NEA Representative Assembly - July 2, 2011

NEA Representative Assembly

July 2, 2011

Chicago, IL

Standing Rule  (SR) 1A - Voted down.
Standing Rule  1 - Approved.
SR 2 - Rejected.
SR 2A - Rejected.
SR 3A - Approved.
SR 3 - Rejected.

 Please visit this link for NEA news and updates:  http://www.nea.org/

7321 official delegates; 11,817 total

Dennis Van Roekel, Key Note Address

149th Conference

• "Discovering talents we didn't know we had."
• 97 oldest life member of the NEA - introduced his mother, Maria Van Roekel
• "Educators change the life of students every day."

• 1857 - Call went out to Philadelphia to all educators regardless of color. 
• The first female president of the NEA was elected 10 years before women had the right to vote in our country. 
• "We don't walk through history, we make history."
• Economic conditions are changing. Distribution of wealth continues to be among a few in the United States.
• Spoke about struggles and how they are standing strong in Wisconsin, Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, Ohio, etc.
• "Lead, follow, or get out of the way. We have a responsibility to lead and we'll do that."
• Adopt teacher evaluation and accountability overall. This advances learning and ensures the development of high quality systems.
• Achievement gaps are the result of opportunity gaps.
• Poverty matters - We need provide for ALL students where all children have equal opportunities.
• "Do elections matter?  Darn right they matter!"
• Discussed how our country belongs to main street, not wall street.

Speeches from candidates for national NEA office were heard during the afternoon and during the lunch break.

The Wisconsin 14 won the Friend of Education Award. Senator Miller spoke about the importance of education and the challenges and opportunities "You are the ones that need to do the heavy lifting.
There is nothing more important to fight for than our children's future and we can't lose this fight."

Crowd response, "We are one!" "People united will never be defeated."

New Business Items


Item A - Approved - Seeking changes to ESEA
Item B - Approved - Save Our Schools rally support, no cost
              Washington DC, July 30, 2011
Item C - Friendly amendment made to paragraph 12, friendly amendment made to paragraph 7,
              Motion passed to withdrawal removal of amendment to have Reg Weaver replace Arne Duncan
              Passed with two friendly amendments.
Item 1 - Rejected - Exploring legal options for failing schools.
Item 2 - Approved - Professional support for substitute teachers.
Item 3 - Rejected - Exploring electronic voting
Item 4 - Referred to committee - Running totals of monies
Item 5 - Rejected - Time allotment clock for speakers
Item 6 - Approved - Amended to reduce cost to zero by studying national panel to analyze
             performance based and value-added teacher assessment within the NEA
Item 7 - Approved - Redefining "high performing" schools
Item 8 - Rejected - Postponing potential endorsement of President Obama until January 2012.