Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/154758
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE NEA Representative Assembly, cont. from page 27 L to R: NEA Director Jason Freed, TEA member Emily Freed, and AEA student member Josh Watson. Fall.13advo.indd 28 the paper, students and teachers across the nation are achieving in countless ways. It is time for us to recognize that public education is succeeding." ESP of the Year Debbie Schulze delivered a similar empowering call to action. "I think much of the public has a distorted picture of teachers, principals, and school support staff," Schulze says. "They've seen too many movies," the Maryland paraeducator joked, adding that educators can clear up common misperceptions about educators' daily workloads by becoming political activists. "This is why we need to raise our hands and our voices and educate them to the truth," says Schulze. "And for this to succeed, we need to step up and step out of our comfort zones and get politically active. Get in the game!" Delegates also honored two prominent champions of public education: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who received the 2013 Friend of Education Award, and California Gov. Jerry Brown, recipient of the Greatest Governor Award. Using a formula that will serve low-income and non-native English speakers, Gov. Brown made sweeping changes – the greatest in the nation and during this century – to the way California funds its public schools. Before that, Gov. Brown successfully managed a ballot initiative to regenerate funding for public schools. "Nothing is more determinative of our future than how we teach our children," says Gov. Brown, who addressed the RA via satellite video. "It's an honor to accept this award on behalf of the educators working every day to make our public schools better and our future brighter." Sen. Murray has been a tireless advocate of more preschool and literacy programs, smaller class sizes, and better education for homeless children. And she led the fight that pushed $25 billion for education jobs and Medicaid funding over the finish line in 2010. In a nod to the importance of digital learning, delegates approved a new NEA policy that addresses equity issues related to broadband Internet access and software and technical support. The new statement also emphasizes the importance of providing pre-K–12 teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, and administrators with access to high-quality, interactive professional development that will help them turn digital learning and technology into instruction. The gathering also included elections. Kevin Gilbert, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, and Maury Koffman, president of the Michigan State University Administrative Professional Association, were each elected to a three-year term on the NEA Executive Committee. Gilbert knows how important it is for educators to have the proper training, tools, and resources to help students succeed, says Van Roekel. "I am confident Kevin will draw on his years of experience and training, as well as his years in the classroom to deliver the promise of quality public education for every student." Van Roekel says the Association will benefit from Koffman's "energy and expertise." "He keenly understands the challenges facing students and public education employees, and he is deeply committed to equity and opportunity in education." For more news, photos and video from the 2013 NEA Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly, visit: www.nea.org/ra. 2 28 Fall 2013 x AEA Advocate 8/7/13 2:35 PM