July 3 NEA RA Session

July 3rd Delegate Caucus

President Sheri Strickland addresses the NCAE delegates

at the July 3rd caucus/breakfast

NEA Mid-Atlantic Director

North Carolina's new Mid-Atlantic Director, Besty Daise

San Diego Convention Center

International Guest- President Sulistiyo, Vice President, Unifah Rosyidi of the Teachers' Association of the Republic of Indonesia, Associate Executive Director Kelvin Spragley, Executive Director Scott Anderson, Vice President Rodney Ellis, President Sheri Strickland during the NEA RA on July 3th.

NCAE Delegates during the NEA RA Session

July 2 Secretary Arne Duncan

U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan during the special Town Hall Meeting with NEA delegates on Thursday, July 2th at the San Diego Convention Center.

July 2 Delegate Outing

Kyle Blanks tries to stop the action as a swarm of bees swept into left field and caused a 52-minute delay in the ninth innning of San Diego's loss to the Houston Astros at Petco Park. (Sean M. Haffey / Union-Tribune)

NCAE delegate Update:

On Thursday, July 2nd, several NCAE delegates watched a ballgame at Petco Park between the San Diego Padres and the Houston Astros. Through 8 innings, we witnessed the two teams exploit each other’s weaknesses and capitalize on their own strengths as a means to gain the upper hand. However, at the top of the 9th inning, an unforeseen force brought everything to a screeching halt. Out in left field, a swarm of bees, gathered around their queen, drew the game to a quick end.

As educators, we can learn from the example of the bees. With the NC legislature going into the 9th inning of its budget negotiations, we need to emulate that swarm of bees. By joining together and placing our utmost attention on the queen of public education, we can bring the game to an end! We can get stop legislators from capitalizing on their personal strengths and exploiting the weaknesses of teachers and students. By stopping the game, hopefully, we can get them to contemplate current problems and future challenges without ignoring our pleas by dousing us with a bunch of insecticides!

Allan Trodgen, Wake County NEA delegate

July 2, 2009

The NCAE delegates met for the first on-site caucus meeting at 8:00 am Thursday morning at the Horton Plaza Westin Hotel. President Sheri Strickland called the meeting to order at 8:01 am.
Donna McCulloch, Debbie Buffaloe and Cynthia Hoyt were nominated as candiates for the NEA Resolutions Committee. The election will be held during the Saturday caucus meeting.
President Strickland chose Tracy Bell to sit behind Arne Duncan during the town hall meeting as the North Carolina representative.
The delegates raised $18,340 at the caucus meeting on June 20th for the NEA PAC. A Limited edition NEA Today picture of President Obama will be auctioned tomorrow during the caucus meeting. The funds will go toward the NEA PAC.

After the meeting, delegates walked or rode the NEA buses to the convention center to hear Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speak and then participate in a town hall meeting. Questions and comments were taken from members of the delegations.

That evening many of the delegates attended the Human and Civil Rights Awards Banquet at the San Diego Convention Center Grand Ballroom.