It’s the Fourth of July at the NEA convention. Delegates in red, white, and blue or wearing Uncle Sam hats were entertained with a special performance by the all-NEA choir. There is a holiday-like atmosphere, although that is not much different from any day at the RA.
On the business front, the morning’s been even-paced with lots of humdrum items coming up and passing through, or not. What everyone’s really waiting for is the Obama endorsement that President Reg Weaver is expected to make just before the lunch break, as well as results of this morning’s vote on admitting private school workers to the NEA, an issue that was hotly debated by delegates yesterday.
To his credit, Weaver, who presides over all the day’s business, does a great job of keeping things from getting too sleep-inducing, with his booming voice and characteristic laugh, as well as the humor he injects into the proceedings. So popular is the NEA president that some delegates wear hats emblazoned with “Reg.”
At the NEA’s 2006 convention in Orlando, one delegate often took the mike to complement Weaver on how handsome he was. And while introducing the outgoing president yesterday, one delegate paid Weaver the ultimate compliment: He opened his mouth and bellowed out a hearty guffaw, Reg Weaver style.