.png)
.png){kind=small}
January 23, 2026
- presidentarlington
- Jan 23
- 9 min read
Happy Friday! I hope you have had a great week. I'm sure many of us are looking forward to an extra day off on Monday (or longer?) due to the coming snow. Whatever the weekend brings, please stay safe and warm.
It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of one of our colleagues, Jen Scher. Ms. Scher was a passionate and committed member of the Math Department at Washington Liberty for nearly 24 years. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and the entire school community. Please send caring thoughts to Jen's family, friends, students, and colleagues.
Congratulations to our January APS All Stars and AEA members:
Ken Diaz of Ashlawn Elementary School (and also an AEA Building Rep!), Rosa Segovia of Escuela Key. Thank you for all that you do to make APS a better place.
From the AEA Elections Committee
It's a busy time for elections! We're trying our best to not have too much overlap with elections.
Please see the revised timeline below for our Executive Board Elections. If you would like to run for President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, HS Rep, MS Rep, or ES Rep, please email admin@aeava.org.
January 12 – February 27:
Collection of signatures. All forms must be submitted to the AEA office by COB on Friday, February 27 with at least 20 signatures (the business day before March 1). All forms will be date/time stamped. No late submissions will be accepted.
March 2 – March 27:
Signature verification by AEA administration. The Elections Committee may inspect. Ballots are created by AEA administration and approved by the AEA Elections Committee and DA. AEA will notify petitioners of their placement on the ballot. Campaigning may begin.
March 27 (week of):
Ballots sent via interoffice mail to individual members. Representatives will be notified to be on the lookout.
Candidate forum:
TBD, via Zoom (?? March 24 or another day).
April 6 –April 30:
Voting/election period (beginning the Monday following spring break). All ballots must be returned to the AEA office by COB on Thursday, April 30. Late ballots will be held but not counted.
May 4 (week of):
Ballots counted. Elections Committee Certifies the results of the election. Winners notified.
Self Nomination for NEA-RA Convention
If you would like to attend the National Education Association Representative Assembly (NEA-RA) this year, please use the link below to self-nominate. The RA is July 3-7 in Denver, CO.
Arlington is allowed 11 delegates to this convention, with the AEA President as an automatic delegate (per Bylaws). If more nominations are received than available slots, we will hold an election.
Self-nomination will be open until close of business on 2/13/26.
VEA Learning Lounge
The Department of Equity, Justice, and Learning is pleased to offer “The Learning Lounge” – your dedicated virtual haven where every role in our vibrant school community finds common ground, growth, and understands that our diversity is our strength! This isn't just a place to learn; it's a friendly space to discover that the journey of learning is continuous and beautifully interconnected. These 45-minute sessions will be held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 6:30 pm via Zoom and are open to ALL within our school communities. Click here to see the calendar of future speakers and register.
Our speaker for Tuesday, February 3rd, will be Kristen Salonga, a Science Teacher, and Department Chair from Fairfax to talk about Grant and Professional Development Opportunities for Educators.
Click here to register and explore the full calendar of sessions.
Take Action From NEA Member Benefits: Do you have Life Insurance through NEA Member Benefits? Have you named a beneficiary? Life is hectic and we have so much to get done. Please take a moment to click on the link here to make sure you have a Beneficiary for your NEA No Cost Complimentary Life Insurance. All active Members who are working have this great benefit. However, in order for it to be activated please list a beneficiary. If you feel you have already done this, I encourage you to check and confirm not only you have a beneficiary chosen, but it is updated as to whom you want to be receiving the payout today. https://www.neamb.com/products/nea-complimentary-life-insurance Solidarity with Minnesota EducatorsSign the petition: ICE out of Minnesota NOW! Under the direction of the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is terrorizing residents in Minnesota—showing up at places like schools, churches, and hospitals to lawlessly abduct people and intimidate peaceful protestors. Minnesota is under siege, and it’s ground zero for what Trump is hoping to replicate in cities and states across the country. Despite widespread opposition from everyday Minnesotans and local and state elected officials, the Trump administration is not only refusing to end the occupation—it is ramping it up. As Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, the Pentagon has readied 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be deployed to the state, against the directive of state leaders.1 Right now, ICE agents outnumber the Minneapolis police force 5-to-1.2 The state of Minnesota has not requested any active military to come. The administration is doing everything it can to escalate rather than deescalate, and the Insurrection Act is part of that plan. What Minnesotans need is for ICE to leave for good. Not for the federal government to send the military to exacerbate a crisis of their own making. We need the Trump administration to know that Americans everywhere are watching what is happening on the ground in Minnesota, and that we WILL NOT allow a police state to take hold. Will you sign the petition? Minnesotans are doing everything in their power to meet this moment with courage and resilience. They are funneling money into mutual aid, hosting food and donation drives, patrolling schools and neighborhoods, filling the streets in protest, holding vigils, and striking. But they are up against brute and inhumane force. Last week, a family trying to get home from a basketball game in Minneapolis was tear-gassed by agents in their car—the mother had to give her infant child CPR.3 This week, ICE agents broke into a house in St. Paul and forcibly removed an elderly man from his home in freezing temperatures, only to find out later they'd abducted the wrong person.4 These stories are horrific, and there are countless other violations of our rights happening every day. We need to show that Minnesotans are not alone—that people across the country are in solidarity and fighting back against this administration's cruel and illegal actions. Join the more than 48,000 MoveOn members who have signed the petition opposing Trump's militarized occupation of Minnesota, and then share with three friends to help us cross the 100K mark and get the attention of press, elected officials, and the administration. Thanks for all you do.
