Becky's Journal of Joy, Justice, and Excellence, October 2023

Dear NEA members,

I am honored to serve as  your president. United, we will reclaim public education as a common good and transform it into a racially and socially just system that actually prepares every student—not one, not some, but every single student—to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. Onward!

Face to Face with NEA Members

Why did we hold our Representative Assembly (RA) in Florida—ground zero for racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and xenophobic rhetoric and actions? During NEA’s Freedom to Learn Rally, held July 5, at the RA, in Orlando, I hope the answer was clear. We went to remind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—and the people with him—that our students do not need protection from Anne Frank or Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. They need protection from gun violence. And they deserve the freedom to read books that teach them about the history, diversity, and beauty of their world.

Speaking of beauty … the thousands of NEA members who rallied with me in Florida’s blazing heat were beautiful. When I stood with you, I saw our heart and I felt our power. And like I said then: We will win because we must win. Our students are depending on us to be worthy of them. Join me in demanding the freedom to learn.

What I’m Looking at

You all know I’m a Philly girl. (Fly, Eagles, fly!) But I do appreciate my adopted city of Washington, D.C., and especially its Smithsonian galleries. Looking at art is like opening a book. Sometimes you’re gazing through a window and observing something new; other times, it’s a glance in the mirror and reflecting on how you feel.

The late Alma Thomas—an African American painter who grew up a few blocks from NEA headquarters and spent 35-plus years as a D.C. Public Schools art teacher—is one of my absolute favorites. I’m thrilled that the Smithsonian American Art Museum is exhibiting her work this fall. Inspired by D.C.’s flowers and trees, Thomas’ abstract paintings are colorful and powerful. I look at them when I need a dose of energy. (Check out the Smithsonian’s K–8 interdisciplinary lesson plans, inspired by Thomas’s work.)