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Democratic Caucus of the National Education Association
2010 RA Nea Orleans! Check the NEA annual meeting website for general information		State Party List Contact House of Rep Contact Senate
Celebrate success and preserve the majority!
Newsletter Posted The NEA Democrat Caucus newsletter is posted in pdf form here. The Newsletter contains the latest schedule and much more. Get your copy of the newsletter by clicking on The Donkey's Tale. Activists Project Request Posted Lily Eskelsen and Becky Pringle need your help! Download your Activists Project Request here. Report of the Chair, 2010 Jim Lansing This year in New Orleans, Louisiana, we can celebrate the accomplishments that Democrats have made at the national level and at home. It is critical that we preserve the majority in congress. The challenges of mid-term elections may seem great, but the work we do in the campaigns at home will make the difference. The environmental tragedy that is unfolding so near to our meeting is a wake-up call. Democrats are on the right side of the issues that have led up to this. It is time for us to communicate, re-energize, and re-commit. Our Democratic Caucus Breakfast will be held, as usual, on July 4^th at 8:00 am, and will feature a keynote speaker of national importance. Renew your membership at our booth #556 in the NEA EXPO, July 1-3, 2010, or with the NEA Democratic Caucus contact in your state delegation. Caucus Election Nominations for Caucus offices will take place at the first meeting on July 1 at 4:00. Those who wish to be nominated must attend. It is usually a small and short meeting, since nominations are the main purpose. If there is more than one candidate for an office, we will have to plan for an election. Last year the Vice Chair and Treasurer were elected to two year terms. This year the Chair and Secretary will be elected, also for two-year terms. These are very demanding jobs, and potential candidates must realize that it is a two year commitment. The Caucus Rules of Operation included in this newsletter describe the responsibilities of the officers. Jack Schneider, who did an excellent job last year, is our election committee chair. State Contacts Our booth at the NEA Expo in the convention center, #556, will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. just before the membership meeting on July 1^st. All state contacts should try to pick up their packets on this day. If you attend the breakfast you will probably miss your morning state meeting. Please explain to any state official that our breakfast has been authorized by the NEA President, and ask permission to be absent from your state meeting. Welcome to the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly in New Orleans! The End of Small Politics by Senator Barack Obama (Taken from TomPaine.com in 2008 before the election) We meet at a time where we find ourselves at a crossroads in American history. It’s a time where you can go into any town hall or veterans’ hall or coffee shop or street corner and you’ll hear people express the same anxiety about the future. You’ll hear them convey the same uncertainty about the direction that we’re headed as a country. Whether it’s the war or Katrina or health care or outsourcing, you’ll hear people say that, now, surely we’ve come to a moment where things have to change. And there are Americans who still believe in an America where anything’s possible; they’re just not sure that their leaders still do. They still believe in dreaming big dreams but they suspect maybe that their leaders have forgotten how. I remember when I first ran for the state senate – this was my very first race – back in Chicago … people would say, you seem like a nice young man. They would look over my literature. They would say, you have a fancy law degree, you teach at a fine law school, you’ve done fine work, you’ve got a beautiful family – why would you want to go into something dirty and nasty like politics? Why would you want to go into politics? And the question is understandable and it bears on today because even those of us who are involved, even those of us who are active in the political process and in civic life, there are times where all of us feel discouraged sometimes, where we get cynical about the prospects for politics because it seems as if sometimes that politics is treated as a business and not a mission, and that power is always trumping principle, and that we have leaders that are sometimes long on rhetoric but short on substance, and so we get discouraged. And every two years or fours years maybe we do our bit and we knock on doors or pass our literature, or we go into the polling place and hold our noses and vote for the lesser of two evils, but we don’t feel in our gut sometimes that politics and government is going to improve our lives. At most we hope it does us no harm. And I am not immune to those feelings. But, you know, when I get in that funk, I think