NEA leader explains why elections matter at 2024 state convention

In front of over 200 Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association member delegates, National Education Association (NEA) Senior Director of Advocacy Mary Kusler posed a question: “Why do we do politics in the union?”

During a powerful keynote address at HSTA’s 51st annual state convention on April 13, Kusler said, “You all as union leaders need to answer that question” because “if we do not stand up for the power of our public education system in this country, what will be left?”

Why elections matter: ‘It’s about the policy and what happens in our classrooms, campuses, and communities.’

Kusler, who traveled to Hawaiʻi to address HSTA teacher leaders, spoke about the importance of politics in the union and public education.

She referenced politicians “who know nothing about teaching and learning” restricting books, diverting precious resources to private schools in the form of vouchers, and reducing certification requirements to make sure they “just get people in the classroom because ‘anyone can teach.’”

“Every time we work on an election, it is to make sure we are electing people who matter, who understand the value of our public education system as a cornerstone of our democracy,” Kusler said.

She lauded the Biden-⁠Harris Administration as the most pro-labor and pro-union in U.S. history.

Among other accomplishments supporting public education, Kusler pointed out that President Joe Biden has expanded broadband access, prioritized the mental health needs of students and educators, and for the first time in history, the U.S. Department of Labor expanded the apprenticeship program to include teachers.

For all of those reasons and more, Kusler declared, “The NEA has enthusiastically endorsed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for a second term,” and encouraged every member to get out and vote.

Kusler said, “Anybody who stays home is letting somebody else tell our story. And you all work with students who you teach to have a voice, to stand up for themselves, and most especially to tell their own story. So we know at the end of the day, we have to model that behavior.

“You are the leaders of your campuses. You are the one to talk about why collective action of the union matters. Why do we do politics? Because it’s about the policy and what happens in our classrooms, campuses, and communities,” she added.

First lady addresses HSTA members in special video

First lady and NEA member Dr. Jill Biden, who has spoken to HSTA leaders twice during the aftermath of the Maui fires, recorded a special message just for HSTA members attending convention to finish off Kusler’s keynote address.

In her message, Dr. Biden focused on collective healing from grief through love.

“If there is something strong enough to help us carry the burden of grief forward, something able to break its gravitational pull, it’s love. The love of the friends and family who remind us that joy can be found even in sorrow, the love of the community that lifts us up when we’re weak that carries us on.

“I saw that love when I spoke with teachers on Maui last year in the days after the fire, and I’ve seen it as I’ve joined HSTA board meetings in the months since,” Dr. Biden said.

While serving as first lady, Biden has continued teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009. She is the first presidential spouse to maintain an independent career outside of the White House and is a member of her local educators’ union which is an affiliate of the National Education Association.

She went on to reinforce why teachers do what they do, and often it’s to answer the call of service.

“We chose this path out of love for what we do and who we teach. To answer this call of service is in itself an act of hope. Because this isn’t just a job. It’s a calling. And all of you were called to this profession for a reason. Because you never give up on the families you serve. You continue to believe that a better world is possible. And you make that world real one student at a time,” she said.

The message ended with Biden reminding delegates that together, “we’re a family, a family of colleagues, and we hold on to one another.

“I hope that you remember that right now someone out there is standing a little taller because you helped her find the confidence she needed. Someone is working a little harder, because you pushed him to try. Someone is braver because you helped her find her courage. Thank you.”