KEA Members Save Life of Horizon Elementary Student

http://kent.komonews.com/content/he-stopped-breathing-and-his-pulse-stopped

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWBDEU_nUN4

The links above point to the original story and YouTube posting of the news broadcast.

On May 12th, a child at Horizon Elementary School stopped breathing.  Teacher  Beth Lott was first on the scene, followed by music teacher Robert Heyde.  The two teachers performed mouth-to-mouth and CPR until help arrived.  Thankfully, the child survived and is currently recuperating. 

The sad part about this story is that Mr. Heyde is one of the teachers recently RIF’d by the Kent School District as part of their May budget cuts.  As one comment on the KOMO website’s story put it:

Best wishes to Austin for a speedy and complete recovery and yes, these folks are heroes, but one of them, Robert Heyde, has received his RIF notice for next year. Yes, the Kent School District, with over $20 million dollars in reserve, far in excess of their school board mandated 5% of an approximate $250,000,000 budget, has laid off teachers, one of whom I am sure will ironically be hailed as a hero, even by the district that sees no future need for his services. Another sad day in Kent.

Obviously, the KSD didn’t know that the teacher they RIF’d would perform such a heroic action.  However, the story illustrates just the kind of dedicated professionals that KSD has chosen to layoff rather than reduce its ridiculously large “Rainy Day Fund.”  Those in attendance at last week’s Community Budget Forum heard how the Kent School District continues to make maintaining their fund balance a bigger priority than preserving the teachers and education professionals that actually provide the services necessary for the children of Kent.  If Mr. Heyde was not there, would another teacher have stepped in and saved young Austin’s life.  Most likely, yes.  But isn’t it nice to know that Mr. Heyde was there?  And doesn’t that make his RIF even that much more of a travesty?

It’s Time To Be Heard! It’s Time For Change!

On Wednesday, May 27th, KEA once again calls upon its mebers to rally before the School Board meeting.  Once again, we ask that members gather in front of the KSD Administration Building at 6:30, and then enter the meeting at 7 pm to make their presence felt with the School Board.  Several KEA members are expected to speak during the public comments section of the meeting.

There are only three more Board meetings left:  May 27th and June 10th and 24th.  We especially want to have a presence at the next two meetings to keep pressure on the School Board to make better decisions about the KSD budget and spending priorities.  This is especially true with news that Dr. Grohe’s last day is June 15th! 

As our new superintendent, Dr. Vargas, begins his tenure, he needs to know that Kent Education Association members are not happy with the status quo.  We are not happy with being treated as less than the professionals we are.  We are not happy with the recent RIF’s that will cause good teachers and staff to leave our District, not to mention increase our class sizes and case loads.  We are not happy that KSD’s proposed budget cuts do not include salary reductions or reduction of top-level Administration positions, even as they RIF teachers and cut essential staffing and programs that our kids need.  We are not happy with being the lowest paid teachers in the Puget Sound region.  We are not happy with the fact that while our workload increases each year, our time to complete these tasks continues to be taken up with Administrative busy work, meetings, and other distractions.  We are not happy with the fact that the contract and state law are regularly violated by Kent School District administrators, causing countless grievances and an Unfair Labor Practice filing.   We are not happy with the District’s bargaining proposals that would further damage the relationship between the District and its employees, as well as the education of our students.  And we are not happy that the KSD has posted distorted “facts” that “compare” KEA and KSD contract proposals on their website. 

There are only a few more opportunities available before the summer to make your voices heard and your presence felt.  We need to leave the District with a clear understanding that things must change.  It is only through our collective work that things will change at the Bargaining Table.

Please plan on attending Wednesday’s rally, and bring your family, friends, and neighbors with you!