electing Joe Biden as president and sending John Hickenlooper to the U.S. Senate,” said NEA President-elect Becky Pringle.

Some of Gov. Hickenlooper’s education agenda includes:

  • Investing in early childhood learning by ensuring universal access to early childhood education and preschool;
  • Strengthening our K-12 system by giving schools the resources they need to reopen safely;
  • Invest in public schools, investing in educators, and supporting community schools;
  • Promoting equity in education by ending the school-to-to prison pipeline, strengthening support for English language learners, fulfilling our commitment to adequately fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and protecting the civil rights of LGTBQ students, and;
  • Making higher education more accessible by addressing college affordability, supporting equal access to a college degree, strengthening transitions to college and the workforce, and preparing students for careers in renewable energy.

“Gov. Hickenlooper’s vision for improving public education begins to address the anti-public education reform policies that have exacerbated educational inequities amongst students, and increased the teacher shortage crisis across the country,” added Baca-Oehlert.“Educators are not willing to stand idly by when the consequences are so high for our students. Our 39,000 members believe in the hope of a new day and we will be voting in November to flip the US Senate and to roll back the failed education policies of Trump and DeVos by supporting John Hickenlooper for US Senate.”

Last month, the CEA Fund voted to recommend former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper for the United States Senate over incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner in the November general election.

About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is a membership-based organization that represents 39,000 Colorado educators. The CEA promise to our students and communities is that the members of the Association will lead the way in guaranteeing every student access to the best public education. By working collectively with all education stakeholders, we will provide the best public education for every student and assure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.

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