For International Women’s Day, let’s take some time to celebrate women who spend their days (and often nights!) educating California’s students. California Educator consistently puts the spotlight on inspiring, strong, and brilliant women of CTA. Here’s just a few of those stories since the last IWD.

• Sheroes STRIKE for their students!
  • We Are L.A.: 50,000 Take Streets for Public Schools.
  • 33,000 UTLA Educators Strike
  • Historic Oakland Strike Ends: OEA Ratifies Contract
  • In Strike’s Wake, Banning Teachers Focus On Community Engagement
• Sheroes who saved their students during the dangerous and devastating wildfires featured in Thanksgiving in Paradise: Grateful for 3 families, 3 dogs and 4 cats
• In the days after the wildfires devastated their communities, educators went above and beyond to provide a safe environment for their students to learn and feel a sense of normalcy, featured in Paradise Educators Hold Class
• Shero Rose Borunda: Changing the California Indian History Narrative “I feel I am making a difference,” says Borunda. “As a college professor I am in a unique position to do that. Changing the narrative of how California Indian history is taught definitely makes the world a better place.”
• “To get students to care, you must first show that you care,” Theresa Lunsford in Roseville featured in Back to School: How to Motivate Your Students
• Strong Woman Stephanie Pio: “Getting away from that mentality, and learning to take up space — physically, mentally, academically, socially — has been really freeing. I’m no longer focused on being small in any aspect of my life. I’m not afraid to be seen or heard or noticed, and to demand my space.”
• True Grit: Rural Schools, Educators Show Heart
• Sheroes perfecting their craft featured in: Design Thinking: Students, Educators Become Fearless Problem-Solvers
• Shero Carlanda Williams says Whole Brain Teaching is “where your rational side and your creative side come together.” in Learning, Maximized
• Check out this shero Mother-Daughter teaching team who work together to keep improving their teaching skills.
• Shero Virginia Marshall Honors Black Student Achievement ““I have always seen my job as extending beyond 3 o’clock when the school bell rings,” says Marshall. “I always listen to students and provide them with help anyway I can through a variety of resources. It’s just part of who I am and what I’ve always done.”
• Innovator Shero Tricia Hyun, Colleagues Find Gamification a Winner
• “I cannot express how much of an impact it has made on my teaching and my career,”
  Melissa Bowen, who teaches psychology at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi and California City Correctional Facility featured in Inmate Education Program: Everyone Deserves a Second Chance
• Cheers to the CTA sheroes who ran for public office in the 2018 Election! Featured in CTA Members Are Running With Values
• Sacramento City Teachers make students first in proposal to fix budget crisis
• Shero Annette De Pasquale published a book for children to raise awareness & compassion for “bully breeds” & was featured in Passion for Bully Breeds
• Shero Jessica Husselstein Hits the Right Notes
• Sheroes Monique Flores and Ann Jensen foster community for their students with Link Crew.
• Madera teachers’ commitment to students and families is unwavering … and they’re willing to strike
• Our educator sisters across the country were featured in California Educator, too! A Look Through Educators’ Eyes
• Sheroes teach STEM to girls! Featured in A Place for STEM Dreams
• Rocklin Teachers’ Commitment to Students Unwavering
• After losing her son to gang violence, shero Yulil Alonso-Garza “remains brokenhearted but unyielding in her efforts to fight gang violence in her community.” featured in Fight Against Gang Violence
• California Teachers of the Year Oppose Efforts to Arm Educators
• “I love integrating technology and literacy in our school,” Angela Anthony and her fellow shero Librarians featured in  School Libraries: Creating the Campus Hub
• California Educators Join Students to March For Our Lives
• Shero Brandy Peters Levels the Field With Robotics
• “It’s important to help students develop self-confidence, understand how to build healthy relationships, and identify a predator,” San Diego Education Association member Rickeena Boyd-Kamei organized an event to educate fellow educators about sex trafficking & was featured in A Vile Epidemic: Sex Trafficking
• California Virtual Educators Avert Strike, Make Gains for Students
• Perris Teachers Hit the Pavement for 3 Endorsed School Board Candidates
• “We stay because we do important work,”  Adult education advocate sheroes pushing for fairness featured in Are Adults Being Served?

Featured photo by Joseph Brusky