All times Eastern |
Weigh in on the Arlington County budget
Arlington County launched our engagement on the annual operating budget for fiscal year 2027. We encourage you to share your feedback, now through January 30. The Manager will review and consider what we learn from the community as he develops his proposed budget, which will be presented to the Board at the February board meeting. View the newsletter below for more information.
Share your feedback here!
Arlington County faces a difficult decision-making process as it looks to balance spending with revenue for FY 2027. As the Manager develops his budget, he wants to hear from you. Share your feedback on trade-offs of service reductions and options to increase revenue, now through Jan. 30. Comparta sus comentarios en español.
****************************************************************************************************************
NEWS FROM VEA
The Wearing of the BlueMany VEA members are wearing blue today in solidarity with fellow union members and the people of Minnesota, showing our strong position against ICE agents coming into public schools. Here’s a sampling of Virginia folks participating. We stand with our brothers and sisters in Minnesota and around the country and against ICE presence in our schools. If you’re in blue today, we’d love to see you use your social media to raise awareness about the challenges facing our schools. Share photos of yourself wearing blue and use the hashtags #EdMNAction and #ICEOutSchools to amplify our message. And Something to Lobby For...This General Assembly session is a great opportunity, as we have more friends of public education in office at the same time than we’ve had in years. Let’s not let our moment pass by—and let’s give Governor Spanberger the chance to sign a bill backing this comment from her inaugural speech! Speaking of the Inauguration...VEA members were honored with an invitation to be part of the inaugural parade that followed the swearing in of Governor Spanberger, Lt. Governor Hashmi, and Attorney General Jones. Stuff the Truck: A Social Justice Opportunity at Lobby DayVEA is joining forces with RizzeUp Resources, a nonprofit whose mission is helping those in need in the Richmond metro area, to hold a donation day on February 15. The event is called Stuff the Truck, and details are in the flyer below. If you live in the area or are in town for Lobby Day, consider helping out. VEA Bills in Early Stages at General AssemblyOur VEA-initiated bills are moving along during the General Assembly’s first full week, with most of them in House and Senate education, finance, and labor subcommittees and committees, which is where they typically go after being introduced. Two VEA bills have already reported from full committee and are headed to first reading on the floor of their respective chambers today. They are:
Our bills this session address a wide range of priorities, including improving equity in school funding and staffing, increasing educator and support staff compensation and incentives, strengthening due-process protections for school employees, expanding alternative graduation pathways for students, refining SOL assessment practices, supporting student teachers and National Board Certification, and updating labor and employment policies affecting public employees. A Contest for Your Artistically-Talented StudentsVirginia’s K-12 public school students are invited to showcase both their talents and their teachers in the annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest, sponsored by The Virginia Lottery and The Supply Room. Original artwork by students can be submitted here, and three winners will each receive a $200 gift card. In addition, their school’s art department will be awarded $2,000 from The Supply Room. The winning designs—one each from elementary, middle and high school—will then be featured on thousands of thank-you notes distributed to teachers across the Commonwealth during Teacher Appreciation Week in May. Those notes will each feature a code for teachers to enter for a chance to win a prize. Deadline to submit artwork is February 2, 2026. Support 2026 Black Lives Matter at School; Toolkit Available to HelpBecause we’re committed to increasing the representation of educators of color, promoting antiracist teaching practices, and cultivating cultural competence in classrooms, the VEA is proud to endorse Black Lives Matter at School Week, set for February 2-6, 2026. We invite you to explore the 2026 Black Lives Matter at School Toolkit shared by the Fitz Turner Commission for Human Relations and Civil Rights and the Department of Equity, Justice, and Learning, which contains valuable lesson plans, discussion guides, and strategies to help foster conversations about race in your classrooms and beyond. Grants Available from The NEA FoundationA check from The NEA Foundation can make a big difference for you and your students, and applications are now open for the current round of Envision Equity, Learning & Leadership, and Student Success grants. Learn more at those links or by attending a virtual information session on February 19 @ 7:00-8:00 p.m. (Please click this link to register.) Application deadline for grants is Monday, March 2. Learn More About Racism in Education MondayJoin Standing for Equity in the Roanoke Valley (SERV) for a Zoom presentation on Racism in Education on January 26th at 6:30pm. For more information on SERV and to register for the session, go here. Recognizing the richness that historically black colleges and universities provide, the Virginia Education Association wishes to salute all our HBCU's during our third HBCU PRIDE WEEK. Find out ways to participate and download resources and information to share. |