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By Marcia Engen Bob Chase, NEA president, aims to do just that with
NEA — reinvent it! He admits it is a tall order, but he feels
it is necessary so NEA can "lead the reform, engineer the
change and take the initiative" in public education. Since President Chase made these comments before the National Press
Club in February, he has been widely quoted in the media. This has
raised the attention (and/or ire) of many NEA members across the
nation. But, let's return to the original question. Does WEAC need to be
reinvented, or are we, as an organization, poised to deal with the
challenges of the future? Lacking a crystal ball, we may be able to peer into the years
ahead by reviewing a few of our most recent WEAC initiatives. After
two years of work at the grassroots level, we have created a WEAC
Legislative Agenda. Its 11 issues reflect our concerns for the children
we teach and our profession. For the first time we are working collaboratively with legislators
on both sides of the aisle to promote legislation that will support
quality public education in Wisconsin. Recognizing the need for better communication with our state legislators,
WE-ACT Lobby Teams were organized in each Senate district. Team
members are local educators and support personnel who periodically
meet with their legislators about pending legislation that affects
public education. To encourage creative association activities in local communities,
each UniServ unit designated one local a Vanguard local. Aptly named,
these local associations are out in front experimenting with new
ideas in their schools and communities as a means of promoting public
education. This project has already spurred other locals into similar
types of activities. Responding to growing member discontent with the QEO provision
of the state's collective bargaining law, the statewide passage
of a uniform resolution sent a strong message to local bargainers.
They now have the support needed to press for a fair settlement
for their members. While not a complete list, the WEAC initiatives outlined above
reflect many of the conditions that are part of any invention or
reinvention. The initiatives involve risk, and there are no guarantees
for success. So, while we have been reinventing WEAC to prepare ourselves for
the challenges of today and the future, we have not forgotten the
basic tenet of our organization: the members determine the direction
of WEAC. It is now the turn of our parent organization, NEA. While President Chase certainly has every right to raise the issue
of reinvention, the course of the organization will be (or should
be) determined by the delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly
in Atlanta in July. It behooves all of us, as NEA members, to contact our delegates
to the NEA-RA and inform them of our opinions about the proposed
reinvention. We have actively guided our state organization into
new frontiers of our choosing. It is imperative that we do the same
for the NEA. | 
By Chuck Howard Many believe that there is some sort of "magic"
that will take place if we cloak ourselves with the mantel of
"reinvention." But, what does reinvention really mean?
Should we abandon our foundation as advocates for our members?
We should not. Should we ignore the challenges to public education
in pursuit of a mission to improve our members' wages and working
conditions? We have not in the past, and we should not now! Some would argue that we will not be taken seriously about our
desire for real reform in public education unless we turn on ourselves,
unless we criticize our traditions and denounce the essential roles
of unionism. Others believe, (with some fervor) that any departure from the
wages and working conditions agenda — even if based on enlightened
self-interest — is heretical selling out. The truth is that the ability of our members to chart the course
of our organization is an inherent part of our culture. This makes "reinvention" an integral part of our organization's
culture and more than a catchy thought. Can we respond to the needs of our members, the students, and public
education? Emphatically yes! In fact, there is no alternative to
achieving education reform. We must continue our evolutionary effort to address the needs of
our membership, the students and public education. Teaching is not
static. Each day we act and react and transform. It is we who will
build the better schools, not those who attempt to exploit schools
under the guise of politically expedient rhetoric. We must develop the emerging models of schools and unionism. We
must embrace this role without failing to remember that our history
has substantially benefited our students and has helped shape schools
for the successful models we value today. We must continue to organize around high standards and quality,
for students, administrators, school boards, communities and ourselves. |