The National Education Association has a reputation for supporting a liberal agenda, from its advocacy of gay marriage to its most recent position, supporting the health care plan being pushed by Democrats, including a public insurance option.

“We believe that meaningful health care reform begins with a Public Health Insurance Plan option established by the federal government,” the NEA said in a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week.

But the Kansas National Education Association has disagreed with some of the NEA’s liberal positions in the past.

The KNEA did not support the NEA’s gay marriage position, for example, and now it claims it also disagrees with the NEA on the issue of health care.

Cynthia Menzel, communications director for the KNEA, said the Kansas teachers' union is simply not becoming involved with the debate.

"We are not doing anything statewide for or against health care reform," Menzel told Kansas Liberty. "We are just working to get health care for our teachers and to make sure the kids get health care here in Kansas.”

Tony White, KNEA UniServ southeast director, also said the KNEA is staying neutral on the issue of health care reform.

“Making sure Kansas teachers have quality, affordable health care keeps us busy,” White told Kansas Liberty. “Whatever is happening in Washington is pretty far removed.”

White said the vast majority, or 99.9 percent, of teachers have health insurance.

But despite the KNEA's claim of neutrality, it is listed as being affiliated with the pro-ObamaCare group, Health Care for America NOW! HCAN was formed by the leaders of controversial liberal organizations such as the Service Employees International Union and ACORN.

The grassroots coalition works to support ObamaCare and to gain the public’s support for the plan’s various initiatives.

There are 12 organizations listed as Kansas partners of Health Care for America NOW! Local supporters, according to HCAN, include ACORN Kansas, the Kansas City branch of the SEIU, the Kansas Young Democrats, the Kansas Organization of State Employees — and the Kansas National Education Association, which is listed as a member of the group's steering committee.

Menzel said she was not aware that the KNEA was in any way involved with Health Care for America NOW! and didn't think that the KNEA belonged on the list.

“I didn't know we were on that list," Menzel told Kansas Liberty. "That must be an error. We are not a partner."

But a spokesperson for Health Care for America NOW! said the KNEA listing is no mistake.

Jacki Schechner, national communications director for HCAN, said groups must go through a process and agree to support HCAN's principles before they are listed as a partner on the web site.

"We don't just arbitrarily add names to the list," Schechner told Kansas Liberty. "We don't add anyone to the web site who hasn't asked to be affiliated. They have to officially sign up."

Schechner noted that the NEA was on the national steering committee and said that the KNEA had signed up to be affiliated with the organization through a local HCAN field partner.

Schechner said that only a person with the authority to be added to the list could sign up, not just any KNEA member.

Other groups listed as national partners with Health Care for America NOW! include Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, the National Abortion Federation and the YWCA.

Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia, said she was unsettled by the amount of  involvement the NEA and KNEA have demonstrated with non-student related positions.  KNEA representatives regularly push for tax increases and other ways to generate revenue during the Kansas legislative session.

Mast, a member of the Health and Human Services Committee, said the union's focus should remain on the children and was curious how the NEA could be so supportive of health care reform when it is an organization focused on education.

“That is just so far outside the scope of their expertise,” Mast told Kansas Liberty. “I don’t see how they can even been that informed in health care. They need to focus on the classroom and not their liberal agenda.”

Another organization with ties to organizations supporting ObamaCare, the Kansas Health Foundation, recently awarded a grant to the Kansas State Department of Education.

The Kansas Health Foundation is a financial backer of several pro-ObamaCare organizations, including the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition. The coalition is also a member of the Herndon Alliance, a coalition of reform supporters. The Kansas Health Foundation also contributes to ACORN and Planned Parenthood.

Alexa Posny, Kansas commissioner of education, said the Kansas Health Foundation regularly allocates grants to the Kansas Department of Education and Kansas schools. Posny said the grants are targeted to funding health initiatives. 

Resources
NEA letter to Senate Finance Committee
http://www.nea.org/home/36151.htm

Click here to see Health Care for America NOW steering committee, and partners
http://healthcareforamericanow.org/site/content/who_we_are/

Health Care for America NOW!
http://healthcareforamericanow.org/

The Week in Review