Arizona Education Association

Advocate Fall 2011

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AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA AROUND AEA Delegates from Chandler EA AEA Delegate Assembly Goes Green this Year Hundreds of delegates from around the state met at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa Hotel and Conference Center April 29 – 30, 2011, to discuss and vote on the business of the Arizona Education Association (AEA). The AEA Delegate Assembly is held every year and is the state’s largest democratic delib- erative body. The top decision-making body for AEA, the Delegate Assembly sets Association policy for the coming year. Delegates adopt the strategic plan and budget, resolutions, the legisla- tive program, and other Association policies, and they vote on proposed amendments to AEA’s Constitution and Bylaws. Delegates are elected to represent their colleagues at this event. This year AEA launched the implementation of a two-year Green Initiative to promote good stewardship of organizational resources. All delegate materials were made available online at the AEA website. Delegates were encouraged to download and read materials prior to attending in order to make informed decisions. In addi- tion, AEA set up a Resource Center at Delegate Assembly where delegates could transfer all materials electronically to their laptop via a flash drive. The change from print materials to electronic was praised by many members. “I think Delegate Assembly going green this year is definitely awesome,” says Roosevelt EA member Clarence Johnson. “We need to save money 8 Fall 2011 ❘ AEA Advocate and put funds into different causes to fight big- ger battles.” AEA President Andrew F. Morrill began Delegate Assembly and spoke about the ethical and economic recessions Arizona faces and its impact on our public schools. “There are those in public office who want us to report and document the cost of educating undocu- mented students,” says Morrill. “These are the same people who refuse to consider the ethical and economic cost of failing to educate every student in Arizona to the best of our ability.” Morrill also spoke about the challenges edu- cators in Arizona face from massive budget cuts to the loss of payroll dues deduction. He noted that AEA members had been essential to the passage of Governor Brewer’s sales tax increase, Prop 100, through organized campaign efforts. Had the payroll dues deduction law been in effect a year ago, AEA would have been unable to assist in the campaign to pass Prop 100, a fact unacknowledged by the governor as she signed the anti-labor legislation into law this last legislative session. “This is a blatant attempt to quiet you, weaken our voice, and silence us in our ability to speak for Arizona’s students and educators,” says Morrill. Morrill encouraged delegates to remember why they do the work they do to rise above the state’s turmoil. “The fire inside you that wants

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