RA Action:

News from the NEA Annual Meeting

Pre-Annual Meeting Edition
June, 2007

Delegates Look from Past to Future

Philadelphia is home to many historic firsts: the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the signing of the Constitution, and the founding of NEA in 1857. RA Today/Jim McWilliams

At the 86th Representative Assembly, more than 9,000 delegates will help commemorate the Association's 150th anniversary and work together to shape its future.

Meeting in the city where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed and the Association was founded, delegates will celebrate NEA's history with a special birthday celebration and commemorations throughout the assembly (read more). They'll also engage in current-day democracy by urging prospective presidential candidates from both parties to make education a priority in the 2008 campaigns.

Delegates will also play a role in NEA's efforts around the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind law. And in a nod to the historic setting and city, NEA President Reg Weaver will lay out his vision for a National Education Bill of Rights, which is tied to the promise of a quality public education for all.

Before the RA opens, delegates and other NEA members will tackle a wide range of issues and activities during the Joint Conference on Concerns of Minorities and Women, the NEA-Retired Conference, and the NEA Student Program/Outreach to Teach event. For the latest schedules and agendas, visit www.nea.org/annualmeeting.