about a person I met the day before I was elected to the United States Senate …[M]y staff comes up to me and says, senator, before you go up, there’s this woman who wants to meet you. And she’s driven a long way and she’s a big supporter and she just wants to take a picture with you and shake your hand. And I say, well, that’s not a problem. And so I go offstage to a back room and I meet this woman. She explains that she has supported me since I announced for my race. She shakes my hand, we take a picture, she tells me that’s she’s proud of me. And she had already cast her ballot at that point absentee, and she was really appreciative of the work that I was doing and wished me Godspeed. for more click here to go to Tom Paine	Caucus Room and Info for New Orleans 2010 The Breakfast Meeting will be held in the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center, (EMMC) Room #344. All other caucus meetings will be in the Hilton Garden Inn (HGI), Alferez Room, located conveniently next to the Convention Center. Update! Congressman Charlie Melancon of Louisiana’s 3rd District, http://www.melancon.house.gov, will be the featured speaker at our July 4th breakfast meeting. Download pdf version of schedule here Thurs. July1 NEA EXPO DEM’S BOOTH 9:00am-3:45pm EMMC, Both #556 Membership Meeting 4:00pm-4:30pm HGI, Alferez Room Nominations of Officers and Region Coordinators. All candidates running for office must be present. Fri. July 2 NEA EXPO DEM’S BOOTH 9:00am-5:00pm EMMC,Booth #556 Membership Meeting Noon-1:00pm HGI, Alferez Room Sat. July 3 NEA EXPO DEM’S BOOTH 9:00am-11:00am EMMC, Booth # 556 Membership Meeting 9:30am-11:00am HGI Alferez Room Candidate speeches (if necessary), Candidates will be asked to state the duties, responsibilities, and assignments they plan to deliver if elected. (Region Coordinators should be prepared to furnish the names and addresses of each state contact in his or her region.) Sun. July 4 Breakfast Meeting 8:00 am-10:00 am Rm. #344 Ernest M. Morial Convention Center Breakfast Registration 7:30 am to 8:00am Featured Speaker Congressman Charlie Melancon (Dem-Louisiana) Dianne Shust, NEA Director of Government Relations Issues update Karen White, NEA Director of Campaigns and Elections. Electons update. (Members must have membership pins and ribbons. The first 100 members will be served breakfast. If you come late you are welcome to listen to the speaker. Mon. July 5 All membership money, pins and ribbons should be returned Membership Meeting 9:30am-10:00am HGI Alferez Room Election of Officers (if necessary) (Members must have membership pins and ribbons to vote.) Tues. July 6 Executive Committee Meeting 9:30am-10:00am HGI Alferez Room NEA Democratic Caucus 2009-2010 List of Officers Chair Jim Lansing lansingj@bellsouth.net Vice-Chair Kevin Duboise twistri@hotmail.com Secretary Dennis Bruck 103053116@comcast.net Teresa Hodge thodge@broward.edu Past Chair Mary Flaherty Artuso martuso@comcast.com Appointed Positions Webmaster Paul Hambleton phamble@gmail.com Newsletter Editor Robert W. Smith bobsmith1@comcast.net Elections Committee Chair Jack Schneider Check out these interesting links: Organizing for America Speaker Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Party The Aggresive Progressives Campaign for America's Future	2010 NEA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS PIN: “TURNING HOPE INTO ACTION” Our NEA Democratic Caucus Pin for 2010 reflects the RA theme: “Turning Hope Into Action.” You will receive your pin when you renew your NEA Democratic Caucus membership with your State Contact person, or at Booth #556 at the NEA Expo in the convention center July 1-3, 2010. RI Deals with Attacks on Unions (Again) Rhode Island has been a political hotbed of activity for a few years now, as political parties and interest groups have seen the rare setup of the Ocean State as a great microcosm to test the political landscape. A recent example is the highly controversial federal education initiative entitled Race to the Top, or RTTT. This initiative promises federal funding to state’s who apply and are selected. Applications include how money will be spent to “transform” schools, hold educators more “accountable” with more stringent evaluation tools and professional development. Unlike some states, however, who have seen this as an opportunity to work with all parties to improve education, the newly hired Commission of Education, along with most members of the Board of Governors in RI, have seen this as an opportunity to craft an application that attacks union rights. On another note, though related once one knows the players in RI, the state legislature, in a close 39-33 vote has once again made changes to the state pension system as a means of closing a large budget gap – for the third time in only six years. Though RI’s state legislature has been dominated by the Democratic Party for years, there has been a movement by many individuals to cut social programs, attack unions, and in fact