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The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.

Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.

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Home » Recent News » Virtual School Teachers Organize


Virtual School Teachers Organize

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Online teachers in California recently won a victory in the effort to organize the state’s charter schools. The state Public Employee Relations Board ruled that 750 teachers working for the state’s largest online charter school, California Virtual Academies (CAVA), could be represented by California Virtual Educators United, part of the California Teachers Association. CAVA is run by a for-profit corporation, which makes organizing even more important in terms of accountability and transparency. “I think that having for-profit company so involved in a public school creates a conflict that’s bad for our students,” says CAVA teacher Sarah Vigrass.

Among growing frustrations of the virtual teachers are the fact that, due to cost saving measures, they end up doing a lot of administrative work that should be delegated to support staff; they earn about half of what traditional teachers make; and they have no due process, which makes it difficult to advocate for students.







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