A union for Clovis teachers could well improve the learning experience for students

When my eldest son started 4th grade, I remember being horrified to find that he was in a class with 36 other students. What do you mean 37 kids in a class? In the Clovis Unified School District?

I started my career in education in an underserved district in Arizona, teaching 6th grade, and my class size was considered outrageous at 32. But here I was, in a district with a reputation for being great, dropping my son off to be one of 37 kids in a class. When I asked his teacher if volunteers were needed, she looked around the room and chuckled, saying there was little space in the room for extra helpers.

Clovis Unified does not tout the fact that starting in 4th grade, classes can go up to 37 students. I have yet to meet anyone with or without a background in education, who responds to that number and says “that makes sense.” Yet, year after year, it remains the same. On the middle school and high school level, the load on teachers increases even more. As the load increases on the teachers, the individualized time per student continues to go down.

In education, there is little that trumps smaller class size. This is not a debatable point, it’s been proven time and again by study after study — smaller class size is an important factor in student success. It is also a factor in teacher satisfaction and retention. Allowing teachers more time with each student allows them to be at their best.

In a conversation with CUSD teacher Adrian Cardenas, he said instructing can sometimes feel like crowd-control, and that even getting around the room between the students and their sports equipment or instruments can be difficult.

Is this what excellence looks like?

Imagine if there was an organization in Clovis Unified that was willing to make class size a priority; that was willing to work collaboratively with district leadership and the board to ensure that our teachers have a real say in the decision-making that directly impacts them and our children. The system currently in place to represent teachers, the Faculty Senate, has no real power. They cannot negotiate. They simply provide feedback and suggestions that can then be completely ignored.

The Association for Clovis Educators, or ACE, is working to get a real seat at the table. The idea is to form a union that can then be a part of the decision-making process to drive changes that will improve their ability to best serve and support our students.

They have been villainized repeatedly at board meetings and on social media because it’s easier to do that then it would be to do the hard work that needs to be done to truly make our district exceptional for all students. Many are decades-long Clovis Unified educators, graduates, former Faculty Senate members and beloved community members. They are villainized because they are willing to speak up for our students, themselves and their colleagues.

It’s not just that they deserve a voice, it’s the fact that their voice will be valuable. Who could possibly be in a better position to understand the needs of the children than the people who spend all day with the children?

Much can gained by unionizing, such as smaller class size, increased prep time, lower caseloads, improved benefits and salaries. It’s easy to say “they must be in it for themselves,” but I remind you that no one goes into teaching to get rich. What I want are teachers who are treated fairly, given an appropriate workload and small classes because I know that, when that happens, my kids, and other kids in our district, win.

This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 11:28 AM.