Olathe’s newest educators were greeted at their first lunch in district by the smiling faces of our building Association Representatives!

Olathe NEA Association Representatives

Kathleen Smith, ONW, emceed the Olathe NEA New Educator Luncheon. She opened the luncheon with positivity: “As you begin your journey as a New Educator in the Olathe District we want you to know that you belong and are so welcomed in to our amazing district.  You are here for a reason.”

Next, our Olathe NEA President Kathy Meyer brought a special guest on stage–Superintendent John Allison. They both spoke of the collaborative relationship between the district and Olathe NEA. This long tradition of collaboration allows Professional Council to address a variety of issues throughout the school year.

Angie Powers, ONW, welcomed new-t0-district educators and spoke about the importance of NEA in education. She shared about her experiences at the NEA Representative Assembly: “As a delegate, I experienced the Red for Ed solidarity of 6,000 educators from across the globe debating issues that impact working conditions and student learning. We didn’t always agree. No organization with as many passionate members as NEA will find 100% agreement. But we did engage in civil discourse, and it was truly beautiful.”

Countryside Elementary teacher Shelby Lewis, a third-year music educator, spoke to the new-to-district educations next about the state-level association. She shared about her experience at the KNEA Representative Assembly: “This past April, teachers from across the state of Kansas traveled to Topeka for the 2018 KNEA Representative Assembly – many of your colleagues were included in that group. As the Legislature tried to short-change our kids yet again, KNEA members jumped out of their seats, into their comfy shoes, and settled under the dome to ask our representatives for the adequate funds for our students.”

The last speaker was Kimberly Hanson, a special education teacher at ONW. Kimberly spoke about the importance of the local association by first holding up the negotiated agreement and fanning its many pages with a flourish. Then, she added, “But ONEA is not just about our salaries. It’s about working together for better working conditions for teachers, making sure we have the time and resources to develop strong and engaging lessons for our students, as well as providing professional development opportunities to help us to develop our craft. To do this work, we have various teacher-led committees focused on students such as student behavior, Power 50, and the Social & Racial Justice Cadre.”

In between speakers, new-to-district educators had the opportunity to talk to building Association Representatives, fill out membership forms, and claim their free Olathe NEA T-shirt by joining our great association. That’s how we do #ONEAStrong!