COLLINSVILLE – National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle will visit four locations in Illinois as part of her Joy, Justice and Excellence tour, talking to members about their concerns, challenges and successes during this school year and throughout the pandemic.
Pringle will be joined by Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin and IEA Executive Director Audrey Soglin at her first stop, which is at Collinsville High School. There she will meet with local leaders and the school administration to talk about the school’s Kahok Program, which is a joint effort between the school district and the Collinsville Education Association to grow their own teachers, with a concentration on recruiting BIPOC future educators.
Pringle has visited several states on the tour and has worked since taking office in September of 2020 to hear member voices: ““No matter the school I visited or the Zoom meeting I joined, whenever two or more educators were gathered there was light,” she said.
“There is nothing better than being out in schools and communities with our members. Their passion for educating students and helping on their paths to success helps feed the spirit. We’re so thrilled that President Pringle was able to come spend some time with our members in Illinois and so thankful to get a chance to show off some of the amazing work our educators are doing to support Illinois students. It’s been a rough two years, and it’s nice to know that NEA knows that and cares to listen to the struggles, as well as the successes. It’s good to be recognized, heard and respected,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said.
Pringle will visit Collinsville High School (2201 S. Morrison Ave., Collinsville), which is slated to last from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
On Fri., April 22, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Pringle will make a stop at East Elementary School (1035 Washington Ave., Alton). She will meet with members and see a showcase garden where the students learn to plan, plant and maintain both kitchen and landscape gardens.
B-roll footage of today’s event is available for download and use here. Please credit the Illinois Education Association for any use.
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At 135,000 members strong, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) is the largest union in Illinois. The IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty and support staff, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
