PRESS CONFERENCE_11.17.25
SCFT Press Conference 2025-11-17 16:53:48
FACULTY UNION DECLARES NO CONFIDENCE IN CHANCELLOR GOLDSMITH, PROPELLING HER TO RETIREMENT.
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, NOVEMBER 17, 2025- The community college faculty of the State Center Federation of Teachers (SCFT, or “The Federation”) met as planned on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. to execute a unanimous Vote of No Confidence in the top administrator of the State Center Community College District (SCCCD), Dr. Carole Goldsmith.
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The meeting, planned months in advance of the Chancellor’s retirement announcement, was standing room only, as a record number of faculty gathered to review devastating results of a recent climate survey, sharing stories of retaliation and dereliction of duty by top District administration, including Dr. Carole Goldsmith. Under Goldsmith’s leadership, the District’s legal expenses have exploded, a team of bullies has enacted a culture of retaliation and fear, ignoring faculty expertise and silencing College voices. Faculty morale is at an all-time low. Goldsmith preaches kindness but the faculty’s experience of her leadership is very different from her carefully crafted public persona.
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The Resolution of No Confidence in Chancellor Carole Goldsmith will be read aloud to the California Community College (CCC) Board of Governors at their regularly-scheduled meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Copies will be issued to the SCCCD Board of Trustees, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), and the Superintendent of Public Instruction with a call for her immediate removal from office, regardless of her self-scheduled retirement date of September 2026.
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Despite these tensions, the faculty union’s negotiation team still plans to meet again with the District at the negotiation table, in good faith, on Friday, November 21.
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The Federation is hosting a City-Wide Townhall on Higher Education on December 9th at 6 p.m.. We invite the community to tell us what they want their District to look like.
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Click to read: State Center Federation of Teachers Resolution of No Confidence
ABOUT US
The State Center Federation of Teachers (SCFT) is a professional union and the official bargaining agent of all faculty in the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) serving the Central Valley of California.
This union is chartered through the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as Local 1533 and affiliated with the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), the Fresno Madera Tulare Kings Central Labor Council (FMTKCLC) and the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF).
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Key facts about SCFT:
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History: This union has been the sole and exclusive representative of all faculty in the State Center Community College District since 1964.
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Representation: This union serves over 2,350 full- time and part-time instructors, counselors, librarians, nurses, coaches, and coordinators who work at SCCCD's colleges, which includes Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College, Reedley College, and all affiliated worksites.
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Purpose: SCFT advocates for its members' rights, benefits, and professional standards and serves as their exclusive collective bargaining representative.
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Negotiations: The union negotiates employment contracts for both full-time and part-time faculty. The SCFT negotiation team is composed of a diverse group of full and part-time faculty who are professionally trained at both the national and state levels to advocate for the diverse needs of their colleagues.
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Leadership: The union is governed by a constitution & bylaws which calls for administrative oversite by an executive council body. The council consists of elected and appointed faculty officers who serve as representatives from all SCCCD campuses. SCFT has one full-time professional staff person. Depending on the position, many faculty officers receive either release time and/or stipends for serving on the executive council. Council officers must be dues-paying members in good standing.
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Benefits: Dues-paying members receive access to benefits and discounts through the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), including life insurance policies, legal support, travel discounts, and more.
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Dues: The union has a Duty of Representation to all faculty employees, though voluntary contributions are vital to the daily operations of the organization (including upholding the contract) and is highly encouraged. Faculty can use the button below to complete the membership form.
Take Action
"A Union is a state of joining together; working side by side toward a common purpose."
We know many of you are sad, fed up, and angry! We are currently fighting for a new contract and we need you to join us! Watch the video below featuring your Executive Vice President Samantha Brookshire. Then, see below for more ways to take action!
Upcoming Events
CITY-WIDE TOWN HALL
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 AT 6PM
Why This Matters to All of Us
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Education is a public trust — a shared investment that shapes the moral and economic fabric of our region. When quality declines, every family, institution, and neighborhood is affected — but especially those already fighting for access and opportunity
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The erosion of full-time teaching positions and the weakening of the faculty union through poorly structured Dual Enrollment programs threatens not only educators, but the long-term strength of the civic institutions that depend on them and the collective power of our Broad-Based Organization.
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This contract fight is not only about wages or workload — it’s about protecting the integrity of public education and a critical source of good-paying, meaningful jobs for our youth. It’s a defining moment for SCFT and a chance for CV IAF institutions to stand together and model what solidarity looks like in action, which could also attract the interest of other potential members (particularly other unions).
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