National Teachers’ Union Will Incorporate Concept of ‘White Fragility’ into Staff Trainings & Literature

UPDATE: On Independence Day, the National Education Association Representative Assembly met for its first day of business. We shared a recap of some interesting proposals to the union’s Constitution and Bylaws here, and they were approved.

Below are additional updates on new business items that have been adopted and defeated.

Adopted

New Business Item 11

Using existing resources, NEA will incorporate the concept of “White Fragility” into NEA trainings/staff development, literature, and other existing communications…

White supremacy culture has fashioned a social norm insulating white people from the impact of racial stress, which consequentially constructs a social atmosphere that depresses the ability of society, in general, to tolerate racial stress, also known as “White Fragility.”

New Business Item 20

The National Education Association will create space in all individuals’ name tags, badges, and IDs for the individuals’ pronouns. The individuals’ pronouns will only be left off at the individual’s request. 

New Business Item 38

NEA will develop a report on the negative effects of charter co-locations…

Defeated

New Business Item 1

NEA will not schedule any future Representative Assemblies in “Right to Work” states, starting in 2025.

New Business Item 9

NEA shall call for a national teachers’ strike in support of the Green New Deal.

New Business Item 35

The NEA will announce that we support the impeachment of Donald Trump, and will work…to ensure that an impeachment inquiry begin now into the charges that President Donald Trump has committed “high crimes and misdemeanors”…