NEA President Dennis Van Roekel Kicks off American Education Week
By Anita Merina
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel travelled to Washington State to kick off the 92nd year of American Education Week, celebrating and honoring the hard work of public school educators and students.
Joined by Washington Education Association President Kim Mead, President Van Roekel embarked on a whirlwind day of visits that not only showcased the staff-led, student-centered transformation of school recipients of federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) but also demonstrated what will be lost as SIG funding ends.
Each school received a banner from WEA and NEA celebrating the school as a high performing Priority School as well as a $500 check from the NEA for the school library.
“We are so honored to be part of the kickoff of American Education Week, because these schools show what can happen when the union works with the school and district, the educators work as a team, and the community is included in the effort to meet the needs of every student,” says Mead.
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel talks to educators at Totem Middle School in Marysville, Washington.
For Van Roekel, the national kickoff and AEW tour was about collecting the stories of members who were transforming schools to meet the needs of their students and the challenges they faced. “These are the stories I will take on the road with me.”
The day began in Marysville with a visit to Totem Middle School where they were greeted by Marysville Education Association President Arden Watson and joined by State Rep. John McCoy and Superintendent Becky Berg.
McCoy, a Tulalip tribal leader praised the work of the school staff and urged staff to talk to their legislators. “We must fully fund education,” said McCoy, a point echoed by Marysville Superintendent Becky Berg. “Your schools demonstrate what happens when we add funding to the already rich creative ideas staff have to help all students succeed.”
The middle school used its federal dollars to increase professional development, adding an extra 45 minutes per day to personal-planning time. Staff also extended student-learning time by 30 minutes. This