UPDATE: ARE UNIONS GOING TO RUN THE SHOW IN ROCKWOOD, AGAIN? PLUS, WHITE SUPREMACY. AND, YOUR TAXES PAY THE UNION PRESIDENT'S SALARY.
Here's what we mean:
6 of the 7 current members were backed by local affiliations of the NEA (National Education Association). MNEA is Missouri's version of the national teachers union. The RNEA is Rockwood's version.
The backing came either in the form of official endorsements and/or money spent on mailers/advertising.
This year, Amy Ryan and Deborah Stine are the candidates the RNEA has endorsed.
There was information put out to voters that said Ryan and Stine didn't get money from the teachers union.
But, Missouri Ethics Commission campaign finance reports show Missouri's NEA spent $1,085.50 on mailers to promote Ryan and Stine.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
School board members vote on policies, contracts, and issues that affect teacher working conditions. Some say the votes are influenced by the teachers union, since nearly every board member has been their candidate, and their candidates vote.
Since 2020, Rockwood's school board voted for school to be all virtual instead of in person, they voted to extend the requirement for masks in schools, they voted to approve school library books that have content that is pornographic in nature, and, voted on Natalie Fallert's contract.
Fallert is the former literacy coordinator that sent the email that told teachers to hide controversial content. The vote to fire her was very narrow: 4-3. Tom Dunn, the only non NEA backed candidate, made the difference and voted to terminate Fallert's contract.
Parents wonder how the votes may have gone if there was a balance on the board that included more parent voices. Because Dunn is not running for reelection, the board could go from 1 parent voice to 0 parent voices.
YOU PAY FOR THE INFLUENCE
Many taxpayers in Rockwood don't know they are funding this union influence. Rockwood pays a salary to the president of Rockwood's teachers union (RNEA). Meaning, taxpayers are paying for the teachers union to have a president.
Laura Baker strongly encourages teachers to vote for the RNEA backed candidates, who, once on the school board, will vote on issues, again, that affect teachers.
POLITICS.
The NEA (National Education Association) promotes stances in teacher organizations that many parents don't want in their schools.
PARENTS WANT PARENTS TO HAVE A SAY IN WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE LEARNING
Currently, 4 of Rockwood's 7 school board members don't have kids in schools. While it's not a requirement that they do, they are not directly impacted by their own votes.
So, they don't know what it's like to juggle a job and manage virtual learning with young kids at home or feel concern that their kids are reading books for language arts classes that have gratuitous profanity, portray police in a negative light, or that say kids may not actually be a boy or girl, even though parents and the doctor said so.
UNIONS HAVE THE MOST SAY
And, it's not just teachers unions. Local labor unions have consistently voted for the candidates that NEA affiliates endorse. And, they turn out on election day. Poll workers have commented that they see union members walk in with their list of candidates for whom they vote.
Bayes and Rhomberg, the incumbents who won last year, received union donations. In Rhomberg's case, she got more donations from labor unions than parents.
Note: School board members also vote on what companies get contracts to do work in Rockwood.
Current candidates Amy Ryan and Deborah Stine also have donations from labor unions.
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| Amy Ryan advertised in a labor union publication. |
For more information on what's been going on with this election, use the search tool on this site with the word "election."
Rockwood's school board election is April 5th.
Izzy Imig, Jessica Clark, Amy Ryan, Deborah Stine and Charles Messmer.
Here's a quick glance at all 5:
