PDF issue June 22

Why does this issue of NEA Today look and feel JUNE 2022 different? Turn to Page 3 for a letter from the editor-in-chief. For more, go to nea.org/NEAToday. FAITTOIR’MSRAEISE Educator pay took a hit during the pandemic, but recent wins show new momentum SEE PAGE 18 NEA Members Insurance Trust Annual Report See Page 25





June 2022 VOLUME 40, NUMBER 5 10 18 14 COVER 34 I, Too, Sing America It’s Time for a Raise F E AT U R E S 14 What is life like for undocumented educators? 18 Inflation has eaten away at recent boosts in pay. Green Schools Now! Three NEA members share But huge wins in several states are making history, 10 Public schools can play their stories. giving educators their largest raises ever. Momentum is building, and lawmakers are listening. a leading role in reducing climate change. Find out how you can make a difference with your students, school, and community. DEPARTMENTS EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS 3 FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 7 NEA IN ACTION Meet NEA’s 2022 Education Support Professional of the Year NEA is working every day for great public 17 Illinois paraeducator Debra Ward-Mitchell talks about schools for all students and educators 8 BECKY’S JOURNAL her work with at-risk students. “I love them as if they were my 22 AMENDMENTS FOR THE 2022 NEA own children,” she says. REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY 26 CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR NEA OFFICES 27 NEA FINANCIAL STATEMENT JOIN THE Get the NEA Today App Sign up for NEA Today news! CONVERSATION Available in the App Store and on For timely news about issues impacting educators, visit nea.org/ 2 Google Play. NEAToday or sign up for NEA Today’s biweekly e-newsletter at nea.org/signup. COVER PHOTO: DOUGLAS GRITZMACHER CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MICHELE WINGO; MARIAH KARSON; KIM WHITE

Dear NEA members, VIRTUAL FIELD In the last two years, we have seen incredible highs and heartbreaking TRIPS lows, and together, we have persevered. Now, as the school year winds down, we are still coping with the pandemic, and new Dinosaurs, gems, challenges are before us. Supply chain problems and labor shortages animals, and 10,000 mean that supplies aren’t where we need them when we need them, other natural wonders. and there aren’t enough bus drivers, counselors, and nurses to meet students’ needs. We are all stretched thin, but we keep pressing on. And Book today. still, the magic of learning, of connecting with each student, continues. Scholarships available. carnegiemnh.org/vft Similar challenges are a ecting NEA. Interruptions in the global paper supply chain and labor shortages at printers mean that the 412-622-3131 NEA Today team will temporarily have to produce a thinner version of our magazine. And we’ve had to change the type of paper we are using, so your magazine may look a little di erent. Like our last issue, in April, this issue of NEA Today will have fewer pages, but it will provide the same rich content you know and love. We want to assure you that your magazine is not going away. In the meantime, you can get more NEA Today stories by signing up for NEA Today’s biweekly e-newsletter at nea.org/signup. Wherever you are in your career, the NEA Today Signing up e-newsletter has content for you, including practical is easy, just classroom tips, education news, ways to advocate for your scan this students, and tools to take your practice to the next level. code Thank you for your understanding, for your continued dedication in these di cult times, and for being a part of NEA as we work together to ensure that all students get the education they deserve. Sincerely, Steven Grant Editor-in-chief, NEA Today PHOTO CREDIT: 3

