Team ISEA Makes Visits to the Offices of Our Members of Congress

This morning I joined Team ISEA's members of the NEA Board of Directors, Gayle Jeffers, French Teacher at Sioux City East High School and Jim Young, 4th grade teacher at Hansen Elementary in Cedar Falls; for a Legislative Briefing at the NEA Building. We heard from Team NEA's lobbyists about the issues that impact our members across the nation that are before the United States Congress.


Appointments had been made in advance of our visit to call upon three members of the Iowa Congressional delegation. Those appointments came shortly after lunch, so Gayle and Jim spent the remainder of the morning visiting the various House and Senate office buildings to drop off materials for the other four members of our Congressional delegation. I joined Gayle and Jim in the Longworth Building for lunch in the cafeteria before we set out for our visits.


With our appointment times nearly over-lapping, we had to divide up the visits to our members of Congress. As Gayle Jeffers headed to United States Senator Tom Harkin's office to meet with Rob Barrons, the Senator's education staffer, Jim Young and I headed to Congressman Loebsack's office. Congressman Dave Loebsack (seated at left), freshman member of Congress from Mount Vernon, IA was very much aware of short comings of the federal government's committment to public education. He shared some of his views with us on IDEA (Individuals with Disability Act) as well as the so called No Child Left Behind law. We were very pleased with Congressman Loebsack's willingness to include ISEA/NEA as the process moves forward. One last photo...and here we have NEA Director Jim Young pictured with Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa's 2nd Congressional District.

NEA Director Gayle Jeffers headed back to the NEA Building to a meeting of the Midwest Regional Planning Committee once her visit to Senator Harkin's office was complete. NEA Director Jim Young and I next headed off to the office of Jim's member of Congress, Congressman Bruce Braley of Iowa's 1st District. Here Jim and I are pictured with Congressman Braley. Before the Congressman had to rush off for a vote on the floor of the U.S. House, he shared with us his concern for the federal government of the past underfunding programs as IDEA and NCLB and how it undermines the purpose of providing needed educational programs for America's students.


As Congressman Braley headed to the Captiol to vote, NEA Director Jim and I had a chance to visit just a bit longer with the Congressman's Chief of Staff, Sarah Benzing. Sarah's parents, Nick and Diana Benzing of Neola, are long-time activists and members of Team ISEA/NEA and personal friends, having recently retired after a lifetime of teaching. I'm pictured (at right) with Sarah. Congressman Braley knows he has one of Iowa's best and brightest, who thoroughly understands our issues, directing his Congressional office in Washington, D.C. in Sarah Benzing!