May 7, 2008

NEA Salutes School Nurses on National School Nurse Day and Every Day

If you think school nursing is all about flu shots, Band-Aids, and record-keeping, you haven't been inside a school lately. School health professionals juggle a complex array of medical and social issues, seeing thousands of students, and often moving from school to school throughout the district.

A typical schedule can encompass immunizations, health care screenings, hearing and vision testing; dealing with home accidents, diseases such as diabetes and asthma, student obesity, special needs like tube-feeding, preventing the spread of disease through blood exposure; and the fallout from mental, emotional, and social problems, including arranging for disadvantaged students to receive breakfast and clothing, and even helping students cope who are homeless or whose parents are incarcerated. For some students, the school nurse is the only health care professional they ever see.

Nor is their work confined to the nurse's office—they must also interact with other professionals such as teachers, doctors, child study teams, administrators, school counselors, coaches, parents, police officers, drug and substance abuse professionals, social workers, and other Education Support Professionals.

Many Students, Few Nurses

About 50,000 school nurses are employed in America, but we need more. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, schools should have one nurse for every 750 students. The reality is a far cry from the recommendation; about 59% of schools have a higher ratio of students to available nurses. According to statistics from the National Association of School Nurses, in 2005, Michigan, for example, had about 3,611 students for every school nurse, and Utah had only one nurse for every 4,952 students. At the same time, the number of students with medical needs continues to increase.

Yet, school nurses rise to the challenge. Healers, comforters, educators, mentors, trainers, role models, critically-needed members of every school community—heroes all—NEA salutes school nurses this day and every day.

School Nurses are Important to NEA

NEA is proud of its 11,400 school nurse members! Find out how you can join NEA and add your voice in support of all public school employees.

Back-to-School: An Exciting Time for Everyone

Making the Transition from Summer to Classroom

Tips that Parents and Teachers Can Use to
Encourage Reading Fun as Students Head Back-to-School

• Keeping a list of books read over the summer is another way to encourage children to read and help them see and celebrate their reading. They can take the list to school during their first week back to share with the teacher their accomplishment. A special notebook just for the list and any notes or drawings related to the books that children want to add emphasizes the importance of reading to children.

• Parents can capitalize on children's interests and summer experiences by encouraging them to read about topics they can research. There are many children's books and magazine articles on topics such as lightning, sharks, the ocean, wild animals, and sports. Using easy-to-read books, children find information on the topics and even begin a scrapbook about a topic.

• The newspaper can provide interesting material for older readers. Sports columns, movie reviews, descriptions of interesting events or things to do, and the children's page found in many papers are great reading material and can promote a habit of reading some of the newspaper daily.

• Don't forget that writing is related to reading. Encourage children to write postcards or notes to friends and family. Even writing notes to neighborhood friends can be fun and helpful. Keeping a journal of interesting summer experiences is another way to encourage writing. Don't insist on writing in the journal every day but try to encourage using it to keep track of good memories.

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Children's Literacy: The Basis of Learning

Being literate means knowing how to use language with confidence, whether listening, speaking, reading, or writing. Literacy skills are taught in school, but there are many ways that parents -- a child's first and most influential teachers -- can start children out on the road to reading success and help them to enjoy the trip.

Access to books is fundamental to reading success.

• Increasing access to print material is the most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children. Communities ranking high on achievement tests have several factors in common:  an abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large, and a large number of text books per student.

• According to a recent study by Educational Testing Service, the more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher students achieve in reading proficiency. There was a positive relationship found between the number of different types of reading materials reported in students' homes and their average scores on the 1999 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Reading for grade 4.

• On the 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), having children's books in the home appeared more important for fostering literacy among young children than having books in general. Students from homes with more than 10 children's books had average scores of 86 points higher than scores of students from homes with 10 or less children's books.

Children who read frequently are better readers and better students.

• The NAEP 2000 reading assessment of fourth-grade students found that reading for fun had a positive relationship to NAEP reading scores. The 87 percent of students who reported reading for fun on their own time once a month or more performed mostly at the Proficient level, while students who never or hardly ever read for fun performed typically at the Basic level. Students who read for fun every day tended to score the highest.

• The NAEP data also indicated that fourth graders who reported reading 11 or more pages daily for school and for homework had higher reading test scores than students who read fewer pages daily. Sixty percent of fourth graders reported reading 11 or more pages daily for school and for homework in 2000 compared to 54 percent in 1994 and 56 percent in 1992.