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mission, vision, and values NEA PRESIDENT OUR VISION IS A GREAT PUBLIC DEMOCRACY. NEA TODAY (ISSN 0734-7219) is SCHOOL FOR EVERY STUDENT. published five times a year by the Rebecca S. Pringle We believe public education is the National Education Association, 1201 OUR MISSION cornerstone of our republic. Public 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. NEA VICE PRESIDENT education provides individuals with 20036-3290. Periodicals postage paid To advocate for education the skills to be involved, informed, at Washington, D.C., and additional Princess Moss professionals and to unite our and engaged in our representative mailing offices. members and the nation to fulfill democracy. Postmaster: Send address changes NEA SECRETARY-TREASURER the promise of public education to to NEA Today, Attn: NEA Membership prepare every student to succeed in PROFESSIONALISM. Management Services Address Noel Candelaria a diverse and interdependent world. Change, Suite 510, 1201 16th St., We believe that the expertise and N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-3290. NEA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OUR CORE VALUES judgment of education professionals Copyright 2021 by the National are critical to student success. We Education Association of the United Noel Candelaria, Texas These principles guide our work maintain the highest professional States. All rights reserved. Marc Jewell, North Carolina and define our mission: standards, and we expect the status, Telephone: 202-833-4000. Gladys Marquez, Illinois compensation, and respect due to all NEA Today is mailed to all NEA Ronald “Duff” Martin, Wisconsin EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. professionals. members as a benefit of membership. Princess Moss, Virginia Advertising within NEA Today is Rebecca S. Pringle, Pennsylvania We believe public education is the PARTNERSHIP. screened, but the publishing of any Robert Rodriguez, California gateway to opportunity. All students advertisement does not imply NEA Christine Sampson-Clark, New Jersey have the human and civil right to a We believe partnerships with par- endorsement of the product or views Hanna Vaandering, Oregon quality public education that develops ents, families, communities, and other expressed. their potential, independence, and stakeholders are essential to quality To change your address and/or stop NEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR character. public education and student success. receiving print materials from NEA, visit nea.org/changecontactinfo, or Kim A. Anderson A JUST SOCIETY. COLLECTIVE ACTION. call 202-833-4000. THE NATIONAL EDUCATION We believe public education is vital to We believe individuals are ASSOCIATION building respect for the worth, dignity, strengthened when they work and equality of every individual together for the common good. As We, the members of the National in our diverse society. education professionals, we improve Education Association of the United both our professional status and the States, are the voice of education quality of public education when we professionals. Our work is funda- unite and advocate collectively. mental to the nation, and we accept the profound trust placed in us. CRITICAL THINKERS BELONG HERE Great Books | Discussion | Pedagogy MA LIBERAL ARTS MA EASTERN CLASSICS LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION CERTIFICATE Santa Fe, NM | Annapolis, MD On Campus and Online | sjc.edu/graduate

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NEA in action epvNaueElbrlyAlseidctidusasudywccehfoanootrtrokosrgilnsasrg.nefodart NECNAECAIBEWIBEW NATIVE EDUCATORS GO TO CAPITOL HILL Demand for employees in the electrical industry continues NEA sponsored a trip to Washington, D.C., to grow. for 13 Native American educators. The advocates met with members of Congress, Your Students informing them about the impact of federal Deserve a legislation on Native education, including Debt-Free the need for culturally relevant education Career Option and more funding for Native language im- mersion programs, under Title VI of the Civil Powering America’s Rights Act of 1964. apprenticeships offer hands-on and classroom instruction, college VICTORY! credits, and wages and benefits during training. Certified electrical Thousands of teachers and education support professionals from apprenticeships are the first step the NEA-af liated Minneapolis Federation of Teachers went in the path leading to careers in on strike in March to demand safe and stable schools. Three this industry. Powering America’s weeks of rallying—with help from NEA, which provided nancial apprenticeships offer a superior support and a team of organizers—led to big wins: education—at little or no cost to the students—and full-time work More mental Smaller class Protections for A living wage as electricians, line workers, and health sizes and educators of for education telecommunications technicians. professionals in protected recess color support schools time professionals NEA TRAINS FUTURE LEADERS “The #NEASummit 2022 has filled my heart with hope. To remember I have 3 [million] fellow educators all out there fighting for equity and opportunity is amazing. It’s a reminder that we’re all in this together!” —VICKI KREIDEL, NEVADA TEACHER AT NEA’S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, IN MARCH. Start your leadership journey today at nea.org/leadershipdevelopment. N E AT O D AY PUBLISHER AND EDITOR PROGRAM AND DESIGN AND SENIOR DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION ART DIRECTION CENTER FOR Robin Terry Brown SPECIALIST COMMUNICATIONS Groff Creative LLC SR. WRITER/EDITORS Tammy Funderburk Ramona Oliver ADVERTISING SALES Brenda Álvarez NEA.ORG/NEATODAY ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Mary Ellen Flannery Carson Helsper AND DIRECTOR Amanda Litvinov Tim Walker [email protected] Cindy Long 301-527-2195 Anitrá Speight SR. CONTENT STRATEGIST, NEA.ORG ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR COPY EDITOR EDITORIAL AND Michelle Chovan PUBLICATIONS Judy Rowe Steven Grant WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: Learn more at MAIL: NEA Today, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036 PoweringAmerica.org/careers EMAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 202-822-7207 FAX: 202-822-7206 FACEBOOK: facebook.com/neatoday PHOTOS FROM TOP: MICHAEL SCOTT; ACKERMAN + GRUBER

