End-of-Year Message from ACE President Amy Kilburn
As we close out another school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together—and to thank you for the trust, courage, and conversations that have shaped this movement.
This year—and over the past four years—ACE has made real progress. Not just in organizing, but in delivering tangible wins for educators and students alike:
- Three educator groups officially recognized: School Psychologists and MHSPs, ASL Interpreters, and Sierra Outdoor School Naturalists now have a voice and a seat at the table.
- ACE Days (Teacher Off Days) restored: These professional development days were originally given to the district for Common Core training, with the promise they’d be returned after three years. Instead, they went unpaid to educators for over 15 years. It wasn’t until ACE stepped in and pressed for their return that they were finally restored.
- Special Education assessment kits delivered: For years, School Psychologists raised concerns about the lack of proper assessment tools—concerns that went unanswered, while students went without timely evaluations and the services they needed. ACE pushed for these essential tools, and now they’re in educators’ hands, helping students receive the support they deserve.
- Historic salary increases: The largest in recent memory for any employee group in CUSD—progress toward maintaining and retaining a high-quality workforce.
- More mental health support for students: When School Psychologists and MHSPs won the right to bargain their first contract, it brought long-ignored staffing issues into the light. As a result of those negotiations, the district hired 14 additional psychologists—ensuring more students have access to the mental health support they need to thrive.
- Measure A supported—by democratic vote: This marked a historic first for ACE. Under our bylaws, ACE is prohibited from taking a position on any ballot measure without a vote of the membership. ACE held a full membership vote—and educators overwhelmingly chose to endorse Measure A. Following that decision, ACE members volunteered across the district and throughout the Clovis community, reaching out to fellow educators and more than 2,000 CTA members who live in Clovis to ask for their support. We stood behind this measure because our students deserve safe, modern, and well-maintained learning environments—spaces that reflect the dignity of their learning and the respect we have for their futures.
- We’ve also advocated for personal space guidelines and disability protections for expectant colleagues—small but meaningful steps toward fairness and respect in our workplaces.
- At each bargaining table we’re working to make sure there’s enough qualified staff to support our students. We’re also working on a safety plan at Sierra Outdoor School – so we have all our staff available to students instead of out with injuries – and making sure our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students have qualified, in-person interpreters so our students aren’t language deprived during any part of their day. These are the first times each group has made meaningful progress on issues that we’ve needed to address for years.
Throughout the year, we’ve visited hundreds of educators at schools across the district. And what we’ve heard is clear: while many educators feel isolated in their concerns, those concerns are widely shared—about workload, support, respect, and voice. We do hire the best. What’s been missing is a structure that values that excellence through collaboration, transparency, and fairness.
That’s what we’re building at ACE—not just a union, but a homegrown organization we can be proud of. One rooted in listening, adapting, and growing with you.
We know we’re not perfect. We’re a new organization, and we’re constantly reviewing how we do things, how we communicate, and how we reflect the needs of our colleagues. But if you’ve seen integrity in our work, if you believe in building on what’s working in CUSD while fixing what’s not—we invite you to be part of this effort.
This moment is the culmination of over four years of organizing, listening, and standing up together. The restored ACE Days, long-overdue Special Education assessment kits, the hiring of 14 new psychologists, the recognition of multiple educator groups, and our first-ever membership vote to support a bond measure—none of this happened by chance. It happened because educators believed in a better future and worked together to make it possible.
But we are not yet across the finish line. We have not yet reached the 50% + 1 support needed to file for official recognition. And with so much at stake, we cannot afford to let this momentum stall.
Signing the ACE petition is not just about this moment—it’s about building a future where educators help shape the decisions that affect our classrooms, our students, and our profession. It’s about creating a district where the people closest to the work have the voice they deserve.
If you believe in that future, now is the time to sign the ACE union support petition. Stand with the hundreds of educators who’ve already said yes to a stronger, more united Clovis Unified.And know this: our work will not stop here. Recognition isn’t the end—it’s the foundation. ACE will continue to advocate, organize, and fight for the schools our students deserve and the respect our educators have earned, no matter what.
With gratitude and resolve,
Amy Kilburn
President, Association of Clovis Educators (ACE)
acepresident2021@gmail.com
