Association President Rob Feckner Message

Exerting our voice during difficult times

We live in challenging times. Partisan politics nearly destroyed the Legislature’s attempt to rectify the worst budget crisis in our state’s history. And while President Obama’s nearly $800-billion stimulus plan is now law, and the governor has signed a new budget, our problems are far from over. The budget deal passed by state lawmakers and signed by the governor includes deep cuts to education—unlike any we have seen in our state’s history—to the tune of $11.6 billion in cuts to K-12 public schools alone.

The challenges once again move from the state level to our school districts and colleges. With all that is happening, it’s important that CSEA members do not feel hopeless. Members not only have the strength of 200,000-plus brothers and sisters behind them, but also an organization of fully trained and ready staff and member leaders who have already sprung into action.

No one wins when this kind of money is cut from an education budget. However, classified staff should not take the full load on our shoulders. And CSEA will fight with all of our might to ensure that not a single classified employee loses their job until all other options are gone. As strong a statement as that might be, we cannot do it alone as a state association. We need you. We need you, the member leaders and activists, to have a position at the bargaining table so you can exert your voice. We may not be able to fend off all attacks both on public education as a whole and your school or college specifically, but we must have a voice on how budgets get balanced.

I’ve been in this business for a long time, and one thing I’ve learned is that classified employees are often in the best position to determine where money can be saved and how to best serve the children. Now is the time for real thinking. Now is the time for creativity. Now is the time for cooperation from all involved parties. Now is not the time to exclude classified employees from these decisions. The education system is a team, and our members are an integral part of that team.

In strength and unity,

Rob Feckner