Candidates for Citywide Officer
Update: see the results
Candidates for Citywide office need to win with a 50% plus 1 majority vote. If no candidate has a majority, there will be a run-off in the Second Round.
Note Candidate photos, flyers, statements, and links are now all added, as well as video statements and Q&As for citywide candidates who participated. Candidate statements/flyers are not UTLA’s statements/flyers. UTLA does not edit, censor, or endorse any of them.
Contested
2022-2023 UTLA President
Greg Russell
Don't believe what I say but do VERIFY what I say.
UTLA would be greatly improved if all members practiced this on all leaders.
Educators have a sad history of trusting others at the cost of their 403 (b), https://latebloomerwealth.com/about-us/.
Educators are also likely overworked, underpaid, too stressed and time constrained to practice verification.
We are the perfect population to be taken advantage of.
UTLA consistently elects poor leaders.
Did you vote after using critical thinking or did you ask someone that was active for their opinion?
What leaders warned you that the United Teacher had been unconstitutionally halted?
What leaders warned you that our constitution had Article VI, section 2b removed without any vote taken?
I warned the House of Representatives (HoR) of them both in October 2019.
At the 2 Constitutional Amendments Forums, I asked that the membership get email/phone blasts about them, get to vote on them, get contact information of the HoR members. Your leaders didn't act. You've lost control of UTLA.
I think my getting AFT involved got us the contact information of the Board of Directors (BoD.)
You should be influenced by actions of the individual - not their words or the prestige of their office.
Last year, I was personally attacked and called names. Cecily appointed Ingrid Gunnell to enforce order. Ingrid never called these people, including Julie Van Winkle, to order. Instead, she joined in the name calling.
This toxic atmosphere is perfectly described from 5:23 to 9:37, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fmtz.
Almost 2 years ago I warned the HoR that UTLA's Members Only Facebook Group had expelled me and other critics without due process.
Consider joining Unofficial UTLA Discussion Group on Facebook.
Ask your chapter chair how to join my private website.
The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) was instrumental in ending rampant union corruption.
UTLA must stop wasting $ thousands monthly on lawyers to avoid the LMRDA.Statement
Q&A
Leonard Segal
I look forward to making a difference in the lives of all of you who do so much every day to make a difference in the lives of our students. I have a plan to get you the highest pay increase in the history of UTLA, protect your job and make teaching fun and rewarding.
Hello. My name is Leonard Segal, candidate for President of UTLA.
Everything in my life has prepared me to be the best President that UTLA needs at this time. Starting with my background in business, journalism, psychology and personal development, before I started my 27 years of teaching and 22 years as an activist in UTLA. I have learned from and stay intouch with past leaders of UTLA that got us a 54% pay increase in 6 years and did the best at protecting members from abuse.
The problem with UTLA has been all the people who have gotten elected but didn’t know how to do the job. If you are happy with your pay and feel protected at your school, there is nothing you need to do.
But if you aren’t happy with not getting any more money after a 7 day strike and don’t feel UTLA is protecting your rights, you will have to vote for change.
I have assembled the United Team for Change who at every position have the actual experience to do the job they are running for. Go to UT4C.com for a comparison. Every year I will bring more people back that have done the best job of protecting your rights, stopping abusive working conditions and got us the highest pay. With your vote we can return to fighting for Your pay, Your job, Your benefits, Your Retirement, & Your Professional Respect!
I am also the only one with a plan to protect you from being replaced by new AI tech and instead use it to create new funding streams to increase teacher pay and retirement, improve student learning, test scores, enrollment, attendance and make teaching and learning fun for you and your students.
Tell everyone to join the United Team for Change and vote to improve Your pay, Your job, Your benefits, and Your Retirement! UT4C.com
Statement
Q&A
Cecily Myart-Cruz
UTLA family,
I am Cecily Myart-Cruz and I’ve had the pleasure of serving as your president over the last three years. It has not been easy on any of us as we continue to move in and through the pandemic. Thank you for your service. I am grateful for all of you weathering that ever-changing terrain in the district and beyond on behalf of our babies. But I expected nothing less because that is who we are as educators. Together, we have won the strongest Covid protections in the nation, a straight 5% and bonus outside of full contract bargaining. We have expanded the bargaining team, including your voice from the beginning, which helped shape the direction of our union with our contract demands.