Becky Pringle NEA President Dear NEA members, I am honored Face to Face with NEA Members to serve as your president. My “Joy, Justice, and Excellence” tour of schools and campuses around the United, we will reclaim public U.S. continued this spring with stops in Arizona and Kentucky. I met NEA education as a common good and members who are running for office (joy!), lobbying lawmakers for the support transform it into a racially and their students deserve (justice!), and inspiring children with culturally relevant socially just system that actually curriculum (excellence!). Between those trips, I joined Minneapolis educators prepares every student—not one, on the picket line to call for mental health supports for students and a not some, but every single stu- living wage for the district’s classroom aides and other education support dent—to succeed in a diverse and professionals. We marched. We rallied. We showed up. And … we won! Follow interdependent world. Onward! Becky’s tour at nea.org/tour. “We will meet this moment That’s me with Minneapolis high school teacher Briona Harder (top) and as we’ve met every moment. marching alongside Twin Cities educators and parents (bottom). Together. Rooted in our resilience. Shored up by PHOTOS: KINSER STUDIOS (LEADERSHIP SUMMIT); ACKERMAN + GRUBER (MINNEAPOLIS) our strength. Destined by our determination. We will be brave and brilliant and bold. Because we are the NEA! Our colleagues are looking to us; our country needs us; and our children are depending on us. Stand in your power, NEA!” — BECKY, AT NEA’S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, IN MARCH 8

JOY, JUSTICE, In the News AND EXCELLENCE “To students in Florida and across the country: I urge you to continue standing tall, speaking out, and fighting for what JOIN ME is right. And I hope you know that when you do—whenever you do—you will always have an educator in your corner who Three Things will not only see and hear you, but will stand up with you and You Can Do for demand that people see your humanity, protect your rights, Your Students and respect you for who you are.” and for Yourself BECKY, IN A MARCH 25 OP ED IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL The end of the school year may be upon us, but our work as educators never What I’m Watching ends. Here are three things you can do: You know I’m a Philly girl. So you Support LGTBQ students! know exactly what I’m watching on New anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tuesday nights. It’s Abbott Elementary, Texas and Florida appalls me. True ABC’s mockumentary about an learning only happens when stu- underfunded public school where people dents feel supported, protected, like us are working to make things better and celebrated. Stand against hate for their students. Fellow Philly girl, and bias by taking the NEA pledge Quinta Brunson, the creator, executive producer, and star of the show, at neaedjustice.org/lgbtqi-pledge. gets it. She sees our joy and our challenges. “If we can’t get new aides, can we get new rugs?” asks Brunson’s character, a teacher named Earn an NEA micro-credential. Janine. The show was named for the sixth-grade West Philly teacher, Our micro-credential library Joyce Abbott, who inspired Brunson. I’m so happy it was renewed for includes six trainings on trauma- another season! informed pedagogy, each taking about 15 hours to complete. (There @BeckyPringle are other topics as well.) You de- serve time to rest, refresh, and re- flect this summer. But I know you. Continuous learning is on your list. Visit nea.org/micro-credentials. Make time for yourself. The last two school years have been ex- hausting. I love what Idaho teacher Peggy Hoy tells people: “If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of the people who rely on you.” For me, an early morn- ing walk is just the thing. Take time this summer to find your thing. Find out how NEA is working every day for educators, 9 students, and public schools in “NEA in Action” (Page 7). ILLUSTRATION: CSA ARCHIVE

