Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036712
Welcome to the 2018/19 school year. I hope your year is off to a great start. As you take time to reconnect with your returning colleagues and get to know your new colleagues, please tell them about WEA and why you are a member. Let them know that we are standing together for public education in Wyoming. Ask them to stand with WEA and stand for students. When we stand together, we have the power to ensure that every student in Wyoming receives high-quality education. WEA members are invested in education and each other. As members we are always there for each other – to lend a helping hand and off er a shoulder to lean on when needed. Our new teachers need you to reach out to them and be a mentor for them. As a mentor you can provide a positive and relevant relationship and will make a positive diff erence in their experience as a fi rst-year teacher. You can be the diff erence between them just surviving their fi rst year and thriving in their fi rst year. When we stand together we can make a positive diff erence for the entire educational system. So, please ask the potential members at your worksite to join WEA and stand with us to stand for students. Another easy way to stand with WEA is by wearing red every Wednesday throughout the year to show support for public education. This is WEA's own Red Wave to show support for our schools. We want to let our elected offi cials see that people in Wyoming support our public schools. As our Red Wave grows throughout the year it will be a visible message to the legislature and our communities. Please spread the word and let's get everyone wearing red every Wednesday. As it grows, hopefully community members and businesses will join in the Wyoming Red Wave in support of our public schools. This will be a very visible way to show the legislature that Wyoming supports our public schools, and they should too. You may also choose to stand with political candidates who stand with WEA. Having the right people in state and local offi ces makes a big diff erence for students, educators, and schools in Wyoming. Please step up and help our endorsed candidates by talking to people you know about the importance of voting for pro-education candidates. If you want to do more, reach out to the candidate and off er to put a sign in your yard, go door to door, or make phone calls for them. It is essential that we elect pro- education candidates to the legislature and that we hold them accountable when they get elected. We must also ensure that we work to get positive people elected to our local school boards. Work with your local association to hold school board candidate forums so that the public can be informed about the people running for your local school board and talk to your friends and neighbors about these candidates. I hope the 2018/19 school is a great year for education in Wyoming. As we stand together for students and public education in Wyoming, we will make a positive diff erence. Don't forget to stand with WEA and stand for students by wearing red every Wednesday throughout the year! President's Message Kathy Vetter WEA President kvetter@wyoea.org 1