Impressions From First-time Delegates

Wow-just wow! NEA President Lilly Eskelsen Garcia’s rousing “call to action” created a WAY louder response than I was ready for, but it was indicative of the power & passion of our great body.

LOVE: being so well prepped by our VEA caucus meetings, delegates being upfront, having an aisle seat and being able to quickly identify with talking points in such articulate ways. 

Top 5 quotes for me:  
1. by Stoneman Douglass HS graduate, David Hogg—“There’s nothing more powerful than a pissed-off teacher!”
2.  by Pres. Eskelsen Garcia- “Our body will respect every point of view.”
3. by Lee Saunders, Amer. Federation of State County and Municipal Employees President- “Racial justice and economic justice are one of the same.”
4. by Pres. Eskelsen Garcia- “...that’s very West Virginia of you- now a verb.”
5. by one of the candidates for NEA office- “The power of the people is more powerful than the people in power.”

Darryl Dawson
Loudoun EA Delegate