What’s on your mind? Let us know!
NEA members, your voices matter. And we want to hear them.
Through the Ask an Educator 2016 National Listening Tour, NEA is capturing the perspectives and experiences of members in schools and communities across the nation. We are engaging educators across the country on a range of issues, using the feedback to elevate our voices and design advocacy and action campaigns to support student success, public education, and educators. Your voice is the most important tool to building stronger schools for all of our students.
Please visit the NEA website and share your thoughts on:
- standardized testing and how it affects student learning;
- how student debt has affected your quality of life, and how the cost of education may inhibit the career choices your students make;
- the benefits of union participation, including having a seat at the table on matters that affect teaching and learning;
- legislative issues that have an impact on student success; and
- what you feel passionate about doing to benefit your students and make sure they have the support, tools, and time to learn.
The stories we’re gathering paint a picture of educators who are enthusiastic, driven, and called to their professions. These stories are educating members of Congress, helping to win local fights around contracts and school resources, and driving real change for our students and members. What we’re hearing also points out the serious challenges you face in providing the opportunities that all students, regardless of ZIP code, deserve.
A former teacher said the over-reliance on standardized testing has reduced teaching to “a rating system.” She left teaching because the stress began to affect her health and family life. “Though I agree with having accountability measures, I wholeheartedly believe that reform is necessary.”
Another NEA member called for a national movement to “adopt teaching techniques that are based on project-based, problem-based, need-based learning – 21st-century skills-based learning to prepare students for the real world.”
A young educator wrote about how her $162,000 in student loan debt forces her to live at home. “It seems that moving out and creating a life for myself is next to impossible,” she wrote.
And another member emphasized that “unions matter” because we “challenge school budget cuts, stand up for students, and inform the public about the status of bills in the legislature.”
Your voice is even more important now, as we shift our focus from passing the Every Student Succeeds Act – hooray for us! – to implementing it. So add your perspective to the mix. Remember the TV series “Frasier”? Just like the good doctor, we’re listening! What’s on your mind? Let us know! - Lily's Blackboard: