NEA Supports California Dream Centers
Three NEA-funded Dream Centers across the Alhambra Unified School District, in California, are changing lives. These safe, welcoming spaces meet the needs of students, many of whom are recent immigrants living under the threat of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Dream Centers offer safe spaces for a community under ICE surveillance, as well as tangible support that helps students thrive, including:
- Tutoring and academic support.
- Peer-to-peer mentoring.
- Food and pantry items.
- A clothing closet.
- A safe space to share concerns and build community.
Learn more about NEA’s community grants at nea.org/CAPE.
NEA Backs Colorado Educators
NEA stood with the Colorado Springs Education Association during their one-day strike, calling for the restoration of their collective bargaining rights.
Educators organized for change when the school board allowed a decades-long master agreement to expire, replacing it with a non-binding employee handbook. Over 1,000 teachers, parents, and community members rallied across the city. Educators emphasized that stable schools and fair contracts benefit students by providing consistency, smaller class sizes, and stronger support.
NEA Helps Arizona Local Push Back Against Too Much Testing
With NEA’s support, Arizona’s Tucson Education Association (TEA) led a successful grassroots campaign to eliminate non-mandatory standardized tests required by the school district—putting students’ learning first.
TEA collected more than 1,200 petition signatures, held multiple public forums, spoke at board meetings, and gathered educator stories that illustrated the toll of excessive testing on students.
The results:
- More instructional time for educators and students.
- Less focus on test preparation and less stress.
- A stronger, community-centered approach to teaching and learning.
NEA Provides Food to Iowa Families
NEA donated $25,000 to the Food Bank of Iowa. The donation will help sustain the network of school-based food pantries across Des Moines Public Schools.
NEA President Becky Pringle also joined leaders of the Iowa State Education Association and the Des Moines Education Association in delivering boxes of food to Callanan Middle School, to support the school’s families.
