Ei-iE

US education unions’ national congresses endorse presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

US Democratic Party Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton addressed the National Education Association (NEA) 154th Representative Assembly (RA), held from 2-7 July in Washington D.C. Clinton promised delegates that, as President, she would move away from the obsessive overuse of standardised testing and return the focus to educating students. She also announced plans to launch a national campaign to elevate the profession. After the violence that struck at the core of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) community across America, NEA President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia paid homage to the 49 people who died in the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando. EI was represented by General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen and Deputy General Secretary David Edwards. EI’s Steve Snider and Mar Candela ran an information stand to promote both EI and its Global Response to the privatisation and commercialisation in and of education.

Ten days later Clinton addressed the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) biennial convention, held from 18-21 July in Minneapolis, Minnesota. EI President Susan Hopgood commended the AFT for its century of championing quality public education. She presented the AFT with EI's “Certificate of Commendation”, thanking the union for setting an example to education unions globally by its struggle for quality education for all children and social equity. AFT President Randi Weingarten delivered a forceful endorsement for Hillary Clinton, and hailed the union as a vehicle empowering its 1.6 million-plus workers at the bargaining table and the ballot box. She lamented the gun violence claiming 33,000 lives in America per year. The General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, Claude Carroué, and Helena Schultz also represented EI.

Canadian Forum on Public Education and CTF Annual General Meeting

EI’s Andrew King contributed to both the Canadian Forum on Public Education and AGM of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation from 11-15 July. The Canadian Forum focused on the mental health of teachers and students, and provided educators with the experiences of practitioners to help them deal with the challenges faced by both pupils and teachers. King moderated a panel discussion, “Wellness without Barriers”, focused on stigmatisation, ways in which teachers can address it, and itspotential mental and emotional repercussions.

Dennis Shirley visits EI Headquarters

Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, visited EI Headquarters on 11-15 July. In addition to several meetings with staff units, Professor Shirley made a presentation to all staff on gave  “The new imperatives of Education Changes: what do they mean for our work?”, whereby he  explored current trends in education and the direction that the profession should strive for, including teachers becoming co-creators of their own profession.