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Governor Brownback Signs Equal Access Legislation
posted by: Alix | April 17, 2013, 01:34 PM   

Governor Brownback signed House Bill 2221 into law last week, which allows Kansas educators to hear what their professional association options are.  The law changes elements of the Professional Negotiations Act to:

 

 

-         Provide all professional employee associations access to school mailboxes, both physical and electronic.

-         Provide all professional employee associations access to school bulletin boards.

-         Provide all professional employee associations the right to attend new teacher orientations or other school meetings.

-         Allow educators the right to share their professional association with their colleagues.

 

Prior to the signing of the equal access law many teachers in Kansas have been under-informed and under-protected because they didn’t know their options when it came to professional membership.  The previous law gave exclusive rights to one organization which kept educators from hearing about other options.  Many teachers knew they needed liability insurance, they just didn’t know they didn’t need to join the union to get it.  Educators who don’t want to join the union because they don’t agree with the politics or the cost were left unprotected and uninformed of their choices.

 

In addition, the previous law put administrators in the position of serving as a referee between professional associations.  With equal access requirements in place, administrators are free to focus on their jobs.

 

KANAAE is looking forward to the opportunity to continue to provide educators in Kansas a choice in professional association membership.  With the passage of HB2221, the equal access act, educators will have a much better opportunity to hear of their choices in professional membership.

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