• Generally, the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading scores. A recent NAEP study found that between 1984 and 1999, however, the percentage of twelfth-graders who reported that they "never" or "hardly ever" read for fun increased from 9 percent to 16 percent.

NEA's Read Across America reminds parents of the crucial role they play in their children's education. Taking time to read with a child is one of the most important lessons that adults can share with their children.

• Children who report that their parents encourage them to read are more likely to read a higher volume of books (63 percent read more than 10 books a year) than those who say that their parents leave it up to them (51 percent read more than 10 books a year).

• When asked to compare the amount of time that they spend reading with the amount of time their parents spend reading, more than a third (36 percent) of young people, including 42 percent of young women and 30 percent of young men, report that they read more in their spare time than their parents.

• A study reviewing parents' provision of early reading activities - such as word games, alphabet songs, and drawings - found that the number of literacy activities in the home was positively related to reading achievement in every country that participated in the 2001 PIRLS study. On average, students who had a high level of home activities enjoyed a 20-point advantage in reading performance over students in the medium level category who, in turn, scored an average of 20 points above students in the low category.

• In 1999, 26 percent of children who were read to three or more times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet compared to 14 percent of children read to less frequently. According to recent figures by the National Center for Education Statistics, children who were read to frequently also are more likely than those who were not to count to 20 or higher (60 percent versus 44 percent), to write their own names (54 percent versus 40 percent), and to read or pretend to read (77 percent versus 57 percent).
  

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Back-to-School Tips for Parents

For Younger School Children

To be best prepared for back-to-school, it is important that younger children are familiar with:

• Basic information such as their name, address, and phone number
• Taking their outer clothing on and off
• Basic toilet needs
• Being considerate to others and knowing how to wait their turn

In addition, before the first day of school parents of younger children should consider the following:

• Establishing a bedtime ritual
• Immersing their children in social situations with other children their age
• Familiarizing them learn with classroom basics including letters, numbers, colors, and shapes
• Reading daily to their children
• Determining the route they will take to and from school and then practicing the route
• Taking their children to visit their school and classroom, if possible, to get them acquainted with the new setting

For Older School Children

Experts recommend a healthy, open dialogue with older children about back-to-school.  Parents should be sure to:

• Engage in discussion about their children's friends, classes, and activities
• Work with their children to set measurable goals and expectations
• Urge their children to be involved in extracurricular activities at school and in the community
• Help them with budgeting their time and homework load

For Parents

Parents play a key role in helping make the back-to-school transition smooth.  Here are just a few tips to help parents get started:

• Determine set times and location for homework
• Meet their children's teacher and school principal
• Prepare for and go to parent-teacher conferences
• Get involved in the school's PTA
• Stay on top of the school calendar
• Keep track of and attend school events
  

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For the Community

Donating needed school and classroom supplies for area children is important, but there are additional activities in which you can participate as a member of the community.  

While back-to-school is fun for many students, it can be a difficult time for others. Children in homeless situations may need help in enrolling in school and receiving the support they need to succeed in school.

New changes in federal law, the McKinney-Vento Act, go in effect this year for the first time. They provide stronger rights and more resources for these vulnerable children. But as homelessness increases, so, too, do the needs of our children. Everyone -- students, teachers, community members, churches, civic groups -- has an important role to play.

How Other Communities Are Giving Back

In the Bay area of California, participating business are given a child's back-to-school "wish list" and the  business fills a backpack with school year necessities.

In Durham, North Carolina, the Back to School Supply Drive program helps children from families with low incomes have a successful start to a new school year. Children identified by a social worker as in need of school supplies benefit from donations or sponsorship by the local community.

In the Valley area of Arizona, the Back-to-School Clothing Drive Association helps more than 10,000 under-served children each year by furnishing complete new school outfits; it is often the only new clothing the child has ever possessed.

For Lawmakers

Back-to-school is a great time for elected leaders to get involved in classrooms to answer questions and encourage students' interest in democracy and political participation. Resources from the National Conference of State Legislators include back-to-school suggestions for legislators to engage the nation's students. 

In addition to the NCSL's nationally coordinated program to bring legislators to classrooms, there are other resources helpful for back-to-school, including America's Legislators Back to School Program and How to talk to kids.

Washington state has created a Web site to discuss legislator back-to-school programs.

Some states, such as Louisiana, have passed resolutions in honor of students returning to school. School boards may also want to pass resolutions calling for community support for back-to-school programs.

