Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1472992
AEA 14 ADVOCATE | SUMMER 2022 Marisol Garcia, President Arizona Education Association If you don't know, don't see, or have questions, ask us. Ask me. Ditch the Fox news narratives and reach out. Eff ective and caring educators bleed this profession and want to stay, but they still need you behind them. I need you behind me. What will be taken from us (again) and what we will be asked in the near future by the legislature will nearly break public education. Spread the respect for this profession and be brave for us. Squash the false narratives and negative rhetoric, especially by those who have no clue about our standards, nor the actual classroom! Together, we are the single most eff ective voice fi ghting for public education in the state. Together, we are taking on institutional racism and breaking down the barriers preventing equal opportunities for our students. Together, we are making great public schools for our children. We do this collectively in our worksites, in our locals, on the soccer fi elds, and on the buses. We do this with our neighbors and in our communities. We do this together, because there is strength in numbers. In Solidarity, In Solidarity continued from p. 4. "I belong to SEA because together all of us can be a strong voice for public education and for our students." — Heddy Nunez, Sunnyside EA member Math teacher, Challenger MS Donna Telles, Kurt Kieser & Kaitlyn Quintana from CGEA When Superintendent Battle wanted to cut teacher pay by $4,400, CGEA packed the school board meeting to stop this attack on our educators. CGEA protected $933,365 in teacher pay in the district budget. CGEA members and leaders took action and made your voices heard through interviews with reporters and on social media. Kudos to Higley Education Association whose members negotiated a 7% salary incr HEA o ave been visiting every school in the district to share the news and celebrate. HEA signed up 40 new members in just 6 days. Peoria Education Association stood up for a member who was being harassed by right-wing extremist hate groups in the community who wanted the district to discriminate and censor the member. PEA President Trina Berg spoke at a board meeting with support from AEA and other local leaders.