Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I sign up with New Directions when we have a union?

New Directions is designed to be an open forum for discussion among DACE teachers, while UTLA is the bargaining agent representing teachers in contractual matters and negotiating the contract. The two are complementary. New Directions encourages teachers, especially adult education teachers, to be active in the union because that is the best way to better their compensation and working conditions. New Directions is a mechanism for teachers to discuss adult education issues more robustly between union meetings to make union meetings more productive and to encourage more activity at the site level.

Will the administration find out if I sign up to get New Directions information?

Not from us. We keep all sign-ups strictly confidential and will never give them out to another party. They are encrypted, and only one person has access to them.

Why are the stories unsigned?

Much of the information gathered for the stories comes from active DACE teachers, who prefer to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation from the administration, which is a real threat, unfortunately.

Who are the other people in the “collective”?

As mentioned in the previous question, the active teachers in New Directions wish to remain anonymous to avoid administration retaliation, particularly when criticizing DACE and its administrators, which we will. As a retired DACE teacher, I (Marc Wutschke) don’t have to worry about retaliation so that I can be the public representative of New Directions.

However, the threat of retaliation should not deter teachers from participating in union activities and becoming chapter chairs and union officers, as these are legally protected activities and codified in the collective bargaining agreement. By getting the same matrix, seniority, and salary protections as K-12 teachers, we will have the most protection from back-door retaliation and favoritism. That is why we must aggressively ensure that UTLA pursues our contract demands in negotiations and that we have the same rights and status as K-12 teachers.