Who's Rescuing You?

NEA President Reg Weaver

By deciding to embark upon a career in education, you know that you have signed up for serious rescue work.

And through this rescue work, you'll inspire children, you'll challenge them, and sometimes--quite literally--you'll save their lives.

Where else can you find a motivator, a problem-solver, and a heart-mender, all in one place--and often in one person?

Some people call it multitasking; I call it an average day at school.

More than merely working late, on weekends, and through summers, you write the recommendation letters, coach the athletic teams, prepare the meals, ready the building, and shield the vulnerable from harm.

From sacrificing your own paycheck to make sure students don't suffer from a truncated school year, to digging deeply into your pockets to pay for supplies--sometimes to the tune of $400-$600 during a year--your example directly influences students and your community.

All of this you do willingly, and your students and communities depend upon you. But what happens in those quiet moments when you realize that you're the one needing help? Where can you find safe harbor when the seas of your professional life turn treacherous?

While your work is both noble and necessary, that's not enough to protect good education professionals from bad people or bad policy. Sometimes, even the rescuers need rescuing.

And that's why you have NEA.

Whether fighting for fair compensation that reflects your professional worth, or for decent retirement benefits when it's time for a dignified and well-deserved rest--we're working to protect your financial bottom line.

We're proud to be working to ensure that the U.S. Department of Education is not undermining collective bargaining rights through the mandates of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's (ESEA) so-called "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law.

And, we will continue to fight against the rhetoric of education reform espoused by the so-called "No Child Left Behind" law because we see it as a one-size-fits-all policy mandate that demands that all children meet the same level of achievement in the same period of time.

By relying solely on standardized tests to measure student achievement, we know the negative effect this law will have on our children and students.

But consider this law's effect on you professionally. This law is a mandate that will drive inspired and experienced professionals--teachers and education support professionals--from schools and classrooms where they are needed most.

This law, in effect, demonstrates that some Washington bureaucrats believe that they know how to perform your job better than you do. They presume to waltz into our profession and, without the benefit of appropriate study and training, assume they know how to be an educator.

It's akin to assuming that anyone who knows how to use a knife can be a surgeon!

That's why we launched a legislative strategy to fix and fund ESEA's NCLB with the Great Public Schools for Every Child Act. We are re-introducing your voices into the debate--the voices of teachers and ESPs--and working to defend our profession from those who know nothing about performing the rescue work we do daily.

Frankly, if there wasn't an NEA, we'd have to create it, and quickly. Luckily, there is no need to! I'm proud that we're able to fight for our members who give so much to their schools and their communities. And, although we may not always agree, we should never disengage.

Whether it's protecting our members or staving off policies injurious to our children, you can depend on your Association. We pride ourselves on rescuing the rescuers--the teachers and education support professionals working every day to make great public schools for every child.

Reg Weaver
NEA President