Under The Dome
KNEA's Under The Dome website is your one-stop shop for legislative information. Access articles from the session, opinion pieces, a podcast and legislative resources.
KNEA 2026 Legislative Priorities
Support for Educators Pre-K through Higher Ed
Recruiting and retaining professional educators requires a multidimensional approach where the needs of educators are a priority. Kansas is experiencing a shortage of professional educators at every level and in every subject area. Attacks on the profession and the dedicated Kansans who work in our schools are rising.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- School safety initiatives responsive to the needs identified by educators.
- Maintaining licensing and certification standards that reflect professionalism.
- Restoration of statutory due process for all educators.
- Recruitment initiatives that help grow the profession, such as college-debt forgiveness and scholarships.
- Registered apprenticeship programs.
- Strengthening parent and community partnerships.
- Maintaining academic freedom for students and educators.
KNEA OPPOSES
- Policies driven by partisan misinformation that encourage unfair attacks on educators.
- Policies that undermine the authority of the locally elected board of education.
- Efforts to erode or override the authority and role of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) or Kansas State Board of Education (KSBOE).
School Funding
As affirmed by the Kansas Supreme Court, the state constitution requires equitable and adequate funding for pre-K-12 public education. Full constitutional funding allows every student the opportunity to receive a world-class education, and fully funded postsecondary institutions allow students to continue growing their opportunity. Fully funded schools allow school districts to offer competitive salaries and benefits to recruit and retain professional educators.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- Maintaining funding levels established by the Gannon ruling.
- Full funding of special education.
- Implementation of a cash reserve cap.
- Efforts to increase compensation for professional KNEA OPPOSES educators, including education support professionals.
KNEA OPPOSES
- Voucher schemes that siphon tax dollars from public schools to unaccountable and/or for-profit private schools.
- Accounting gimmicks to dodge statutory requirements.
A Bright Future for All
Kansas is a state with a diverse population and culture. Whether Kansans enjoy living in rural, suburban or urban communities, all Kansans - regardless of zip code - deserve to have access to affordable health care, postsecondary programs and safe classrooms to learn.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- Efforts to combat the effects of poverty, while ensuring equal rights and equity of opportunity for all persons.
- Efforts that allow all students to learn in safe classrooms that reflect and respect unique cultures, diversity and backgrounds.
- Investing in postsecondary programs - from technical and community colleges to public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR).
KNEA OPPOSES
- Any policy intended to limit access to affordable healthcare.
- The restriction of participation in programs based on race, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion or ethnicity.
- The reduction of allocated funding to postsecondary programs.
Educators as Leaders
KNEA is the largest labor union in Kansas. Our members offer insights, expertise and dedication to the profession and students who should be valued. When KNEA members are part of the discussion, policymakers benefit from an authentic point of view unique to the professionals committed to helping children discover learning and success. We hope to build relationships with all legislators in an effort to advocate for policies and initiatives that improve the well-being of our members and the students they serve.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- Efforts to involve our organization and members in discussion.
- Meetings that help guide policy decisions impacting KNEA OPPOSES public education.
KNEA OPPOSES
- Efforts to weaken our profession.
- Efforts to silence the voice of professional educators or exclude our members from policy discussions that impact the teaching and learning relationship.
Strengthen KPERS
Addressing the growing educator shortage crisis includes the need to ensure that all professional educators are able to earn a livable wage, including savings for life after work. Ensuring a secure and stable retirement system empowers professional educators to enjoy a career free from worrying about making ends meet during retirement.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- Elimination of KPERS Tier 3 component.
- Lifting the cap on earnings for retired educators who return to the profession.
- Adhering to the statutory funding levels of the KPERS trust fund.
- Fair and reasonable cost-of-living adjustments for retirees.
- Ensuring a stable defined benefit for all KPERS earners.
KNEA OPPOSES
- Initiatives that negatively impact KPERS unfunded liabilities.
- Increasing employee contribution rates without equal salary increases.
- Shifting KPERS from a defined benefit to a defined contribution program.
Fiscal Responsibility
Kansas has achieved a budget surplus, established a rainy-day fund and restored fiscal stability. These gains have helped fully fund general education in our public schools, yet special education remains only partially funded. Additionally, the gains have created opportunities for investments in our state. Any changes to tax policy should carefully consider the impact on everyday Kansans and the overall state budget.
KNEA SUPPORTS
- Fair and transparent tax policy that provides relief to Kansans.
KNEA OPPOSES
- Any changes to tax policy that would impact the stability of the state budget, preventing the constitutional funding of public schools.
- The creation of an imbalanced tax structure that unfairly burdens low-income Kansans.
Did you know?
No KNEA member dues dollars are used for express candidate advocacy. KNEA maintains the KNEA Political Action Committee or KPAC which is funded solely through voluntary contribution.
KNEA is a nonpartisan organization and supports only local and state-level candidates who have earned recommended status through a member-driven interview process.
