We believe teachers deserve meaningful support.
Recognizing teachers should go beyond appreciation—it should come with real resources. That’s why IFT grant programs put CTA membership dues directly into educators’ hands, helping them create learning experiences that truly serve their students and schools.
Mission
Our mission is to enhance, support, and sustain quality teaching and public schools for all California students.
IFT exists to:
- Support the relationship of students and teachers.
- Provide an environment where these nurtured relationships can foster meaningful learning.
- Facilitate collaboration between teachers and the community for public education excellence.
History and Background
From collective organizing to material support.
The Institute was formed in 1967 by the CTA Board of Directors and established as a foundation—a 501(c)(3) corporation—to assist public education in ways that CTA alone was unable to address. Since 2002, IFT has come under the umbrella of the CTA Foundation for Teaching and Learning, an independent nonprofit organization that supports CTA sponsored scholarships, awards, grants and disaster relief supporting teachers and students across California.
Through IFT, teachers are able to make real change in their schools by bringing their most creative and impactful ideas to life. IFT provides the support, resources, and encouragement educators need to shape learning environments that reflect their values and expertise.
About CTA
CTA is the largest democratic, member-driven organization in the state, with more than 1,100 chapters statewide. With the unified voice of 310,000 members from California’s public schools and colleges, CTA is a powerful and passionate advocate for students and public education.
Since 1863, CTA has fought for the schools all students deserve and the resources all educators need. Their first major victory was a win for all Californians when CTA worked with elected officials to pass a law in 1866 establishing a free public education system in California. One year later, CTA secured public funding for schools that educated students of color. This long and vibrant legacy continues today, with members working in classrooms, neighborhoods and the halls of the State Capitol to defend and advance public education.
Our Team
David B. Goldberg
President
David B. Goldberg
President
An educator since 1997, CTA President David B. Goldberg has spent most of his career as a bilingual teacher at Murchison Elementary in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In addition to English, he is fluent in both Spanish and American Sign Language.
He previously served as CTA vice president and secretary-treasurer for four years each, as well as two three-year terms on the CTA Board of Directors. Goldberg also previously served as treasurer of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). He comes from a long line of Los Angeles educator union leaders—he was active in the UTLA strike of 2019, just as his mother “walked the line in 1989” as a UTLA strike captain and his grandmother did during the during the 1970 L.A. teachers strike.
He is a lifelong resident of the Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Karla Alvarado-Goldberg (a high school psychiatric social worker in LAUSD). They have three children. In his free time, Goldberg enjoys gardening, bike riding and meditation.
Leslie L. Littman
Vice President
Leslie L. Littman
Vice President
An educator since 1992, CTA Vice President Leslie Littman taught AP U.S. history, economics and government at Hart High School in the William S. Hart Union School District in Santa Clarita.
Littman comes from a family of public school educators – her mother, two aunts, two uncles and many cousins were all public school educators.
Littman won the NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence in the 2011-12 school year.
As secretary-treasurer during the pandemic quarantine, Littman helped guide CTA State Council’s sudden switch from massive, multi-day, in-person meetings to fully virtual, one-day affairs. Littman led efforts to elevate member voices, ensure all members felt seen and heard, and preserve CTA’s democratic practices.
A graduate of California public schools and universities, Littman earned her bachelor’s degree in history and economics and master’s in education from UCLA. During her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, Legos, and spending time with friends and family, including her dog, Poppy. Littman lives in West Hills.
Erika L. Jones
Secretary-Treasurer
Erika L. Jones
Secretary-Treasurer
An educator since 2005, CTA Secretary-Treasurer Erika Jones is an elementary school teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District and member of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).
On the state level, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Jones to the California Charter Schools Task Force in 2019. The group’s work led to a series of CTA-sponsored bills to reform charter school law, bringing much-needed transparency, accountability and regulation to a previously unregulated California charter school industry.
Born in New York and raised in Kentucky, Jones has lived in California since 1991. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Business from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles, and earned her teaching credential and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University, Northridge. She also holds an Administrative Credential and has completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program: Leadership, Organizing and Action.
Jones lives in Los Angeles with her husband Alex and daughter Josephine. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, painting and creating ceramics.
Kisha Borden
CTA Board Liaison
Kisha Borden
CTA Board Liaison
Kisha Borden, a veteran elementary educator in the San Diego Unified School District, is serving her second three-year term. As the CTA Director for District P, Borden represents the educators of San Diego and Imperial counties.
Borden grew up in San Diego, graduated from San Diego schools, and began teaching in her district in 1996. Her 25 years of teaching have all been at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, near the neighborhood where she grew up.
Borden’s union activism runs deep. As a long-time union member, she served as her site’s union representative for 10 years, a board member, treasurer, vice president, and president of the San Diego Education Association. She also served on the bargaining team and member engagement committee. For her activism, SDEA honored her with a CTA “We Honor Ours” (WHO) Award.
She earned her bachelor’s in science from UC Berkeley and her teaching credential from the University of San Diego.
Borden lives in San Diego.
Eva Ruiz
CTA Board Liaison
Eva Ruiz
CTA Board Liaison
Eva Ruiz, a veteran bilingual teacher at Sunset Elementary in the Fresno Unified School District, is serving her second three-year term on the Board.
