Why Did Acuña Fail to Win Endorsement of Teachers

THERMAL — Like most candidates, Joey Acuña has a string of endorsements listed on his website but what’s significant about Acuña’s list is not necessarily who is on it but who is not. Acuña, currently serving his fifth term on the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, has failed to win the Endorsement of Teachers.

To be clear, the Coachella Valley Teachers Association does not endorse in any elections but school board.

The California Teachers Association does endorse candidates and Initiatives. Check out its 2024 recommended California Assembly and State Senate candidates. 

The California Teachers Association, however, is not endorsing him because of his behavior towards — and lack of support for — CVTA, Carissa Carrera is the President of the Coachella Valley Teachers Association, told Uken Report.

Carrera has been a vocal critic about theft at the school, hiring practices within the District, excessively spending grant money for unnecessary items and more.

“We explicitly requested CTA to not endorse in this race,” Carrera said. “Joey has accused us of making things up that we state at board meetings. He has (allegedly) specifically told me (not CVTA) that I am an outsider and don’t belong here. He has (allegedly stated that he believes that I speak for myself at board meetings and not on behalf of my membership. He has gone directly to students to tell them they shouldn’t support teachers.”

According to its website, CTA’s recommendation process involves interview teams of local educators from throughout the state, who interview candidates and evaluate them on a variety of criteria, including:

  • Their positions on and vision for K-12, community college and higher education issues.
  • Their historical support for public education, students and educators, in such areas as education funding, budget stability, safe schools and campuses for all students, collective bargaining, educator professional rights, charter school accountability, and equal access to higher education.
  • Their viability for success in the office that they are seeking.

Teams then make their recommendations to the CTA Board for discussion before being brought to CTA State Council (CTA’s top policy-making body, with 800 delegates), which debates and makes final recommendations.