See Calendar of Events
UTLA has committees that help formulate policy and contract proposals, hold educational conferences and field trips, and sponsor scholarship awards. These committees reflect a wide range of interests and specialties, from physical education to National Board certification to school safety. Membership is open to all UTLA members. The best way to get involved is to attend a meeting. Visit the UTLA Calendar of Events for details.
The purpose of UTLA/AEEC is to UTLA/AAEC formed 50 years ago to:
The Arts Education Committee was established by the UTLA House of Representatives in 2010 to support and protect all Arts Educators (Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts) and arts advocates to ensure equitable access to a comprehensive curriculum that includes a robust arts education in all five arts disciplines, for all students, in every grade PK-12, in all LAUSD schools and arts programs.
The Asian-Pacifc Education Committee focuses on educating teachers about the various issues related to the various Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities locally and at the state and national level. We also aim to promote understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities in which many of our teachers and students live and thrive.
The BEC strives to support the vision of multiliteracy, multicultural competency, and educational equity for all students. We embody our shared values by implementing priorities, initiatives, and services designed to improve UTLA’s capacity to create caring and highly effective learning environments that promote multiliteracy and support Emergent Bilinguals and diverse populations to pursue educational opportunities and be globally prepared to live their lives to their fullest potential.
With our historic win of getting BSAP language into our 2022-25 agreement, we want to build on that momentum by establishing a BSAP Committee. The committee’s primary purpose will be to provide support to the over 100 BSAP educators, to discuss issues, strategize, and make recommendations, enabling them to have a voice while navigating through LAUSD’s BSAP program.
The Capably Disabled Committee is a support group for educators with any type of disability, including religious or medical. These conditions may be cause for seeking reasonable accommodations (visit LAUSD website for more information).
The organization has guest Zoom lectures by licensed attorneys and doctors to impart knowledge to its members. Lawyers have discussed probate, discrimination, and workers’ compensation. In addition, we review various resources Los Angeles County has to offer to those with disabilities.
We have had organic, vegan in-person socials twice per year, once during winter break and once during summer. Organic and vegan (mainly raw) is a great way to thrive and has been known to help heal all sorts of debilitating ailments. As we are not doctors, this is not medical advice, but we can share our feelings. We also are able to have online classes, from time to time, like stretch classes.
The Gay and Lesbian Issues Committee or GALIC was founded in the 1980’s by a handful of UTLA Members seeking to provide a means of professional support for gay and lesbian colleagues. GALIC functions to provide GLBTQ+ teachers, allies and students, with safe schools free of anti-GLBT bias and intolerance, and to provide sound education programs for all students. GALIC is in the struggle to eliminate institutional discrimination and homophobia. GALIC participates in the development progressive policies and activities and provides resources that fosters better communication among parents, educators, and students.. Under the leadership of Donald Willis, GaLIC has had a proactive year of providing support and empowering activities to our members, allies, students, and communities. Many Thanks to UTLA GaLIC members for a resilient year!
The Library Professionals Committee advocates fair enforcement and improvement of our union contract for Teacher Librarians. We also collaborate and share information and ideas specific to teaching in the library. We are always striving for a Teacher Librarian in every school and a dedicated central budget to continually update our library collections.
The National Board Certification Standing Committee was created to preserve the rights of NBC teachers both during the year, and during negotiations. The highlight of our year is our annual conference the last Saturday in January.
The UTLA Pre-Retirement Issues Committee works on issues surrounding the retirement issues of active UTLA members who will become our future retirees. Our mission is the education of UTLA members in the benefits area of pre-retirement and the financial literacy of optional retirement saving plans, (403b, 457b, and Roth 457b).
We are very careful to present facts from CalSTRS (pension system) and about the “What” and “How” of retirement savings plans. We offer nothing for sale. We do not endorse, or offer solutions/advice. We educate our fellow members so they understand how their retirement pension system works and health benefits work, hopefully- before they retire. Planning is the key to teach and retire well. We offer two workshops, fall and spring, on retirement and one financial literacy work in the fall.
The purpose of the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee is to foster a professional environment where individuals’ rights and responsibilities are protected, respected, and upheld. Our committee envisions a future where all teachers are treated equitably, given fair opportunities contractually, and know their rights. Through collaboration, advocacy, and discussions, we aim to empower teachers to fulfill their responsibilities while safeguarding their rights, ultimately leading to a harmonious and thriving professional teaching community.
The UTLA Women’s Education Standing Committee provides a safety and support network of current and retired UTLA members and activists-leaders and our community partners to uplift public education and educators and to grow union activists-leaders. The Women’s Education Committee promotes the well-being and advancement of vulnerable populations, including but not limited to children, students, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and women and non-binary women. We sponsor attendance at union conferences and trainings, an annual Women of the Year Event honoring our colleagues, and recently launched an annual tea. We collaborate, work in and support other UTLA Standing Committees and representative bodies and welcome new members!
Our meetings and events information can be found in UTLA Website Calendar.
