Volume 59, Issue 1
KEA Members Make a Difference!
KEA members are the most effective advocates for our schools, our communities, our professions, and our union. Here are some things every member can do to help:
- Share information that you receive from KEA and your local with fellow union members and potential members.
- Know the people who represent you. This includes not only your representative and senator, but your school board and city council members.
- Attend your local school board meetings and bring fellow union members with you. Tell your story during public comment.
- Do your homework. You need to know what you are talking about. How well have you researched your concern?
- You don’t have to go it alone. You will probably discover that many of your issues are shared by fellow members. Reach out to your local leaders, building reps, or UniServ Director about how collective action might help.
- Focus on solutions, not problems. Rather than identifying what is not working, focus on how additional progress can be made.
- Communicate face-to-face if you can. It is easier to write, and a one-way conversation is good, but a dialogue is better. Plan a meeting with an elected official (school board, city council, state House of Representatives, state Senate) and talk to them about your work and what you need.
- Get involved with KEPAC, KEA’s political action committee.