In the Loop

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  MOU Update

  KEA and KSD have finally reached a tentative agreement regarding distance learning until June 19. We really appreciate everyone's patience as we worked through this MOU.
  
  KEA submitted a proposal for this MOU on Thursday, April 9. KSD provided a written response on Tuesday, April 21. KEA responded on Wednesday, April 22; and the MOU was finalized that evening. We share this information because there is a perception that KSD and KEA were infighting which caused a delay in reaching an agreement. This is simply not the case. It is our belief that the infrastructure had to be put into place so that learning could be accessed by all students. This is what may have caused the delay in a district response to our proposed MOU.
  
  Regardless, we had hoped to begin this Monday, but KSD decided to wait one more week. This will allow questions to be answered by students, staff, and our community. We still have details such as grading, teacher evaluations, and discretionary leave issues to work out. But we wanted to get the ball rolling on instruction for students. The plan is to have information on the other issues by next week.
  
  This MOU recognizes that we are all in very different places regarding the use of technology and the concept of remote learning. Continued flexibility for individual teachers still exists for remote instruction, posted lessons, or a combination of the two. There is also some additional guidance for KEA members who are not classroom teachers for what the remainder of the year will look like in the various roles.
  
  Please feel free to reach out to KEA, or your building admin if you have questions or concerns.
  
  You can find the MOU using the "read more" link below.

  Read More
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  No Room for Racism in Our Schools

  The expectation of our Kent School District students, parents, staff, and community members is that our schools provide a safe and caring environment where all students are treated with respect. In addition, every school must be staffed with loving, caring adults who value the individual differences in all our students. Unfortunately, sometimes our system is faced with incidences where this is not the case – especially with looking through a racial bias lens.
  
  To address this complicated issue of racism in our schools, we cannot ignore the history of public education. The American public education system in this country from the Mayflower to this very moment never achieved an equitable education system. The structure was designed for centuries to ensure that SOME kids got an excellent education. SOME kids got a fair education. And SOME kids got an education that was an insult to the word “education”. This racist practice goes against our ideals of freedom and equality; and it is our responsibility to fight it.
  
  As union members and educators, we stand united in our support for diversity in our public schools and ensuring that all students are welcomed and supported. The Kent Education Association opposes racism everywhere, including in our classrooms, in our schools, and on social media. We strongly oppose and condemn the racist and bigoted comments recently made on social media by a Kent educator.
  
  It is every educator’s responsibility to deal with incidents such as name-calling, racial slurs and jokes and social media seriously. It is every educator’s responsibility to encourage extracurricular activities where students can explore and celebrate their cultural heritage and backgrounds and individual differences. And it is the responsibility of every educator to call out racism when they see or experience it. Only then will we see improvement towards equality for all.