Our contract campaign is ambitious, bold, and unwavering, because it states what we fundamentally believe and know is attainable. We must demand better working conditions, student learning and living conditions too and an actual pay raise so that our educator colleagues only work one job in this District.
UTLA is a fighting union because of our members. I want to continue what we have started. We are changing the narrative of public education, locally, statewide, and nationally. To do this, we must build power at our school sites, increase curriculum autonomy, advocate for public education and fight for racial and social justice on behalf of our students.
I am the only candidate with experience at every level in our Union and did so teaching full time as an elementary teacher and later as a middle school teacher. I miss teaching and learning from our young people every day. They are who inspire me to advocate with passion for the schools our students deserve. I am glad to be running with the Unity and Strength team. These dynamic women are current leaders in their schools and areas. They led during the pandemic at school sites like you. They are ready to lead on day 1. I humbly ask for your vote for myself, Denisha, Rosa, Julie, Georgia, Maria and Jennifer. Thank you.Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA NEA Vice President
Laura McCutcheon
Do you want YOUR UNION to work FOR YOU? Vote LAURA ESCAMILLA MCCUTCHEON for NEA VICE PRESIDENT, making a CHANGE SO UTLA WORKS FOR YOU! As an awards-winning Social Justice Educator I am PREPARED to PROTECT YOU & YOUR RIGHTS! As the MOST empathetic & inclusive candidate elected by YOU I REPRESENT YOU IN NEA RA for nearly 2 DECADES! My pre-teaching accounting-tech career & Negotiations Masters Degree make me MOST QUALIFIED to do the work with diverse stakeholders to bargain expertly, guarantee UTLA dues-paid SUPPORTS & improve YOUR working conditions. Teaching 28 years, an 18-year inner city Chapter Chair with BCLAD, NBCT, & Instructional Leadership Certificates, I work to advance YOUR autonomy, critical & culturally diverse pedagogy, community-home-school-union bonds, & member-driven, paid PD. As the MOST EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR OFFICER CANDIDATE, REPRESENTING YOU in AFL-CIO & ALL local, state, & national bodies; PACE; AAEC; Central & GALIC Steering Committees; & UTLA Women’s Ed. Standing Comm. Chair, I know firsthand YOUR burnout & work overload! I HEAR, RESPOND TO, & SERVE YOU to increase LAUSD-UTLA accountability, transparency & stakeholder-driven decision-making. STOP current top-down union manipulation! With compassion for ALL members, Itinerants, Arts, EEC, HHS, Librarians, Special Ed, & Subs, I will SERVE & SHIELD YOU from any daily campus abuses & challenges YOU face. United Team for Change will BUILD A BETTER UTLA, SUPPORT YOU by enforcing YOUR CONTRACT & adding UNION SERVICES to organizing. To lift YOUR VOICES, I will make elections visible, as ONLY 10% elected current leaders! Let’s TAKE BACK your stolen voices, YOUR UNION! Return power to UTLA's House of Reps! JOIN UNITED TEAM FOR CHANGE & MAKE UTLA WORK FOR YOU, YOUR JOB, YOUR PAY, YOUR BENEFITS, YOUR RETIREMENT, & YOUR PROFESSIONAL RESPECT! Leading in SOLIDARITY & working with INTEGRITY for YOU & more democratic, member-driven solutions, so TEACHING & LEARNING can be JOYFUL again! MEET US at UT4C.com!
Statement
Q&A
Georgia Flowers Lee
Hello UTLA siblings, I am Georgia Flowers Lee and I am running to be your UTLA/NEA vice president. I have spent the past two decades working with students who have exceptional needs as a special education classroom teacher. I currently serve as the west area chair and have been in the trenches with you as we fought our way through the pandemic and all the challenges it brought. We fought and won strong covid19 protections, updated technology for our educators and a much-deserved raise, but our educators deserve more. Our students and their families deserve so much more.