Green Schools EDUCATORS ARE KEY IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE—THERE’S NO TIME LEFT TO LOSE TBY AMANDA LITVINOV Teach hands-on ecology, early and often here is a green future in which all of our students Gabriel Knowles is a fourth-grade teacher at Helen R. in every ZIP code live in healthy communities. They wake up in homes powered by clean energy, Ealy Elementary School, which serves a lower-income, rural travel to school in electric cars and buses, and community in Whitehall, Mich. One of the first challenges, he spend the day in modernized classrooms that says, is to help students get comfortable with bugs! have clean air and water. In this future, we teach all students the science of climate change and Knowles and his teaching partner, Brittney Christensen, how to adapt to a warming planet. We established an outdoor, hands-on science curriculum that revolves around the courtyard garden. But the empower them to make meaningful garden can be overwhelming for some students change in their communities. 1 at first. So they start by practicing with a single We owe it to our students to fight for that flowering plant. future. Only 1 state, Illinois, “Insects are a great indicator of how the But for far too long, the issue of climate has passed legislation environment is doing, but we have to get past change has been sitting on the back burner as to make their public the fear of bees before we take kids into the educators have been forced to confront more schools carbon- garden,” Knowles explains. immediate threats to public education—from free. Once his students learn about pollination, anti-union attacks to student poverty to a understand that the bugs are busy, and see Knowles global pandemic. gently touch a bumblebee, they are ready to move into “We have to get students engaged in climate science, but the garden. There they collect data, recording how many that won’t happen if we just bombard students with terrifying bees, beetles, and butterflies come to each plant. scientific facts,” says Tim Swinehart, a social studies teacher from Portland, Ore. “We can teach it in a way that is personal and inspires action.” With more wildfires, floods, extreme heat, and changing rain patterns in recent years, few could deny that climate change is already here. Another inconvenient truth: The effects of climate change are hitting Indigenous, Black, Brown, and low-income communities the hardest. So far, education advocates have not had a clear role in addressing climate change. What we do next matters. The fossil fuel industry has led a decades-long disinfor- mation campaign to muddy the facts on climate change. And, unfortunately, certain politicians are deeply invested in preserving a system that’s riddled with inequities. But educa- tors can make a difference. NEA believes our entire public education system must be a driving force in the effort to counteract these falsehoods, combat climate change, and create environmental justice. NEA Today spoke with several educators who are teach- ing students to be climate savvy and build a greener future. 10 PHOTO: COURTESY OF GABRIEL KNOWLES

Now! Elections Matter for Progress (Above) Illinois educator Jason Foster teaches students on Climate Change about environmental justice; (opposite) Michigan teacher Gabriel Knowles introduces students to nature in a To lessen the worst effects of climate change, courtyard garden. policymakers at every level of government must advance climate-friendly policies within the “The sooner we start celebrating our students as little next five years. scientists, the more likely they will be to embrace that role in their future academics and in the world,” he adds. Here are just a few examples of what can happen Encourage critical thinking when pro-public education, pro-environment candi- dates win elections: It can be tricky to teach about environmental issues in a former coal town, explains Jacie Pressett, an agriculture Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation last educator at Carbon High School, in Price, Utah. year that made his state the first to commit to carbon-free schools. The Illinois Education Associa- Her classes cover everything from veterinary science to tion projects that the legislation will save schools natural resource stewardship. Her own family history in coal almost $5.2 billion over 25 years. mining and ranching inspired her interest in ecology. Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools is spearhead- “My goal is not to tell my students what to think, it’s ing this work in Illinois and across the country. The to teach them critical thinking skills so they can evaluate labor-led initiative aims to create good union jobs sources of information and draw their own conclusions,” and make schools energy efficient, healthy spaces. Pressett says. Her advice? Respect and appreciate where NEA affiliates—including locals in Connecticut and your students come from, require them to research more Wisconsin as well as state groups in Illinois and than one side of an issue, and gently guide the conversation Maine—are playing pivotal roles in these campaigns. to what the data support. Progress is also being made in New Jersey, “I can recognize that coal mining is an important part where Gov. Phil Murphy—supported by the New of our culture while talking to students about why it’s not Jersey Education Association in both of his elec- sustainable,” Pressett says. tions—worked with educators to create standards that include climate change in every grade level and 11 subject area. Elsewhere, educator unions are advocating for professional development on climate science and stronger policies on teacher preparation. But none of this can happen unless we elect legislators who support public education and believe in climate science. His students have helped harvest seeds from native plants and created pollinator gardens at community spots such as a local library and a retirement home. Knowles and Christensen have also used some language arts time to have students write about their garden plans. “Whether you have a big space for a garden or just one potted flowering plant to sit around, you can still have your students observe the process of pollination and collect and discuss data,” Knowles says. PHOTO: MARIAH KARSON

