After 12 years of involvement, Aaron Kofahl, one of Costa’s beloved social science teachers has officially stepped into the role of Union President for the Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association, representing over 280 teachers/educators across the district in the 2025-2026 school year.
The Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association is the district’s local chapter of the California Teachers Association, primarily focusing on advocating for Manhattan Beach located educators’ working conditions, safety, and benefits. The union is designated to serve as a bridge between educators and administrators, ensuring that contracts are both protected and maintained.
“It is a huge job essentially,” 2013-2025 Union President Shawn Chen said. “The job of the Union President is to make sure that teachers are being given all the rights that are within their contract and helping to serve as a bridge between administrators at both site and district level.”
Union leadership isn’t foreign to Kofahl. He joined the district and union in 2014, and became a union representative after gaining tenure. Following his position as a union representative, he had helped negotiate contracts by being a part of the Bargaining Team, eventually working his way up to the role of Vice President.
“I’ve been involved in the union since I started in the district,” Kofahl said. “After bargaining and serving as vice president, being elected president feels like a natural continuation of the work I’ve been doing.”
According to Chen, Kofahl’s involvement made him a clear choice to step into the position. When asked about the transition of dynamics, she elaborated on the importance of union membership, and how grateful she is to have Kofahl carry leadership with much long-term responsibility attached.
“He has been so heavily involved in union work for several years,” Chen said. “I knew I was leaving the role in good hands.”
As union president, Kofahl’s responsibilities reach far beyond contract negotiations. He works side by side with teachers to address individual concerns, ranging from work accommodations to helping them communicate with administrators.
“The most demanding part is that every situation is unique,” Kofahl said. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and each issue deserves individual attention.”
Despite the difficulties that come with those demands, Kofahl believes those one-on-one interactions continue to be the most rewarding aspect of the role at the same time. By helping teachers fix any of their concerns, he supports their return to the classroom in a healthier way.
“When you help someone improve their working conditions, you’re really helping them get back to doing what they love,” Kofahl said. “That’s why we do this work.”
Kofahl also emphasized the importance of the connection between an educator’s working conditions and a student’s learning experience. He highlighted how union advocacy does not only benefit educators, however it benefits the broader school community.
“When teachers are happy and supported, they’re better teachers,” Kofahl said. “That creates a better learning environment for students.”
Looking into the future of his line of work, Kofahl hopes to increase the local union’s involvement at the state level, specifically in means of school funding initiatives. One specific goal of his is to ensure the passing of Proposition 55, which provides essential financial support to education districts.
“If that funding expires, we’re talking about layoffs and furlough days,” Kofahl said. “Getting involved now is about protecting the future of our schools.”
Leave a Reply