Colorado Education Association elects current VP Kevin Vick as next president of the teachers union

A view of the Colorado State Capitol building in the background with a sea of people protesting and majority wearing red shirts.
Thousands of Colorado teachers rallied for more education funding at the Colorado State Capitol in April 2018. (AAron Ontiveroz / Denver Post via Getty Images)

Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.

Colorado’s largest teachers union has chosen its current vice president, Kevin Vick, to lead the organization of nearly 40,000 educators for the next three years.

Vick was elected president of the Colorado Education Association at a delegate assembly Saturday, a union spokesperson said. Vick, a high school social studies teacher, has been vice president of the union for the past six years. He is set to begin a three-year term as president in July.

A headshot of a man wearing a suit and tie.
Kevin Vick will be the next president of the Colorado Education Association. (Courtesy Colorado Education Association)

Vick has been on leave from Colorado Springs Schools D 11 to serve in union leadership.

“Together, we have fought for better wages, fairer workplace conditions and a fully funded education system in Colorado,” Vick said in a statement.

“I am confident that together, we will continue to champion the rights of educators, advocate for the needs of our students, and foster a culture of collective unity and strength.”

In the past year, the Colorado Education Association pushed state lawmakers to end the budget stabilization factor, which is a process of withholding K-12 education funding to pay for other priorities. The union also backed Proposition HH, a ballot measure that could have increased school funding but that Colorado voters soundly rejected last November.

Union President Amie Baca-Oehlert could not run again due to term limits. In a statement, she praised Vick’s “unwavering commitment to bettering the educational landscape in Colorado.”

“His proven track record of leadership, coupled with his profound understanding of the nuances of our education system’s strengths and challenges, uniquely positions him to steer CEA towards even greater heights of success and impact,” she said.

Liz Waddick, a Spanish teacher at Summit High School in Breckenridge and a member of the local Summit County Education Association, was elected vice president of the statewide union.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

The Latest

‘Did you say segregation ended?’ My student’s question speaks to the reality inside classrooms.

Since 1965, Fayette County schools have been operating under a desegregation order. Some worry that without court oversight, the system will resegregate.

In total, the winning candidates raised $63,500 and spent $36,600 in the election.

Students at a Washington Heights elementary school were frustrated with Eric Adams’ school food cuts. But their advocacy had a bigger impact than bringing back their favorite chicken dish.

Proposed high school diplomas for the class of 2029 will place a greater emphasis on work experience, which some educators say will push students to neglect academic opportunities.

The goal is for students and teachers to develop a richer understanding of Memphis’ pivotal role in American history, at a time when discussions of race are constrained by state law.