State Policy Network
Adapting to our new environment

California Policy Center is responding to the coronavirus by providing more digital content to communities affected by the pandemic. With many parents forced to homeschool for the first time, Cecilia Iglesias, CPC’s Director of Education and Community Relations, is creating videos to assist members of her Parent Union. Through these videos, parents develop an awareness of their educational rights and have their questions answered about how to run a homeschool. She is also reporting on news related to education, such as reports that some school districts and teachers unions (including, for instance, Unified’s United Teachers of Los Angeles) say that they do not have to teach because a small percentage of their students lack Internet access.

CPC is also educating California Local Elected Officials (CLEO) chapters statewide about how to respond to the governor’s executive orders, the rapidly growing collapse of pension funds and tax revenue brought on by economic collapse, and labor negotiations. By recruiting experts who have dealt with the following subjects, CPC both informs and encourages California’s local elected officials that they too can handle these crises. 

CPC’s partnership with the Mackinac Center is also adapting well to the new environment. The vast majority of public workers across the state are experiencing isolation from their coworkers—and even better, from their union representatives. The MyPayMySay team has been capitalizing on revamped digital activity to ensure that CPC uses this opportunity to educate those who are, for the first time since the 2018 Janus decision, lacking the solidarity and political pressure they may feel at work.

Categories: News
Organization: California Policy Center