CTA Seeks to Counter Negative Media Narratives of Public Education

English teacher Adam Wies has helped numerous students develop their writing skills and improve their reading comprehension. Residing and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, Adam Wies maintains membership in the California Teachers Association.

The preeminent advocate for California's educators, the California Teachers Association (CTA) has approximately 325,000 members who teach in public schools and colleges throughout the state. As California's largest employee organization, the CTA works to ensure it has a positive impact on education on a national scale.

Part of the CTA's efforts to promote education include posting research and articles on pertinent education topics. With a number of negative portrayals of teachers in the media over the last several years, the association wants to ensure the public understands the facts.

Topics discussed on the CTA’s website, www.cta.org, include teacher effectiveness, how student test scores affect teacher evaluations, and the advantages and disadvantages of charter schools. One article, titled “Right to Due Process,” seeks to clear up misunderstandings regarding the topic of tenure, while another cites research from the National Education Policy Center showing several documentaries critical of public education have made false claims.                            

The WRC at De Anza College

A high school English teacher in California, Adam Wies, who also holds an MA in English, improves the writing skills in all of his students. Dedicated to the educational growth of students at all academic levels, Adam Wies has spent time outside the classroom as a tutor for the writing and reading center (WRC) at De Anza College in Cupertino, California.

De Anza’s WRC is a resource for students who wish to improve their writing skills. The WRC offers drop-in tutoring during its regular hours, during which time students can get quick help or feedback on their writing assignments. The WRC also takes appointments for weekly individual tutoring sessions. Students who need extra writing assistance can sign up for hour-long tutoring sessions with peer or volunteer tutors. Students who qualify for disability services are given priority for these weekly lessons.

Special workshops are offered periodically at the De Anza WRC. These classes help students improve specific reading, writing, and study skills so they can get the most out of their education.