Our cover story “Still Strong” includes a quote that I love from Virginia teacher Nicole Loch. “You cannot sit on the sidelines and expect your team to win the game for you.”
Those words make you want to be on her team, right? Well, I am on Nicole’s team. And so are you. Nicole is a new NEA member from Virginia who didn’t always belong to her association. She didn’t think she could afford it, she told NEA Today writer John Rosales.
But after traveling to the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond with hundreds of members of the local Fauquier Education Association who were heading to a #RedForEd rally, Nicole “saw the power of mobilization and strength in numbers,” she told John. “I knew then that I needed to join.”
She isn’t the only one to notice the power of solidarity. Your national union is growing. Educators like Nicole have had it with out-of-date textbooks, enormous class sizes, and salaries that can’t pay for a used car. Just two years ago, this uprising seemed unimaginable. Those who put Betsy DeVos at the top of the Department of Education had money and momentum.
But today’s NEA makes me think of a sign that I’ve seen recently at rallies. It says: “They whispered, ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ We whispered back, ‘I am the storm.’” Speaking of signs, you have to check out the collection of #RedForEd protest signs. Your colleagues are smart and creative. They are also hilarious.
Finally, as the school year ends, take a moment to reflect. I hope it’s been a good year for each of you, individually. Collectively, I believe we are stronger and more powerful than ever because of people like Nicole Loch. Have a great summer!
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