FINDING COMMON GROUND

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #11 How to Become Part of Your Local’s Endorsement Process FINDING COMMON GROUND How does a life long Republican become a leader in the teachers’ union? Many simply don’t bother. And that’s OK, so long as they don’t claim they’re being shut out. But, let’s assume for this discussion that this Republican wants to be involved in professional decisions that will affect his future. How do you find a place? The answer is to find common ground. There are numerous things the local associations, WEA, and NEA do that are worthwhile and not subject to partisan policies. For example, WEA virtually runs the National Board Certification (NBC) program in WA State. If a teacher wishes to become a National Board Certified Educator, he/she needs only to contact WEA and become involved in their program. As I understand it, WA State has the highest per capita number of National Board Certified educators in the country. That’s no small accomplishment and it’s made possible by WEA’s commitment to help any of its members who wish to be NBC. Once a member becomes an NBC educator, WEA could certainly use that member’s help in running the NBC program. And there you are, building name familiarity and opening doors to your further participation. Whether districts should run special levies and for how much is likely to be a partisan issue. However, once the levy amount is established, it is subject to a vote of the people. At that point, helping run a levy campaign is mostly a public service. As a Republican, I’m pledged to support the decisions of the voters in my district. Their decision may be partisan, but my pledge is not. A WEA member, looking for a place to start helping the union, could volunteer to be part of the district’s levy support team. Working as the building levy rep was the first union function with which I became involved. It helped me build my professional image, both in the union and in the district. So, examples of Common Ground include becoming and working to help others become National Board Certified and volunteering for the Levy Support Team. There are many other opportunities, as well; which I shall discuss in future postings. ------------ Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is also a lifelong Republican and a member of Mainstream Republicans of WA Board.

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