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For Administrators

It is important for school administrators to be engaged in back-to-school activities, too. The Education World Web site has gathered resources that can help including, Preparing for the First Day, Motivating Teachers, Planning for Professional Development, Involving Parents, Achieving Technology Success, and additional articles of interest.

Issues in Education

NEA offers information, resources, and its views about many current issues facing public  education, from implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act to Early Childhood Education to Special Education and IDEA.

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For Parents

Tips for Families to Make the Transition Easier

Check out these helpful tips for parents on how they can make the back-to-school transition easier for their younger and older school children and themselves.

Literacy skills are taught in school, but there are many ways that parents, a child's first and most influential teachers, can start children out on the road to reading success and help them to enjoy the trip.

Every parent should understand the fundamental importance of literacy for their child. The evidence that books are fundamental for reading success; children who read frequently are better readers and better students; and parents must take the time to read with their child.

For Spanish-Speaking Parents

Colorín Colorado is a Web-based service that provides information, activities, and advice for Spanish-speaking parents of English language learners (ELL) in grades preK-3. It not only has tools and tips for parents on helping their children build their literacy skills but it also offers instructional tools and tips for educators of English Language Learners. It helps establish a crucial link between home and school.

Visit Colorín Colorado in English or Colorín Colorado en Español.

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For Education Support Professionals

The importance of Education Support Professionals (ESP) for a student's first day of school cannot be overestimated. These are some of the first interactions a child will have in a new and sometimes overwhelming environment.

Dave Arnold, head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois and member of the Illinois Education Association, writes of the importance of ESPs for those students who have their first day of school.

Dave also writes about how paraprofessionals can help bridge cultural gaps between schoolwork and students.

School bus drivers have a lot more responsibility than just driving. They must keep order and manage behavior and traffic at the same time. NEA Today includes tips for bus drivers  on how to keep their school buses safe and orderly.

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For Teachers

As a professional association, NEA continues to find new research and technologies to better prepare educators for the classroom. The following resources include the new NEA online Teacher ToolKit, information for teachers in engaging Spanish-speaking parents and students and resources for classroom management and discipline.  

NEA Teacher ToolKit

The all new online NEA Teacher ToolKit provides educators with an array of tools and resources to enhance their ability to be effective, successful instructors. From student profiles to attendance record keeping to behavior logs, the online toolkit allows teachers to easily track the progress of their students in an organized fashion. The assortment of valuable resources such as information on behavior disorders and online courses offers teachers multiple options for enhancing their professional development.

The toolkit also provides easy access to state standards by grade and subject; and teachers can create lesson plans and tests tied to standards. Perhaps most importantly, the Toolkit makes items such as recording class attendance, grades, and student information effortless and convenient so that they can focus on the most important aspect of their work—teaching.

Classroom Management and Discipline

Maintaining discipline is one of the biggest challenges educators face. But NEA can help. Order in the Classroom! features practical tips and tools to get your classroom in order.

You'll find information on setting the tone for a well-managed classroom, creating the right classroom climate, handling conflicts, winning respect, and how setting teaching rules and routines early in the year means more time to teach later. Also, check out the short online videos about challenges in the classroom and learn discipline tips from your peers across the country.

Communicating with English Language Learners and Their Families

Teacher communication with students and parents is critical for a student success. However, some students and parents do not speak English as their first language. This should not be a barrier for communication.

Colorín Colorado is a Web-based service that provides information, activities, and advice for educators of English Language Learners (ELL) grades preK-3. It includes background information, advice on reaching out to Hispanic students and families, placement and assessment help, teacher content areas, and further reading and links. (Tip: you may find Teaching Content to be of particular interest.)

Although designed for younger grades, much of the information on this Web site is relevant for grades 4-8, since older ELLs (and their teachers) face similar challenges.

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For Students

The beginning of the school year is both an exciting and anxious time for students. From kindergarten to high school, every student can prepare his or herself for those first few weeks and ensure a great start.    

• What is everyone reading:  Get your brain back into shape for school with a good book. Check out the top 100 books from NEA's Read Across America that kids submitted as their choices of "best reads."
   
• Time Management Tips for High School Students:   Back-to-school can mean more challenging classes, as well as new teachers, friends, and activities. While there are lot of ways to prepare for those exciting first few weeks, time management is an important skill you can learn to decrease your stress level. Here are some time management tips from Collegeboard.com to help get you on the right tack to managing time more effectively.

