After our morning caucus from 7-9 am where we discussed some of the upcoming new business items and other items, we headed to the convention hall to vote, via secret ballot, for proposed constitutional amendments and bylaws, and for run off elections for NEA ESP at large and NEA director.
We have a total of 129 submitted new business items, and we made it the day before to NBI 30, so we have much work to do! By the way if you want to see what's going on with the NBIs, you can check them online. It's interesting this year at the NEA RA, with the Supreme Court ruling on Janus v AFSCME, delegates are more conscious of the cost of certain NBIs and the feasibility of some of them (ie would they take time away from NEA staff resources on other issues). By the end of the day on July 4th, we made it to NBI 62.
By the end of the 1st session (2 pm), we received the Elections Committee report. To pass a constitutional amendment, the delegates would need a 2/3 majority vote (above 67%). View the proposed amendments to Bylaws and Constitutional amendments and their results.
After the hour long break, we reconvene at 3 pm CST and heard from 2018 NCHE Higher Educator of the Year Loretta Ragsdell an Adjust Professor of English in Chicago. She is the first ever recipient of this award! Read the press release from NEA and read her remarks here.
Next on the agenda was to discuss and vote on a Proposed New Policy Statement. A policy statement is like a resolution, but longer. The proposed policy statement was on Community Schools. After some proposed amendments to the policy statement and debate, the new policy statement was adopted by the body. NEA Vice President Becky Pringle shared that this new policy statement took over a year to research and craft. (report on Community School task force).
We moved on to resolutions. You can see what happened to each proposed resolutions here. There was some debate on resolutions, in particular a new proposed resolution on White Supremacy Culture.
Your Blog Team's Top 3 Things from Today were:
1.) VEA President Jim Livingston, VEA VP James Fedderman, and VEA Interim Executive Director Tim Deadman were good sports and dressed up because we met our PAC goals. (see photos below)
2.) The defeat of proposed Constitutional Amendment 1. This Constitutional Amendment was presented to delegates from the NEA Board of Directors. There was vigorous debate and with members of our delegation who were for and against it. The constitutional amendment has a majority, but did not have the necessary 2/3 of the body to support it. Final result was 61% yes. The blog team high lights this, because this highlights how important it is to vote and the power of the democratic body.
3.) The passing of Resolutions. When the body voted to adopt Resolutions there was a standing ovation and some tears from the delegates. It was an emotional moment because of the addition of the statement on White Supremacy Culture.
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| It's Fisherman Jim Livinston! |
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| James Fedderman dressed up as Prince! |
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| VEA Interim Executive Director Tim Dedman wearing an America Onesie |
