Building Leaders From Within
During NEA’s annual National Leadership Summit, in March, teachers, librarians, aspiring educators, college professors, school social workers, and support professionals came together to hone their skills as education activists and leaders. Here’s what happened!
- NEA provided leadership development opportunities for 1,500 members.
- Activists collaborated with leaders on how to confront challenges in their schools.
- Participants gained skills to help create the future that students and educators deserve.
Calling for a National Raise for Educators!
During a press conference, NEA President Becky Pringle called on Congress to support the American Teacher Act, a bill introduced by Florida Rep. Frederica
S. Wilson that aims to address the teacher shortage crisis by:
- Raising the minimum salary to $60,000.
- Providing cost of living adjustments for teachers earning $60,000+.
- Expanding awareness of the value of teaching.
“It is not okay that the people who have dedicated their lives to this country’s children are living in their cars and renting out their houses on Airbnb,” Pringle said. “That is not America.”
NEA also supports a similar bill, the Pay Teachers Act, introduced by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Urge your senators and representatives to raise teacher pay at nea.org/Raise-Teacher-Pay.
1 in 5
U.S. teachers must take a second or third job to make ends meet.
Helping Educators Teach the Truth
California middle school teacher Karen Sher (left) used NEA’s model school board resolution to propose a Teach the Truth resolution in the Oxnard Union High School District. The resolution, which promotes an equitable education for all students, was approved 3-to-1 by the board of trustees.
Want to protect educators’ right to teach the truth in your district? Download NEA’s model resolution at neaedjustice.org/TeachTruth.
Celebrating 25 Years of NEA’s Read Across America—and the Freedom to Read!
NEA launched Read Across America 25 years ago as a special day to call attention to the efforts of educators, parents, and others who motivate and teach children to read.
Today, it’s a year-round program, and NEA is more committed than ever to defending every student’s freedom to read books as diverse and complex as the world in which they live. Get the reading list at nea.org/readacross.
“When [students] have access to books that include characters … of all races, genders, and backgrounds, students will discover their own voices and learn from the stories and voices of others.”
—NEA President Becky Pringle
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