ALL IN THE NAME OF EDUCATION:  TWO MINNESOTA WOMEN PRESIDENTS    

                        By Bobbie Margo                                                                                            

This article is the conclusion in a series featuring strong Union women in public education.  Therefore, it is only fitting that this final segment focuses on two women from Minnesota!

AFT Vice President Denise Specht was elected President of Education Minnesota in 2013-defeating incumbent Tom Dooher.  Specht had served six years as ED MN’s Secretary-Treasurer.  She

                                                             TWO WOMEN NAMED SANDRA

                                                                            By Bobbie Margo

In this article, the two women named Sandra are Sandra Feldman and Sandra Peterson.  Both women were involved in union activities for a great majority of their lives, Feldman more at the National level and Peterson more at the State level; both women were close in age.

Sandra Feldman, born in Brooklyn, New York in 1939, worked as a substitute teacher in East Harlem and as a fourth grade teacher at PS #34.  She became

                                                     Two Women Warrior

                             All In The Name of Public Education 

                                              By Bobbie Margo

If the status quo remains, Randi Weingarten (AFT President ) and Lily Eskelsen-Garcia (NEA President ) have already “made history.”  Weingarten is the first openly gay individual to be elected President of the 1.7 million members of the American Federation of Teachers.  Eskelsen-Garcia is the first Latina to be elected President of the National Education Association.  NEA is a membership of 3 million

                                                                         By Bobbie Margo

This year’s 37^th NEA Retired Annual Meeting was held virtually from June 29-30, 2020.  Virtually means that each and every one of the attendees could attend in their own homes, offices, etc.  For myself, I was able to attend in my rumpled house clothes and no one was the wiser!! 

President Sarah Borgman called the meeting to order; the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem were done by NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia.  Garcia sang and played her guitar.  Lily then spoke briefly.  She informed us

By Bobbie Margo

The Open Hearing on the Proposed NEA Strategic Plan and Budget took place virtually on June 25, 2020 and lasted for one and one-half hours.  NEA Secretary-Treasurer Princess Moss was the Presiding Officer. 

Moss opened the hearing by stating that when it is all said and done, the 2020-2022 Budget will remain the same as the 2019-2020 Budget.  However any current budget expenditures will have to be incorporated into NEA’s future goals:

            1)  advancing racial justice                                                                                                          

                          REPORT OF THE NEA-RETIRED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL                                                                                                          By Bobbie Margo

NEA Retired was formed in 1951, and it since has become a powerhouse of activism-working closely with NEA and its mission.  NEA-R has representation on NEA’s Board of Directors, on NEA’s Resolutions Committee, and has its own Executive Council.

The Executive Council is comprised of the NEA Retired President, V-P, and Secretary along with 6 At-Large members.  Executive Council positions are elected by the