Green Schools Now! She has seen students broaden their perspective during them in, and some students are tired of waiting for us to hear hands-on projects like a river restoration or wildlife release their demands around climate action. she has organized in partnership with the U.S. Department Few school districts have placed climate science and en- of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. vironmental justice as major curricular priorities, despite the “There’s nothing like hearing from a scientist from outsize role these issues will have on students’ well-being. their hometown … to help students make connections to That does students a disservice, says Tim Swinehart. the natural world and our role in it,” Pressett observes. “They are already experiencing the climate crisis, and it is According to research by NPR/Ipsos, 4 in 5 parents irresponsible for us to just leave them hanging.” believe schools should teach climate change—and Swinehart, who has been teaching for 16 years, is 86 percent of teachers agree. a social studies teacher who is often mistaken for Yet only 45 percent of educators polled say a science teacher because he teaches environ- they currently teach climate change. mental justice. That course wasn’t his idea— Why? Among the 55 percent of teachers Three-quarters of his students asked for it. who do not teach climate change, more than “The kids are scared, overwhelmed, two-thirds say it’s not related to the subject 15 – 17-year-olds and fired up,” he says. “But they are also in the U.S. think that they teach; a third worry about parent com- climate change is natural activists, and they want to do some- plaints; and around 20 percent say they don’t a crisis. thing about it.” know enough about it to teach it. Portland is one of the most progressive districts That’s why K–12 Climate Action—a coalition of 22 in the country on climate issues. In 2016, a coalition of civil rights, environmental, and education groups, including teachers, students, and community leaders passed a climate NEA—calls for a multidisciplinary approach to teaching cli- justice resolution prohibiting the use of classroom materi- mate science that is supported by high-quality and ongoing als that reinforce climate denial. The resolution also calls for professional development for educators. presenting an accurate picture of climate change and a focus on environmental justice. Empower your students as activists A critical part of environmental justice education, Climate anxiety is a real and profound issue among stu- Swinehart says, is having students reflect on how climate dents. They know what a precarious position we’ve put change has affected them and others around them. Last summer, a severe heat wave brought three days of (Right) Oregon social studies teacher Tim Swinehart 115-degree heat to Portland, prompt- co-authored A People’s Curriculum for the Earth; (below) ing Swinehart’s class to discuss how In 2019, students in Portland, Ore., participate in a global racist housing policies have left some climate strike to call for action on climate change. people less protected from extreme heat. For example, neighborhoods where the majority residents are People of Color are less likely to have shade trees and cooling green spaces and more likely to be near highways that generate heat. Students also get energized by learning about people their age making a difference. Youth around the world have organized climate strikes, calling for bold action on climate change. Young people in the U.S. have spoken out, too. They have written about their experiences with environmental racism and successfully advocated for laws and ordinances that improve local practices. They have also demanded that their school boards remove barriers to learning about climate science and environmental justice. Understand environmental justice Jason Foster, a National Board Certified Teacher of biology at Evanston Township 12 PHOTOS FROM TOP: STEVE HAMBUCHEN; ALEX MILAN TRACY/SIPA USA (SIPA VIA AP IMAGES)

