The California State Legislature approved the Race to the Top education bills that were heavily opposed by the California Teachers Association. The California Teachers Association fears that the Race to the Top bills will make it easier to convert schools to charters and replace union teachers with non-union teachers. The bill also proposes that pay be linked to test scores, but does not require it. Analysts say that the union may not be as threatened as it thinks it is, and that the changes that are made will be effected by local bargaining agreements. The Teachers Association is asking chapters not to sign on in support of California's application for funds. A California official said that a marked lack of union support could hurt California's application.
See "California Teachers Union in rare legislative loss", Laurel Rosenhall, The Sacramento Bee, January 10, 2010