Notes from Camp, 2009: July 3

Friday, July 3

After days onsite and plenty of anticipation, the RA officially convened today.

First, though, Ohio delegates met at their third caucus. This was the second in the host city, but the first to begin at 7:00. Grumblling about the early time was mitigated by the realization that the lucky folks appointed to the Steering Committee had begun their work at 5:45 AM, reviewing the items scheduled for consideration today and developing recommended positions for the caucus to take. The caucus took positions on the first sixteen New Business Items.

(You could be confused by numbered references to NBIs. NBIs submitted by NEA's Board of Directors are lettered; those submitted at the RA are numbered. NEA's Board submitted five NBIs, and so far the delegates have submitted eleven. So the last numbered item is number 11, but the caucus has considered positions on sixteen.)

Not unusually, the caucus ran over a bit beyond its scheduled adjournment time of 9:00. Fortunately today, its first day, the RA begins at 11:00, an hour later than the later start time of 10:00; and our hotel is right next door to the San Diego Convention Center, so delegates didn't have too much difficulty getting over to the floor of the RA.

As usual, those arriving in the assembly hall found their seats with music blaring and beach balls bouncing around the hall. The RA began on time with the usual presentation of colors, Pledge of Allegiance, and singing of the National Anthem.

(Sometimes you'll hear people say that schools aren't reciting the Pledge of Allegiance any more; with a few exceptions, this doesn't seem to be the case. In fact, these simple opening ceremonies served once again to remind me that our delegates--who cover the political spectrum from far right to far left--share a powerful patriotism. And, for any who may read this and wonder, NEA is on record as supporting the Pledge and the use of the words "under God," and that's how the delegates recite it.)

As usual, business started out pretty deliberately; that won't be the case later! Delegates considered just three NBIs today, and passed all three of them.

• NBI A spells out items that NEA will work to "inform and influence" President Obama's $5 billion, 5-year plan to turn around troubled schools.
• NBI B specifies NEA's position on the renewal of ESEA. (ESEA, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is the federal government's main piece of preK-12 education legislation; it must be reauthorized every two years. It was the 2002 reauthorization that became known by the risible title of "No Child Left Behind.")
• NBI C officially places NEA in record as supporting "national health care . . . advocacy [that] that will stress the urgency of quality, comprehensive, affordable health care for all that includes a public health care plan option and does not tax employer- or government-provided benefits for active and retired residents." The debate featured delegates on both the right and the left, and in the end delegates turned down appeals from those for whom this approach goes too far and those for whom it doesn't go far enough.
  

Ohio delegates had earlier voted to support all three NBIs, and some were actively involved in the floor strategy aimed at passing the proposals.

Tonight had been designated as Friendship Night, an annual social event open to all delegates. This year's Friendship Night event was a Padres game at Petco Field against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. Forty NEOEA delegates had purchased tickets in our block, and another dozen or so had purchased tickets in a block provided by OEA. It was a fine night at the ballpark, featuring two teams playing in the same division and separated by only about a one-and-a-half-hour drive. The fans were about evenly divided between supporters of the hometown Padres and visiting Dodgers, the latter energized by the return of Manny Ramirez after a suspension. The Dodgers shelled Padres pitcher Chad Gaudin for five runs in the first inning and went on to win, 6-3.

Tomorrow may be Independence Day, but for us it's a work day; and what's more, the "regular" time schedule returns: a 7:00-9:00 caucus and RA sessions begin at 10:00.

WSL

For a look online at the work of the Annual Meeting, check out www.nea.org/annualmeeting.
For NEA's Annual Meeting Blog, go to http://nea-ra.blogspot.com.