Summer Travels & NEA RA!

I don't know where in the world summer went!! I have enjoyed my break so much.  I travelled to Denver for the National Educators Association Representative Assembly, aka NEA RA.  It was by far one of the MOST amazing experiences in my life! There were over 11,000 educators in one room debating, discussing, and determining national policy for the NEA to take on numerous issues facing education today! While many teachers say that they aren't in to politics, I hope they realize how much politics is in to them! From what you teach, to how you are evaluated, to how much you make, to your rights as employees, to your health care costs, we are all unfortunately ruled by hands that are often NOT our own!!

I was so excited to meet people from everywhere! I am from Tennessee and went up to their delegation first!! I met another teacher named Susan from the same city I was from.. small, small world!!! I heard the national teacher of the year speak, too! Loved the giant blue bear statue that looked into the building from the outside! Lawrence Argent's I See What You Mean bear was our delegation's favorite part of the building!! Such an adorable piece of art. We brought a mini statue home with us since it reminded us of the UCLA bear and Art is one of the variations of Artos which is Celtic for bear!  

This trip was definitely worth the 17 hour drive from California!! Not just to be a part of true democracy, but for the amazing sites we saw there and back! We toured the Fremont Indian Petroglyphs (look closely, you can see handprints), Arches National Park, Buffalo Bill Grave, Dinosaur Ridge where there are still dinosaur fossils!, Voodoo Donuts, Mesa Verde National Park, Four Corners, and we chowed at Cracker Barrel!! What else could you want? AMAZING!!