‘Of Educators, By Educators, For Educators and Public Education’

Under the banner of “Uniting the Nation for Great Public Schools,” more than 9,000 members of Team NEA gathered in our nation’s capital on our nation’s birthday. The 2004 Representative Assembly was energizing, invigorating, and helped focus priorities. Most important, it underscored the strength of our resolve and revealed what sets NEA apart.

Photo by Sandy Schaeffer

NEA is an organization of educators, run by educators, advocating for educators and public education. Yet self-interest is not our guiding principle. Our life’s work is developing the minds and characters of those to whom we entrust our nation’s future: the children of America.  

Our positions on the issues are grounded in real-life experience.

We’re led not by outsiders, but by professional educators who have devoted their own careers to furthering NEA’s fundamental goal: ensuring that every child has access to a quality public education.       

Ivory-tower ideologues sometimes act as though that were not the case, praising teachers while scornfully deriding NEA. Their commentary often demonstrates an ignorance of who we are, and how NEA sets policy. Our Representative Assembly, the largest democratic deliberative body in the world, determines our positions in purely democratic fashion: one delegate, one vote.

This year, we are focused on four priorities:

• First, to elect friends of public education at the state and local level, as well as to Congress and the White House. The primary criterion is that they share our commitment to making public schools great for every child.
• Second, we need to fix and fund the so-called No Child Left Behind act. The law attempts to set the right goals: a qualified teacher in every classroom, standards and accountability, and high expectations for every child. But we can’t realize those goals without amending the implementation plan, and providing adequate resources. Under this Administration, the gap between what the law promises and what it delivers grows ever wider.
• Third, we must act to close the gap in achievement between racial and ethnic minorities and the white majority. There’s no silver bullet, no single solution to this complex problem. But as educators, we know the solution must include a commitment to ensuring early childhood education, smaller classes, attracting highly qualified teachers to low-performing schools, and parental involvement.
• Fourth, we need to not only energize but build our membership. In numbers there is influence. NEA has 2.7 million members. That’s roughly 1 in every 100 Americans. Yet, it has proved not to be enough to effectively raise our recommendations on relieving the plight of children and public education to the pinnacle of public and political consciousness. If each of us signed up just one new member, that influence would double. Think what that would mean!

We continually say that our children are our living legacy. Public education is the best investment we can make in their future.

Thank you for being a member of Team NEA. Have a great year and know that I appreciate the efforts and involvement of each and every one of you as you work to make great public schools for every child!

NEA President Reg Weaver