An educator for 23 years, Ruiz represents CTA members in Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa, Fresno and Madera counties. She has deep activist roots with the Fresno Teachers Association, where she was president for two years.
The daughter of farm workers, and the mother of four children, Ruiz’s CTA work includes serving on the union’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, chairing the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, and serving as a delegate on the CTA State Council of Education for seven years. For her dedication to union work, she received a CTA “We Honor Ours” (WHO) Award in 2017. Her national work includes serving for several years as a California delegate to the annual NEA Representative Assembly.
She is fluent in Spanish and a founding member of the California Latina Democrats of Fresno County group. Ruiz holds a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University, Fresno.
She lives in Fresno with her family.
Francisco Ortiz
Region 1 Board Member
Francisco Ortiz
Region 1 Board Member
Francisco Ortiz is an experienced educator, organizer, and union leader committed to strengthening California’s public schools through equity-centered policy and member-driven power. He serves as President of the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR), representing more than 1,500 educators in the West Contra Costa Unified School District, and brings a deep belief that student success depends on stable, well-resourced schools where educators are supported to thrive.
A proud alumnus of WCCUSD, Francisco remains deeply rooted in the community he serves—both as a union leader and as a public advocate for transformative investments in public education. He previously served as a liaison for the California Teachers Association and as a board member of Californians Together, where he championed multilingual education, culturally sustaining instruction, and equitable opportunities for English learners and immigrant communities.
Francisco is widely recognized for helping lead UTR through a historic strike that marked a turning point for educator organizing in West Contra Costa. Under his leadership, UTR helped launch the “We Can’t Wait” campaign—centering fully staffed schools, fair pay, and stability for students—and helped spark a new wave of collective action across the region grounded in solidarity with families, students, and community partners.
Francisco’s leadership is also deeply personal. He is a father of a special needs transitional kindergarten student in West Contra Costa, and he brings that lived experience into his advocacy for inclusive schools, strong special education services, and the belief that every child deserves a safe, joyful learning environment with the support they need to flourish.
Angela Stegall
Region 2 Board Member
Angela Stegall
Region 2 Board Member
Angela Stegall is a dedicated high school teacher in the Marysville Joint Unified School District. She is also an active member of her local chapter, the Marysville Unified Teachers Association where she currently serves as the Vice President.
Chris Quirarte
Region 3 Board Member
Chris Quirarte
Region 3 Board Member
Chris Quirarte is a dedicated educator with many years of experience serving California's students and communities.
Currently, Chris works as a Community Schools Coordinator in the Whittier City School District, a TK-8 district serving approximately 6,300 students in Los Angeles County.
Through his role as Community Schools Coordinator, Chris works to strengthen the partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations, helping to ensure that students have access to the comprehensive support and resources they need to thrive both academically and personally.
Jess Sanchez
Region 4 Board Member
Jess Sanchez
Region 4 Board Member
Jess Sanchez is a dedicated classroom teacher in the Moreno Valley Unified School District. Through his active involvement with the Moreno Valley Educators Association, he champions educational equity and the rights of disenfranchised communities.
Dr. Kyra Greene
Community Board Member
Dr. Kyra Greene
Community Board Member
Dr. Kyra R. Greene has been the Executive Director of the Center on Policy Initiatives since 2017, and a staff member since 2014.
Dr. Greene earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University. She also holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Her past research has focused on social movement messaging/framing, legislative processes, and public policies affecting the lives of people of color and people with disabilities.
Before joining CPI, Dr. Greene was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University. She served as an instructor in sociological courses on public policy at both Rider University and Stanford University.
Presently, Dr. Greene serves on numerous boards. In addition to being an IFT Community Board Member, she is the Chair of the Engage San Diego Action Fund and Board Chair of PowerSwitch Action.
Glen Price
Community Board Member
Glen Price
Community Board Member
Glen Price’s commitment to California public education includes serving two terms as an elected board member of the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD).
Glen also served as a Chief Deputy Superintendent at the California Department of Education (CDE) where he was instrumental in the launch of California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF shifts over $10 billion annually to support improved services for low-income, English learner, and foster youth students.
Working with a company he founded, the Glen Price Group, Glen was the principal team leader for efforts that raised over $1 billion dollars for the capital and program initiatives of public and private agencies. He has worked extensively with foundations, non-profit organizations, local education agencies, and governmental entities, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, American Red Cross, CARE, World Wildlife Fund, First 5 California, CDE Foundation, S.D. Bechtel Jr., Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Stuart Foundation, and others.
Now retired, much of Glen’s professional work focused on the design, implementation, funding, and evaluation of multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary coalitions, alliances, and collaborative projects. Key examples include support for the development of the California Labor Management Initiative and several community schools initiatives.
Glen and his wife, a retired California public educator, love spending time with their two amazing daughters, sons-in-law, and three grandchildren. Glen also enjoys hiking, making music with friends and family, and working in his small organic herb and vegetable garden.
Abdul Sayid
Executive Director, IFT
Marissa Glidden
Program Organizer, IFT
Jazzy Lazo
Program Specialist, IFT
Please email IFT with any questions at ift@cta.org