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NEA President's Speech Has People Talking...and Not Just Because of What She Said

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  July 09, 2024 8:00 AM

Becky Pringle, the head of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, gave what some could argue is the best advertisement for homeschooling yet. In a speech before nearly 7,000 delegates at the 103rd Representative Assembly in Philadelphia, Pringle not only attacked the “tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt” Trump administration, but also vowed to fight parental choice in education, backed President Biden’s re-election campaign, DEI, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights, and insisted the NEA must win “all the things.” But it wasn’t just her speech that had people talking, it was her delivery that really turned heads. Some even equated it with how The Office’s Dwight Schrute gave speeches.  

Pringle began by quoting a poem from Amanda Gorman that was delivered at Biden’s inauguration, pledging to “not march back to what was.” From there, she raged against the Trump administration.   

“We worked hard to rid ourselves of a tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt White House, but the reality is that the seeds that were sown during that horrible season continue to germinate,” she said. 

“Today, they sprout as vitriol toward our profession; increased marginalization of Black, brown, AAPI, and Indigenous communities; rising hatred toward our LGBTQ+ siblings,” Pringle continued. “The seeds of hate manifest themselves as attacks against our freedom to teach; our students’ freedom to learn. They've mushroomed into the poisonous spores of a stacked Supreme Court—one that continues to render decisions that attack, diminish, and disregard the needs and lived experiences of far too many Americans.”

Continuing with her theme of ‘not going back,’ Pringle gave a pitch more appropriate for the DNC. 

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“That necessarily means our work must be about electing people who care about our students and educators; families and communities; our nation’s future," she said. "That’s why we will re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, our  Pro-childcare; Pro-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Pro-universal meals; Pro-voting rights; Pro-schools free of gun violence; Pro-racial and social justice friends who have been the strongest champions of public education, of educators, and of the labor movement in the history of our nation. 

"And we can’t stop there," Pringle continued. "We must elect both a Senate and a House that will work with our president to advance student loan forgiveness; that will enhance the rights our LGBTQ+ community; that will protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body!"

Pringle also took a shot at school choice. 

Check out some other "highlights" from the "rousing speech," as NEA described it. 

Parents Defending Education president Nicki Neily noticed one major issue that was missing from the speech: