New Educator Welcome

Letter from the President

August 25, 2021

Dear Colleague,

I am excited to welcome you as a fellow educator in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). We are the San Diego Education Association (SDEA), a union that represents more than 6,000 Pre-K-12 educators and visiting teachers in SDUSD.

SDEA is the second largest education union in California and is part of a larger network of education and labor unions, including the California Teachers Association, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO. They, like us, recognize that our working conditions and our students’ learning environment are one and the same. Together, we are the union and YOU ARE SDEA!

Our goal is to strengthen SDEA’s voice for San Diego’s educators by:

  • Advocating for each of our members,
  • Partnering with the district in providing quality education for all students,
  • Advancing the profession of education,
  • Strengthening public education by uniting the power of educators, parents and local communities.

We invite you to join the San Diego Education Association. Being an active union member has never been more important than it is right now. We must stand together and support one another as we work to protect and improve public education in San Diego, California and across the nation. As educators we experience many daily successes and challenges in our classrooms, and SDEA is here to celebrate your successes and provide support in your challenges. You will be hearing from me and other SDEA member leaders in the months ahead as we ask for your ideas and assistance. Please take these requests seriously. We want to hear your voice!

Please reach out to your school site or program Association Representative (AR) who is elected by your peers to support you, as well as our staff and elected leaders at SDEA if you have any questions or concerns. You will receive regular SDEA communication though e-mails, site meetings and the monthly SDEA newsletter, The Advocate. Please read them as they will include important information, bargaining updates and calls for action. Our website, www.sdea.net, is also available as a resource. It is important to stay connected, so make sure your personal email and contact information are on file at the SDEA office.

Finally, thank you for choosing to become a fellow San Diego educator and dedicating your time to impact the lives and learning of the students in San Diego. Welcome to SDEA and the SDUSD family!

In Solidarity,

Kisha Borden
SDEA President
borden_k@sdea.net

Resources for New SDEA Members:

If you have questions about membership or your contractual rights, your first point of contact is your site SDEA Association Representative (AR). To find out who your site AR is, call the SDEA office at 619-283-4411.