PAA honors Leonie Haimson
PAA was delighted to spend an evening with members and friends in Washington DC honoring the amazing work of our co-founder, Leonie Haimson, at the first annual Parent Voice Award dinner.
The beautiful Atrium at the NEA
Our hosts at the National Education Association provided a beautiful atrium setting for the dinner. PAA founding member, the legendary Helen Gym, leader of PAA Philadelphia affiliate Parents United for Public Education, emceed the event, where the attendees were welcomed by NEA community outreach specialist Cynthia Kain.
Emcee Helen Gym introduces the NEA’s Cynthia Kain.
Cynthia spoke about the importance of collaboration and support between parents and teachers, especially as public education comes under increasing attack. Helen celebrated some of the important progress made by PAA and its chapters and affiliates this year, including her own group’s exposure of the privatization agenda of a major philanthropic foundation in Philadelphia, the defeat of an attempt to raise the charter cap in Massachusetts with the help of new PAA affiliate QUEST, and the election of PAA founding member Sue Peters to the Seattle school board.
Presenting the Parent Voice Award. From left: Board member Steve Norton, PAA President Dora Taylor, Board member Julie Woestehoff, PVA honoree Leonie Haimson, and PAA Board members Pamela Grundy and Nate Harris.
In her acceptance speech, Leonie reflected on the effort of so many parents across the US who worked hard
- See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/paa-honors-leonie-haimson/