Dr. Juan M. Benitez: From Dreams to Nightmares

OP-ED:  Friday, September 11, 2025

From Dreams to Nightmares

by Juan M. Benitez, PhD
Parent, Community Member, LBUSD School Board Member,
CSULB Executive Director of the Center for Community Engagement

Dr. Juan M. Benitez, Parent, Community Member, LBUSD School Board Member, CSULB Executive Director of the Center for Community Engagement

I’m Latino, I speak Spanish and I look like tens of millions of low-wage workers in our country.  I also shop, work and live with people that look just like me. Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that our government could continue to terrorize me and my community — made up of tens of millions of proud and contributing members of our country and society — just based on looking and speaking like me, and being in places where working people are.  In one, 6-3 decision, the highest court in our country, the very court that was established to uphold our rights against terror, tyranny, lawlessness, discrimination, marginalization, oppression, harassment and violence just ruled that our government could terrorize me simply by the way I look, the language I speak and where I am. That’s right, the Supreme Court ruled that, without having committed any crime or wrongdoing… without “reasonable suspicion” based on anything else other than what I look like, how I speak and where I am I could be detained. 

So, I, along with tens of millions of law-abiding, proud, contributing members of our country and community can be stopped, questioned, harassed, and detained simply for being, acting, and looking Latino. This doesn’t only sow terror in our communities, it dismantles the very foundation of our so-called free society.

To be very clear… this is not my opinion or interpretation or representation; Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote an opinion explaining his reasoning in lifting restrictions on Los Angeles immigration sweeps: “Here, those circumstances include: that there is an extremely high number and percentage of illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area; that those individuals tend to gather in certain locations to seek daily work; that those individuals often work in certain kinds of jobs, such as day labor, landscaping, agriculture, and construction, that do not require paperwork and are therefore especially attractive to illegal immigrants; and that many of those illegally in the Los Angeles area come from Mexico or Central America and do not speak much English.”

We now live in a country where the government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish or has an accent, looks like they have a low wage job, and/or happens to be in a place where low wage workers are.  In our city — that’s half of the city, half of our school district, and half of our college students.

The elusive American dream that has never been a realization for so many, has finally been confirmed as a nightmare.  And what about the children?  How are the children, Dr. Baker (Superintendent of LBUSD, the 5th largest school district in our state)? How can we commit to providing safe, inclusive spaces for every child? How can we even attempt to remove barriers based on their family’s circumstances? How do we ensure that we provide classrooms where students feel welcomed and where every child’s right to learn is protected? How do we provide any kind of environment conducive to learning in the midst of fear, worry, and trauma while parents, caregivers, and families are taken away and ripped apart? How can our schools ever truly be safe and inclusive in this environment?

Is this the country we want?

Absolutely not!  Now’s the time for ALL of us, EVERYONE of us to come together.

I call on all our community members, grassroots leaders, the business community, local leaders to join in protecting students’ right to safety, well-being and a free and public high quality, inclusive education.

We need you… we need you to come out… we need you, now; to be around our schools and neighborhoods. A new school year has just started. Tell our families and children and students that you are an ally, that you are there to help, support, and protect them; to ensure their safety and well-being. Say “hello” to them, be an extra set of eyes, ears, caring hearts for them; publicly and visibly.

Come to a school board meeting and/or city council meeting. Be there, in solidarity, in support of our students, our schools, our district, and our communities. You may not have ever gone to a city council meeting or a school board meeting; now is your chance. Now is the time; not just at a school board or city council meeting. What if 200-300 community members came outside, around every school in our district, every day that children are present before and after school? What if 2,000-3,000 came? What if 20,000-30,000 came?

We have 60,000+ students in LBUSD…. you may not agree with everything LBUSD does or how it’s being done but this isn’t about that.  This isn’t about praising LBUSD either:  I don’t even know anyone in our district that thinks we’ve got it all figured out or that we’re doing everything right. There’s a lot that we’re doing and a lot more that we need to do and need to do better, particularly for our most underserved families and students… those under attack. I’m not asking you to come out for LBUSD or one group of students or one segment of our community; come out and show your support for our children, students and families around schools, before and after school. Be present and public so that our communities, our most vulnerable students, families and neighbors see and hear you and know they are not alone.

