Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545561
Dear Union Siblings, Happy summertime! As we savor these final weeks before school is back in session, I've been reflecting on the challenges and opportunities this new school year will bring. Six years ago, at the height of the pandemic, our union released the New Vision for Arizona Schools Report — a roadmap to help Arizona schools rebuild from the trauma of the pandemic. We knew that when the immediate crisis subsided, there would be many people with ideas about remaking our schools. Our report strove to be visionary; an educator-led plan for education, free of the institutional barriers and thinking that have so oen le educators and students behind. e #RedForEd movement had shown that our collective power could drive real change, and we wanted to make sure that momentum would hold. Today, we are facing a different but familiar inflection point. Neighborhood schools are closing, demographics are shiing, and public education is underfunded and under attack. Our students, many still carrying the trauma of the pandemic, are being asked to learn against a backdrop of violent immigration enforcement, a turbulent economy, and a government that prioritizes corporate profits over community progress. Instead of waiting for politicians to step up, the time has come to assert our new vision and the power behind it. As educators, we are leaders and trusted voices in our community. We are the ones who can lead the way to a better future — but only if we put in the work. As you enjoy the final moments of summer break, think about your vision for next year. is moment is a time to ask yourself: What is your fight? What do you think should be our fight? If push comes to shove, what is your red line? ink about what our schools could look like if they were unencumbered by false constraints of political possibility and political funding limits. Talk to your union siblings about what the future looks like — and together, make a plan to put it into action. Forward! 1 ADVOCATE | SUMMER 2026 IN SOLIDARITY by Marisol Garcia AEA OFFICERS Marisol Garcia President Angela Philpot Vice President Margaret Chaney Treasurer AEA STAFF David Petruzzi Interim Executive Director Geneva Fuentes Editor & Communications Director Allison Crompton Senior Graphic Design & Communications Specialist e AEA Advocate is published by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1532. Phone: 602- 264-1774 or 800-352-5411 Fax: 602-240-6887. Email: info@ArizonaEA.org. AEA's website may be found at www.arizonaea.org. Permission to reprint any material originating with this publication is granted provided that credit is given to the AEA Advocate. e AEA Advocate (ISSN 0194-8849) is published in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer for $3.50 per year by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, Arizona. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the AEA Advocate, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. Moving? Please let us know before you go. Simply clip your mailing label from the back of the Advocate and send it along with your new address to: AEA Advocate 345 East Palm Lane Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1532 Marisol Garcia, President Arizona Education Association