2022 NEA RA

Safety, Equity & Justice Take Center Stage

2022 NEA Representative Assembly Back and Better than Ever

By: Cindy Long, NEA Today Edited by: Giovanna Bechard, MEA Communications Director

After two years of the pandemic, delegates to the 2022 NEA Representative Assembly (RA) were back in person in Chicago, with about 6,000 members, including some from Maine. There was a feeling of renewal and celebration after another difficult year. As delegates gathered, they felt restored by the hope, energy, and determination of their union to come back better and stronger than ever.

“We will prevail!” NEA President Becky Pringle promised in her keynote address.

The challenges facing educators, students, and communities today are real and many, Pringle acknowledged. But union members continue to stand strong and embrace their role as the voice of education professionals, she told the RA delegates. Teacher and Augusta EA member Jan Murphy attended her first NEA RA with more than a dozen other Maine educators. Murphy came back with the encouragement needed to begin another year in her school with her Union by her side.

RA DELEGATES VOTE TO CONTINUE CRITICAL WORK ON SAFETY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE The delegates approved the policy statement during an ongoing global pandemic, as students, educators, and communities face politicians and institutions that are taking away freedoms and rights, brushing off a growing gun violence epidemic, attempting to divide communities by race and place, and increasing restrictions on what educators can teach and what students can learn. The new NEA policy statement continues to build on the ongoing racial and social justice work of the association. In 2021, RA delegates approved a measure, NBI-A, “I attended my first ever National Education Representative Assembly this summer. It was an amazing, exhilarating experience. The days were long as there was a lot of work to do for our organization, but I can’t say enough about how powerful it was to have a voice in how the NEA runs. To be in the same room as thousands of educators from all over the country was amazing!” - Jan Murphy, Augusta EA

that established a task force to identify criteria for safe, just, and equitable schools. Over the course of a year, the task force met to research, gather evidence, and consult with educators and experts. The work involved engaging with national partners, state and local affiliates, racial justice advocates, allies, and community activists. NEA's new policy statement is the result of that work and is guided by four core principles: • Adopt a restorative justice philosophy to create a school climate that rejects the criminalization and policing of students. • Provide training and support for culturally competent instruction. • Develop and implement plans to end disparities in disciplinary and behavioral practices. • Create a community-centered school environment to foster safe, positive environments and engage all members of the public school. and to feel supported in their work,” says Frazier. “In turn, our entire school community will be affected in a positive, nurturing way—and our students will leave their communities and flourish in whatever community they go into next— that is what this policy will help do,” said James Frazier of New Jersey who is an NEA board member and one of several educators who served on an NEA task force that developed the criteria behind the new policy.

TOGETHER, LET'S BE MORE

Dolly Parton was named the 2022 NEA Friend of Education for her “Together, let’s continue to inspire kids to dream more, care more, learn more, and therefore, be more," she told delegates via a video message. In a video thank-you to the NEA delegates gathered in Chicago, Parton said she knows how hard educators work to help every student succeed. "I’m working to do my part as well,” Parton said. “My foundation offers college scholarships for local high school students, and my theme park, Dollywood, is covering college tuition and expenses for employees.” But Parton says she is most excited about her Imagination Library. “Together, let’s continue to inspire kids to dream more, care more, learn more, and therefore, be more,” she said. To listen to more speeches, learn more about policies and business conducted, and enjoy more moments from the 2022 NEA Annual Meeting and Assembly, visit nea.org/ra.

Team MEA

When I reflect on this past summer, I can only think of one word. Baseball. For our family, it was the summer of baseball. Our youngest son’s team won the Maine State Championship, which was a huge accomplishment, and the first time the city of Portland won in the 9/10 age group division. Winning meant the team kept playing in a regional tournament through most of the summer.

While the team loves baseball, the dedication it took for the boys to have such success was something to be commended. The group of now fourth and fifth graders practiced every single day from the end of the school year through the middle of August during one of the hottest summers on record. They didn’t quit or complain. While they came up a bit short of a regional title, their devotion to the team and all things teamrelated was inspiring. A group of boys, many of whom didn’t know each other before playing baseball together, worked collaboratively to achieve a common goal. They became a mini family with a true sense of community, building friendships that will last for years to come.

The team’s efforts reminded me of what it is like to start a new school year with new students... kids and college students who are in new environments with new people with unfamiliar rules and expectations looking to find a place to fit in and belong. What helped the baseball team was its instant sense of community. They came together because of a common interest but formed a unique bond because of the leadership set forth by the coaching staff and parents. Every adult involved with the team made it a point to get to know each other, (most were also strangers before this experience) and all came together quickly, connecting to support each player. This is now the time for you too, as a local union come together and support each other. Starting the year united, having each other’s backs will help you get through each dayeven the bad ones-feeling supported. Your union is your team. Each educator and MEA staff member are here to listen when you have a problem, offer advice when you are struggling reaching a particular student, and celebrate when you get that W. Just as the baseball team needed caring adults to help them along the way, because their talents alone were not enough, you all need each other and your Union. And we are always here.

As you dive into this school year, I wish you all the same success of my son’s team...the kind that keeps you smiling like a child, excited for the small wins, and ready to roll up your sleeves when you’re down two runs in the bottom of the 6th- because you truly never know how much you can accomplish until you swing for the fences.

Together, we can do more. Together, we are a team. Together, we can achieve so much for our students. Good luck this year, and go team MEA!

Giovanna Bechard Editor editor@maineea.org

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