NEA’s Van Roekel: This Is Our Time, This Is Our Opportunity
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The changes in our country since the November elections have been dramatic and union members must be ready to take advantage of the opportunities for working people. In a powerful speech at the AFL-CIO Convention this morning, National Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel said this is the time for working families to rebuild America’s working and middle class.
Making those changes requires power and power comes through unity, Van Roekel said.
We must find a way to change the country’s attitude towards the union movement and the middle class. We need the power to act.
‘Green’ Schools, Healthy Kids
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With Congress set to begin a new session this week, the AFT is putting the state of America’s school buildings on the agenda. As part of its two-year “Building Minds, Minding Buildings” campaign, the union recently released two new reports, one on “green” school buildings and the other on funding infrastructure projects.
The reports reinforce President-elect Barack Obama’s call to improve the physical and technological infrastructure of U.S. schools as part of a stimulus plan to jump-start the economy.
Says AFT President Randi Weingarten:
Our members across the country always have been actively involved in finding solutions and bringing attention to the issue of school infrastructure. These latest reports will provide them with some of the insights and information they need to continue their efforts.
Educators Praise Obama’s Choice of Duncan as Ed. Secretary
The leaders of education unions today praised President-elect Barack Obama’s selection of Arne Duncan, superintendent of the Chicago school system, as education secretary in the new administration. AFT President Randi Weingarten, Jill Levy, president of the School Administrators (AFSA), and National Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel said Duncan has shown genuine commitment to the key priorities for an incoming education secretary.
In a statement, Weingarten says:
There may be times when we will differ, but we believe we will agree fully that America’s students and teachers need an education secretary committed to focusing on real solutions for closing the achievement gap and providing every child with a rigorous, well-rounded education that prepares him or her for college, work and life.