UTLA is a fighting union and our Beyond Recovery platform lays out the things that we need and are willing to fight for. How do we win this fight? We need a team approach to:
- Build power at our school sites to enforce our contract, increase the strength of Local School Leadership Councils, empower chapter chairs and ensure that members have a voice in local decision-making.
- Ending the over-testing of students and increasing curriculum autonomy.
- Fighting against privatization and all the ways it negatively impacts our school sites including colocation and resource depletion.
- Centering racial and social justice as we advocate for our members, our students and our communities.
I am proud to be running with the Unity and Strength team. A team of women who have led in all the spaces they occupy. Women who have fought for and alongside their colleagues, who have taken on the powers that be for the powerless, who have stood in the gap. We are ready to continue our leadership and service. Vote for:
Denisha Jordan - Treasurer
Rosa Jimenez - Secondary Vice President
Maria Miranda - Elementary Vice President
Jennifer McAfee – Secretary
Julie Van Winkle – AFT Vice President
Cecily Myart-Cruz – President
Georgia Flowers Lee – UTLA/NEA Vice President
Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA AFT Vice President
Julie Van Winkle
I am the current UTLA Secondary VP, and I am running for AFT VP. I am one of the Bargaining Team leads. During my term in office, I worked hard to help win UTLA the strongest pandemic bargaining agreements in the country, and I hope that you will give me the opportunity to continue to lead our negotiations as we escalate our Beyond Recovery campaign. I believe that this time in history is crucial for our union and for the progressive movement.
As AFT VP, I want to increase the UTLA presence at County Fed meetings and in our affiliate spaces. Since UTLA is such a progressive union, it can sometimes seem like the affiliate work is disconnected from our local UTLA campaigns. I want to form networks with other progressive unions within the Fed, AFT and CFT to push those organizations to the left. I also want to organize our UTLA member-leaders internally, so that we distribute our work in a way that maximizes our potential to achieve more progressive policy – policy that fully funds schools and that paves the way for Medicare for All and Housing for All. We need policy that ensures that teachers can afford to live and buy homes in the neighborhoods in which they teach, and that our students and their families can afford to remain in the city of LA, in their home neighborhoods, attending high-quality public schools.
My team, Unity & Strength, is the team we need to lead us through this crucial time. We are a team of experienced women who have committed to work together to lead our union to what could be the biggest victories we have ever seen: smaller class sizes, significant salary increases, full implementation of Community Schools and BSAP, and more. THIS IS THE TEAM WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. DENISHA JORDAN is running for Treasurer. ROSA JIMENEZ is running for Secondary VP. We need to elect Rosa, Denisha and the entire Unity & Strength team so that we can lead with a shared vision and transform our profession in a way that empowers educators and communities.
Statement
Q&A
Midsanon 'Soni' Lloyd
Under my leadership, we will take our union back from disconnected labor bureaucrats who stifle dissent, allow working conditions to deteriorate, and abet the privatization of public education. Every year additional duties are imposed on teachers, support decreases, administration becomes increasingly unaccountable, and LAUSD approves more private charters-they are now the #1 charter authorizer in the nation. Despite our strike, these injustices continue. As UTLA AFT Vice President, I will democratize our union and organize us to:
WIN A TRUE TEACHER'S CONTRACT
Just wages with annual cost of living adjustments and paid maternity leave
Secure healthcare and retirement
Reduce workload
Increase staff
PD system that works for all teachers
Strengthen due process rights
Open negotiations of contracts
END PRIVATIZATION
School Board that proactively address the needs of communities instead of authorizing charters
Collect ALL fees from charters
Pursue legislation to abolish private charters
ACHIEVE FULL FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS
Stop budget manipulation of LAUSD and require them to spend all taxpayer funds on our schools.
ACTIVATE PARENTS AND STUDENTS
Invest in real community organizing based on working with the public on education policy and divest from sell-out politicians who abet privatization
Student unions are set up at every school, overseen by the new UTLA student involvement committee.
MY RECORD
Community organizer for numerous school site, contract, and legislative campaigns
Leading the ongoing campaign for annual COLA for teachers
Represent teachers as chapter chair and on House of Reps
Founder of new caucus, CORE-LA, to re-prioritize working conditions
Vote UT4c.com to make UTLA work for professionalism, Your job, Your pay, Your benefits, & Your Retirement! Contract enforcement, member-driven solutions, & member services!Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA Elementary Vice President
Maria Miranda
My name is Maria Miranda, I am a part of the Unity & Strength team and I am running for Elementary Vice President. 23 years as an educator and 11 years as a union leader have prepared me to lead our union as the next Elementary Vice President.
