Delegates take bold steps to protect your school

At its April 22-23 meeting, the Missouri NEA Representative Assembly voted to provide members an opportunity to strike back at the ballot issue threats being made against Missouri public schools. By assessing every active member $1 per month during the next year, the assembly voted to fortify the MNEA Ballot Issue Crisis Fund, a fund the MNEA Board of Directors established last fall to respond to the increasing constitutional attacks on public education.

“This decision makes a strong statement about how much our members value public education and its role in our society,” says MNEA President Greg Jung. “This decision did not come easily and without sacrifice. No one likes to ask for more money in an already struggling economy. Now more than ever is when MNEA needs the resources to protect our public schools. With the current leadership in our state and federal government and the influence of outside big-money groups, we are battling the most powerful attacks on public education in our history. It’s time to build our fortress.”

The fund will provide MNEA with the additional resources needed to respond to threatening ballot issues, such as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which restricts government spending, or vouchers, which divert public dollars to private schools. The Colorado Education Association recently spent $300,000 on a November ballot issue to put TABOR on hold for five years, while the California Teachers Association spent $65 million on ballot measures that undermined the public schools and the public employees’ retirement system. (See Be careful what you sign! for details about the TABOR threat in Missouri.)

With your help, MNEA can quickly and more effectively respond to public-education detractors. Help protect the students in your school from harmful out-of-state agendas by contributing to the MNEA Ballot Issue Crisis Fund. Download a contribution form