Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/391693
BACK TO SCHOOL 2014 | WEAnews 8 Your WEA At Work Toxic testing, accountability, and the Common Core dominated the issues faced by delegates at the 2014 NEA Representative Assembly in Denver in early July. But the change in the face of the organization is what most members will see first. Delegates elected Lily Eskelsen Garcia as NEA's next president by an overwhelming majority. Although she is neither the first woman nor the first minority to head the organization, she will lead a new team of officers that is all-female and all-minority—and that is a first for NEA. Dennis Van Roekel exits after six years as president. The officers will shift to include Eskelsen Garcia, Vice-President Becky Pringle, and Secretary-Treasurer Princess Moss. The new group enters as NEA ramps up to a more aggressive approach to combat high-stakes testing and the negative influences of so-called education reformers who seem more interested in monetizing public education than in improving student learning. "People who don't know what they're talking about are talking about increasing the use of commercial standardized tests in high-stakes decisions about students and about educators…when all the evidence that can be gathered shows that it is corrupting what it means to teach and what it means to learn," Eskelsen Garcia told the Representative Assembly. The former Utah Teacher of the Year challenged the more than 7,000 delegates from across the country— including 41 from Wyoming—to be fearless and take back their professions. "We will not be silent when people who for their own profit and political posture subvert words like 'reform' or 'accountability.'" Eskelsen Garcia pledged to continue the focus on Leading the Profession, which was started almost four years ago under Van Roekel's leadership. And at the Denver meeting this year, more than 1,000 educators participated in "Raise Your Hand" day just prior to the start of Representative Assembly. This marks the second year that NEA has chosen to shine the spotlight on ways to improve public schools as part of the traditional RA activities. This year's events included a panel discussion moderated by MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry, table discussions around ideas such as National Board certification, and TED-style talks highlighting great ways to improve student learning. Van Roekel emphasized that NEA's focus on improving schools isn't only a one-day activity. The NEA is putting its money into innovative ideas to improve public schools, thanks to the Great Public Schools fund that was passed at last year's RA. Every single member of NEA contributes $2 to the fund and, in its first year, the fund dispersed $6 million in grants to more than 50 local and state affiliates to improve student learning. The program provides strong evidence 2014 Representative Assembly RA Pics Amy Simpson NEA Director asimpson@nea.org