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NEA has prepared this list of resources to help teachers, parents, and others in the community honor Dr. King's life and works.

• This is a good time to read Dr. King's historic speech I Have A Dream (1963) and others. You can find them at Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project.

• The King Center is the official, living memorial dedicated to the advancement of Dr. King's legacy. It was established in 1968 by his wife Coretta Scott King.

• Thousands of Americans celebrate Dr. King's birthday by serving in their communities. "Make It a Day ON-Not a Day Off" was the theme of the 2002 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Find out more and download a toolkit for designing a service project in your community.

• The Massachusetts Teachers Association has assembled a collection of resources to help teachers design learning activities about Dr. King. They include links to original material such as speeches and papers.

• The Seattle Times maintains a Web site devoted to Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, that includes a photo gallery, timelines, a quiz, and study guides.

• Looking for lesson plans, printable worksheets, quizzes, and classroom activities to mark the celebration? Familyeducation.com and Education World have extensive resources for teachers.

Celebrating 50 Years of Brown v. Board of Education

NEA Executive Director John Wilson

Opening Statement

Good afternoon -- I'm John Wilson, NEA Executive Director, and I would like to welcome you to the NEA. Speaking in behalf of the NEA officers, Executive Committee, staff, and NEA's 2.7 million educators, we join America in celebrating a golden anniversary--the 50th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which will take place on May 17, 2004.

NEA is taping part of today's briefing so that we may share information with our affiliates. But we're unable to make copies and widely distribute the tape anytime soon. We were anticipating about 60 people this afternoon and I think that we will exceed that number. I'd like to acknowledge a few people who are here -- including (see listing at end of remarks).

We're here today to raise awareness about the upcoming anniversary, consider the meaning and legacy of Brown and its implications for today, learn of activities and other plans for celebrating, and exchange information about the anniversary by interacting with each other.

You know, the decision in Brown means many different things to different people. NEA harkens you to 1954, when the U. S. Supreme Court decided that forced racial segregation in public schools could not be tolerated. Justice Warren wrote:

"In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity must be made available to all on equal terms."

Those hallowed words still ring true today.

Without a doubt, the public school victory in that historic decision did not come overnight. Before Brown there were other cases involving graduate students, law students, Hispanic students, and others. But there were too few victories in challenging the conditions of racially segregated schooling or, for that matter, segregation elsewhere in our society.

After the 1954 decision was rendered, however, attempts to use schemes such as vouchers, school choice, even the closing of some public schools threatened to circumvent or undermine that decision. For example, the Congressional Record of March 12, 1956, is replete with Senators speaking about "The Southern Manifesto" and saying that the Brown decision would "change our form of government, without the consent of the governed, in the manner provided by the Constitution."

Today, NEA finds that we are still being confronted with some of the same tactics--vouchers, school choice, and other schemes--that could lead to closing public schools rather than doing the right thing--providing the much--needed resources for school improvement.

We must not allow the victory that was gained 50 years ago, at so great a price, to stand still, frozen in time.

NEA is marking this year and the golden anniversary of Brown by celebrating the horizons of opportunities unveiled by that decision. We are seizing this moment to redouble our efforts for real improvements in education so that we can fulfill the promise of great public schools for every child.

The Brown decision, unanimously rendered by the United States Supreme Court on May the 17, 1954, is a cause to celebrate for many reasons.

Among the thousands of decisions rendered by the Supreme Court, it is one of the few in which all nine justices agreed. I can't recall a unanimous decision by the members on this Court today -- there may be one -- I just can't recall it.

I, along with NEA's many colleagues and friends, await this Court's forthcoming decision on affirmative action at the University of Michigan. The University recognizes that race still matters in the quality of education received today and took sound measures, considering race, to promote diversity in the school. As those Supreme Court Justices unanimously sent forth a compelling and decisive message 50 years ago, we must unite our efforts to make sure that the spirit and the intent of that decision continues to be carried forth today.

Brown is inescapably about racial integration. That simple message stirred the late--1960s merger of the National Education Association and the American Teachers Association, and it should still stir us today. As we seek to prepare young people for today's competitive, global society, our diversity ---- not our separateness ---- is our strength.

The Brown decision beckons us with a clarion call. And what's that message? In simple words, it is that America must do away with racially segregated public schools and offer integrated public schools of quality. We cannot assign students to an inferior education because of the color of their skin. And yet today we still have too many students of color receiving a less than acceptable standard of education. This is more than just unconscionable. It is unjust.

