US: educators raise their hands for student success | WPN World People News

The National Education Association (NEA), EI’s largest affiliate in the United States, has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage educators to become leaders in a national movement for quality public education.

Delegates at the Assembly

The “Raise Your Hand for Public Education” campaign kicked off in Atlanta on 2 July, prior to the NEA 2013 Representative Assembly and Annual Meeting, held from 3-6 July.

Dj Spinderella gets the delegates ready during the Raise your hand Empowering educators at the NEA annual convention in Atlanta

At the Representative Assembly, delegates displayed their commitment to “Raise Your Hand” by agreeing to increase annual membership dues by $3 per member—a move that will generate more than $6 million in funds specifically to provide Great Public Schools Grants (GPS Grants) to NEA state and local affiliates.

Grants will support innovative projects and great ideas to boost student learning, including successful implementation of Common Core Standards, school safety/anti-bullying programs training, and technology.

Educators must take the lead
In his address to the Assembly, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel emphasised the crucial role of educators in leading a movement for student success that is real and sustainable.

“Want to transform a school? Bring together all of the adults who work there and empower them to define student success, to create a plan to accomplish it and then get out of their way and let them go! Education professionals, working together, can change the world!” he stated.

Towards this goal, Van Roekel pointed out, "it is essential to provide educators with new programs, professional training and support, as well as collaboration with other educators."

He went on to say: “Good, sustainable change doesn’t just happen. Changing our complex education system will be difficult – and it will require much from us”.

“Even leading change from within cannot succeed if we too are not willing to change. We need to shift – shift from focusing on what we don’t want – to focusing on what we do want.”

New technologies, new tools
At the Representative Assembly, delegates also approved a new policy to address equity issues related to broadband Internet access and software and technical support.

The new statement emphasises the importance of providing teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals and administrators with access to high-quality, interactive professional development that will help them turn digital learning and technology into instruction.

Source: Education International