The following is directly from NEA:
The National Education Association’s annual Representative Assembly (RA) is the world’s largest democratic deliberative body. Nearly 7,000 elected educators from every kind of community, every background, and every identity. Our diversity is our power — we won’t agree on every issue, but we can all agree that everybody here deserves to be safe and respected.
We share responsibility for the space we create. Being a delegate means contributing to an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and able to participate fully. We are each responsible for the culture of this Assembly.
NEA leadership has listened to members across different perspectives and backgrounds and in order to make this an inclusive and successful RA, has taken significant steps to strengthen safety protocols, improve meeting conduct standards, modernize systems, and reinforce a culture of respectful engagement for all members. In response, the organization has implemented a series of changes designed to ensure that the Representative Assembly remains a safe, respectful, democratic space where members come together to debate, advocate, organize, and shape the future of public education.
These updates include:
- Transitioning from voice voting to electronic voting to improve clarity, transparency, and procedural integrity;
- Expanding de-escalation training and creating designated de-escalation leadership roles within state delegations;
- Strengthening conduct and enforcement procedures related to harassment, intimidation, and disruptive behavior;
- Increasing onsite safety and security measures throughout the convention space;
Let’s go into this Assembly the way we go into our classrooms — ready to listen, ready to learn, and ready to demonstrate respect for every person in the room. As educators, we know how to debate peacefully, in union together. Let’s make this an amazing RA!