Come speak during the public comment portion of our meetings and tell our students and community you are here for them and stand with them. Let them see you and hear you publicly, in the face of the attacks and hostility our communities and children are facing.

Nothing should ever undermine or prevent a child’s right to well-being, safety and an education… nothing.

 

Sept 12 – TALB Beer Club @ Kennedy’s Craft Kitchen

Sept 12 – TALB Beer Club @ Kennedy’s Craft Kitchen

TALB Beer Club 

TALB Beer Club at Kennedy’s Craft Kitchen
Friday, Sept 12, 2025
4:00-6:00 pm

5506 E. Britton Drive., Long Beach 90815

For more information contact John Olgin. jolgin@talb.org

Everyone Welcome!

Can’t make it?  Join us at an upcoming TALB Beer Club date:

Oct 10, 2025 at Golden Road
Nov 14 at Ten Mile Brewing
Dec 12 at Ambitious Ales
Jan 8 at Rilp Brewing
Feb 13 at Belmont Brewing Company
Mar 13 at Beach Beer Lab
April 17 at Trademark
May 8 at Beachwood Brewery

 

Oct 10 @ 5-6:30pm – Grievance Training @ TALB Offices

Oct 10 @ 5-6:30pm – Grievance Training @ TALB Offices

TALB Grievance Training

What is a grievance?
How do I file a grievance?
What are the steps to resolution?

Learn your rights and how to deploy the Grievance Process at one of these important training program sponsored by TALB.  Come join fellow colleagues to discuss and explain the grievance pr0cess.

Topics to be discussed:

  1. Introduction/Overview of Training
  2. “Grievance” vs “Grievance”
  3. Your role as Representative
  4. Duty of Fair Representation
  5. Labor/Management Meetings
  6. Q&A

Remember!
You don’t have to know Everything!
You don’t have to go it ALONE!  Talk to your Elected Site Representative, TALB Executive Board Member and/or TALB Staff


All trainings take place at TALB Offices from 5:00 to 6:30pm

Wednesday, October 10, 2024
Wednesday, November 11, 2025
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – 5-6:00 pm

Location:  TALB Offices  4362 Atlantic Ave.

Please RSVP your attendance here

 

 

Oct 14 @ 4:30pm – CTA Virtual Retirement Workshop

Oct 14 @ 4:30pm – CTA Virtual Retirement Workshop

CTA Virtual Retirement Workshops

Presented via WebEx

Description
You’re never too young or old to learn about your CalSTRS benefits, programs, and services. There will be materials and discussion of the CalsTRS retirement benefit formula, options, Defined Benefit Supplemental program, survivor benefits, legislative changes, and Social Security Offsets.

Topics Include

  • STRS- Overview of the System and How it Works
  • Social Security – Effects on CalSTRS Members

Time
All workshops are from 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Space
Registration is limited to 400 participants for each workshop. If you get a message that the workshop is full, please select a different date.

2025 Workshop Dates

Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Monday, November 10, 2025
Tuesday, December 9, 2025

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Oct 17-19 CTA State Council of Education Meeting

Oct 17-19 CTA State Council of Education Meeting

California Teacher’s Association
State Council of Education Meeting

Our union’s top policy-making body is the State Council of Education. Meeting four times a year, the council’s nearly 800 delegates elect the three state-level CTA officers and the CTA Board of Directors. Council also sets forth CTA policy, develops legislation, and makes recommendations in general elections.

2025-2026 State Council of Education Meeting Schedule

2025-26 State Council Dates.  All meetings take place at the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles
October 17-19- 2025
January 23-25 -2026
March 27-29 -2026
June 5-7 2026

TALB’s current CTA State Council Representatives/Term Expiration Date for TALB are:

  • Gerry Morrison/2026
  • Lux Higbee/2026
  • John Solomon/2026
  • Wendy Eulo/2027
  • Alinette Dean Richardson/2026
  • Peder Larsen/2027
  • John Olgin/2028
  • John Ottina/2027