Key Takeaways
- First-time delegates see the RA as a vital space for connection, advocacy, and organizing that will help them push for greater equity and inclusion in public schools.
- Many delegates are driven by their personal experiences in their schools and communities and find camaraderie and support at the RA.
At the 2025 NEA Representative Assembly (RA) in Portland, Ore., many first-time delegates from across the country stepped into one of the world’s largest democratic bodies ready to learn, listen, and lead. From veteran educators to paraprofessionals, these newcomers bring with them stories of challenge and change, and an unshakable belief in the power of collective action.
‘There’s a space for you here’
Langston Hamilton, a long-term substitute and executive board member with the Portland Association of Teachers, has been involved in local union work for a few years, but the NEA RA is his first experience at the national level. With the RA held in his hometown, the timing felt right.
“I figured this was the perfect chance to get involved. I had attended our state assembly before, but I wanted to see how things worked nationally,” Hamilton says. “If we don’t participate in these structures, they don’t function the way they should,” he says, referring to why it is critical to get more involved in the work of the union.
What’s most important to him?
“Making connections,” he says, “and reminding people that there’s a space for you here.”
‘A wake-up call ’
For Alejandro Samaniego, a high school math teacher in Indianapolis, becoming a delegate grew out of a sense of urgency. Earlier this year, Indiana lawmakers threatened to dismantle his public school district under legislation (HB1136) that would have shut down certain districts to turn their schools into charter schools.
“That was a big wake-up call,” Samaniego says. “I got into K–12 education because I believe in unions and public schools. Running as a delegate felt like a way to follow through on that commitment.”
Though this is his first time at the NEA RA, he’s already seeing the impact.
He says the opportunity to connect with colleagues facing similar threats was both eye-opening and energizing. One conversation with a Louisiana educator who had worked in New Orleans—which became an all-charter system after Hurricane Katrina—stood out.
“They told me how they organized and eventually reopened a traditional public school,” he says. “Hearing what others have done helps me see what might be possible in Indianapolis.”
What motivates him?
Helping others organize and win.
“People have been winning all over the country and we need to learn from them instead of trying to recreate the wheel every time.”
‘We have to work together’
From Alabama to Idaho, and everywhere in-between, new delegates are also finding solidarity in shared purpose. Tontalea White Blakely, a second-grade teacher with 20 years of experience, says that seeing delegates from across the country come together in unity moved her.
“Seeing everyone stand together, listening to the debates, that’s what I’m taking home. We have to work together.”
Joy Solomon, a special educator from Vermont, shared a similar feeling: “NEA events fill my cup,” she says. “It’s easy to let the adults at work get in the way of what I love about my job. But NEA events are full of adults who … make me excited to do my job.”
For Delaware paraprofessional Laveil Ricks, stepping into the delegate role was about making sure voices like his are in the room.
“There’s a shortage of people who look like me—Black males—in education,” says Ricks. “Even though we’re small in numbers, it only takes one to make change.”
Though he admitted to feeling “nervous” and “curious” on day one, Ricks says he’s eager to see “how the machine operates,” and how he can be part of it.
After running three times to be a delegate, Cassie Horner, a junior high choir teacher from Idaho, finally made it to the RA.
Back home, Horner serves as a chair of the Idaho Education Association’s LGBTQ+ caucus and is part of Leaders for Just Schools.
“I do a lot at the state level,” they say. “I wanted to have the opportunity to do something on the national level.”
What’s important to them? Advocating for transgender students and building connections.
“If I’m stuck on an idea or issue, I can reach out to someone from another state to see what they’re doing.”
‘A lot of learning’
Adrianna Beavers, an eighth-grade English teacher from Ohio, is taking her experience at the RA “all in.”
“This year is going to be a lot of learning. It’s been empowering to see so many educators in one space, working toward something together, but I’m not sure what to expect.”
But like so many of her fellow first-time delegates, she’s showing up anyway—with curiosity, commitment, and a belief that when educators organize together, they can win together.
