RA Action:

News from the NEA Annual Meeting

July 2, 2007

Weaver's Keynote, Presidential Candidates Kick off RA

Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Chris Dodd to address delegates today.

A keynote address by NEA President Reg Weaver and appearances by three presidential primary candidates kicked off the first day of the 86th NEA Representative Assembly.  Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) answered questions at approximately 2 p.m., followed by former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) at about 3 p.m. and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)  around 4:30 p.m. 

Watch video clips  from their presentations.

Five other candidates will appear before the RA delegates later this week. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) will answer questions on Tuesday at approximately 2:30 p.m., followed by Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) at around 4 p.m. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will address the delegates on Thursday at about 11 a.m. while former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) will answer questions at approximately 2 p.m. and Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) will speak at approximately 4 p.m.

New Campaign to Engage Ethnic and Minority Communities

New grass roots and media campaign aims to strengthen public education.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (left) and NEA President Reg Weaver at the NEA Pre-RA Minority Community Outreach Forum.

Calling public education "the fundamental civil rights issue of our time," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined NEA President Reg Weaver to provide an electrifying kick-off to the National Education Association's new campaign to engage ethnic and minority communities and make them strong advocates for public education.

"The barriers to opportunity today are every bit as insidious as they were in Birmingham, Montgomery, or Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957," Villaraigosa told those attending Sunday's NEA Minority Community Outreach forum. "I know how important the leadership of the National Education Association will be...for those people locked out and looking in."

In the upcoming year, Minority Community Outreach will execute a new grassroots and media campaign, the primary goal of which is to build relationships with the American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and Caribbean and African communities. The work is crucial: 40 percent of the nation's public school students are racial or ethnic minorities, and the number is expected to jump to 50 percent in the next two decades.

In Villaraigosa's city, 46 percent of students are foreign born. In coming to Philadelphia, he was "at home among family," Villaraigosa said, speaking about a connection to teachers that began with his advocacy for United Teachers of Los Angeles in the 1980s. He walked the picket lines with teachers in that city in 1989, "yet 18 years later the things we fought for sadly remain as relevant today as they were back then," he said. "We've got to challenge ourselves and challenge each other as we address this issue of public education."

For parents in the cities piloting the new MCO grassroots and media campaign, the most visible signs of NEA's work to do just that will be advertising throughout the community and personalized web sites. "It's about getting out to the community, listening to what they have to say," said Nikki Barnes of MCO. "We're going to engage each community and research what they have to say."

Six cities will host pilot programs: Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York City, Phoenix, and Seattle. Through surveys, focus groups and other research methods, the MCO will develop and refine a strong and resounding message to empower the minority audiences with resources and information in support of public education.

"This is inclusive," said former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, who served as the facilitator for the forum. "We want to make sure every child is taken care of."

Joining Webb were Susan Castillo, state superintendent of public instruction in Oregon; Hiep Chu, president of the National Association for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans; Carol Juneau, state senator from Montana and chair of the education committee and Indian Caucus of the National Conference on State Legislatures; and Gregory W. Porter, state representative from Indiana and chair of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators' education committee.

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NEA has prepared a Guide to eight of the 2008 Presidential Primary Candidates Positions on NCLB/ESEA . The guide is based on the candidates' responses to an NEA questionnaire, interviews with NEA President Reg Weaver, and overall support of public education.