NEA Annual Meeting
Opens in Los Angeles on July 1

More Than 9,000 Educators Tackle Key Issues Facing Public Schools

Washington, D.C. - Educators attending the National Education Association (NEA)'s 2005 Representative Assembly will tackle hot topics that are front and center in education today-improving student achievement, boosting outreach to minority communities, and building stronger bonds between parents and the nation's public schools.

This year's Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly will take place July 1-6, 2005, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. The theme of the 2005 Annual Meeting is "Team NEA: Fighting for You, Your Schools, Your Students!"

Missouri NEA will send 100 delegates to Los Angeles, where they will join more than 9,000 delegates to debate pressing issues in education and set policy for the 2.7 million-member Association.

NEA members will deliberate on a host of issues around which the Association has developed strategic initiatives. These include:

• encouraging a greater role for parents in school improvement.

• moving all students-including students of color, poor students, rural and urban students, and second- language learners-to even higher levels of achievement.

• fixing and funding the so-called No Child Left Behind law.

• attracting and retaining the best teacher and education support workforce with fair, professional pay.

On July 3, delegates will hear from NEA President Reg Weaver, who will launch NEA's campaign for better schools.

"A coalition of educators and parents and grassroots people of good will-Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike-united by their shared values would be a powerful alliance," said Weaver. "NEA can lead the way, helping our fellow citizens find the common ground for such an alliance-because that common ground happens to be the higher ground of our nation's shared commitment to children, to public schools and to America's future."

Also addressing the delegates will be Jason Kamras, 2005 Teacher of the Year; Kathleen Lange, 2005 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year; and Cheryl Brown Henderson, 2005 NEA Friend of Education.

Other highlights:

• The 39th Annual Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner will be
  held on July 2, where 11 activists and educators will be honored for
  promoting social justice and dignity in their local communities. MNEA member and Springfield teacher, Ali Traub, will be one of the honorees at the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards ceremony.

• Student members, retired members, education support
  professionals and higher education members will gather on June
  27 for Outreach to Teach. NEA members will repair, paint, clean and do
  landscape work at Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School in Compton,
  Calif.

• NEA's Read Across America will host "Red Carpet Read-In" on July
  1 where delegates will treat local youngsters to entertainment, art
  activities and a good book.

• On July 2, a pre-RA symposium, "Critical Issues in Education,"
  will feature sessions on closing the achievement gaps, reaching out
  to minority communities, bringing fairness to educator pay and updating schools with 21st century technology.

Exhibits, featuring educational products and services from more than 200 organizations and vendors, will also be on display in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Further information about NEA's Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly can be found at http://www.nea.org/annualmeeting/index.html