Back to School Newsletter

Wow! What a Summer! This is a long and hopefully informative Newsletter #1 of the 2026/2027 School Year! I think summer is the busiest time of the year for me! We started the summer with a very successful Executive Board and Bargaining Retreat. The next weekend was June State Council then we headed the NCUEA Summer Conference... then the NEA/RA Conference in Denver and ended the summer with the President's Conference in Burlingame! I want to thank the members took time out of their summer to represent RCTA at these events!

RCTA Executive Board Members

RCTA Bargaining Team

Theresa Anderson

Teresa Clark

Stephanie Devis

Julia Clark

Sonya Justice

Renee Kozicki

Maria "Fernada" Lizarraga

Pamela Mshana

Aimee Perlstein

Brittany Richie

Remie Rahman

Dina Calderon

Michelle Mahdavi

Thank you all for your advocacy and personal time for your Association!

If this Proposition doesn't pass it would mean a loss of $58+ Million for RUSD!

In July, I attended the California Teachers Association (CTA) Summer Institute at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles - designed to equip educators and local chapter leaders for the upcoming school year. Over five days, participants dove into specialized track strands such as finance, leadership, and organizing.

I attended the teaching and learning strand focused on engaging instruction and transformative teaching. We had sessions that dove deep into culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining pedagogy; hands-on project based teaching; and community based instruction. Each afternoon we selected two electives which were designed to build upon what was presented in the general session in the morning. This unique professional development, was not designed solely for beginning teachers, but for anyone in education! At night, there were social events like casino night, an opportunity to see a show at the Pantages, and rooftop dinners with live music.

The Summer Institute blended high-impact professional development with union camaraderie, allowing educators from TK-higher-ed to build actionable skills and connect with peers across the state in an energized, supportive environment. I highly encourage you to consider attending next summer!

Aimee Perlstein

preferred pronouns: she/her

To keep our union strong, connected, and informed, we will be reaching out to members using two primary digital tools: Action Network and Hustle.

Action Network serves as our main hub for digital campaigns, allowing us to send major email updates, coordinate volunteer efforts, launch petitions, and organize events.

Hustle powers our peer-to-peer mobile messaging, meaning you may receive personalized, two-way text updates directly from fellow union members and organizers regarding important union actions, meetings, and updates.

Keep an eye out for messages from these platforms so you never miss an opportunity to stay involved and get your voice heard!

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you in advance.

Warm Regards,

Remie Rahman (she/her/hers)

remie.rahman@gmail.com

909-609-4207

We have a very important election coming up in less than 3 months that will have huge implication for our school board! RCTA has endorsed Brent Lee and Noemi Hernandez-Alexander! RCTA will be doing canvasing and precinct walks from now to November 3rd. We will be offering incentives to come an help get our 2 candidates elected! I hope that each and everyone of you understand the importance of getting Board Members elected to the Board that support Educators and our students! Please look forward to getting further information how you can get involved with this very important action that RCTA will be 110% full speed ahead!

Reflections from the 2026 NEA Representative Assembly

As this year's Representative Assembly (RA) approached, I carried the usual concerns:

navigating voting procedures, enduring long workdays, and avoiding conversations that could

later be taken out of context. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that those concerns never

materialized. Voting was streamlined through electronic voting devices, and while the days were

certainly long, they were punctuated with good food, meaningful conversations, and plenty of

laughter.

My greatest hopes for the RA, however, were not only met—they were exceeded.

The Representative Assembly exists to help the National Education Association establish its

priorities for the coming year. Every delegate has the unique privilege of watching democracy

unfold in real time. It is an honor to represent our local, our region, and our state while

participating in thoughtful discussions and consequential decisions that shape the direction of our

union.

One idea continues to stay with me. Throughout the Assembly, delegates approved numerous

budget items designed to expand resources through NEA Today and NEA.org. Those resources

represent an incredible investment in our profession, yet I wonder how many busy educators will

ever have the time to discover them. That realization challenged me to think beyond simply

approving the work. How can we make these resources more visible and accessible to our own

members?

It also reminded me that our union is larger than the meetings we attend. RCTA is part of CTA,

and CTA is part of NEA. We are connected. The work accomplished at the national level

ultimately influences us here at home, just as the voices of local members shape the national

conversation.

The work of the Representative Assembly doesn't end when delegates return home. My hope is

to help bridge the distance between the resources available through NEA and the educators who

could benefit from them most. If we can make that connection stronger, we strengthen our local,

our state, and our national union—because we truly are Better Together

RCTA was apart of welcoming the new educators at this years' PGS Academy! Pia VanMeter hosted our table with many RCTA bling for our new educators! Thank you Pia!

Dear Hard-working RUSD Educators,

I hope the school year is starting off well! The Riverside Educational Enrichment Foundation (REEF) is excited to announce that our 2026–2027 Teacher Enrichment Grant Program is now open!

If you have an innovative idea that will inspire your students, enhance learning, or provide opportunities beyond the standard curriculum, we encourage you to apply. Attached you’ll find the grant guidelines.

Each year, REEF has the privilege of funding creative projects that inspire students to be excited about learning and coming to school. We look forward to seeing the innovative ideas you have planned for your classrooms this year!

Grant funding is available for:

• Up to $1,000 for individual classroom projects
• Up to $3,000 for grade-level or school-wide projects

Application Deadline: Friday, September 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

Please note that late applications cannot be accepted, so we encourage you to submit your application well before the deadline.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help!

You can start your application here: 2026-2027 Grant Application

Best regards! 🧡✨

reef4rusd@gmail.com
Executive Administrator

Please see the form below to add your thoughts and committments!

RCTA will be holding an Election in late August for the following positions:

• Middle School Director
• Special Education Director
• Equity Director
• Alternate for State Council

This is your time to get involved and make a difference for your Colleagues and Association! Please reach out to Laura Boling at president@myrcta.org for further questions!

These are the Educators that you need to contact if you have a concern or a question:

President: Laura Boling

Vice President: Teresa Clark, CastleView

Treasurer: Pia VanMeter, King

Secretary: Christina Corradino, ILE

Elementary Directors: Julia Clark, CastleView: Theresa Anderson, Woodcrest; Dina Calderon, Magnolia

Middle School Director: Shawna Crawford, Miller; (1) Vacant position

High School Director: Fernando Hurtado, Ramona; Rod Warren, King

At Large Director (TOSA): Sonya Justice, Fremont and Woodcrest

Equity Director: Vacant

Special Education Director: Vacant

Adams

Beatty

CastleView

Hawthorne

Project Team

The above site are what we currently have as sites that don't have confirmed Site Reps. Do you have new administration? Do you have concerns about lack of representation at your site! Get involved!