High School, in Illinois, cautions that educators must be clear “We’re getting to the point that People of Color are about their intentions, understand intersectionality, and struggling in some parts of the country to get clean air develop a “deep, personal understanding of justice.” and water,” Foster says. “And here we were living very close to these textile factories, and we decided to explore the at means educators must have the ability to discuss ecosystem there to look for potential dangers.” the science of ecology, climate change, and how racism and poverty trap communities of color in perilous surroundings. His students took water samples and found anomalies among small crustaceans called daphnia. ey wrote Foster says that when students at his previous school, letters to textile companies asking how the businesses were Niles West High School, in Skokie, Ill., challenged him to protecting waterways and the animals that live in them. explain how science lessons were relevant to their lives, it made him question his teaching practice. He thought about e students received an array of responses, ranging from the science topics that he found most interesting and how he honest and earnest to defensive and rude. could bring those topics to the classroom. en they contacted local and state politicians to What Would Green Public inform them of what they had found. Some of the Schools Look Like? lawmakers sent templated responses, but others sent personal and appreciative replies. And U.S. Rep. Jan K–12 Climate Action—a coalition of 22 civil rights, Schakowsky said she was exploring if companies could be charged with hate crimes when they knowingly pollute education, and environmental groups, including NEA— neighborhoods that are home to communities of color. has a vision for schools to be a force for climate action. Imagine a future like this: “When we received her letter, my students were like, ‘I’ve never had that happen before,’” Foster recalls. “I was 50 million public school students will have like, ‘I’ve never had that happen before, either!’” opportunities to learn about climate change solutions and be prepared for good jobs in a He often gets queries from fellow educators who are green economy. interested in developing justice-centered science units. America’s more than 100,000 public school “I always start by saying this work is a marathon, not buildings will run on renewable energy, have a sprint,” Foster says. “Keep reading materials to help you healthy air and water, and be ready to adapt to re ect on your own practices. Keep thinking about your local climate impacts. own blind spots regarding racial justice, social justice, and intersectionality. You’ll nd ways to naturally apply what The 2 million acres of land our K–12 public you’re reading to your curriculum.” schools sit on will include sustainable school- yards that are safe places to play and learn; MLEOARREN reduce community heat and flooding; and provide green spaces to their communities. Want to teach climate justice in your school? To get started, check out NEA’s resources at The 480,000 school buses that transport nea.org/climatechange as well as these children to public schools—the largest mass helpful materials: transit fleet in America—will run on clean The Zinn Education Project’s “Teach Climate electricity. Justice” campaign o ers a free K–12 climate justice curriculum. Public schools will use locally grown, healthy zinnedproject.org/campaigns/teach-climate-justice food for the more than 7 billion meals they A People’s Curriculum for the Earth: Teaching serve each year, and food waste will be Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis, diverted or composted. edited by Bill Bigelow and Tim Swinehart zinnedproject.org/peoples-curriculum-for-the-earth ATACKTEION Join the K–12 Climate STEM Teaching Tool Practice Brief 55: “Why it is Action coalition at crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM k12climateaction.org. education,” by the Institute for Science and Math Education: stemteachingtools.org/brief/55 PHOTO CREDIT: 13

“TOMORROW, / I’LL BE AT THE TABLE / NOBODY’LL DARE Alondra García I, Too, Sing WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE In the famous poem, “I, Too,” Langston Hughes constructs a powerful and AN UNDOCUMENTED undeniable message: African Americans have long contributed to the rich fabric of EDUCATOR? THESE the United States and will one day be recognized, included, and celebrated as part NEA MEMBERS SHARE of mainstream society, ending racism and oppression for Black Americans. THEIR STRUGGLES— AND HOW THEY ARE Nearly 100 years after the poem was written, its message still rings true for SPEAKING UP FOR many marginalized groups, from African Americans to Indigenous people to FELLOW IMMIGRANTS. families who came to this country generations ago to the newcomers of today. But those who have lived in the shadows of society are slowly coming “out of the BY BRENDA ÁLVAREZ kitchen” to declare that they “too, sing America.” 14 Among them are 15,000 educators with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status—a federal policy that protects immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. DACA recipients receive temporary lawful status that prohibits their deportation and makes it legal for them to work and get a driver’s license, among other life-changing provisions. DACA, however, doesn’t provide a path- way to citizenship. Here, three NEA members who are DACA recipients share their stories. PHOTO: MARIAH KARSON

WHEN COMPANY COMES. / / SAY TO ME, / ‘EAT IN THE KITCHEN,’ / THEN.” —LANGSTON HUGHES Jerico “K-G” Keeler-Garcellano America A PLACE CALLED HOME America is the only home I can ALONDRA GARCÍA, SECOND-GRADE BILINGUAL TEACHER, WISCONSIN remember, and yet I feel alienated and When I was 3 years old, my parents left Morelia, Mexico, to immigrate to the unwelcome. It’s mentally and emotion- U.S. They wanted a better life for us. ally draining to have to educate people For my parents, this meant providing me and my sister with a good educa- and get them to understand that my tion. Despite working three part-time jobs, my dad still managed to take us to family is as American as any other. and from school every day. My mom also made sure we were involved in extracurricular activities at school. Soon, I learned to love the place I now call home: Milwaukee. ATACKTEION But growing up, I didn’t realize I would one day be limited by my undocumented status. My parents instilled in me the importance of going to college, but federal policy told me otherwise. Because of my status, I couldn’t receive federal funding for my education. This made it very difficult for me to Call on Congress to create finish college. I had to work multiple jobs, and I rarely had time to enjoy my a pathway to citizenship for college experience like many of my peers. undocumented students and educators. Go to nea.org/create- fair-immigration-process. PHOTO: KIM WHITE 15

