Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/48237
KEA's Culture of Belonging, cont. from page 23 with the Kyrene governing board about salary, benefits, and working conditions. KEA has consistently gotten profes- sional growth credits approved and a KEA representative is part of every district committee ensuring that a teacher's voice is heard in district discussions. Last year when budget cuts at the state level "KEA is like family. When things are hard, we take care of each other… I know KEA has my back." — Kinora Hernandez forced the district to lay off employees, KEA made sure they were involved in the RIF discus- sions. "KEA members served on a committee to create the RIF point sheet," says Kirchoff. "KEA collected feedback from members through our site reps and then made revisions based on the feedback." KEA also worked to add anti-discrimination language in board policy, which resulted in the Kyrene School District adopting policy changes to its bullying policy in regards to sexual ori- entation, gender expression, and identity. KEA then held Safe Schools trainings for district em- ployees to implement the new policy change. Read sidebar. KEA is currently working on getting a com- mitment from all governing board members to make salary increases a top priority by having KEA members meet with each board mem- ber to share their perspectives and voice their concerns. Overall KEA's true strength is in its members and their dedication to supporting each other. "KEA is like a family," says Hernandez. "When things are hard, we take care of each other. Someone always steps up and asks 'What can I do?' I know that KEA has my back." ✒ KEa SuPPortS SaFE SchoolS For all StudEntS This past spring KEA organized a six-hour Safe Schools training for about 40 Kyrene School District employees on the new change that added sexual orientation and gender identity to the district's anti-bully- ing policy. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) pro- vided the training, which provides educators with guidance on how to better deal with bullying, name-calling and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. According to a recent GLSEN survey, nearly two-thirds of students reported that they felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation and thirty percent missed at least one day of schools in the past month because of safety concerns. KEA is committed to quality public education for all students regardless of race, gender, class, or sexual ori- entation, which is why it decided to train members on anti-bullying and discrimination in schools. KEA hopes to conduct more trainings in the future in addition to its other professional development sessions. ✒ A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE Photos reprinted with permission from the East Valley Tribune AEA Advocate ❘ Winter 2011/12 33