Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545561
2 SUMMER 2026 | ADVOCATE UNION NEWS Building Power at Delegate Assembly In May, elected delegates from across the state gathered at the (proudly unionized!) Renaissance Hotel in downtown Phoenix for two days of debate and deliberation to determine the direction of our statewide union. In between sessions, delegates heard from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who have both been longstanding champions of public education. To help us kick off the Assembly, Mayor Gallego declared Friday, May 8 as Union Educator Day in Phoenix. During Delegate Assembly, AEA recognized Kaitlin Moriarty of the Cartwright Education Association and Anthony James "AJ" Benavidez of the Amphi Education Association for excellence in their professions. Kaitlin, a third-grade teacher at Peralta Elementary School, received the 2026–2027 AEA Award for Teaching Excellence. AJ, a Special Education Teaching Assistant and Behavioral Health Technician in Amphi, received the 2025– 2026 Arizona Education Support Professional of the Year award. Growing Together at the Leadership & Growth Summit In June, union educators came together for our 2026 Leadership & Growth Summit, a three-day convening that was jam-packed with opportunities to deepen our skills and build community across our union. With top-notch sessions focused on organizing, resistance, student learning, and more, LGS was a time to come together in solidarity and strength.