Brown is about quality public education--quality without compromise--the kind of quality needed for stimulating and encouraging high levels of student achievement in every student. It's about access to quality curricula, up--to--date textbooks, and qualified educators who can reach and teach every student. It's about using cutting--edge technology, apportioning adequate resources for academics and athletics, reducing class size for optimal learning, and making school environments conducive for every child to learn. It's about the pride and excitement a student feels each day in going to school.

That 1954 decision opened our eyes to horizons of opportunities in education. It paved the way to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, Title IX amendments of 1972, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and now the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act of 97 that is up for reauthorization in Congress today. This mentions only a few of the educational and other opportunities that unfolded from the Brown decision or its reasoning.

Brown illuminated the path to wider opportunities in education for students in rural areas, migrant students, English language learners, physically challenged students, many other students who, on the whole, were being left behind in our schools. In doing so, it extended horizons of opportunities for all students.

Yes, NEA and our country have just cause to celebrate and a just cause for improving public schools today. Let us seize this moment, this afternoon, and view the horizons of opportunities together. Let us work together to provide great public schools for your child and for every child.

Today we have presentations from some distinguished experts and civil rights activists. I'd like to conserve our time without going into detail about their backgrounds and simply acknowledge and thank all of our presenters and panelists -- Bill Taylor, Cheryl Brown Henderson, Michael Wenger, Mabel McKinney-Browning, Harry Rubenstein, Charles Kamasaki, and David Frank. John Jackson is experiencing delayed air travel today and may not arrive in time to join us. But I'm quite sure that we will be hearing about the anniversary of Brown from the NAACP this week.

By now you should have received copies of the bio--sketches for our featured experts Bill Taylor, Cheryl Brown Henderson, and David Frank -- there are extra copies on the sign--in table. Our panelists will be focusing on their organizations and as such will be emphasizing organizational activities to celebrate or commemorate Brown v. Board of Education.

I would like to take a few seconds to say a word or two about Bill and Cheryl before we begin the briefings.

As a young attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Bill's legs did part of the legal research in the Brown case. No doubt, doing that work at that time made an indelible impression upon Bill as he started his legal career in 1954. Then in the mid--1960s, as the Civil Rights Movement took hold across the country and civil rights legislation was enacted by Congress, it was Bill who by 1965 served as staff director for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He was behind the scenes in the many hearings on discrimination, in many of the civil rights reports submitted to the nation, and in federal legislation recommended to Congress. It was Bill, as a civil rights attorney and then staff director, who kept vigil in the halls as the Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Bilingual Education Act of 1969, and on and on -- the very education measures that serve as our bedrock for much of the federal assistance and educational rights we have today. It is no wonder that I say Bill -- we're delighted to have you with us today.

And Cheryl -- your indefatigable energies help this country keep the spirit of Brown alive today. You are acclaimed by people in the Department of Education as the driving force behind President Bush having established a presidential commission for the 50th anniversary of Brown. Your energies along with others at the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research are spearheading the opening of its historic site next May in Topeka, Kansas. So we certainly extend our thanks to you.

Now let me quickly move onto the briefings this afternoon.

We plan to hear first from Bill and then we'll open the floor up for about 10 minutes to allow questions to him.

Then we plan to move right into Cheryl's presentation with time for Q&A to her. Next, we will have a conversation led by Charles Kamasaki of La Raza that will feature Michael Wenger of the Joint Center, Mabel McKinney--Browning of the American Bar Association, Harry Rubenstein of the Smithsonian, and others who would like to speak about activities their organization is planning to commemorate Brown.

Finally, we will hear from David Frank who'll present us with suggestions on how to get the public's attention.

By 3:30 we plan to recess to the Auditorium foyer where a reception is being hosted for us, courtesy of a collaborative effort by the NEA Human and Civil Rights and the Teacher Quality departments.

So -- now, let's get under way. Thank you -- Bill Taylor -- .

Acknowledge Attendees

We were anticipating about 60 people this afternoon and I think that we will exceed that number. I'd like to acknowledge a few people who are here -- including:

Mr. Joseph A. DeLaine Jr., Member of the Brown v. Board of Education 50th Anniversary Presidential Commission and his brother Mr. Brumit DeLaine. The DeLaine brothers are descendants of the plaintiffs in the Briggs v. Elliott companion case of South Carolina, one of the 4 cases decided in the Supreme Court's decision of what we know as Brown v. Board of Education.

