CIT's Story
Who is “California Independent Teachers”?
We want you to know there is an OPTION
California Independent Teachers was formed because of a need for an alternative to CTA and the knowledge that there was a viable and successful model already in place, it just wasn’t’ being offered to teachers. If fact, most teachers don’t even know that they HAVE an option, but they do.
We know there is a viable MODEL in place right now
There are thousands of independent public employee associations, representing tens of thousands of members in the State of California, many of whom decertified from larger Unions because their needs weren’t being met. Every year professional, veteran negotiators come in and bargain their contracts, increasing their benefits, wages and conditions. Lawyers are at their beck and call anytime there is a disciplinary issue or a grievance; they don’t ever see a shop steward. They pay around $40.00 per month in dues and they still remain an influential voice in State and local politics: Public Safety Associations are a perfect example.
We make that model WORK everyday
It just so happens that we are especially privy to this knowledge because CIT was founded by the very group of professionals that provides these services to other public employee associations throughout the state. (Meet us here) With teachers in our families and teachers as our friends, neighbors, and association clients, we were appalled that CTA teachers were paying double what the majority of our other clients were paying, but they weren’t getting the services that they really needed and they had to request permission to keep their money locally if they really needed to.
We feel like teachers should be the FOCUS
We feel like CTA’s primary focus is on politics, rather than focusing on what the name infers: Teachers. We like the original concept of CTA and the original mission: We think John Swett had it right in 1863 when he organized a Teachers Institute. Over the last century, CTA has morphed into an entity that represents everything in education and beyond, and although teachers are “Education’s” largest advocate, they are often the collaterally damaged victims of Education Policy.
We think teachers deserve MORE
We think that with an annual budget of over $300 million dollars and 500 employees, every teacher deserves an attorney representing them in disciplinary matters, every teachers’ association deserves a professional, experienced negotiator bargaining for their contract, and not one grievance or legal matter should ever be handled by a shop steward.
CIT is a WAY to get what you deserve
We know there is an alternative that works. We think it should be up to the teachers in their schools and districts to decide what is best for them. There’s too much at stake to being playing politics with teacher’s careers, anymore. California Independent Teachers isn’t a company. It isn’t an organization or a corporation or even an association. CIT is a vehicle for adopting a better model for you and your fellow teachers.