:::: MEMBERS ONLY PAGE ::::
K-12 WEA members can join by submtting a WEA-PAC Payroll Authorization form to join WEA-PAC.
WEA-Retired, Higher Ed and Student WEA members can join here.
School Board Races
This portion covers how WEA members help elect pro-education leaders at the local level!
What makes a good candidate?
- Connected in the community
- Understands school issues
- Reflects the community (& our membership – especially women, younger members, people of color & other diversity)
- Meets the requirements to run
- Understands what it takes to win (willing to campaign)
What are the legal requirements to run?
- Must live in the district
- Cannot be employed by the district nor their spouse (unless previously employed)
- No other conflicts of interest
How can my local union help?
- Make an endorsement or contribution
- Member to member communication
- Members volunteer for their campaign
What does the endorsement interview process look like?
- Identify, invite & train members to be on the interview team
- Invite & confirm candidates, send questionnaire, set training outline
- Conduct interviews
- Notify candidates, maintain the relationship with candidates endorsed by the team
Why do I need to be interested in politics?
This ability to recognize the way things need to be done in order to ensure success in public education is as important as your daily interactions with colleagues, parents, principals, supervisors, and the superintendent. Here are a few reasons how politics affect your life daily, WEA-PAC…
- gives us a voice to fight for increased education funding, higher school quality and improved compensation.
- helps to elect candidates who will put children and public education first.
- gives us a strong voice in the debate over key issues - including funding, class size, compensation and accountability and more.
- is a powerful voice in lobbying for the right kind of education reform. By being members of WEA-PAC we can work together to help children, strengthen our schools and improve compensation. Remember, recommendations are based on substantive educational issues only.
- supports activities to help protect the interests of education employees, and give us a better chance of winning improved compensation, health benefits and protecting collective bargaining rights.
You in Politics!
2018 is the McCleary victory: Billions for Washington K-12 public schools and students. The state Supreme Court ruled in June, 2018 that the state's new public education is finally in compliance with the court's 2012 McCleary decision. WEA members in school districts across the state then negotiated historic pay increases for both certificated and classified education support professionals.
Statewide one day walk outs! In 2015, we have been standing side by side with community members taking an incredible stand for students by walking out against the Legislature's failure to adequately address smaller class sizes, health care and educator compensation. As I'm writing this, elected officials are in their second special session in Olympia struggling to fully fund our public education system and showing a shocking display of politics over policy.
2014 voter-approved I-1351 for smaller class sizes! You successfully collected over 300,000 signatures to get Initiative 1351 onto the ballot. Additionally, you successfully connected with voters through door belling and phonebanking to get out the vote to pass I-1351. This is now law!