Making a difference
 I
am honored to have the opportunity to serve as president of
this outstanding organization. At times I feel a bit overwhelmed
by the responsibilities of the position. I am forever grateful
to my predecessors, our leaders and our staff for their encouragement
and careful mentoring. Our organization has prospered because
our members and staff work together to remain focused on our
foremost goal—to achieve a great public school for every
Missouri student. I look forward to working with all of you
as we face the opportunities and challenges of the coming
years.
I’m setting goals. As does any new
president, I have set many personal goals to achieve during
my term. Most importantly, I want to make a positive, tangible
difference for our members and the students we serve. One
of the most important ways I can make a difference is by working
to elect local, state and national officials who are true
advocates of public education.
Do your part. If I were to ask each of you
how you felt you could “make a difference” for
your students this year, what would your answer be? Would
you choose to make a difference for your students by participating
in the National Board Certification process? Would you choose
to make a difference for your students by taking advantage
of new training opportunities? Would you choose to make a
difference for your students by taking a course in administration
or new nursing techniques, by obtaining an advanced degree,
by spending personal time and resources to decorate your classroom
or cafeteria? Would you choose to make a difference for your
students by continuing the discussions with your administrators
and school board members about moving your district toward
bargaining for next year’s contract?
Take care of yourself. The fact is that
we can only make a difference for our students if we continue
to focus on making a difference for ourselves. As airplanes
taxi away, passengers learn that in case of an emergency an
oxygen mask will be released from the storage area above.
When that happens, adult passengers need to put the oxygen
mask on before putting it on the children with them. It’s
the same with educators.
Just say no to umbrellas. As you begin this
school year, we can help you stand strong as others work in
your district and in the state legislature to weaken your
right to bargain. You’ll hear urging to “come
together” as umbrella organizations to work to find
solutions agreeable to all groups. This will only dilute a
right that we’ve just reclaimed. If you are the majority
organization in your district, you need to represent the majority
at the table. If you’re not the majority in your district,
talking with your potential membership will help them understand
that it is MNEA that has always believed in the right to bargain
collectively—it’s not our “flavor of the
day.”
If education employees want to help students, then they need
to be a part of the organization that has the energy, enthusiasm
and know-how to do that.
The time is right. I recently watched a
TV ad that stated, “It’s a great position to be
in to be able to make a difference!” We’re in
that position right now as we begin this school year. We have
a Supreme Court decision that states that we have the right
to bargain collectively and a membership of more than 33,000
statewide and 3.2 million nationwide. We know how to advocate
for our students and our schools. MNEA stands ready and able
to help you “make a difference” for your students
this year—and we are “something better”
for Missouri educators and the students we serve.
I hope that your new school year has started well, and I
look forward to our work together!
by Chris
Guinther
MNEA president
sb,
fall
07
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