Contact: Celeste Fernandez   (202) 822-7823

July 5, 2007

Olathe Educator Elected to NEA Executive Committee

Levings brings her work for great public schools to the national level

PHILADELPHIA—Christy Levings, an educator for more than 30 years from rural Osawatomie, Kan., was elected yesterday to the National Education Association Executive Committee, the nine-member governing body that oversees the 3.2 million-member Association.

Levings, who ran unopposed, was declared elected by the presiding officer consistent with the rules of the NEA’s Representative Assembly.  Her three-year term begins September 1, 2007. 

“I’m honored to join NEA’s Executive Committee and look forward to sharing my passion for great public schools and my voice in advocating for the professionals who work for them,” said Levings. “The future of every student and our nation is dependent on the work of the members of the NEA.”

With three decades of education experience, Levings has been a champion for public education and school employees at the state and local levels. An elementary school teacher for 32 years, Levings is currently an instructional resource support and head of the formalized collegial mentoring program in the Olathe School District. Before being elected to the NEA Executive Committee, she served as president of the Kansas National Education Association for five years and vice president for four years. She also served as past president of the Olathe National Education Association. 

“We welcome Christy’s participation on a national level in working to ensure that our students’ basic right to a great public school becomes a reality,” said Reg Weaver, NEA president. “As a classroom teacher she knows the challenges and difficulties our public schools face. She understands how important it is to have the proper training, tools and resources to get the job done.”

Levings graduated from Washburn University with a bachelor’s degree in education and also received a master’s degree in educational policy and administration from the University of Kansas.

The NEA Executive Committee consists of nine members – three executive officers and six members elected at-large by the Representative Assembly. The committee is responsible for general policy and interests of NEA and acts for the NEA Board of Directors in between its four regularly scheduled meetings each year.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee
organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education
faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.