I began my work with UTLA as a Miramonte E.S. Chapter Co-Chair 11 years ago. Since then I have served on the South Area Steering Committee, the expanded bargaining team, the PACE Committee, on the UTLA board, in the House of Representatives, and been South Area Chair for the last six years. Every leadership position has been unique and has prepared me to now serve you as the next Elementary Vice President.
I have organized campaigns with educators and parents on school site issues, to push back against unreasonable administrative demands and to expose lemon principals. I have supported chapter chairs in starting Local School Leadership Councils. With South Area chapter chairs, I have led multiple parent meetings to mobilize parents in support of our bargaining campaigns and school site campaigns.
I will fight for a greater educator voice in curriculum development and for a culturally relevant curriculum. I will continue our fight for racial and social justice. As a Community School Coordinator I have seen first hand how this work benefits our school communities. I commit to organizing our members to increase the number of community schools in our district.
Together with school communities I have organized multiple campaigns to stop charter school co-locations. We as a union must continue being on the forefront of protecting public education and protecting our communities from the privatization and profiteering of education. This prioritizes electing UTLA endorsed school board members .
Please vote for myself, Maria Miranda for Elementary Vice President and for the Unity and Strength Team, Denisha Jordan, Georgia Flowers Lee, Rosa Jimenez, Jennifer McAfee, Julie Van Winkle, and Cecily Myart-Cruz.
Thank you!
Statement
Q&A
Tracey Schroeder
Why vote Tracey Schroeder for UTLA Elementary Vice President?
Our teachers are overworked, burned-out, underpaid, and just plain frustrated. I am ready to work to change the direction of UTLA and put teacher needs first. I am fully qualified and committed to ensuring representation for you, to be YOUR NEW VOICE for CHANGE to meet the needs of our members. I want YOUR dues to work for YOU. It’s time to LEARN from our past experience. We need a United Team that understands our work as educators, and who will stand and fight for YOUR PAY, YOUR JOB, YOUR BENEFITS, and PROTECTING YOUR PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS.If elected for Elementary Vice President, I will work tirelessly to find workable solutions for our classroom/professional issues:
-inadequate pay
-staffing crisis
-lack of itinerant, substitute, and special ed. support
-needless over-assessments
-displacement/layoffs from declining enrollment
-unreasonable administrative demandsI am a 25-year-highly-qualified veteran teacher and UCLA graduate (B.A. degree in Communication Studies; master’s degree in Psychology, from Phillips Graduate Institute, Art Therapy), running to be your Elementary Vice President. Because I value our labor and public education, I have served as Chapter Chair, as NEA/RA State Delegate, and ran for LAUSD Member of the Board of Education District 4 against Nick Melvoin in 2022 and received over 36,000 votes.
Join me at United Team for Change to learn more about our highly qualified candidates and voter guide - so that UTLA WORKS for YOU, YOUR job, YOUR pay, YOUR benefits, YOUR Retirement, YOUR Professional Rights and Respect, so that teaching and learning can be a joy again.
Vote for: Tracey Schroeder for Elementary Vice President, putting teaching needs first.Visit: UT4C.com
Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA Secondary Vice President
Alex Orozco
Before elected to UTLA leadership 9 years ago as a director for Valley East and then UTLA Treasurer, I was a chapter chair and I remember the struggles that our members were facing. UTLA was on the brink of a financial collapse, weak, and unproductive!
Since 2014, we’ve transformed UTLA into a powerful union. Our historic strike gave way to victories in salary, class size, better conditions, common good and the removal of Article 1.5. The power we built led to winning the strongest COVID safety protocols in the nation and had an impact in the last school board election.
As Treasurer, I’ve worked with two officer teams to make this possible and look forward to continuing to do so again. I have negotiated and won healthcare, created strong and strategic budgets that included investing in media, protected our membership against Janus, ensured work and pay for substitutes. I’ve worked with members to address concerns like co-locations, Community Schools, BSAP, wildfires, and grievances.
