Rolling Hills UniServ - KNEA

Rolling Hills members from ANW CO-OP and Fort Scott KNEA at the Member Organizing Training in Topeka today.

Recognizing Rolling Hills Retirees at our UCC last night.

At the ESP conference in Topeka encouraging members to raise their voices for better wages, support, but most importantly more support for our students.

We have decided to move our UDRA to January 31st do to the weather. Times will remain the same with UDRA starting at 9am and UCC starting at approx.. 12:30pm. Location will be at the Garnett Community Center located in the North Lake Park in Garnett, KS. There are 2 buildings beside each other and it is the one on the east(left).

Your Rolling Hills Leadership at the KNEA Advocacy retreat in Topeka. Listening to a few Governor candidates, learning about upcoming elections, the new Under the Dome website, and much more. Be ready for us to share with you in the coming weeks.

Working for a stronger Association!

Start of a great weekend working for advocacy. So excited!!!

Join us for an online training about educator rights to free speech as it relates to social media. There will be an overview of First Amendment rights as public school employees; limitations; and best practices for professional and responsible online engagement. Register at bit.ly/092925.

President Sherri Schwanz issues statement on due process, freedom of speech

In recent weeks, educators across the nation have come under scrutiny for expressing personal opinions on their private social media platforms. Kansas is no exception.

The Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) respects the confidentiality of our members. We proudly stand in support of our members and affirm the free speech rights of public school educators outside of the classroom. Threats against individuals or their livelihoods are inappropriate, and we unequivocally condemn all forms of political violence.

Educators already face numerous challenges, and now their jobs are at risk for expressing personal views in private settings. This makes it more difficult to retain quality educators at a time when Kansas schools need them most. Professionalism in education is one of KNEA’s core values. Educators serve as mentors and role models for our students and take great pride in that responsibility. With that responsibility comes the understanding of which topics are appropriate for classroom discussion. KNEA is committed to fostering safe learning environments that respect the rights of all Kansas students. Every student deserves to learn in a safe environment, and every educator deserves to work without fear.

Democracy is another core value of KNEA. We believe public education is the cornerstone of our republic, equipping individuals with the skills to be informed, engaged participants in our representative democracy. Freedom of speech is fundamental to a free society, and KNEA will always support our members when their rights are threatened. Our members are entitled to due process, which includes complete, thorough and fair investigations into any alleged actions.

KNEA urges public school leaders to uphold the legal and contractual rights of our members and to give equal weight to justice and due process.

Had the opportunity to talk to ANW employees at their in-service today. We also had a surprise drop in with our UD Brett stopping by and saying hi. Thank you Kim Heslop for inviting me to come and present. Excited at the possibility of many new ESP members.