I TOO, SING, AMERICA We can make the United States a place Today, I am finishing up a master’s Viridiana Castro Silva where “we, the people,” includes all of degree from UC Berkeley. This sum- us. This country can be a home where mer, I hope to be in my first class- and we’ve lived in fear. The narrative of everyone can thrive and reach their full room, teaching middle or high school this dream ignores the barriers that are potential—no exception. Our families ethnic studies. I want to provide my intentionally created to keep people must have a road map to citizenship. students—particularly those who are oppressed and away from real growth We must not be treated as expendable marginalized—with an opportunity and opportunities. and deportable, because immigrants to succeed by teaching a full and ac- are essential. curate history, filled with stories that We can’t live in fear anymore. We have challenged dominant systems. need to be able to share our stories and THE VISION VERSUS REALITY continue to do the work we want to do. This is one of the things I value JERICO “K-G” KEELER-GARCELLANO, about the United States: BIPOC (Black, As an undergraduate, I got ASPIRING EDUCATOR, CALIFORNIA Indigenous, People of Color), women, involved in advocating for and and queer folks, can challenge the making connections with fellow I was born in Saudi Arabia to norms of the country and help our stu- undocumented students in Filipino parents. I come from a lineage dents redefine what freedom means. community colleges and high schools. of immigrants, carrying my family’s I worked to debunk myths that intergenerational stories: goodbyes, re- A NEW DREAM permeate immigrant communities— sistance, packing, repacking, fast food, like the false belief that you have to be paid in cash, pillows on hard floors, VIRIDIANA CASTRO SILVA, a U.S. citizen or have a green card in and education as social mobility. ASPIRING EDUCATOR, California to go to college. We need a CALIFORNIA path to citizenship for the 11 million I also internalized my parent’s undocumented immigrants already relentless message that I “had” to at- The notion of the American dream living in the U.S. This would be such a tend college. I was responsible for my is so flawed to me. People say, if only victory for all of us and would solidify family’s legacy because they brought you work hard enough, you’ll make years of grassroots organizing. It would me to the U.S., risking it all. It’s what it. My family and I have done that. Yet also show the value and power of we call in Tagalog an utang na loob— our status in this country has been working as a community as well as our a debt of the soul. threatened for more than two decades, influence in politics—whether we have voting ability or not. And so here I am. The first in my family to navigate the U.S. educational PHOTO: KIM WHITE system. Since my family wasn’t fluent in higher education discourse, most of this journey occurred on my own. This made me feel simultaneously con- nected and alone. As a first-year student at the Uni- versity of California (UC), Santa Cruz, my family didn’t have enough cash to last me the year. I was able to get a paid internship with the Student Di- versity and Inclusion Program, a space for undocumented students who were unable to access paid work and federal financial aid. Soon I realized I wasn’t alone. I had a community of people in similar situations. Together, we learned how different populations are affected by dominant systems of colonialism and capitalism. We learned about anti-Blackness, classism, and cultural appropriation. I soon found myself leading seminars about meritocracy in K–12 education and White supremacy through assimilation. 16

