- Kelda Lewis, Shepherd Jr. High
I had the opportunity to attend the Western Regional Leadership Conference. It was a wonderful experience to meet and talk to other educators from other states. We shared ideas and concerns facing our profession. At the conference I had the opportunity to attend the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching announced in President Van Roekel’s keynote address at the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly. The commission is composed of “accomplished educators selected by the NEA President to address a set of challenges related to the roles of teachers and the union in defining the future of the profession.” The commission’s role is to educate those that make policies that impact teaching and learning in the classroom.
Western Leaders is a conference that pulls in members from the Western Region in NEA. Members come from Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska to share ideas and discuss common concerns in our region and continue to develop leadership skills within the organization. It rotates between the states and is typically held over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. This year, it was held January 14-16, 2011, in Salt Lake City, UT.
2011Western Regional Leadership Conference
Salt Lake City
By Kirk Hinsey, MEA President
This year’s conference was as wonderful and educational as always. We were inspired by NEA President, Dennis Van Roekel on Friday night to open the conference. Saturday came early and we attended our strands. Spending all day in one strand was a new idea and presented more in-depth information on the various topics. We brought back many ideas about membership, TEF, and political action. All of these have been important over the last few years.
TEF (Taxation, Economic Development, and Funding for Schools) is a priority as we move forward in these challenging times. Many of the facts came from NEA’s own economist. He presented a lot of data that supports the need to fund public schools appropriately. This data came from places such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.
His research showed that states that had a high investment in education (including higher taxes) actually had stronger job growth than the states with low taxes. Also, as we compare our country internationally, it was interesting to see the data on the investment they are willing to make. In China, for instance, they are investing 25% of their GDP into education over the next 5 years. Where is the investment in the United States? They recognize the importance of information in the coming years.
Our lunch speaker was the NEA Vice President, Lily Eskilson. She presented a moving power point on the connections of helping others. There was a clear analogy to the Hereford Project and our Priority schools. The NEA wants to help with developing the solutions to these challenges. We have the expertise and the knowledge and need to be a part of the discussion.
It does bring up the interesting fact that in Finland ( a country with a 100% literacy rate) is 100% unionized and it is harder to become a teacher than a lawyer. If our political leaders are truly serious about improving education, then the investment has to be made.
The weekend ended with some entertainment by a local singing satire group. Sunday morning was spent in special interest meetings. There was a lively discussion about quality teaching and learning and the NEA is asking for support in a survey of best practices. Let’s participate and be a part of the discussion. There were also meetings on our Resolutions (my favorite) and the NEA budget. We, as members, decide the budget every year at the NEA – RA. It is important to be informed and let your voice be heard.
I was happy with the dedication and passion each of MEA’s participants showed during the conference. It was a great time and hope that the training comes in handy in the coming months and years.
Thank you MEA – where members make it happen!
