Ysleta Teachers Association President Arlinda Valencia is retiring after 16 years at the helm of the 2,300-member union.

“I had a young board that I saw in their eyes that they’re ready to go. I was only there in order to find someone to take over,” Valencia told El Paso Matters. “You know, there’s always time for fresh blood and I thought this year would be the best year to do it. … I am very proud to sit down and let them take over.”

Former Parkland High School teacher Jeff Cynor will be taking over as the union’s president after being elected by members in May.

Valencia, 71, entered the world of education in 1974 when she started teaching choir in Lamesa, Texas. She moved to El Paso and joined the YTA in 1988.

She was first elected to serve as the YTA president in 1998, the same year YISD trustees voted to fire then-Superintendent Anthony Trujillo over accusations of corruption. She cites that single three-year term as the “toughest three years” of her time in the union.

She was elected as the union’s president again in 2011.

YTA union presidents work full-time; Valencia was paid $77,500 between July 2022 and June 2023, tax records show.

Throughout all her years in education, Valencia saw Texas implement its first standardized tests in 1979, the state legislature changed the law to allow charter schools in Texas in 1995, and YISD’s enrollment decline from over 47,300 students in 1996 to about 34,900 today.

Now, Valencia plans to get into politics to advocate for teachers, though she isn’t sure how she’s going to do that just yet.

“I’m not running for anything, but I want to be a part of who gets elected,” Valencia said. “I still am going to be looking for people that take public education seriously.”

As Valencia plans for her final day with the YTA on July 15, El Paso Matters spoke to the longtime educator about the role unions play in education, how teaching has evolved over the years and what the future may hold.

What does a union like the YTA do?

Texas is a “right-to-work” state, meaning workers do not need to join a union to get a job. This also means unions in Texas cannot strike for better wages or changes in the district.

Still, unions such as the YTA can help its members by pressuring school districts to raise wages and improve benefits, advocating for policy reform and offering legal representation to those who need it.

“We help them with their class sizes, we’ll help them with a transfer. We help our members protect their jobs There’s so many things that we can help members with that have really nothing to do with striking,” Valencia said. 

What role do unions play in local and state elections?

Teacher unions such as the YTA often endorse candidates in state and local elections, from school board trustees to state legislators. Some also give donations and political contributions to candidates they favor.

Though some unions do not get involved in politics, Valencia said that many do because of the way it affects schools.

“The reason we get involved is because the Legislature gets involved in education. If they left us alone, we wouldn’t need to be involved in politics. But the legislators, for some reason, believe that they know more than the classroom teachers, and they are constantly interfering in the way we teach,” Valencia said.

How has the education landscape changed throughout your years as an educator?

Though Valencia said many of the issues educators face remain the same as they did decades ago, she has noticed a change in teacher autonomy in the classroom.

“The only difference is that, in the 80s and 70s, that’s when a teacher had total control of their classroom. They taught the best way that they could. Nobody was telling them you got to be on this page today, telling them you have to teach this at this time. It was teachers who had control of their classroom,” Valencia said.

What are some issues schools and educators are currently facing?

Valencia said the lack of academic freedom in the classroom is one of the biggest issues facing teachers today.

“I wish we could go back to those days when the teacher knew what was best for her students or his students. That’s what I think we really should be fighting for. I think that real history should be taught in the school’s real history, not made-up history,” Valencia said, referring to the 2021 “critical race theory” bill.

The bill requires teachers to “give deference to both sides” when discussing current events.

“I just would say, let teachers again have the academic freedom to teach what they believe is in the best interest of their students. If teachers were to be given the freedom to teach, you’d be surprised at the outcome.”

What challenges will union leaders and educators face in the future?

Valencia listed the rise of artificial intelligence and Gov. Greg Abbott’s initiative to direct state funds to private schools through a controversial voucher program as some of the top issues her successor will likely deal with.

“The major issue right now is charter and private schools, against public (schools.) That’s the biggie. That’s where our whole survival is because the minute you give state funds to the privates and to the charters you’re taking away from public education, and it’s a growing problem in the whole United States,” Valencia said.

“I think that education is going to have to deal with AI. As an English teacher, how in the world can you teach writing essays when all you have to do is punch a word into the computer and it fills out a beautiful essay? It’s something that education is going to have to start looking at and see how we can combat that issue.”

“I think that the union’s going to have a very tough time working to get what they want with the legislature that we have. We are the experts in education, they need to start listening to the unions,” Valencia added. 

Do you have any advice for your successor?

“He has to go with what he believes. He needs to go with his gut feeling. Don’t let anyone tell him how to do his job. He’s got to be his own person and I think that he will learn to trust himself and to do a very good job.”