As Secondary V.P, I will build on my experience as an UTLA officer and the two decades of teaching experience to empower and support educators to address city-wide and school sites issues. I will take on LAUSD and Carvahlo!
I also bring a perspective that’s rooted me in social justice! As an immigrant child having to move from school to school because of our housing insecurity, that went on to be the first to graduate from college and parent to two LAUSD grads, I can identify with what many of our students and members go through. Being married to an elementary teacher also grounds me daily to the struggles of the classroom!My tenure as officer, perspective, experience and ability to work with everyone makes me the best candidate!
I’m proud to have the endorsement of Alex Caputo Pearl and leaders across all areas of UTLA.
VOTE FOR EXPERIENCE AND PROVEN LEADERSHIP!Vote for Alex Orozco for Secondary VP and Gloria Martinez for Treasurer. The team that is ready to lead on day one!
Statement
Q&A
Rosa Jimenez
I work at the UCLA Community School, I am a Board of Director and Area Chair. As a single mom to a 9th grader, fighting for a transformed public education system is deeply personal. At the UCLA Community School, I led work around culturally relevant curriculum, building distributive leadership, creating alternative assessments, and building strong parent and student relationships. As part of Students Deserve, I organize alongside parents and students AGAINST the criminalization of Black and brown students and FOR a vision that meets the needs of the whole child. I represented Students Deserve and UTLA in the founding of Reclaim Our Schools Los Angeles and was a member of the steering committee that helped build a powerful labor-community partnership. I am the co-chair of the Community Schools Steering Committee, overseeing the expansion of community schools. As an Area Chair and core bargaining team member, I led our union through a pandemic and have expanded our steering committee and strengthened our clusters. As secondary Vice President, I will work to strengthen our school site's ability to fight for what our members need and assure that our union is a powerful vehicle for social and racial justice in the community. In order to do this, we must 1) Build power at our school sites to enforce the contract, increase the strength of Local School Leadership Councils 2) Increase curriculum autonomy, end the overtesting 3) Fight against privatization 4) Fight for racial and social justice by expanding community schools and BSAP. Our team will listen to members, build leadership and political education, and engage new educators in our union. We will strengthen and nurture our relationships with parents and community. We need a WHOLE team of officers that is ready and willing to move together on DAY ONE. That team is Unity and Strength: Cecily Myart-Cruz, Julie Van Winkle, Georgia Flowers Lee, Maria Miranda, Denisha Jordan, and Jennifer McAfee.
Statement
Q&A
Mark Muskrath
My name is Mark Muskrath, I’m running for UTLA Secondary Vice President: I want a strong UTLA that fights for educators and THEIR best interests: higher salaries, excellent benefits, professional respect and job protections. I want a UTLA that listens to and represents ALL members and their concerns.
As a classroom teacher in LAUSD for 24 years, I have been active in UTLA as a Chapter Chair, Member of the House of Representatives, and currently serve on the Board of Directors representing the Central Area. In my leadership roles, I have always wanted to serve and represent members to the best of my ability. In order to do that effectively, I have found that it is important to LISTEN to members. I have listened and what I have heard is that educators in LAUSD feel overworked, disrespected, and under represented. I want UTLA to improve the way it is serving its members, because they pay their dues every month and deserve nothing less than the best services and support from UTLA.
I want UTLA to remain relevant to its members by not only bargaining the best contract possible for them but additionally allocating the resources necessary to support Chapter Chairs so they can effectively defend the contract and its protections for all members against unsupportive administrators and unreasonable District policies.
Above all, UTLA must make a commitment to its members to obtain the highest salaries and best benefit package offered by any Public School District in the State of California. This will require focused leadership and effort. I am determined in achieving this important task.
Join me in supporting a strong executive team to lead UTLA: Leonard Segal, Laura McCutcheon, Soni Lloyd, Tracey Schroeder, Michele Middleton and Carrie Phu.
Check out UT4C.com for other candidates who will put educators' interests first!
