From the Desk of the Executive Director

SAFTY FIRST

Dear Members:

Like you we are back in the building under very different circumstances. The novel Coronavirus that has cast a very large dark over all of us in a variety of ways. We are concerned about the

safety of our loved ones, the safety of our students and the safety of our communities.

While we have taken precautions to ensure each staff member is socially distanced and has personal protective equipment, we have also invested in disinfecting fogging equipment that is used in the building weekly. We also remain cognizant of guidance from NEA and CDC as we navigate what is in the best interest of our staff while serving our members. Like many others we do much of our work virtually to try and maintain some safety. The goal the management and leadership team at AEA is most concerned about is reducing the impact of COVID-19 the operations of AEA and re-thinking how we support our members under these circumstances. For now, the AEA’s Annual Professional Development Conference is postponed for 2020, but we will have professional development

workshops available to members for their own edification through our Educator to Educator program. AEA members have always taken pride in uplifting one another by sharing experiences as public-school educators and by striving to get better at our craft for the students in our state.

While it is often asked when we will be able to return to normal times, our hope is that we all seek a better and more robust normal for those who depend on us to make those tough decisions in the face of this pandemic. We are weeks before the November election and there is plenty of work to do to support pro-public education candidates in Arkansas. State Senator Joyce Elliott is one we can all get behind. She’s a former teacher and has always worked to support the values of public education and the children that we serve.

In the coming weeks, we will have for your edification a sense of what to expect in the 2021 Arkansas legislative session and how you can be involved in supporting your profession, your students and ensuring that pubic education in Arkansas stays a variable and equitable option for all our students.

We look forward to you joining us!

Tracey-Ann Nelson AEA Executive Director

EDUCATOR

This is YOUR magazine – Let us know what you would like to see. Send story ideas to kleyenberger@aeanea.org