News and Updates

Given recent public events surrounding the reassignment of a teacher in our community, the Billings Education Association would like to remind everyone of the following:

• We do not believe that political violence is EVER the solution to disagreements over ideas. 

• We, the Billings Education Association, extend our sympathies to the families of Charlie Kirk, the students shot a few weeks ago at Evergreen High School in Colorado, and all Americans touched by violence.  Together, we will protect every member's right to personal expression because we know peaceful discourse is the antidote to violence.

• We believe that agreement or disagreement with a private Facebook post has never been the point of discussion this week. We echo the words of Governor Gianforte, that we believe in the Constitution and that all teachers have First Amendment rights that are not forfeited when those comments are not tied directly to the classroom.

• We believe the strength of our organization comes precisely from the fact that not all of us agree on every issue. That diversity of thought results in the best ideas, not politically extreme ideas, rising to the top of our priorities each and every year. We have so much more in common than not in common.

• We represent every teacher in this district, and defend each and every one of their collective bargaining rights. What we have done publicly for one teacher this week we would do for any and every teacher in Billings, regardless of political affiliation.

• We believe that our community deserves to see positive, healthy ways to disagree. We hope to provide this example during this time. We respect all of those who disagree with us and appreciate the support of all those who agree with our actions. We attempt at every turn to extend a hand to district administration as we move this very large educational ship forward.

• We believe no teacher deserves to be threatened with physical harm at any time for anything related to their teaching. And, of course, that the reassignment of teachers based on those threats is an unwise precedent to set for our school district that must be disputed.

• We love teaching. We love our community. It is painful to see division and distraction rise to the top of the news cycle. We hope for better in the days and weeks and months ahead. We know that the best days of Billings School District 2 are in the future, and we look forward to working together and extending a hand to make that future a reality.

Thank you for reading.

BEA President Lance Edward

BEA Board of Directors: 

Jen Paterson, 1st VP

Brooke Taylor, 2nd VP

Alice Asleson, Secretary

Jason Lee, HS Director

Sarah Spangle, MS Director

Alissa Gray, Elementary Director

Beau Mulvaney, Director-at-Large

Carla Ljunggren, Director-at-Large

Megan Schillinger, Director-at-Large