What you can do

1.  Contact the Governor.

KNEA’s legal department will review the language of the bill that passed late Sunday night, as soon as it is fully available.  As soon as they have specific details we will update our members.  In the meantime, we ask our members, their friends, family, and colleagues to contact Governor Brownback’s office using the links that below and tell him “we (I) expect you to veto this bill that seeks to silence teachers from advocating for their students.”  (Some other key points from the KNEA press conference today are listed below.)

 

Governor’s Email:  https://governor.ks.gov/serving-kansans/constituent-services/legislation-and-policy-issues

 

Governor’s Phone: 877-579-6757

 

2. Answer the DUE PROCESS RESPONSE FORM

What have you done for a student or school, that you might have been reluctant to do without due process rights?  http://www.jotformpro.com/kneacomm/dueprocess
Tell us how you have used due process to advocate for a child, your class, your school, etc. Some common examples are given. You may not have realized how due process could have played a role if it were needed.

 

KNEA held a press conference this afternoon, here are some of the key points:

·       KNEA supports a clean finance bill without policy amendments and call upon the Governor to veto HB 2506.
·       Statutory due process for probationary teachers cannot be achieved in the future under this bill.
·       This bill has no statutory impact on bargaining as reported by some misguided legislators.
·       Under due process, bad teachers can be fired.  With no due process, good teachers can be fired.
·       The loss of due process only increases the need for legal support for our members.
·       When asked if this will hurt membership – we replied that now people have a greater, not lesser need for support and protection

KNEA Press Release this afternoon for today’s press conference http://www.knea.org/assets/document/KS/HB2506PressRelease_(2).pdf

 

3.  Plan ahead for ELECTIONS!  Click http://www.knea.org/home/286.htm  to donate to KPAC using PayPal so that we can support public education friendly candidates in November. If you prefer a KPAC form be emailed or mailed to you, please request it from jen.siefer@knea.org.

 

4. Contact YOUR representatives to say “Thank you” for supporting us or to tell them they have lost your vote for the House elections in November, whichever is appropriate.   To look up your representatives in the House and Senate, click here: http://www.knea.org/home/286.htm

 

5. Invite your colleagues to join us.  The first request for a KNEA membership application came at 7:09 this morning and requests have continued through the day.  Talk to people about joining us.  There are two enrollment forms available:

·       The “Early Enrollment” is for anyone who has never been a member before. There are no dues involved until September 2014, but there is also no legal coverage or liability until that time.
·       The “regular” Enrollment Form is also available for teachers who have been members before.  Please let people know that dues are prorated. (Dues for April to August are $240.42.)

Email jen.siefer@knea.org to request an enrollment form.

 

(From KNEA; Sent to members April 7)

School Finance bill passes with worrisome policy changes

Your LNEA representatives returned from Topeka about 11:30 p.m. Sunday night, after a long weekend advocating for students and teachers. They were sleep deprived, but determined to make some changes at the capitol in November!

Your elected representatives attended the annual KNEA Representative Assembly in Topeka this weekend. They also participated in a rally held in front of Topeka High celebrating KNEA's 150th anniversary, and then marched to the Capitol to witness the Kansas Legislature considering the school finance bill. They spent much time, into the wee morning hours, observing the legislative process and lobbying for our kids. At issue was a finance bill designed to satisfy the Supreme Court order for equitable funding with several very worrisome "strings" attached, straight from the ALEC legislative agenda, for the legislature to consider. Increased funding dangled in front of them but only if they agreed to:

• Abolish due process rights for K-12 teachers
• Approve tuition tax credits for families sending their children to unaccredited private or charter schools
• $10 million in tax credits for corporations providing scholarships to leave public schools for those same unaccountable private schools.

This bill, created in conference committee from a Senate bill that the House refused to pass, was NEVER discussed in either house's education committee, never presented for public hearings, and had been rammed through by the Republican majority. By 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, after 12 hours of cat and mouse, the House defeated the bill because of these odious attachments. This required the two houses to craft another bill in conference committee. They took the House's bill and added provisions to make it almost identical to their first one (they did drop the tuition tax credits), and again it was rammed through, despite strenuous objection from the Democratic minority. This time the vote was much closer, but we were unable to prevail. The House convened at 9 p.m. Sunday evening to consider the Senate's bill and passed it 63-58.

While of course we wanted the finance piece to pass, KNEA opposes the policy changes, straight out of the ALEC legislative agenda, which were attached.

If Governor Brownback signs the bill, it could hinder your right to advocate for your students, to call for safety in your schools, and to challenge people who aren't standing up for your kids, without fear of being fired with no reason given. It will also provide $10 million in tax credits to corporations to send kids to unaccredited private schools.

We'll have more information about what the law means for you once KNEA legal staff have had an opportunity to read it carefully--something that should have been possible before the legislature voted, but was not!

Teachers who gave all or part of their weekend, and lost a lot of sleep, are Ruth Striggow, Ginger Riddle, Dennis Dickson, Sharon Mueller, Pat DiFonzo, Linda Schukman, Michelle Smalls, Shelley Maas, and Trish Klima. (Emailed to members April 7)