Last week, the voices of NEA members resonated on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
NEA member John Arthur, 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, was among those who testified at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee titled, “The Immediate and Long-Term Challenges Facing Public School Teachers: Low Pay, Teacher Shortages, and Underfunded Public Schools.”
To thrive, he said, teachers need four things: increased compensation, supportive communities, greater respect, and room to grow as professionals.
“When we improve teacher pay, strengthen our communities, elevate the professionalism of our incredible educators, and provide greater opportunities for professional growth, then more young Americans will become teachers. Not despite their parents’ wishes—to make their parents proud.”
At the White House, representatives from several unions met with senior staff to discuss federal workers’ issues. They included Kraig Brown, a seventh-grade teacher at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, and Shenese Frasier, a classroom-certified educator at Fort Moore in Georgia. Both are members of the Federal Education Association (FEA), the NEA affiliate that represents educators in schools run by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
Tell Congress what you think!
In solidarity,
Marc Egan
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
