Notes from Camp: July 2

Ohio Holds First Caucus in Host City

Ohio is one of the relatively few states that hold a delegate caucus before the Annual Meeting week: ours took place on Saturday, June 5. So some states had already held a caucus in New Orleans before today, when our delegates caucused in the host city for the first time.

This made for a relatively easy day: the starting time was 7:30 instead of 7:00, as it will be starting tomorrow. And the caucus didn't need to decide too much business today: delegates had already decided some endorsements and taken positions on amendments to the Standing Rules, Constitution and Bylaws.

Tomorrow morning delegates will find quickly that they have some deciding to do. Each year the RA considers dozens--sometimes over a hundred--New Business Items (NBIs). The first few NBIs each year come from the NEA Board of Directors, and those are lettered rather than numbered. This year the Board has submitted four NBIs, lettered "A" through "D." NBI "A" is a strong warning against some of the federal education policies that the current administration has endorsed under the leadership of Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan. Ohio's Steering Committee will meet tomorrow morning and recommend a position to the caucus, but the caucus will as usual make up its own mind.

The text of NBI "A," as well as the texts of all NBIs, is available at http://www.nea.org/grants/33354.htm.

The Board has submitted four NBIs. As I write this, delegates have submitted another six. Those will almost certainly proliferate in the days ahead.

WSL