In solidarity for a better future for public educators in Los Angeles
Mark Muskrath
Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA Treasurer
Michele Middleton
My name is Michele Middleton,
I have been an active member of UTLA for 17 years.I stand for Integrity, Accountability, and Unity!
I am the ONLY candidate for Treasurer with financial experience. My former 24-year career in finance and expertise in book-keeping, and balanced budgets is vital given UTLA's multi-million dollar budget!
As UTLA Treasurer, I will be accountable to YOU by protecting every dollar YOU pledge as a member of UTLA!
When elected, I will steadfastly uphold the powers and duties of Treasurer as outlined in Article III, Section 6(D) of the UTLA Constitution:
1. To have official custody of all funds of UTLA.
2. To exercise general supervision over the receipt and disbursement of all funds
3. To serve as chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors.
4. To supervise the preparation of the annual budget, periodic financial reports, and the annual independent audit, as required by the Board of Directors and the House of Representatives.
5. To approve by their signature all expenditures of money approved by the House of Representatives and drawn on the Treasury.With my experience listening and effectively responding to the needs of educators, I will ensure that YOUR priorities, and those of the rank-and-file membership, are reflected in UTLA's annual budget each fiscal year. The process will be transparent and accessible to all members.
I've proudly represented members locally & nationally:
- Vice-Chair: School Site Council
- Impact/Restorative Justice Facilitator
- Grief Recovery Certified
- WASC Team
- State Delegate: NEA
I will defend YOUR wages, YOUR benefits, and YOUR working conditions!
Running with United Teachers For Change
making UTLA work for You, Your job, Your pay, Your benefits, Your Retirement!
Vote United Teachers For Change the slate putting Educators First!
Leading in solidarity ut4c.comYOUR voice matters!
Thank you for YOUR vote! Michele Middleton for UTLA Treasurer
Statement
Q&A
Denisha Jordan
Denisha Jordan, M.Ed., ATC
I have been a secondary PE teacher for 21 years. I made the choice to run for office because I believe that my team and I are able to be part of the change that needs to happen in UTLA. The Unity & Strength Team is a group of experienced leaders that includes two current officers, Cecily Myart-Cruz and Julie Van Winkle. I have been an active member and leader in UTLA for over a decade. I believe that my previous and current roles within UTLA have prepared me to lead as an officer.
As Treasurer, I will ensure that UTLA remains solvent by increasing our revenue through member recruitment and the leasing of vacant spaces within our building. I want to establish a process and system where every new hire (prospective member) is contacted and personally invited to join UTLA to ensure that new membership is a priority. I believe in building relationships with members in order to meet their needs and to strengthen our union.
As a LA Fed, AFT and NEA delegate, I understand the depth and importance of UTLA’s influence among our affiliates. My work with UTLA’s partner community organizations will help UTLA continue its work in social and racial justice. As Treasurer, I will ensure that UTLA’s racial and social justice priorities, beliefs and values are supported and reflected in our budget.
I believe in transparency and responsible spending. I believe that the rank and file should be part of the decision-making process within our union. As Treasurer, I want to provide opportunities for all members to understand the internal structures of our union, encourage more inclusion and involvement of rank and file members from every category (counselors, early ed, adult ed, special ed, substitutes, HHS, etc.), and have active recruitment for member involvement at the affiliate level through workshop and conference attendance.
I am trustworthy and ready to do the work. Please vote for me and the entire Unity & Strength Team.
Statement
Q&A
Gloria Martinez
I’ve had the honor to serve our members as Elementary VP for 6 years, and I am proud to be running for UTLA Treasurer.
Through our conversations, I’ve learned many lessons about the needs our members face daily. I’ve acquired skills that have helped us build campaigns to push back on top-down mandates such as Carvalho’s proposed calendar, how to work collaboratively with others to elevate issues, such as special education through our national campaign, Fulfill the Promise. Representing you on our bargaining team and leading us through our historic strike have been some of the greatest honors I’ve had as your officer.
It is these hard discussions we’ve shared that have prepared me to be ready to lead on day one in my new role. As your Treasurer, I will ensure that we are protected from anti-union attacks, that our membership be a reflection of our strength and continue building strong budgets that reflect our priorities.
