Where we foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.
The California School Employees Association represents 230,000 dedicated, extraordinary
school support staff throughout California.
CSEA members perform a wide range of essential work in our public schools and community
colleges, including security, food services, office and clerical work, school maintenance
and operations, transportation, academic assistance, and paraeducator services, library
and media assistance, computer services and more.
CSEA was formed in 1927 when a determined group of Oakland custodians came together
to support an elderly custodian who couldn't afford to retire because public schools
had no pension plan for such employees. This small group of custodians saw the need
to gain rights and benefits for themselves and other school employees and began the
organization to achieve this goal.
Today, CSEA continues to thrive as a member-run union, democratically controlled by
member volunteers in more than 750 local chapters throughout the state. We are proud
of our contributions toward California's future and we strive every day to carry out
our mission to improve the lives of our members, students, and communities.