NEA President: United Educators a Powerful Antidote to Fear and Divisiveness
In her keynote address to the 2016 NEA Representative Assembly, (RA) NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia warned that the nation, despite the tremendous progress of the past 8 years, could surrender to fear and demagoguery this election year – unless educators work for justice and stand up and be counted. Eskelsen García began by honoring the … Continued
Fighting the Good Fight for Human Rights
When it comes to fighting for the human and civil rights of children living in poverty, immigrants, LGBTQ students, and others who are sometimes unable to fend for themselves, the 13 winners of NEA’s 2016 Human and Civil Rights Awards are unmatched in their pursuit of social justice for all. During a Sunday gala dinner … Continued
Let’s Play Ball!
NEA’s Read Across America teamed up with the Washington Nationals to “get into the game of reading” and kick off summer reading to local students and parents, as well as visiting educators, who are in town for NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly (RA). NEA hosted a Seuss-tastical Reading Lounge at Saturday and Sunday’s games … Continued
Empowering Educators to Get ESSA Right
The evils of NCLB are gone and the opportunity of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is here, Shelly Moore Krajacic, NEA Executive Committee, told delegates at Empowered Educators Day July 3. “No more test and punish,” she said during the opening plenary of “Educators and Leaders Collaborating and Action Planning in Support of Student-Centered, … Continued
RA Expo Center: What’s in your bag?
There’s no shortage of free or discounted stuff for educators at this year’s NEA RA Expo Center – from the “Share Knowledge, Not Germs” supplies provided by Lysol to the $1,500 discount on a shiny new Chevy Malibu. But the hottest booth this year is the one that asks NEA members to walk away with … Continued
Challenging Institutional Racism in Education
One of the first steps in addressing institutional racism is to acknowledge that it exists, according to a panel of five youth activists who appeared before 1,000-plus educators on Friday at the National Education Association’s Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women. “You can’t fix a problem by pretending it’s not there,” said Dahkota … Continued
NEA-Retired Announces 2016 Jack Kinnaman Scholarship Winners
Program helps to ease financial burden of future educators In life, Jack Kinnaman was a hardworking vice president and former advisory council member of NEA-Retired. He represented the organization on NEA’s Fund for Children and Public Education, and for years he represented active and retired members in a variety of local, state, and national Association … Continued
Ulysses Floyd Receives 2016 Distinguished Service Award from NEA-Retired
Beloved educator, union activist, and community organizer receives organization’s highest honor As a 17-year-old, Ulysses Floyd quit school, signed his parents’ name to recruitment papers, and then went off to join the U.S. Army. Thursday, among a sea of admiring peers who gave him three standing ovations, Floyd accepted the prestigious Distinguished Service Award from … Continued
Students, Retired Members Lend a Hand with Hands-On LEGACY Project
In a sea of hot pink and blue T-shirts, NEA -Student and NEA-Retired members worked shoulder to shoulder hammering, gluing, writing, packing and creating at the Leaders Empowering Grassroots Advocacy for Communities and Youth (LEGACY) Project at the Student Leadership Conference July 1. As dance music pumped through the cavernous conference room at the Walter E. … Continued
Harnessing the Power of Diversity at the NEA Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women
At the 2016 Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women Thursday in Washington, while Donald Trump waxes belligerent on the campaign trail about deporting immigrants, banning Muslims from entering the U.S., and building a wall along the Mexican border, the daughter of Mexican immigrant farm workers, María Elena Durazo, made a pledge in her … Continued