Five Olathe NEA members spent the 4th of July holiday advocating for student success, opportunity, and quality public schools in Houston. The 2019 NEA Representative Assembly brought together thousands of NEA members from across the world to discuss issues that impact our colleagues and students–from equity and elections to suicide prevention and special education. 

Dana Nelson, Leigh Anne Rogers, Kathy Meyer

Olathe NEA Vice-President Leigh Anne Rogers was blown away by her experience as a first-time delegate: “I feel that I have a much better appreciation for the national organization as a whole.  A highlight for me was being able to see the democratic process work, even with over 8,000 [people] in attendance. This reinforces my idea that we can have discussions about difficult topics, listen to each others’ ideas and make decisions that are best for an entire organization.  My favorite part was watching President Lily conduct the presidential candidates with grace and wit.”

Angie Powers

Other delegates from Olathe NEA include Kathy Meyer, Ben Melick, Dana Nelson, and Angie Powers. These Olathe NEA representatives participated in debate and voted on over 100 New Business Items, several Bylaw and Constitutional Amendments, as well as listened to 10 Presidential Candidates answer questions submitted by NEA members from across the country. To learn more about the business of the RA, visit https://ra.nea.org/.

Ben Melick

If you’ve never seen thousands of passionate educators debate hot button issues under one roof or you want to amplify your voice as an educator,  you need to run to be a delegate to the 2020 RA in Atlanta. Look for election information in upcoming Olathe NEA Advocate!