For 6 years, I’ve had the opportunity to be mentored by some of the best unionist in the country. One of them being Alex Caputo-Pearl. I am proud to have earned his endorsement along with the endorsement of so many of you.
As a child of Mexican immigrants, I learned at a young age, from my parents, the power we as workers hold. As a student at Fishburn Elementary I recall helping my mother trim loose threads off of garments she brought home after a long day at work. These lessons instilled in me principles that define who I am as a woman, a teacher, an advocate and as elected officer of the second largest educators’ union in the country, whose members share similar backgrounds as mine and of the students we teach.
I look forward to taking on Carvahlo and the fight we have embarked on together.
And just like at school sites, experience and leadership matters.
This is why a vote for me for Treasurer and Alex Orozco for Secondary VP is a vote for EXPERIENCE and PROVEN LEADERSHIP. We are the team that will be ready to lead on day one.Statement
Q&A
2022-2023 UTLA Secretary
Jennifer McAfee
I am a middle school English teacher and leadership advisor currently in my 24th year of teaching. As a classroom teacher, I experienced what it was like to virtually teach during a pandemic and then transition to in person instruction.
My experiences as an educator and different roles in UTLA have prepared me to be an officer who is ready to lead. Working at a school site has given me firsthand experience of the needs of our members and students and the need to win our current contract demands. My experiences with our union have provided many opportunities to grow as a leader while learning the UTLA organizational structures which are important as the secretary.
Being a chapter chair for 8 years to steering committee member and now the current Harbor Area Chair, have been integral in preparing me for this role. As Harbor Area Chair, I have created spaces for members' voices to be heard and believe in the importance of supporting chapter chairs and members with issues at their sites.
As secretary, I will ensure the voices of members are heard and valued. I will promote opportunities for members to collaborate and provide input. I will use my organization and communication skills to provide transparent, timely, and thorough communications regarding our union’s policies and procedures. I want every member to be informed and understand the structures and policies and how they can become involved in ways that are meaningful to them.
I have been a member of the bargaining team since January 2020 where I helped negotiate working and learning conditions for us during the pandemic. I am also a member of the HOR, a CTA state delegate, and a delegate for the NEA representatives assembly. All of this work has further grown my skills as an inclusive leader who is willing to collaborate with all members.
Vote for Jennifer McAfee for UTLA Secretary and the entire Unity and Strength team including all officer candidates: Cecily, Georgia, Julie, Maria, Rosa, and Denisha.
Statement
Q&A
Carrie Phu
What matters most to me is supporting your needs and being accountable to you. I am here for you!
My name is Carrie Phu, and I’m running for UTLA Secretary. I am ready to fulfill all duties utilizing extraordinary organizational skills. I will advocate for you as your UTLA Secretary. I am committed to upholding transparency and integrity in representing all union members with equity.
I will advocate for the following:
- A members-only searchable database of official business meeting records and minutes
- A UTLA directory where members can easily find Officers,
- Committees, Chairs, and Area Director contacts
- Be a liaison between you and the Officers within the scope and duties of my responsibility as a UTLA Secretary
- Chapter Chair & Teacher Recognition
Be assured I will uphold my intentions with the utmost diligence!
As a seasoned educator of 28 years, I understand the pressures and continuous responsibilities impacting teachers. I am LISTENING to your concerns and ADVOCATING for CHANGE. I am an NEA State Delegate and Chapter Vice-Chair. Equally important, I have repeatedly demonstrated my strong organization, computer-tech competency, and leadership skills, and am highly qualified to support you. I have prior experience as the School Site Council Secretary. I served for eight years as Chair of the Math Department and held an eight-year position leading the School for Advanced Studies program. I serve my fellow educators as the leader of the Pro-Learning Team. Please know that I am READY, prepared, and eager to perform the responsibilities and represent you as your UTLA Secretary. I am accountable to you.
Vote for United Team For Change, making UTLA work for YOU, YOUR JOB, YOUR PAY, YOUR BENEFITS, YOUR RETIREMENT, and YOUR PROFESSIONAL RESPECT!!! I will lead in solidarity for member-driven solutions, contract-enforcing, and advocating for union campus services, so teaching and learning can be effective and FUN again. Please visit me at UT4C.com!
Thank you!
