54th Delegate Assembly Underway

Tonight was the opening session of the 2010 Delegate Assembly. Speeches, televison ads, and nominations for statewide officers to be elected this year all took place, and it was an exciting evening! One of the nicest parts of DA is the chance to renew friendships from all over the state. I just wish there were more hours in a day so I could have the time to visit with everyone! Tomorrow it's on to caucus meetings, critical issues and committee work. Awards, words from a true friend of educators in the state legislature, acceptance speeches, a candidate forum, and a great social event with music and dancing for all take place tomorrow.

Democracy at It's Finest

In the coming week we will gather leaders from across Alaska to set our direction for the next year. NEA and it's state affiliates, like NEA-Alaska, maintain one of the most democratic systems of decision making in the world. We insist on the principle of one person, one vote as we work to achieve our goals. Delegates to our annual meeting must be elected by the membership. They come from communities that are small and remote, and they come from towns on the road system. We hold a special opportunity for those who can only meet face to face this one time, called PARSA (Policy Assembly for Rural and Small Associations). Delegates to the annual meeting determine internal priorities and external priorities. This will be an exciting and VERY busy week for NEA-Alaska and I look forward to watching real democracy in action!

2010 Year of the Educator

I am declaring 2010 the Year of the Educator! This is the time for us to make sure our views are known and the public understands the need to insist that Alaska's schools are our highest priority. Who is the voice for making this happen? NEA-Alaska! We're positioning ourselves to have greater impact than ever in the upcoming legislative session. Want to know what's going on? Subscribe to the LCS message and get the latest delivered to your email account. We will also be posting updates on new twitter and facebook pages.