ESP OF THE YEAR Meet NEA’s 2022 Education Support Professional of the Year PARAEDUCATOR DEBRA WARD MITCHELL WANTS ALL STUDENTS AND ESPs TO KNOW THEIR VALUE BY CINDY LONG By casting a wide safety net, paraeducator Debra Ward- Mitchell hopes to catch her students before they fall through the cracks. She works with some of the most at-risk adolescents in the Illinois public school system, and her dedication to her students, colleagues, and community has been noticed. NEA has named her the 2022 Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year. Ward-Mitchell spent the rst 20 years of her ccoarneEseoSrliaPdtatoedf ornton Township High School District 205—a the year district in Harvey, just south of Chicago—where she began working with students who had behavior disorders. e pro- gram was the students’ last stop before alternative school or expulsion, and she was determined to help them succeed. “ ese students were not in the habit of giving their trust “I’m on a mission to ensure that all ESPs share away to anyone but, in time, with patience and much love, the feeling of pride and purpose.” they did so,” she says. “I was like their mom away from home, making sure they had whatever support they needed. NEA’S 2022 ESP OF THE YEAR DEBRA WARD MITCHELL. I listened to them without judgement, … and they learned that their decisions could a ect the rest of their lives.” curriculum that included discussions, journaling, and self- Under Ward-Mitchell’s mentorship, some students even re ective activities. decided to become educators themselves. “Each week we created a safe space to build a community Ward-Mitchell is now assistant director at the District among young women where they could challenge prevalent 205 Infant Care Center, providing services for teen parents. media images, reject societal norms, and begin to rede ne Many of the young people are on their own, as their parents their self-worth,” Ward-Mitchell explains. are unable or unwilling to help. ese themes imbue all of her e orts, including her role “ ese new moms and dads are scared, unsure, and over- as president of the Local 205 Union of Support Sta in Region whelmed,” Ward-Mitchell says. “I love them as if they were my 27. “It’s very important that all ESPs in my local know their own children.” worth and value,” she says. As a single mother of two boys, Ward-Mitchell knows As a union leader, she feels responsible for ensuring that parenting can be hard even for adults, but the challenges are her members feel safe and comfortable at their work site; that far greater for teenagers trying to do it alone. their contract is not violated; that they have opportunities “I often say that we don’t know what it takes for our stu- for growth and leadership; and that their well-being is not dents to walk through the doors of our classrooms,” she says. compromised. “It’s up to us to provide comfort, safety, and honesty when “I’m on a mission to ensure that all ESPs share the feeling they cross that threshold. at is how we save them, teach of pride and purpose,” she says. “It is not ‘just a job,’ it is an them, and keep them safe.” admirable career. A career that provides support, love, and Ward-Mitchell also co-founded a program called Stepping respect to every child that crosses our path.” Into Womanhood With Purpose, Power, and Vision, which aims to motivate and empower young women, raise their MLEOARREN aspirations, and help them make positive decisions that Read about all of the nominees de ne their destinies. e group o ered an eight-week for the 2022 NEA ESP of the Year Award at nea.org/espaward. PHOTO: KATHY ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY 17

RAISEIT’S TIME FOR A EDUCATOR PAY TOOK A HIT DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT RECENT WINS ARE MAKING HISTORY AND BUILDING MOMENTUM FBY TIM WALKER Average Teacher Salary According to a 2020 National Educa- or Nicole Alvarado and in U.S. tion Association survey, 41 percent of Samantha Twohig, the work- pre-K–12 teachers worked more than day doesn’t stop when the 2021 – 2022 one job, often taking on more work school day ends. After the bell inside the school system. Eight percent rings and students go home, $66,397* held a permanent position outside of Alvarado, a high school counselor in the system, 12 percent held a temporary Fort Collins, Colo., and Twohig, a special 2020 – 2021 job outside the system, and 6 percent education teacher in Win eld, W. Va, worked in a gig economy position. prepare for their second jobs. $65,293 e pressures and demands of the Alvarado is a server at a restaurant 2019 – 2020 school day, as most educators will tell in downtown Fort Collins, a job she you, has only heightened in the wake of took shortly after purchasing a house in $64,172 the pandemic. Managing that stress— 2017. Twohig works with homebound compounded by inadequate pay and students in her county, takes on extra *PROJECTED the burden of working second jobs— virtual teaching opportunities, and is not sustainable. works with adults with special needs. the wages were low. I work in one of the more a uent counties in my state, but “People don’t understand the Some call it moonlighting or a side I can’t imagine what it’s like for educa- extreme di culty of the work until hustle, but for too many educators tors in rural areas. they’ve done it,” Alvarado says. “Not across the nation, working a second, everyone can be an educator, but the sometimes a third job, is just doing “I don’t know how a single parent ones who can do it, want and need to what is necessary to make ends meet. teaching can make ends meet. Many be compensated for it.” educators are being pushed out of “ e only way that I have been able the profession.” “Educators need and deserve our to own my home, pay my bills, and respect,” says NEA President Becky visit family is by having two jobs,” Pringle. “Aretha taught us how to spell Alvarado says. it, now we need to show it to our teach- ers and education support profession- Twohig, now in her third year of als. at means paying educators like teaching, says the pursuit of supple- the professionals they are.” mental income compounds the exhaus- The state of educator pay in 2022 tion she already endures from the long Four years ago, in March 2018, educa- hours and heightened workload during tors in Twohig’s home state of West the school day. CHART SOURCE: 2022 NEA RANKINGS & ESTIMATES REPORT “I’ve always wanted to be a special education teacher,” she recalls. “I knew 18





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