Dear Editor,

Is KEA overplaying teacher’s hands?

Is the Kentucky Education Association (KEA) overplaying teacher’s hands at our children’s expense? They recently called for a second boycott of school and some districts allowed taxpayer buses to support the union’s call to action. Proper?

The KEA is a union and like all unions their primary focus is employee benefits as it should be and they provide their members would good benefits. The fact their rhetoric emphasis children is a convenience. They (not the teachers) are a political animal.

Often things start off with the right intention but over time can meander and lose focus of the original intent. Has this happened within the leadership of the KEA?

Before someone misinterprets my message I’m not criticizing teachers. They have a right to be upset. Teacher’s salaries put food on my table and clothes on my back. My father taught and coached at Boyle County High School. My mother taught at KSD. Both my brother and sister-In-law are retired teachers and other family members. All are members of KEA. After retiring my father entered politics and become a Democratic state representative and left right before legislature began taking from pensions.

During the time warnings were being sounded, the KEA continued to support candidates that were causing the problem. Support is defined by vocal and written endorsements and sending teachers dues in forms of campaign contributions.

Although there is plenty of blame to go around the problem was created primarily by KEA supported Democrats. Many they wouldn’t support are now trying to fix it.

Isn’t taking responsibility for one’s actions called being an adult? Isn’t this what we teach our children as parent’s even when they’re at home and not in the classroom because the KEA encouraged teachers to protest all in the name of “the children?” Doesn’t procrastination lead to a price and pain that must be paid at a later date? It seems KEA leadership enjoys placing blame at everyone except themselves. Perhaps it’s time they learned a lesson they failed to learn at an earlier date. When you point you have three fingers pointing right back at you.

There are many shenanigans that some KEA leadership have pulled over the years that defines them. Should the top of the list be hypocrite?

Randy Gip Graham

Danville