NEA Meets in LA

All children must enjoy the same quality education, which means teachers and support staffs must step outside their own boxes and connect with their students.

That was the message from National Education Association Vice President Reg Weaver as he spoke Monday to Louisiana Association of Educators members who are in Alexandria through today for their annual meeting.

The crowd welcomed Weaver with applause and thanked him with loud cheers. Weaver ended his address by leaving the podium and walking among the delegates, shaking hands while still talking about the state of education in America.

Weaver told teachers to question unjust rules, to change them if those rules hurt students. He decried systems that don't ask for teacher input on professional development as well as states that determine a student's future "by the results of an ultra-high-stakes test."

Whether students learn lessons that last a lifetime is in the hands of teachers, Weaver said.

"Step out of the box to make sure that all children have the opportunity to receive the kind of education that they are deserving of," he said.

Weaver said educators could make that happen by working together. To fire them up, Weaver listed his 12 commandments of education.

It worked. Delegates cheered, clapped and thumped tabletops as Weaver went through the list.

"Thou shalt not say that children are America's top priority when 20 percent of American children live in poverty, 15 percent have no health insurance and 13 children are killed by gunfire every day," he said.

Weaver also said that more money should not be spent on prisons than on schools, that teachers and support workers should earn more than "a pittance," and every child is capable of learning and should be respected.

The LAE will adopt its legislative agenda today before Picard's speech. Part of the agenda's focus is expected to be on improving salaries, particularly for school support workers.

Also, candidates for statewide office will announce their intentions, and a donation will be made to Alexandria's Manna House before the meeting adjourns.

Most teachers believe education in America needs a major overhaul too. They are confronted with the problems on a daily basis; lack of supplies, behavior, standards & benchmarks, and the list goes on.

Teachers seek higher wages and people demand vouchers; but in the end I really don't think much will change. Vast majority of Americans support free public education and the politicals understand votes.

The NEA is just like any other union, except maybe more adept at achieving their goals.

As a conservative teacher, I see both sides. Never as simple as one easy answer fits all. The people on the left (NEA leadership) are wacked out and the people on the extreme right are just as ignorant of the problems in education.

The answer lies somewhere in the middle and that's where changes in education will probably head.

I suggest that conservatives spend some time in our schools, then they will see the problems more clearly. I still vote repub, hate taxes, ect; but I sure have learned that issue is more complicated than I ever realized since I started teaching.

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