Vote Now in the ATF E&RSE Vice President Election!
The ATF will hold an election for Essential & Related Services Educators (E&RSE) Vice President on May 1 & 2. Voting will take place both electronically and in person. ATF members who are in these constituency groups will receive an email with the link to vote on May 1st @ 9am. The link will also be available at atfunion.org. If you choose to vote in person, you will be able to do so 9am-5pm on May 1st & 2nd. ONLY DUES-PAYING ATF MEMBERS AS OF MARCH 1ST MAY VOTE IN THESE ELECTIONS.
The candidates for *Essential & Related Services Educators Vice President are (in the order they will appear on the ballot):
Yvonne Garcia, Social Worker
Yvonne Garcia 2023 Candidate for ATF VP for Essential & Related Service Providers A Voice for ALL, A Union for ALL
I have spent over 10 years in multiple capacities within IC (member, Union Rep, and Chair). Woking within IC has helped me understand the goals of different role groups and how similar many concerns are. In each role, I have learned from others and become more vocal in our negotiating body, the Union. While we have made many changes, there have been times that I have beenshocked and concerned by the antagonistic atmosphere among professionals voicing opinions and promoting change. These concerns have resulted in individuals quitting or refusing to join the union because they didn’t feel their voice was heard, reflected, and/or respected. Moving forward, I will break down those barriers and move towards ALL voices being respected and heard. My communication is direct, clear, and resolution driven. With the support of my leadership and constructive discussion, dissent will be encouraged and welcomed. This will help bring professionals together, centered around students, while each role group’s duties and job requirements are honored and respected. A Voice for ALL, a Union for ALL.
Who am I?
I am a Native New Mexican, mother, grandmother, wife, and sister. I come from a family of professional educators- Teachers, Administrators, Statisticians, Educational Assistants and Essential and Related Service Professionals. I have extensive volunteer service experience with ATF, the Martineztown Neighborhood Association, and the Martineztown House of Neighborly Services. I started my career in education as an EA at the age of 19 at Albuquerque High school. I attended public school, as have all my family members. My educational background is fully detailed at the following link: Yvonne Garcia: ATF VP Candidate 2023
Experience related to voters:
*Daily collaboration with professional educators and multidisciplinary teams focused on the ongoing DIRECT support of students and families *AIM trained and presenter *Development of “therapeutic” approach to AIM curriculum for multiple levels of functioning for Valley HS *Elected IC Chair multiple times since 2011 *Elected Union Rep multiple times since 2011 *APS experience in all levels (elementary, middle, high, transition and ESY) *Experience with all district programs: IGS (all levels), Social Com (all levels), Social Emotional (all levels) *Experience in multiple school sites *Task force member for ATF position paper *NVCI trained since 2012 in both the educational setting and the acute medical setting *Speaking to our board and on the legislative floor and most importantly I have been asked to run by multiple role groups due to working with them on any number of issues specific to the district and the union itself.
What we can accomplish together:
- Solidarity in action with ZERO division within the Union, no longer “united or divided”
- All due paying members being heard, responded to, and treated with professionalism and respect
- Medicaid billing consideration of professionals within the district -Being hired for our professional licensures and that the PED license is specific to the educational setting only
- RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
- Increased involvement in professional organizations for ALL represented groups
- Private sector licensure salary knowledge for the district -A new voice in negotiations
- Clarity on how groups are added to this group
- Concerns of individual groups shared with all so that there may be more strength in numbers for change
Please feel free to contact me at anytime 505-750-8344, yovi1973@gmail.com and visit my website for more personal/educational information: Yvonne Garcia: ATF VP Candidate 2023
Angela Reynolds, Educational Diagnostician
As a Del Norte High School graduate, mother of two adult boys who both attended and graduated from APS schools, and proud grandmother of one almost 2 year old grandson and another due in June, who will both be attending APS schools, Angela understands not only the vital necessity of public education, but also the importance of ALL of those staff members that educate our children.
Angela has spent all of her 33 years as an educator in APS supporting her colleagues, public education, and labor in New Mexico. She has served as an ATF Fed Rep and Instructional Council member, representing educators at school sites and diagnosticians across the district, an ATF VP for both middle schools and E&RSEs, a member of the ATF negotiating team, a representative on a multitude of joint ATF/APS task forces, an ATF representative on the Central NM Labor Council, and has worked on several political campaigns for pro-education candidates.
As the VP for E&RSEs, she has spent the last six years assisting in the creation and refinement of our union infrastructure to support the specific needs and acknowledge the contributions of our E&RSE members. She has helped negotiate language for yearly payments up to $10,000 per year for certifications, reimbursements for licensure fees and CEUs for dual-licensed educators, parental leave, differentials for bilingual evaluators and bilingually endorsed SLPs, additional district ICs and mentoring programs, and recognition of all past APS experience when educators move from one role group to another, among many other benefits. She has also reached out to NM state legislators to craft legislation in support of E&RSEs.
Most importantly, she has worked tirelessly to change the language local and state political and educational leaders use to refer to school staff members – from “teachers” to EDUCATORS – to recognize that we are ALL an ESSENTIAL part of public education. It takes a village to raise a child and a UNION to educate them!
Constituent VP Candidate Forum 2023
A candidate forum will be held on the afternoon of April 26th at 5:30pm. Join us in person or online to hear the candidates’ thoughts and platforms. Here is the link for ATF members to participate online:
Wednesday, April 26 · 5:30 – 6:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/tjc-uygu-oib
Or dial: (US) +1 314-833-7065 PIN: 777 782 758#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/tjc-uygu-oib?pin=9175395843234
*Role Groups Eligible to Vote for E&RSE Vice President
Adaptive PE Teachers
Athletic Trainers
Audiologists
Behavior Management Specialists
Board Certified Behavior Analysts
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants
Community School Coordinators
Counselors
Educational Diagnosticians
Hearing Impaired/Visually Impaired
IEP Specialists
Interpreters
Nurses
Occupational Therapists
Orientation Mobility Specialists
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapist Assistants
Rehab Counselors/Transition Specialists
School Psychologists
Speech Language Pathologists
Social Workers