act in very undemocratic manner. Some posit that many in RI have run under the banner of being a Democrat, knowing RI’s very pro-Democrat history, but in fact do not subscribe to many classic Democratic ideals, such as quality public schools and other social programs. It is my hope that the emergence of organizations like Working Rhode Island, a confederacy of unions, small businesses, and other groups, and local affiliates in various towns, will be effective in the new few elections with finding candidates that will support RI’s people, public schools, and necessary programs. Race for RI Governor Heats up with 2 Democrats, 1 Independent as Front-Runners With all that is happening politically in Rhode Island, what will go a long way in setting the tone for the next four years is the upcoming Governor’s race. With incumbent Donald Carcieri ending his second term, the field is open, and three major front-runners are currently vying for the position, and the winner will determine a lot in the future of public education and union workers in general. State Attorney General Patrick Lynch is one possible Democratic candidate for the position. With a family history of politics (His father William Lynch has long been the chair of the state democratic party, and is currently running for the seat of Federal Legislature), Mr. Lynch faces some tough competition but might be the best candidate for education. Current State Treasure Frank Caprio is also a “declared” Democrat. He also has family history in RI, with his father a long-time state court Judge. It has been clear, however, through some public statements and actions, that he is no friend to labor in RI. Lastly is former Federal Senator Lincoln Chaffee, son of the late Senator of the same name. Defeated in the last election by candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, Mr. Chaffee, a former Republican, is running as an independent in the coming election. Whoever wins this important race will have the power to select some new members of the Board of Regents for education, and have other long-lasting impacts on our public schools and the future of union workers in the Ocean State. Moving into 21^st Century with Networking Site for Caucus Members The idea is nothing new - Facebook and other social networking sites are used every day for faster, all-group communications. As your Vice-Chair dealing with membership, I hope to have the two test sites I have created ready to show members at one of our meetings. The Facebook site is as many people have seen it – pictures of our caucus, brief information or links to members, and a place to post comments, etc. The only part I am working on solving here is that I wish for the spot to be for members only. That only works for personal sites, where friends are invited or ask to be a part, and then they are allowed to “see” the information. The type that is usually used for clubs and organizations allows fans to sign up, and thus take part. There are other sites, however, that are specifically built for members of a company or organization to speak solely with one another. I believe a couple of these sites to be a bit less cluttered, easier to navigate and use, and our members do not have to have a complete “Facebook Page” in order to participate. It is more closed system, if you will. I am investigating the slight possibility that there is a small cost involved with some of these, however, though I believe it will be a once a year fee that the caucus will pay, not its participants. I hope to have handouts and perhaps a demonstration available at the membership booth during the opening days of the RA so people can check it out! See you all in New Orleans, Kevin J. Dubois
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Progressives Unite! Check out a variety of websites where you will get a progressive view of what is going on in our country: Have you tried out Air America yet? Go there now at http://www.airamericaradio.com/ Other ideas... Democratic Talk Radio The True Democrat's Guide The Progressive Majority Emilys List Alternet.org www.progressive.org Take Back the Media Important Links	What is the NEA Democratic Caucus? Each year, the National Education Association, NEA, holds an annual meeting called a Representative Assembly. NEA members from around the country, even from around the world, attend the NEA to discuss and formulate the direction of the NEA. A wide variety of caucuses have sprung up over the years out of the specific interests of NEA members. NEA Democrats is a caucus of the NEA delegates to the annual meeting who are members of the Democratic Party in their respective states. This web page helps those delegates get ready for their meetings at the regular annual meeting of the RA. And of course, we like Democrats!	NEA Dems Officers and Contacts Membership Form 2003 RA in New Orleans 2002 Representative Assembly in Dallas NEA Dem State Links Contact Web master

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