3/22 Newsletter
To all of my fellow CUSD educators,
I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting time in our district’s history. We have a unique opportunity to create a union that prioritizes our students’ needs, and I am honored to be elected as the first President of ACE.
As we embark on this endeavor together, I promise to work tirelessly with our team to create an inclusive organization that values all educators in CUSD, welcomes different perspectives, and empowers those on the front line of educating the next generation. We will achieve this by engaging in honest conversations with all stakeholders, preserving what works in CUSD, and changing the systems that no longer serve us.
Our ultimate goal is to create a culture where educators are encouraged to ask questions, challenge unjust policies, and disagree with district decision-makers when necessary. We want to ensure that our students learn in an environment that is worthy of a CUSD student, and this can only be achieved by including the educator’s voice in the decision-making process.
As ACE’s President, I am committed to lifting the voices of my fellow educators so they may speak for themselves. I am excited to work with each and every one of you to create a union that we can all be proud of and that puts our students first.
Thank you for your trust and faith in me. Together, we can make a difference.
Sincerely,
Your ACE President,
Amy Kilburn
ACE EXECUTIVE BOARD
I am a teacher at Buchanan High School, where I have taught for 31 years. I attended Clovis Unified schools, and my mom was an elementary teacher in the district for over 30 years. My goal for CUSD is to see the district return to the innovative, proactive district that I was hired to work in, where the stated values are the lived values. CUSD is a good district, but we must acknowledge where there are areas we can do better, and we must work to make improvements that will allow students and teachers to live up to the promises of a free public education.
My name is Jenny Chavera and I’m humbled to be your elementary ACE VP. Please know this is my 24th year of teaching (10 years in CUSD). Early education is my absolute passion. The issues facing our schools, students, and staff continue to be complex and ever-changing. I believe ensuring your voice is heard at the district level requires unionization, collective bargaining, and your active engagement. My goal is to help bring together our multiple perspectives and experiences while holding onto our core strengths and keeping students’ learning at the heart of ALL decision-making. Your expertise, VOICE, and contributions to how our teaching and learning environment functions is essential to thriving CUSD public schools. I look forward to working with everyone.
Hello, fellow educators! My name is Letricia Mesloh, and I am incredibly honored and excited to be your ACE Secretary. I have been a classroom teacher for 20 years and have seen the benefits of a strong union. I love the fact the unions are made up of teachers who know the students and what works best for them. When everyone works together, students, teachers, and all district and community members thrive. I look forward to serving my fellow Clovis teachers in this amazing role! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need any support.
Hello, fellow educators. My name is Debra Lindstrom, and I am a teacher at Reyburn Intermediate. I have been a teacher for 25 years, and I’m honored to serve on the executive board of the Association of Clovis Educators. In this leadership role, I will represent all Clovis Unified educators with dignity and respect to the best of my ability. I am excited about the future of Clovis Unified as we strive to improve and strengthen all areas of the educational environment for students, teachers, and the community.
I look forward to accessing the California Teachers Association’s tremendous resources as we build a foundation that will support our district for years to come.
Hello, everyone! My name is Nancy Welch, and I’ve been a special education teacher at CUSD since 2013. I’m excited for this opportunity to amplify our shared voice, promote collaboration, and demonstrate the strength of unity in special education.
My name is Melissa Ferdinandsen, and I have been a CUSD educator and coach for the past 32 years, teaching both Physical Education and English at the jr. high and high school levels. I feel honored to have been elected to the Clovis North Area Executive Board. I have a true passion for my craft and a great love for all the students, athletes, and colleagues I have been blessed to work with all these years. As I have witnessed the growth of our district, I have seen some old systems become stale that no longer value honest collaboration with the educators who are experts in their fields and want to work through ACE to fix these systems and bring forth a legally binding contract where our students’ and educators’ best interests come first.
Hey there, Clovis Unified. My name is Jason Roche, and I am in my 25th year of teaching. I currently teach English at Clovis East High School. As a proud member of ACE, I am honored to serve as the Clovis East Area Executive Board representative. My belief in ACE is simple. All educators should have an authentic voice in the decision-making process. As a public school, spending public dollars to care for and educate this community’s students, it seems irresponsible to diminish the voices of those of us working in the small spaces with those students. We know that you all show up every single day for your students. ACE is the answer because ACE will show up every single day, so your work with your students in your small spaces is the priority. You deserve nothing less, and our students deserve nothing less.
