NEA Today for Aspiring Educators, Fall 2024

A message from NEA Aspiring Educators Program Chair Hannah St. Clair 

A Path Toward Transforming Public Education 

Winter 2009, Kodiak, Alaska: My second-grade classmates and I shuffled from one classroom to another, onto our second long-term sub of the year. They had us put all our school supplies in plastic bags with spiky handles. The feeling of the spikes made 7-year-old me think, “If I become a teacher, I won’t let other kids experience this.”  

Since that day, I have been inspired by the change-makers I’ve met going into the field of education, who are working to create a more racially and socially just system than the one we experienced. Being a member of our union has taught me that we—the generation that has experienced active shooter drills since kindergarten—are not alone in the fight against gun violence. That we—the students who read dystopian stories and saw too many similarities in our real world—refuse to allow racist, sexist, and xenophobic rhetoric and policies that harm our students, educators, and communities. And that we—the ones who marched for Black lives—will teach the truth. In our union, we are not alone. We are stronger together.  

As a proud product of public education from both Alaska and Kansas, my desire to become an educator grew as I realized that the opportunities afforded to students across our country are not the same. When I was a student, moving between low-income and upper-middle-class districts put on full display the inequities in our education system. But I still believe in the power of a public education. We—the members of NEA, from Aspiring Educators to active educators to retirees—are collectively raising our voices and taking action to ensure that education remains public and accessible, that educators are respected, and that our communities are safe.  

I joined NEA Aspiring Educators during my first week of college, in 2019, at the University of Oregon. I could not have imagined how much I would grow and change as an advocate and educator. Since that time, I have fought for equity in educator preparation; lobbied U.S. legislators on marriage equality, gun violence prevention, and paid student teaching; and empowered emerging local and state Aspiring Educators to grow in their own advocacy and leadership development.  

Seven-year-old Hannah would be blown away at all the dreams that have come true for me as an Aspiring Educator. What would astonish my young self the most: I’m not done and am only just beginning, and—with your help—will continue to advocate, grow, and fight for a high-quality public education. 

Along the way, we must celebrate our wins so we can recognize our power. While I’ve been in college, the work to pass legislation to pay student teachers has increased tremendously and more Aspiring Educators around the country can now student teach without wondering how they will afford rent or groceries.  

I’ll conclude where I began. When you feel those spikes digging into you about the challenges of public education, think about what you can do to create a better experience for your future students. You are not alone in your power.  Remember—you’ve found your people with Aspiring Educators.