I'd like to acknowledge Mr. John Stokes, one of the descendants of the plaintiffs in the Davis v. County School Board, the companion case from Virginia.

Also I'd like to acknowledge people who are here or on the way from over 30 organizations -- including:

1. Virtually each of the NEA departments and also the Virginia Education Association
2. 21st Century School Fund
3. American Association of University Women
4. AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund
5. American Bar Association
6. American Council on Education
7. American Educational Research Association
8. American Federation of Teachers
9. ASPIRA
10. Association for the Study of African American Life and History
11. Citizens Commission on Civil Rights
12. Congressional Black Caucus Foudation, Inc.
13. Cynergy Associates
14. Ed Trust
15. Hood College
16. Howard University
17. Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
18. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
19. Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
20. Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
21. National Association of Black School Educators
22. National Association for Multicultural Education
23. National Council of La Raza
24. National Women's Law Center
25. NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE)
26. Organization of Chinese Americans
27. People For The American Way
28. Public Education Network
29. Rockefeller Foundation
30. Southern Poverty Law Center
31. Smithsonian
32. Widmeyer Communications
33. Poverty and Race Research Action Council
34. The Brown Foundation
35. Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
36. Systems III

American Teachers Association:
The Story of the ATA and the NEA

ATA Video

Respect-Equality-Hope: The Journey of a People: Video history of the ATA, the preeminent voice for African-American educators and children from 1904 to 1966.

To see a clip of the NEA-produced video, download and install the free Real Player application.

ATA video  (56K)
ATA video  (Broadband)

Click here to purchase a copy from the NEA Professional Library.

ATA History

In 1904, John Robert Edward Lee, director of the Academic Department at Tuskegee Institute, called on teachers in black schools across the country to join him in Nashville to create a national organization.

Lee was born a slave in Sequin, Texas. He trained to teach at Bishop College in Marshall and became principal of a two-room school in Palestine, Texas. Later, he returned to teaching math and Latin at Bishop. He became one of the founding members of the Colored Teachers State Association of Texas.

The 1904 Nashville meeting resulted in the creation of the National Association of Colored Teachers. Realizing that not all teachers working with black youth were colored, association officials in 1907 changed the name to the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools. The name was changed one last time in 1937, becoming the American Teachers Association (ATA).

Throughout the 62-year existence of the ATA, some of the most notable black educators of the nation belonged to -- and led -- the ATA.

The ATA-NEA Merger

The merger agreement
was signed at the Miami
Beach convention in 1966.

• In 1925, NEA president Mary McSkimmon created the NEA Committee on Problems in Negro Education and Life. For the first time, there was an official way for the ATA and the NEA to work cooperatively.
  
  
• In 1934, the two groups began working together to achieve accreditation for African-American schools and colleges.
  
  
• In 1947, NEA affiliates 18 black education associations in Southern states and the District of Columbia, where laws had prohibited black teachers from joining white organizations.
  
  
• In 1949, 36 African-American delegates from states with segregated black and white associations attended the NEA convention.
  
  
• In 1951, John Warren Davis, a former ATA president and a board member of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, became the first African-American chairperson of an NEA Commission when he took the helm of the Commission on the Defense of Democracy Through Education.
  
  
• In 1952, former ATA President George William Gore, Jr., was elected vice-president of the NEA, the first black person ever to hold that office.
  
  
• In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court rules, in Brown v. Board of Education, that the nation's public schools must desegregate.
  
  
• In 1966, in Miami, Florida – after 40 years of cooperation - the ATA and the NEA merged.
  
  
• In 1968, Elizabeth Duncan Koontz became the first black president of NEA.

Noted ATA Leaders

Mary McLeod Bethune -- first woman president of ATA (1924). Founder of Bethune-Cookman College in Florida, Bethune also was an adviser to Franklin Delano Roosevelt as director of Negro Affairs at the National Youth Administration.

Mordecai Wyatt Johnson -- ATA president (1930). Johnson, also a president of Howard University, would be among the very few African-Americans accredited by the U.S. Department of State to be an official observer at the creation of the United Nations.

Harper Councill Trenholm -- ATA president (1932). After years of lobbying, Trenholm -- also a former president of Alabama State University -- successfully challenged Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on its segregated accrediting system. By 1963, the organization provided full membership rights to black schools and colleges.

Walter Nathaniel Ridley -- ATA president (1945-47). Ridley was the first African-American to receive a doctorate degree from a white southern university, University of Virginia. Ridley worked with the National Education Association for black plaintiffs in the Brown case.