NEA President on Shooting of Rep. Giffords, 19 Others

By Cynthia McCabe and Staci Maiers NEA President Dennis Van Roekel on Saturday commented on the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords during a constituent event in Tucson, Ariz., that left six dead and 12 injured, including a retired member of the Arizona Education Association. “On behalf of all the members of the National Education Association, I [...]

NEA President Shares Thoughts on NCLB With Washington Post

By Dennis Van Roekel first appeared in Valerie Strauss’ The Answer Sheet Nine years ago this week President George Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act that: a. Stunted the creativity and critical thinking skills of American public school children b. Prevented teachers from tapping into the full potential of their students [...]

When Educators’ Pay Slashed, Long-term Economic Damage Follows

By Ilana Kowarski and Cindy Long Educators across the country can tell you first-hand how lost jobs and slashed or stagnant wages have left them struggling to make ends meet. “I can’t afford to buy anything that isn’t a necessity,” says first-grade teacher Lysa Sassman, one of many California educators whose salary was cut. “Every [...]

New Board-Certified Teachers Join Distinguished Fraternity

By Mary Ellen Flannery When sixth-grade teacher Cynthia Walker thinks back to the two-year process of national board certification, she recalls the months of sleepless nights but also the days of thoughtful discussion with her colleagues. “You start sharing ideas – what are you trying to accomplish (in the classroom)? And why?” she said. “I [...]

NEA Unveils New Classroom Superheroes Site

It’s a refreshing change of pace in the era of teacher bashing: a new website honoring public school teachers for the work they do every day in the classroom. Called ClassroomSuperheroes.com, the site features the stories of educators and education support professionals around the country who go above and beyond for their students — buying [...]

Sidelining Play in School Shortchanges Children

By Deborah Meier, Brenda S. Engel, and Beth Taylor Excerpted from Playing for Keeps: Life and Learning on a Public School Playground, with permission of the publisher. Once upon a time, before education was mandated and became a public responsibility, children witnessed and participated closely in the daily life of home and community. In the process, [...]

New Report Focuses on Minority Parent Engagement

By Cynthia McCabe A report out today identifies best practices for bridging the minority parent-school divide, compiled from study of leading educational organizations from across the U.S. It also outlines policy recommendations to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education as it prepares to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the year ahead. [...]

How One Union and Superintendent United for Kids

By Mary Ellen Flannery There are high schools on American Indian reservations in Montana where far more kids can’t pass a basic reading test than can. We’re talking proficiency rates of 13, 14 and 15 percent overall, according to state data. So why are teachers excited here? Because they know they’re going to transform their [...]

President Signs Into Law NEA-Backed Child Nutrition Legislation

By Cynthia McCabe and Felix Perez Legislation that will help ensure all students have access to healthier meals got the signature of President Obama today, marking the culmination of months of work by advocates for students, including the National Education Association “Those of us who work in America’s public schools know that sometimes a school [...]

NEA Announces National, Independent Commission on Teacher Quality

By Michelle Hudgins Saying there is a fundamental need to shake up the nation’s thinking on quality teaching, the NEA this past week announced that it is creating a national, independent commission to study the teaching profession and make recommendations on maximizing teacher and teaching effectiveness. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel first spoke about plans [...]

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